THE death toll from COVID-19 surpassed half a million people on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, a grim milestone for the global pandemic that seems to be resurgent in some countries even as other regions are still grappling with the first wave. The respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus has been particularly dangerous…
CHINA has reinstated a strict lockdown near Beijing, affecting around 400,000 people, after a small surge in cases. The restrictions have come into force in Anxin county in Hebei province near the capital. After the pandemic emerged in China at the end of last year, the country has managed to get new infections to a…
The South African rand was little changed early on Monday, despite health officials recording a steeper rise in coronavirus infections over the weekend. The country reported 6,334 new cases on Sunday after reporting 7,210 new cases on Saturday, among the steepest daily rises to date. Health experts say the local virus outbreak is yet to…
Lazarus Chakwera has been sworn in as president of Malawi after winning an election rerun. He defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of the vote in Tuesday’s poll, the electoral commission announced late on Saturday. In February, Malawi’s constitutional court annulled Mr Mutharika’s victory in the May 2019 election, citing vote tampering. The country was…
Coca-Cola will suspend advertising on social media globally for at least 30 days, as pressure builds on platforms to crack down on hate speech. “There is no place for racism in the world and there is no place for racism on social media,” the drinks maker’s chairman and CEO James Quincey said. He demanded “greater accountability…
Namibia’s President Hage Geingob on Monday announced a further easing of the country’s coronavirus lockdown to boost economic activity, despite a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases. Geingob said the country would move from ‘stage 3’ to ‘stage 4’ of a five-level exit from lockdown plan, except for the Erongo region – where the harbour town…
US President Donald Trump has extended a pause on some green cards and suspended visas for other foreign workers until the end of 2020. High-skilled tech workers, non-agricultural seasonal helpers, au pairs and top executives will be affected. The White House said the move will create jobs for Americans hurting economically due to the…
Malawians vote on Tuesday in a re-run of a discredited poll that has become a test case for the ability of African courts to tackle vote fraud and restrain presidential power. Malawi’s judiciary infuriated President Peter Mutharika, in power since 2014, when it overturned his narrow election victory in February on the basis of “systematic…
SOUTH Africa’s consolidated budget deficit is expected to widen markedly this year, a Reuters poll found, with its National Treasury struggling to squeeze it back to levels it anticipated before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted economic activity. The poll, taken over the past week, showed a median of 21 economists expect the government budget deficit for…
South Africa’s third-biggest telecom operator Cell C said on Monday it plans to lay off 960 workers as it restructures its operations to align the organisation with its new operating model. Unlisted Cell C, in which Blue Label Telecoms has a 45% stake, said it has initiated discussions with junior management and semi-skilled staff on the…
