News 08:00

BULLETIN 23 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa urges world leaders to confront their challenges and threats
# Another suspected drug mule is arrested at OR Tambo
# And the EFF wants a probe into the death of the two people stranded in the snow

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged world leaders to confront and overcome global challenges including poverty, emerging conflicts, and public health emergencies. He delivered South Africa’s statement at the Summit of the Future currently underway in New York. This is where the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Pact for the Future. Ramaphosa says the pact is an opportunity to change and reinvigorate the multilateral system so that it is fit for purpose to address the challenges that the world faces:

# The DA says persistent failures have eroded public trust in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and severely compromised service delivery. This follows the Auditor General’s report on the department and its entities for the 2022/2023 financial year. The report found irregular expenditure skyrocketed from 98-million-rand in 2020/2021 to 521-million-rand in 2022/2023, financial losses totalling 746-million-rand, and 107 delayed infrastructure projects. The DA says it will be writing to Parliament, requesting that the department produce a detailed audit action plan and a turnaround strategy.

# A 30-year-old female Namibian alleged drug mule was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport yesterday. She was from Sau Paulo, Brazil. This is the tenth drug mule to be detained at the airport in the past two months. National Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says the woman was intercepted while making her way through immigration. Mathe says she was immediately arrested, and taken to a local hospital where a medical x-ray confirmed and detected cocaine bullets in her stomach:

# The EFF in KwaZulu-Natal says despite repeated warnings of severe weather conditions, the provincial government showed a complete lack of preparedness. This as two people lost their lives, after being trapped in snow on the N3 in the Midlands. They both died of hypothermia. The EFF says this tragedy is a direct consequence of the provincial government’s negligence. It adds that it will be writing to the premier demanding a comprehensive report and an immediate investigation into how this disaster was handled.

# Motorsport: McLaren’s Lando Norris won the Singapore Grand Prix, his third race win of the season. The Briton finished 20 seconds clear of world championship leader Max Verstappen to reduce the title battle deficit to 52 points with six races remaining. Oscar Piastri took third as McLaren increased their constructors’ championship lead over Red Bull. George Russell of Mercedes finished fourth and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fifth. Norris says it was a gruelling race:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-39-cents and the euro at 19-rand-42-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-556-dollars-98-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-629-dollars-88-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….