News 12:00

BULLETIN 19 September 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa commits to act on the Madlanga Commission’s recommendations
# The Public Servants Association welcomes the expanded SIU corruption probe into the Water and Sanitation Department
# And Tennis: Italy and Ukraine, and the US and Great Britain will face off in the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to acting on the recommendations of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The commission, which is tasked with investigating allegations of criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system, got underway on Wednesday. Interim reports from the commission are expected after three and six months. Ramaphosa told the SABC that some of the things that are already coming out of the commission are startling and worrying:

# The Public Servants Association has welcomed president Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to expand the Special Investigating Unit’s probe into the Department of Water and Sanitation. The investigation into allegations of serious maladministration at the department will now include the Drop the Block Project and its implementing agent, the Lepelle Northern Water in Limpopo. PSA’s Claude Naicker says this expansion reflects growing concerns regarding maladministration, corruption, and misuse of public funds in the department:

# Climate change is spurring increasingly erratic and extreme swings between deluge and drought globally, with cascading repercussions for societies. The UN’s World Meteorological Organisation said in a report that the world’s water cycle was becoming ever more unpredictable, with shrinking glaciers, droughts, unbalanced river basins and severe floods wreaking havoc. The agency’s annual report on the State of Global Water Resources shows quite clearly that the water cycle has become increasingly erratic and extreme, with cascading impacts on infrastructure, agriculture, energy, health, and economic activities.

# Tennis: It’s semifinal time in the Billie Jean King Cup in China. Defending champion Italy and Ukraine will do battle today after quarterfinal victories over the hostesses and Spain, respectively. Tomorrow the United States will play Great Britain. The US ousted Kazakhstan 2-1 after Emma Navarro beat Yulia Putintseva, and Elena Rybakina tied the score by beating Jessica Pegula, before Pegula and Taylor Townsed overcame Rybakina and Putintseva in the deciding doubles. Britain won both singles matches against Japan. The final will be played on Sunday.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-32-cents and the euro at 20-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 117-thousand-140-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-653-dollars-59-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Batman No. 1, by writer Matt Fraction and artist Jorge Jiménez, has sold over 500-thousand copies, making it the top-selling comic of the year so far. The comic book is a heartfelt, self-contained story that highlights both Batman’s detective skills as well as his empathy and humanity for others. Batman No. 1 has sold out with comic book distributors and is being reprinted, with the second printing set to arrive in stores on October 15th. Another comic at that 400-thousand-plus sales level is Invincible Universe: Battle Beast No. 1.

Stay tuned for more news………….