Economics
Meltdown On The Med – A Summation Of Greece’s Economic Pickle
22 Jun 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
The economic dilemma facing Greece and and the European Union is reaching a head as Greece threatens to default on its debt to the European Union. The outcome of the crisis, whether positive or negative, will have a substantial effect on the health of the global economy. So it’s an important issue. And yet, discussion […]
Greece Prepares To Sell Off Airports, Highways, Parts Of The Mediterranean
21 Jun 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 2 Comments
You may by now be aware that Greece is in some deep financial trouble at the moment. Pretty much everyone knows a Greek too, so we should spare a moment for all Greeks, as Greece prepares to sell off airports, highways, state-owned companies and prime sections of Mediterranean real estate.
Australia Plans To Shoot Camels To Generate Carbon Credits
09 Jun 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
The Australian government appears to be seriously considering a culling-for-carbon-credits plan to reduce the methane emissions from the estimated 1.2 million wild camels roaming the outback. Earlier today we reported that domestic cats in parts of Sydney have a curfew. Now camels are in trouble for burping and farting too much.
Desmond Tutu Rubbishes Information Bill’s Current Form, Unites Country Against It
08 Jun 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
The campaign against the current tabulated form of the proposed Protection of Information Bill peaked at the end of last week. The ANC finally realised how silly it might look in the long-run and joined the united push for a postponement on its signing. Desmond Tutu is now rallying us all to get behind our freedom too.
Insight: The Kruger National Park Hotel Development Saga
02 Jun 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 2 Comments
2oceansVibe staffer and avowed earthchild, Bearded Wiseman, sinks his teeth into the weighty issue of hotel development in the Kruger National Park, and nails his colours firmly to the mast of the godless neo-conservative capitalists who critics say want to turn the Kruger National Park into Disney Land. Notes from the thinking man’s greeny – here’s […]
Gauteng Police Commissioner’s Rented Home To Cost R745 000
31 May 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
South African police commissioners have notably enjoyed the odd perk here and there when it comes to matters of their private lives. It has emerged that Gauteng police commissioner, Mzwandile Petros, is no exception to this common occurrence and has a new two year lease costing R30 000 a month.
US Treasury Agrees To Sell $5.8 Billion Worth Of AIG Shares
25 May 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
The US Treasury has announced that it has agreed to sell part of its stake in American International Group (AIG), as it winds down the ownership of the global insurer it helped bail out of very troubled waters back when the financial crisis iceberg first struck.
Chinese Pay $98 Million For Completion Of Robert Mugabe School Of Intelligence, No Spice
19 May 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Zimbabwean defence minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has told the Zimbabwean parliament that China will put up the money for the completion of the Robert Mugabe School of Intelligence. It’s not clear how and when the money will be repaid by the Zimbabwean government, who’s debt to China is now about US$1.65 billion.
South African To Co-Head Goldman Sachs Investment Banking
17 May 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Goldman Sachs employees were told yesterday that Richard Gnodde is the new co-head of investment banking along with David Solomon and John Weinberg. Gnodde, who was born in Johannesburg, joined the firm back in 1987 and is said to have been critical to Goldman’s European acquisitions and mergers business.
Largest Ever Insider Trading Case Involving Hedge Funds Reaches Guilty Verdict
12 May 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Billionaire co-founder of Galleon Group, Raj Rajaratnam, has been convicted in what prosecutors called the largest insider trading case ever involving hedge funds. He remains free on $100 million bail and was placed under house arrest at his Manhattan home to await sentencing on July 29.
Capitec Introduces Sunday Banking
12 May 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
Some years ago I made my way over to mud island, London specifically, and one thing I always appreciated was not having to rush to the bank on a Saturday morning just because that was the way things were. This is surely good for banking in South Africa and a giant leap toward getting Saturday mornings back.
EU To Pay Fishermen To Catch Plastic
05 May 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
You may or may not be aware of television programmes like Trawlermen or Deadliest Catch. Times can be more than just physically and emotionally tough aboard these fishing vessels, they can go ages without catching anything substantial too. Now the EU is planning to offer the fishermen an alternative income stream. And hopefully curb pollution obviously.
NASA Awards $269 Million For Private Projects
19 Apr 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 2 Comments
On Monday NASA announced it was distributing $269 million to four companies for them to develop spacecraft to take astronauts into orbit. The investment is an Obama administration gamble that will enable commercial companies to get people to and from orbit in quicker time and with less cost.
The Marijuana Carbon Footprint
15 Apr 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
That is correct, that grass might not be that green after all. A researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has revealed in a report entitled “Energy up in Smoke: The Carbon Footprint of Indoor Cannabis Production” that indoor growers account for approximately one percent of total US electricity use.
Tiffindell Ski Resort Up For Auction
31 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 11 Comments
South Africa’s only ski resort is due to go under the hammer in May. The resort was embroiled in a long and shady financial scandal that began in 2007 and was eventually forced to close the slopes indefinitely in 2009. But now you can own it!
