Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest maker of computer networking gear, said Tuesday that U.S. companies are starting to spend again, helping Cisco find more solid footing after some shaky months early this year.

The number of Africa's mobile subscriptions will reach 761 million this year, making the continent once again the fastest growing market in the world, a research group has claimed.

Marissa Mayer, who earned a reputation for decisive action and intensity during her 13-year stint at Google Inc., has spent her first months as Yahoo Inc CEO quietly moving the Internet pioneer back to its roots in technology.

More investment is needed to increase food production in Africa and Asia as rising demand and scarce resources leave millions of people vulnerable to hunger, a corporate-backed report said on Wednesday.

Three-quarters of African countries and several “Arab Spring” nations are at high or extreme risk of a food crisis, according to an analysis published on Wednesday.

Anti-poverty activists posing as digger-driving investors staged a symbolic land grab in Tokyo on Wednesday as they called on world finance chiefs to help keep food prices under control.

Ecuador will end industrial drift-net fishing starting Dec. 15, authorities said Wednesday. President Rafael Correa said the measure was aimed at reducing overfishing by large vessels, which ends up reducing the catch available to smaller, more sustainable fishing operations.

Strikes have cost South Africa close to 4.5 billion rand (nearly US$563 million) in lost gold and platinum production, President Jacob Zuma announced Monday as the mine where labor unrest began said it is halting work on shaft construction that will cost 1,200 jobs.

South Africa sees no need yet to revise the outlook for its fiscal performance in its 2012 budget plan even if there has been revenue loss due to problems in the mining industry, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Sunday.

South Africa's current account recorded its largest deficit in nearly four years in the second quarter of 2012 as exports fell because of subdued external demand that is likely to hit manufacturing throughout the rest of the year.