News 15:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 20 August 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The speaker submits an affidavit on the legal challenges to John Hlophe’s designation to the Judicial Service Commission 
# UWC says South Africans should not rely on party political alignment
# And, cricket: Ticket sales for South Africa’s new international season opens on Monday

# The speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, has submitted an affidavit to the High Court concerning legal challenges to John Hlophe’s designation to the Judicial Service Commission. The designation, made by Parliament in July, has been contested due to Hlophe’s past removal as a judge for gross misconduct. Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says the speaker mantains her neutral stance, noting that the decision to designate Hlophe was a political one made by Parliament, and the matter now awaits the court’s judgment:

# University of the Western Cape academic Jaap de Visser says South Africans should not rely on party political alignment or coalition alignment for healthy intergovernmental relations. De Visser says the government of national unity does provide an opportunity for greater political willingness to engage across party lines, but technical and bureaucratic issues must still be addressed:

# Morgan Stanley International bank chairperson Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, and a Clifford Chance lawyer, Chris Morvillo, are among those missing after a British yacht sank in Sicily. British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are also missing. The yacht sank in bad weather in the early hours of yesterday. Fifteen people were rescued, six are missing, and the body of a man, reportedly the ship’s cook, has been recovered. The search is continuing, but access to the boat’s cabins has been blocked by furniture.

# Cricket: Ticket sales for South Africa’s new international season opens on Monday. The men’s team will face India in a four-match T20 series in November before welcoming Sri Lanka for two Tests. Pakistan will visit South Africa from early December, playing three T20s, a one-day series and two Tests – in Centurion and Newlands in Cape Town. The Proteas women will host England for a multi-format tour from November, playing three T20s, three one-day matches and a one-off Test.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-79-cents and the euro at 19-rand-73-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-522-dollars-43-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-522-dollars-36-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-80-cents a barrel.

# And, finally: The London Zoo has started with an annual weigh-in to check the health of all its animals. Staff will need to gently tempt every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate, from Humboldt penguins to camels and lion cubs, by strategically placing food next to the scales to check their health and wellbeing. The data will be added to the Zoological Information Management System. The information will be shared with zoos around the world and helps zookeepers compare information on threatened species.

Stay tuned for more news………….