12 Year Old Expands Einstein’s Relativity, Thinks He Can Prove It Wrong [VIDEO]
29 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Jacob Barnett has an IQ of 170. According to some, this is reportedly higher than Albert Einstein’s was, although Einstein himself never took the test. Jake is now so far advanced in his Indiana University studies that professors are lining him up for a paid PHD research role. He also finished high school at eight years old.
Robotic Clouds To Provide Shade During Qatar World Cup [VIDEO]
29 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Not even designers of world class video games have thought of this one yet. I bet the Qatari engineers are hunched up and sniggering through their beards into their cupped, fist-shaped hands right now. Their World Cup is only in 2022, but these guys clearly have the money to blow to make magic. Very Bruce Almighty of them.
Jimmy Manyi To Publish Government Newspaper
28 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
The government is going to be launching its own printed propagand… err newspaper, and it will be published by the head of government communications, Jimmy Manyi. Yes, Jimmy who doesn’t like coloured people that much. Basically we shouldn’t get our hopes up and expect much investigative journalism.
Get Me To The Greg Secker Forex Trading Seminar
25 Mar 2011 by Seth Rotherham / 5 Comments
Forex trading is a way to earn money. Enough money to live the holiday, ergo, not work. Get out of the office, okay? Which is of course desirable because (I needn’t necessarily tell you) you’ll have both the times and the means to do whatever you want. What kind of things might you like to […]
Zuma’s R200 Million Renovations [UPDATED]
23 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
At the beginning of this month a story caught our eye that almost seemed too shocking to be true. We can now happily report back to you that the lunacy surrounding these pricey renovations has been met with trepidation by Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, and for the most part, been put on hold.
Water Soon To Be Subjected To Eskom-esque Tariff Hikes
22 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
A report about a month ago attributed that South Africa indeed stared a water crisis directly in the eye. Experts told the inaugural South African Water and Energy Forum in Johannesburg that we even face the possibility of chronic water shortages as early as 2020. Now Eskom-esque tariff hikes loom too.
Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Shuts Down, Routine Maintenance
15 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Take a deep breath and don’t panic. It’s nothing to be alarmed about and this is why we have eased it in on this beautiful Tuesday afternoon in Cape Town. Unit two actually shut down yesterday already and we thought we’d now explain why you might see it puffing the odd bit of steam from time to time.
Fish Farming Is Big Business
08 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Perlemoen, in particular. I know a few chaps who used pull out the odd perly when we were younger. It was childish and naive at the time I thought, although I too engaged in other unrelated mischief of my own. Anyway, aquaculture has always fascinated me and the recession did it no favours. This however, might be the new oil.
The “Manyi” Bill, Let’s Crunch Those Numbers
03 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
Oh, you didn’t know that cabinet has already approved this little racial nugget? Well, basically it’s just waiting for a few more signatures now before it forces change upon us. According to the SA Institute of Race Relations, who kindly did crunch the numbers for everyone, a lot of job loss and not much job creation is in order.
Aussie ATMs Payout Mini Jackpots For A Day
02 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
A computer glitch has been held responsible for the poker machine-like behaviour a number of Australian Commonwealth Bank ATMs displayed yesterday. Sydney saw queues of up to 50 people assembling to have a go at the machines. This obviously attracted a police presence because many simply couldn’t contain themselves.
Zuma’s R200 Million Renovations
01 Mar 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 2 Comments
With mainstream local media finding itself plenty to keep busy with over the last few days, a nice little presidential renovation story slipped past almost unnoticed. The top dog is obviously sprucing things up rather nicely at home because it’s costing close to R200 million.
Port Elizabeth Pool Water Selling On The Black Market
28 Feb 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
It’s no secret that the Eastern Cape is suffering from one of the most devastating droughts in recent times. Jacki Bilsbury from the Walmer area had a laugh when she read a local newspaper article about pool water theft. She’s not laughing now.
Spain Counters Rising Oil Prices, Lowers Speed Limit
28 Feb 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
The turmoil in the Middle East has done damage to the fragile oil price, and last week saw a more than 10 percent increase in the price per barrel. As a result we have seen petrol prices increase this month, and March will be no different. The Spanish are being productive about things though, we could learn from them.
The Cornish Pasty Now A Protected Species
24 Feb 2011 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
In sticking with the theme of striving to keep you up-to-date with all the latest information concerning matters of investment and business, we now bring you a story to tickle your taste buds in a new way. Brussels has declared the pasty is now no longer in any danger of being plagiarised.
Floridian 18 Hole Country Club’s Now A Steal At Under $1 Million
24 Feb 2011 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
No, we’re not trying to pull any wool over anyone’s eyes here. We know how some of you enjoy a good round of golf from time to time, and what with Pravin Grodhan going hard at the “sinners” again this year, what better way to spite him than buying your very own country club in Florida?
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