Author: newsnote correspondent
4 Day Week Global published its findings from its most extensive four-day week pilot, which showed that participating companies experienced increased revenue alongside reduced absenteeism and resignations, while employees experienced a significant increase in health and wellbeing. The four-day week is based on the 100-80-100 model, which prescribes 100% of the pay for 80% of the time in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output. These findings come after more than 30 companies and almost 1,000 employees in countries including the US, Ireland and Australia recently concluded a six-month four-day week pilot programme – with the UK…
Former Pope Benedict XVI has died at his Vatican residence, aged 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health. He led the Catholic Church for less than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican. His successor Pope Francis said he had visited him there frequently. The Vatican said in a statement: “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater…
Pioneering US TV broadcaster Barbara Walters has died aged 93 after a career spanning half a century. She became the first US female network news anchor when she joined ABC News in 1976. Born in Boston at the start of the Great Depression in 1929, she won 12 Emmy awards. As well as every US president from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump, she interviewed a host of music and pop culture stars. “Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” said publicist Cindi Berger in a statement on Friday night. “She lived her life with no…
Many South Africans argue that the country has a skills crisis. An equal number questions why it can’t sort this out by “adopting the German or Swiss approach”. The reason the country isn’t getting the right skills to grow its economy is because of the way it thinks about both the problem – and solutions. There are two aspects to this. First, in relation to the notion of “skill”, we see it as expertise embedded in bodies of knowledge, as well as gained through practical experience. Expertise is used for and developed at work, but acquired through schools, vocational institutions,…
The shock announcement was made at the very end of the two-day festival, in the early hours of Friday morning. “This is the last Afrochella,” said co-founder Abdul Abdullah to the thousands of people still in the El-Wak stadium in the capital, Accra. He did not give any reason. However, in October California-based music festival Cochella sued the organisers for trademark infringement. Mr Abdullah made the announcement just after headline act Burna Boy had closed his set, wowing the crowd with hits such as Last Last, Angelina and Dangote. Although the stadium was still packed with thousands of people, the…
WHAT’S HAPPENING? Following weeks of speculation, Ronaldo’s short-lived experience as a free agent has come to an end. After cutting ties with United back in November, CBS Sports are reporting that the Portugal international has agreed terms to join Saudi outfit Al-Nassr. The player is said to have put pen to paper on Friday afternoon, with the club set to formally announce his signing after their game against Al-Khaleej on Saturday. THE BIGGER PICTURE: The latest information – which was first reported by Saudi outlet Arriyadiyah – comes after the 37-year-old’s medical was initially mooted on Boxing Day. It is thought that the first part of these…
Eskom has announced it plans to suspend load-shedding over New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The utility said it would continue its current rotation of stage 3 during the day and stage 4 in the evening on Friday, 30 December 2022, and the early morning hours of Saturday, 31 December 2022. At 05:00 on Saturday, stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented until 16:00, instead of stage 3 as previously planned. Load-shedding will then be suspended until 05:00 on Monday, 2 January 2023. At that time, the power cuts will resume at stage 2 and continue until further notice. Eskom did not…
China may be reopening, allowing its 1.4 billion people to come and go largely without restrictions, but just as it is, a slew of other countries are tightening measures for travellers from the world’s second-biggest economy, concerned the tsunami of virus cases there may spawn new Covid variants. In a complete and surprising reversal of its Covid Zero policy, China did away with almost all pandemic restrictions virtually overnight. That’s seen the virus run wild and unchecked through its population, with almost 37 million people possibly having been infected on a single day last week. From January 8, China will also scrap its…
Lauded by many as the greatest player to ever play football, Pele had been battling health issues in recent years. He was pictured in a wheelchair at the 2018 World Cup and was taken into hospital after collapsing due to exhaustion a month after the tournament. He had been receiving regular treatment from doctors ever since undergoing surgery to have a tumour on his colon removed in September 2021, but had been readmitted to hospital towards the end of 2022. His condition failed to improve, with Pele remaining in hospital in Sao Paulo throughout the 2022 World Cup and then…
KFC, the country’s largest fast food chain, will close some of its stores temporarily due to power outages. The franchise announced in a tweet that ongoing scheduled power cuts had affected its operations. Some KFC restaurants will continue to operate, but menu options may be limited. The impact of power cuts has been felt by small businesses as well as KFC. Consumers can expect to find closed doors at some KFC restaurants, although no details have been provided. Social media users expressed outrage over the post, tagging Eskom on the tweet to draw the power utility’s attention to the issue.