News 14:00

BULLETIN 21 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mogoeng denies influencing Zondo’s appointment as state capture chair
# Cosatu is eager to sign the Health Compact
# And, tennis: Sinner increased his lead in the ATP Live Race to Turin by winning in Cincinnati

# Retired chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has refuted claims that he played a role in advancing his successor Raymond Zondo’s appointment as chairperson of the state capture commission. Speaking at Zondo’s farewell dinner, Mogoeng emphasised that Zondo’s appointment was not a favour. He says Zondo earned his positions through hard work and merit:

# Cosatu says it delighted to be one of the parties that will sign the Presidential Health Compact at the Union Buildings in Pretoria tomorrow. President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to preside over the signing after it was postponed last Thursday. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says established by Ramaphosa in 2019, the Health Compact is a framework of cooperation between stakeholders that critically influence good health outcomes in the country:

# The Border Management Authority’s commissioner, Michael Masiapato, has applauded border guards for arresting a suspect with 34 passports at the Lebombo Port of Entry to Mozambique. During the operation, 32 passports belonging to Mozambican nationals and two to Angolan nationals were discovered. Masiapato emphasises the importance of the authority’s role in combating illegal activities and maintaining border security.

# Montana became the eighth US state to add abortion rights to the November ballot, allowing its electorate to decide whether they back a constitutional change to protect access to the procedure. Abortion rights have become a key electoral issue and a rallying cry for Democrats since the nationwide right to the procedure was struck down by the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court in 2022. The initiative would prevent the government from penalising patients, healthcare providers, or anyone who assists someone in exercising their right to make and carry out voluntary decisions about their pregnancy.

# Tennis: Jannik Sinner of Italy has increased his lead on Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Live Race to Turin to one-thousand-440-points when he won the Cincinnati Open. Only the top-eight players on the list will participate in the men’s final tournament of the season in Italy. Alexander Zverev of Germany is currently third, followed by Russian Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud of Norway and another Russian, Andrey Rublev. Novak Djokovic of Serbia is seventh on the list and Australian Alex de Minaur eighth.

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-82-cents and the euro at 19-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-23-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-347-dollars-57-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-505-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….