South African stocks ended a touch lower.

Rescuers have recovered the bodies of five illegal miners from a disused diamond mine near Kleinzee.

Fighting back in defence of their lucrative pay deals, Europe's company executives are targeting the investor advisory groups they blame for inflaming shareholder activism.

Gold prices rose back above $1,560 an ounce in Europe.

Clients hoping to cash in their end of month paychecks at Absa received a nasty surprise after the online banking system fell over.

Relentless worries over a possible Greek exit from the euro zone checked European stock markets.

Portugal's Parliament has endorsed a four-year budget plan that places legal limits on state spending in an effort to restore the bailed-out country's fiscal health.

The euro zone needs to push ahead with its financial sector reform plans and create a centrally managed and funded body to handle troubled banks, a European Central Bank policymaker said.

The Durban taxi strike has been put on hold until "a meeting involving all stakeholders is convened".

Many Greeks have shifted their money to safer havens in Britain, Switzerland, Germany and Nordic countries long ago.