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DRC Ebola outbreak kills 43, says WHO

Goma — The Ebola outbreak in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has infected 100 people as of Friday, killing 43 of them, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. The latest outbreak of the virus was declared on June 1 in Mbandaka, a city of 1-million people on the…

21 Aug 2020 12PM 1 min

Russia will not allow desperately ill Alexei Navalny to be moved to Germany, critics says

Omsk — Allies of stricken Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny accused Russian authorities of thwarting his medical evacuation to Germany on Friday, saying the decision placed his life in mortal danger because the Siberian hospital treating him was under-equipped. Navalny, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin and his lieutenants, is…

21 Aug 2020 11AM 3 min

Turkey discovers huge natural gas field in the Black Sea

Istanbul — President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday that Turkey has discovered its biggest ever natural gas field holding 320-billion cubic metres in the Black Sea, and more could be found as the country works to use it by as early as 2023. If the gas can be commercially extracted,…

21 Aug 2020 10AM 2 min

Saica withdraws Anoj Singh’s membership due to misconduct

Accounting watchdog, the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica), has found former Eskom CFO Anoj Singh guilty of misconduct and has withdrawn his membership. This means Singh is no longer a chartered accountant as only members of Saica are entitled to use the designation. Singh is alleged to have played…

21 Aug 2020 10AM 2 min

‘We are fed up with lack of prosecutions,’ Scopa says

Law-enforcement agencies will have to explain to parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) why the wheels of justice are turning so slowly with regard to corruption cases, chair Mkhuleko Hlengwa said on Friday. Scopa met on Friday to be briefed on the work being done, and the role played…

21 Aug 2020 9AM 2 min

Herd immunity through infection vs vaccination

Sydney — The coronavirus pandemic has brought “herd immunity” to the public consciousness, kindling hope the phenomenon can help slow or even end the outbreak. Herd immunity refers to a large portion of a community developing a degree of immunity to a virus, thereby reducing person-to-person spread. As a result,…

21 Aug 2020 9AM 3 min

Pandemic reverses caste discrimination advances

New Delhi — Millions of migrant workers made arduous journeys to their villages after India imposed the world’s largest lockdown in March. Back in the rural hinterland, many say caste discrimination is reversing even the small economic and social gains they eked out in the cities. In the village of…

21 Aug 2020 8AM 7 min

DINNER PARTY INTEL: Not sorry enough

1. Chips, it’s Trump The US has cut off Huawei’s access to vital computer chips, striking what could be a crippling blow to the Chinese tech giant. Fresh sanctions that restrict foreign semiconductor companies from selling chips developed or produced using US software or technology to Huawei, without first obtaining…

21 Aug 2020 8AM 1 min

Hong Kong court upholds detention of first man charged under security law

Hong Kong — A Hong Kong court has upheld the detention of the first person charged under the new national security law, dealing an early blow to efforts to challenge the Beijing-drafted legislation. The high court dismissed an application by Tong Ying-kit to have his detention declared unlawful, local media…

21 Aug 2020 8AM 1 min

LETTER: It’s time to increase our vigilance

The nation has moved to lockdown level 2 — but we dare not lower our guard against a viral assassin whose reach seems limitless. The threat will continue to lurk across SA, and will probably come in a second wave to harvest what it could not gather in its first…

21 Aug 2020 8AM 1 min

LETTER: Energy users must switch attitude

While everyone in a constitutional democracy is entitled to express their views on issues we face as a country, the idea that Eskom had ample time to conduct all necessary maintenance is grossly mistaken (Letters, August 13-19). On a normal basis, we experience peak consumption during the times when we…

21 Aug 2020 8AM 1 min

LETTER: Let nonpayers suffer load-shedding

I have been a good customer, in good standing with Eskom since 1987, when I got an Eskom supply on my farm. I am now a prepaid customer in a small settlement on the coast, and this is still the case. Why then do I, along with a few other…

21 Aug 2020 8AM 1 min

About R40m frozen in bank accounts of firms linked to PPE scandal

A Special Investigating Unit (SIU) tribunal has granted an urgent order freezing nearly R40m in the bank accounts of 40 companies in Gauteng involved in supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic. The accounts include those belonging to Ledla Structural Development, Royal Bhaca Projects and Mediwaste. The SIU’s…

21 Aug 2020 6AM 2 min

Court summons Ugandan officials over LGBT+ youth torture

Kampala — A town mayor and senior prison official in Uganda have been summoned to appear before a criminal court over allegations of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment against a group of LGBT+ youth, the victims’ lawyers said on Friday. The court’s move is seen as a positive step in…

21 Aug 2020 6AM 3 min

Oil prices down on poor demand and Opec oversupply

London — Oil prices edged lower on Friday but held near a five-month high as easing coronavirus lockdowns aids a slow recovery in fuel demand while major crude producers seek to limit supply. Brent crude futures were down 27c, or 0.1%, at $44.63 a barrel by 8.50am GMT, heading for…

21 Aug 2020 5AM 2 min

Bridgestone to close Port Elizabeth plant

Tyremaker Bridgestone has confirmed that it plans to close its Port Elizabeth manufacturing plant. The Japanese-owned company said on Friday the decision would cost 252 jobs. Bridgestone Southern Africa CEO Jacques Fourie said the Port Elizabeth plant made old-fashioned bias tyres, for which demand is shrinking so rapidly that they…

21 Aug 2020 5AM 1 min

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG: Consider Donald Trump unemployable

I’ve never been much for partisan politics. I’ve supported Democrats, Republicans and independents. Hell, I’ve actually been a Democrat, Republican and independent. To me, elections are about people. And the two people running for president couldn’t be more different. One believes in facts. One does not. One listens to experts…

21 Aug 2020 5AM 4 min

Global markets lift slightly

London — Global stock markets enjoyed cautious gains on Friday, taking their cue from Wall Street tech shares, but tepid economic data and lofty valuations reined in the advances in the wake of huge rally that has wiped out coronavirus losses. Global stocks advanced 0.2% while the pan-European Stoxx 600…

21 Aug 2020 4AM 3 min

How Covid-19 has changed UK real estate

London — On a building site about 32km east of London, workers are busy putting up the largest warehouse in Europe. Just leased to Amazon.com, it cannot go up fast enough. When it is done next summer, the four-story “mega-box” will encompass about 0.7-million square metres, the size of 40…

21 Aug 2020 3AM 6 min

Biden vows to work hard at uniting US

Wilmington — Joe Biden accepted the Democratic Party nomination for the White House on Thursday, vowing to heal a US battered by a deadly pandemic and divided by four years of Donald Trumps presidency. “The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too…

21 Aug 2020 3AM 4 min