News 08:00

BULLETIN 14 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says South Africa used the BRICS summit to advance its diplomatic and economic priorities
# Boris Johnson and senior European security officials narrowly escape a Russian drone attack
# And tennis: Alexander Zverev wins his maiden US Open title

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says what stood out at the 18th BRICS Summit was the commitment to focus on advancing global governance of the multilateral system. The summit held in New Delhi, India, concluded yesterday with leaders adopting the New Delhi Declaration, which reaffirms the spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy and collaboration. Briefing the media after the summit, Ramaphosa said South Africa used the summit to advance its diplomatic and economic priorities, particularly by expanding intra-BRICS trade and investment:

# The ANC has rejected as false and without factual foundation reports claiming that Reverend Frank Chikane has instituted legal proceedings against the party. A leaked confidential report shows that 51 recommended mayoral candidates, including Chikane, were not submitted to the Electoral Commission ahead of the November local government elections. Chikane was recommended by the ANC’s extended national executive committee as the Johannesburg mayoral candidate. The ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu says attempts to manufacture a conflict between Chikane and the party are both reckless and misleading.

# Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile says independent schools are independent in ownership and management, but they still operate under government regulation. The province currently has one-thousand-and-83 operational registered independent schools. The department recorded 458 disciplinary and bullying complaints, 422 cases of withheld transfer certificates or report cards over unpaid fees, and 518 suspensions or expulsions tied to non-payment of fees at independent schools between 2024 and August 2026. Maile says the growth, academic performance, funding, registration and accountability of independent schools are important:

# Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson and top European national security advisers narrowly escaped a Russian drone attack in Ukraine. The drone hit a train near the Ukraine-Poland border shortly after the train carrying Johnson and the other officials had passed along the same line. No casualties were reported. Johnson condemned the attack as random and senseless. Ukraine’s Foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, described the attack as Vladimir Putin’s terror knocking directly on the doors of the European Union and NATO.

# Tennis: Top seed Alexander Zverev overcame home favourite Ben Shelton to win his maiden US Open title. The German proved too strong for the eighth-seeded American, prevailing 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 to capture his second Grand Slam title. The 29-year-old has now become just the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season after lifting the Roland Garros trophy in June. Zverev says 2026 is the outcome of all the years he has struggled:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-18-cents and the euro at 18-rand-73-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-86-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-773-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-334-dollars-53-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 109-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….