News 08:00

BULLETIN 7 June 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Judiciary is ready to ensure a smooth transition in the constitutional democracy
# OUTA wins their court challenge against Nersa and Karpowership with costs
# And another Trump ally is ordered to report to prison

# Chief Justice Raymond Zondo says the judiciary is prepared to ensure a seamless transition in the constitutional democracy following the elections. Speaking at the list handover ceremony of the elected representatives at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg, Zondo reaffirmed the judiciary’s role in presiding over the election of parliamentary officials and the swearing-in of members. He also highlighted the judiciary’s readiness to address any grievances related to the election process through legal channels:

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse says the ruling by the High Court in Pretoria against the National Energy Regulator and Turkish company Karpowership is a major victory for civil society in the energy sector. OUTA challenged Nersa’s decisions to approve generation licenses for Karpowership, citing procedural unfairness and lack of transparency. OUTA’s Stefanie Fick hailed the court’s order for punitive costs and full record disclosure as a precedent for increased regulatory scrutiny:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape today, to assess the response by government departments and entities following the deadly floods. At least ten people have been killed in the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City municipalities. The floods have also destroyed public infrastructure and private property. The Presidency says the government will do its best to ensure that the recovery process meets the needs of residents and enables a renewal of the affected areas.

# Former US president Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon has been ordered by a federal judge to report to prison by July first to serve a four-month sentence. A jury found Bannon guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress in 2022. This is after he refused to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee that investigated the January six 2021, Capitol attack. The 70-year-old has denied any criminal wrongdoing. Another Trump ally, former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro is already serving a four-month prison term.

# Cricket: Co-hosts USA stunned Pakistan with a super-over victory in their second match of the T20 World Cup in Dallas, Texas. The game went to the extra over after both sides made 159 in their 20 overs. Batting first in the super over, the USA made 18 for one and in reply, Pakistan were restricted to 13 for one. Meanwhile, in Bridgetown, Barbados, Richie Berrington scored an unbeaten 47, as Scotland chased down 156 to beat Namibia by five wickets.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-93-cents and the euro at 20-rand-63-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-22-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-759-dollars-91-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-376-dollars-89-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….