News 08:00

BULLETIN 19 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# AfriForum and March and March form a working group
# The Impeachment Committee will deliberate further on its terms of reference
# And, Meta rejects allegations that it intentionally sought to addict children

# Lobby groups AfriForum and the March and March movement have agreed to pursue legal matters of mutual interest jointly, and to support each other on issues relating to the rule of law, the fight against crime, and illegal migration. The leadership of the two lobby groups met yesterday. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel says they have agreed to form a collaborative working group to address various challenges arising from government failure, including border control, crime prevention and public education:

# Parliament’s Impeachment Committee is set to deliberate further today on the draft terms of reference that will guide its work. Committee chairperson Makashule Gana says Parliament’s Legal Services Office has been working on cleaning up the terms of reference and ensuring consistent use of language throughout the document. He says they will consider any final inputs from members before the document is finalised. Gana added that also on the agenda is an update on the appointment of the recommended evidence leader:

# The National Health Laboratory Service has appointed five new independent experts to strengthen its governance. The new members bring experience in finance, risk management, technology and public-sector leadership. Poppy Tshabalala and Patrick Ganesan have joined the Information Technology Governance Committee, while Suren Maharaj, Fulufhelo Tshikhudo and Ayanda Vabaza-Mvandaba have been appointed to the Audit and Risk Committee. The appointments will strengthen accountability, strategic oversight and innovation in support of public healthcare.

# Social media giant Meta says it has disabled more than one million accounts of children under the age of 13. Twenty-nine US states are suing Meta, alleging that it regularly collects data on children under the age of 13 without parental permission in violation of federal and state laws. The landmark trial got underway in a federal court in California yesterday. Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt says some social media ​users face struggles, but research shows no clear link between adolescents’ social media use and a lack of well-being.

# Soccer: English Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has joined calls for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down. Infantino has faced major criticism over his now-aborted controversial plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors. Several federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino, who is scheduled to stand for a fourth term as president in March. Masters told Sky News that FIFA needs a unity candidate to step forward and bring positive change:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-24-cents and the euro at 18-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-99-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-314-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-356-dollars-32-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….