News 08:00

BULLETIN 28 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Nersa and Eskom settle on the sixth multi-year price determination
# The UN Security Council says the famine in Gaza is a man-made crisis
# And tennis: Lloyd Harris is knocked out of the US Open

# The National Energy Regulator of South Africa says it has reached a settlement agreement with Eskom on the sixth multi-year price determination revenue decision for three financial years. In July, the power utility lodged a judicial review to set aside Nersa’s decision on its allowable revenue application, citing a revenue shortfall of 107-billion-rand. Nersa’s spokesperson, Charles Hlebela, says following a review, they identified errors that resulted in underestimation in certain components of Eskom’s application:

# The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is overhauling student accommodation to prevent evictions and delays in allowance payments. The overhaul aims to strengthen governance, improve service delivery, and ensure timely payments to landlords. This year, over 112-thousand students received housing, but nearly 38-thousand beds are still pending approval. NSFAS acting CEO Waseem Carrim said the scheme will support students facing challenges and ensure landlords submit claims correctly to avoid disruptions:

# Every member state of the United Nations Security Council, except for the US, has jointly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and backed the declaration that famine in Gaza is a man-made crisis. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis says 514-thousand people, nearly a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza, are experiencing famine, and this is due to rise to 641-thousand by the end of September. Guyana’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Trishala Persaud, says famine in Gaza must be stopped immediately:

# Tennis: South Africa’s Lloyd Harris exited the US Open in the second round after he was beaten, 6-4, 6-7, 2-6, 4-6, by last year’s finalist American Taylor Fritz. World number two Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz eased past Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3, to reach the third round. Alcaraz’s potential semifinal opponent, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, beat American qualifier Zachary Svajda, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. In the women’s draw, last year’s runner-up American Jessica Pegula and Britain’s Emma Raducanu are also through to the third round.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-66-cents and the euro at 20-rand-58-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 111-thousand-810-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-390-dollars-94-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-87-cents a barrel.

# And finally, president Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to EWN’s Associate Editor for Politics, Tshidi Madia, describing her as an outstanding woman. She passed away in the hospital on Wednesday morning, after a short illness. Ramaphosa says Madia loved the country, and this was the backdrop to her tough questions and her hopeful vision of a South Africa that can and should be better. He adds that everyone will continue to work for a better country, with her now silent pen and voice in people’s memories and hearts.

Stay tuned for more news………….