Update@Noon

Market Analyst Clive Ramathibe looks at the Asian Stocks that were split, with Chinese and Japanese equities rallying while smaller Asian markets retreated, the world’s economy is growing at a slower pace than the International Monetary Fund and other large forecasters are predicting and Goldman's BRIC Era Ends as Fund Folds After Years of Losses.

Market Analyst Clive Ramathibe looks at the Asian Stocks that were split, with Chinese and Japanese equities rallying while smaller Asian markets retreated, the world’s economy is growing at a slower pace than the International Monetary Fund and other large forecasters are predicting and Goldman's BRIC Era Ends as Fund Folds After Years of Losses.

President Jacob Zuma has called on African Union member states to avail resources required to sustain the African Standby Force. Zuma was speaking at ceremony to mark the end of the AMANI AFRICA 2 exercise at Lohatla military training centre in the Northern Cape. This simulated military exercise was aimed at evaluating the readiness of the African Standby Force to respond swiftly to ensuing confli...

The newly-elected ANC Chairperson Sihle Zikalala has called on all party members to unite behind the ANC. He was addressing delegates after he was announced as the new chairperson in Kwa Zulu Natal, in a highly contested and divisive leadership election. He defeated the former provincial chairperson Senzo Mchunu.

Newly-elected ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sihle Zikalala has called for an end to what he terms the use of state resources to peddle factions within the party. He speaks to Sakina Kamwendo

1. Most Asian Stocks Rise as Investors Await U.S. Employment Report 2. The Lonmin challenge, is it time to give in? 3. AGOA the struggle to impress the U.S or failure to be proactive 4. The weeks top stories wrap (MTN and The Weak Rand)

Disciplinary measures should be taken against senior management of the Health Professions Council of South Africa found guilty of mismanagement and maladministration. Those are some of the recommendations by the Ministerial Task Team which investigated complaints of irregularities taking place at the council. Meanwhile, the South African Medical Association says it is encouraged by the statements...

1. Judge Dennis Davis of the Tax review committee warns of a tax revolt given misspending of the tax payers money. Are his views justified? 2. The government approved the black industrialist policy framework yesterday. As a country we're known for good policies but very weak on implementation. What's different about this one?

United State President Barrack Obama has given South Africa 60 days to remove barriers to US farm produce, otherwise he will suspend duty free trade concessions worth a quarter of a billion dollars. This follows a long-standing fight over barriers to U.S. Farm exports. South Africa missed an October the 15th deadline to agree to new rules for imports of U.S. poultry and meat products. Kate Fisher...

1. U.S. stocks retreated from a three-month high, after data on payrolls and remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen lifted bets that the central bank is closer to raising interest rates. 2. Ten Asian Makers of Capacitors Get EU Price-Fixing Complaint 3. Eskom assures power until April 2016 4. Thursday Investment Theme: Child Education Plan

There will be no escapes from prison by ambitious prisoners who want to spend Christmas at home. The department of correctional services says it is beefing up security at all 243 correctional facilities ahead of the festive season. Operation Vala, translated operation close or lock up aims to put a complete stop to prison escapes in the country. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the Department of Correctio...

There will be no escapes from prison by ambitious prisoners who want to spend Christmas at home. The department of correctional services says it is beefing up security at all 243 correctional facilities ahead of the festive season. Operation Vala, translated operation close or lock up aims to put a complete stop to prison escapes in the country. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Department of Correctional...

The South African Police Union says they are happy that no police official or community member was killed in the recent Krugersdorp shootout. Khulekani Mpanza was shot dead when a shootout occurred between him and four police officers. The police officers have since been arrested and face a charge of murder. The police union believes that the eight police officials responded to the shoot out as th...

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South African companies operating outside the country's borders to observe the laws of the countries in which they operate. Ramaphosa says the heavy fine imposed on cellphone company MTN in Nigeria will deprive South Africa of valuable tax revenue. He was answering questions in the National Council of Provinces. Joseph Mosia reports...

1. China's ruling party released its 13th 5-year plan, revising its growth projections to 6,5%. Was the market expecting this? 2. South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry released the monthly Business Confidence Index. Positive news. What should we read into this? 3. The funding of higher education came into the spotlight yesterday in parliament. Are there short term and long term solutions...

Chaos erupted at the University of Johannesburg's Kingsway campus in Auckland Park yesterday, as police clashed with protesting workers and students. The situation turned ugly as the crowd tried to rescue some of their fellow protesters that police were holding. The protesters, including older women were manhandled. The crowd managed to rescue those who were captured, after violent clashes with th...

Farmers specialising in live stock and citrus in the Lowveld in Mpumalanga have started to reduce the number of farm workers because of the drought. Although water levels in many rivers have dropped, most irrigation dams are still between 70 and 85 percent full. But not all farmers have access to these water resources and many depend on rain to make their crops grow. Vusi Twala reports

It will be yet another anxious wait for paralympian Oscar Pistorius. His fate now lies in the hands of five judges in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. Pistorius was released on parole a month ago, after serving almost a year behind bars. He was found guilty of culpable homicide following the death of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. But the State wants him convicted of murder, whi...

African National Congress in the North West, has disbanded the embattled Ngaka Modiri Molema Regional Executive Committee with immediate effect. Among the reasons the provincial leadership has given for disbanding it, is the infighting within the regional executive which has made the committee dysfunctional. This is the second regional structure to be dissolved in less than three months. Patrick D...

1. Risk-taking has returned to global financial markets, as beaten-down energy shares and emerging markets help equities extend a 10-week rally 2. European equities extended a rally that has helped them recoup about half the losses from a summer rout 3. South Africa's rand slips to 1-month low ahead of U.S. jobs data

With South Africa facing water shortages as a result of the worst drought in at least two decades, the focus is now on alternative ways to produce the precious commodity. Saudi Arabia, a country also classified as water scarce, has turned to the sea as one solution to its water problems. The country is the world's largest producer of desalinated water. A water expert says in the long run, desalina...

World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck is reportedly saying that MTN "lacks respect for regulators. MTN is in talks with the Nigerian Communication Commission after having been fined 70 billion rand for failing to deregister illegal SIM cards. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Arthur Goldstuck

1. MTN issued a statement yesterday afternoon that, the Nigerian regulators have renewed its license which is due to expire in February 2016. What does this mean and how did the market respond? 2. The National Association of Automobile Manufactures of South Africa released the car sales data this week. What does this data tell us? What can we expect? 3. With the depressed economic growth levels, r...

The Department of environmental Affairs' biggest concern ahead of the climate change conference in Paris is to find ways keep the increase in global temperature below 2°C. Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says the rising temperatures already have an impact on water, food security and eventually infrastructure and overall development of countries in the continent. Meanwhile farmers are al...

Today, the state is going to court to appeal Oscar Pistorius' culpable homicide conviction. It is seeking a murder conviction. The state believes that Judge Thokozile Masipa erred in applying the law when making her judgment in September last year. Pistorius is currently under house arrest. To look at this Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Criminal Law Expert, William Booth.