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BusinessLIVE - For Your Ear

Listen to the latest BusinessLIVE articles from the news desk of Business Day, Financial Mail and the Business Times.

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Daily English South Africa Business News · News
12,931 Episodes
348 – 368

LETTER: SA needs a new corrupt-free beginning

The period of relative anxiety has eased off in communities compared to the start of the lockdown. Sadly, some folks feel free to go about their business as if our fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has ended. Such behaviour may increase cases of infection or reinfection for those who have…
2 Sep 2020 10AM 1 min

Profits before prophets: The threat to our secular state

There’s been a lot written recently about the death of magazines in SA, with so many titles closing down. One person on my social media timeline even posted a pic of empty shelves at her supermarket, lamenting that they used to be full of magazines but are now just gaping…
2 Sep 2020 9AM 6 min

Minister Nxesi confirms suspension of UIF commissioner and senior management

Employment and labour minister Thulas Nxesi on Wednesday confirmed that Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) commissioner Teboho Maruping, along with senior management of the fund have been suspended. The suspensions come after the release of the auditor-general’s report, which showed major issues and irregularities in the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters),…
2 Sep 2020 9AM 2 min

EU changes course on buying vaccines through the WHO’s Covax scheme

Brussels — EU states could buy potential Covid-19 vaccines through a procurement scheme co-led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the EU Commission said in what appears to be a change in position. The move could allow EU governments to secure vaccines from companies that are not negotiating with Brussels,…
2 Sep 2020 8AM 3 min

Health and education paid up to five times more for PPE, says auditor-general

The national and provincial departments of health and basic education paid up to five times more than they should have for personal protective equipment (PPE) to fight the spread of the coronavirus, auditor-general Kimi Makwetu has said. Makwetu said in Pretoria on Wednesday that when buying PPE, the departments did…
2 Sep 2020 7AM 3 min

Germany’s finance ministry dropped ball in Wirecard scandal

London — The main responsibility for the failure to pursue alleged irregularities at Wirecard lies with the German finance ministry, and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office was also at fault, according to an opposition legislator. Members of the Bundestag’s finance committee continued grilling government and supervisory officials this week over Wirecard,…
2 Sep 2020 7AM 2 min

Emmanuel Macron asks turkeys to vote for Thanksgiving during Lebanon visit

Well, that was a nothingbaguette. For French President Emmanuel Macron, his second visit to Beirut since the devastating blasts of August 4 yielded one memorable photo-op, some posturing before the international media, a few airy bromides about the need for political reform and an unspecified threat of sanctions against those…
2 Sep 2020 6AM 4 min

The ‘coronavoucher’ has pushed Brazil’s poverty to record lows

Brasília/New York — Brazil, which has suffered one of the world’s worst pandemic tolls, has responded to the crisis by distributing so much cash directly to citizens that poverty and inequality are approaching national historic lows. Some 66-million people, 30% of the population, have been getting 600 reais ($110) a…
2 Sep 2020 6AM 6 min

CanSino falls behind in race to develop Covid-19 vaccine

Moscow/Vancouver — One of the world’s fastest-moving efforts to develop a Covid-19 vaccine is falling behind rivals, its advance appearing to be stymied by political tension between China and Canada and concerns its shot may not work as well as others. CanSino Biologics, the Chinese company which in March started…
2 Sep 2020 6AM 7 min

UK tells Rishi Sunak now is not the time to raise taxes

London — Investors, economists and legislators in Britain’s ruling Conservative Party are sending Rishi Sunak a simple message: now is not the time for major tax rises. In August, the chancellor warned he will need to take “difficult decisions” to return the country to a sustainable fiscal footing after the…
2 Sep 2020 5AM 4 min

DA Gauteng leader resigns citing lack of faith in leadership

DA Gauteng leader John Moodey has resigned from the party, saying he has no faith in its current leadership. His announcement on Wednesday morning comes mere days ahead of the party’s first ever policy conference, set to be held over the weekend, which will have to determine the direction the…
2 Sep 2020 5AM 1 min

World shares up on improved economic data about recovery

London — Shares gained on Wednesday as investors bet that improving economic data and more policy stimulus from Washington would sustain momentum for equities. European stocks followed Asia’s lead, advancing in early trading and on course to end four straight days of losses. London, Frankfurt and Paris indices were all…
2 Sep 2020 5AM 3 min

Hopes of economic recovery from Covid-19 pandemic boost oil prices

London — Oil rose to $46 a barrel on Wednesday, gaining for a third day, supported by a report that US crude inventories fell and as surveys showing stronger manufacturing raised hopes of a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. US crude stocks fell by 6.4-million barrels, the American Petroleum Institute…
2 Sep 2020 5AM 1 min

Decrease in US stockpiles lifts oil

Tokyo — Crude oil futures extended gains on Wednesday after a bigger-than-expected draw in US crude stockpiles and as solid US and Chinese factory activity fuelled optimism of a recovery from the pandemic, boosting investor risk appetite. Brent crude futures rose 37c to $45.95 a barrel as of 3.10am GMT,…
2 Sep 2020 2AM 3 min

Gold dips on rebounding dollar

Bengaluru — Gold prices slipped on Wednesday as the dollar rebounded after robust US manufacturing data bolstered the hope around global economic recovery, tempering the safe-haven bullion’s allure. Spot gold fell 0.3% to $1,964.75/oz by 2.51am GMT, after hitting its highest since August 19 at $1,991.91 on Tuesday. US gold…
2 Sep 2020 2AM 2 min

Asian shares edge higher after upbeat US data

Tokyo/New York — Asian shares inched up on Wednesday following buoyant US manufacturing indicators and a rally in US tech shares, with investors also expecting more policy support from Washington. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.25% while Japan’s Nikkei advanced 0.35%. Mainland Chinese shares slipped slightly,…
2 Sep 2020 1AM 3 min

JSE faces mixed Asian markets on Wednesday

The JSE faces mixed Asian markets on Wednesday morning, with little to drive global direction, while locally South Africans have to contend load-shedding and focus remains on corruption. The rand is still rangebound, though President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to be taking a firmer grip on the ANC after the weekend’s…
2 Sep 2020 1AM 1 min

Facebook takes down Russian operation targeting voters in US

London — A Russian influence operation posed as an independent news outlet to target left-wing voters in the US and Britain, including by recruiting freelance journalists to write about domestic politics, Facebook said on Tuesday. Facebook said the operation — which partly focused on US politics and racial tensions in…
1 Sep 2020 4PM 4 min
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