News 09:00

BULLETIN 30 August 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy president Mashatile says the government has a plan to accelerate land reform
# Israel and Hamas agree to allow a polio vaccination drive in Gaza
# And tennis: Carlos Alcaraz is knocked out of the US Open

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile says there are plans to fast-track coordination of government programmes to accelerate land reform and agricultural support. He met with the minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, and the Land Reform and Rural Development minister, Mzwanele Nyhontso, in Cape Town. Agriculture remains a critical sector of the economy, which accounts for 40-percent of the gross domestic product. Mashatile stressed the importance of food security:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow attend the signing of the cooperation agreement to combat crime in Cape Town in the Western Cape. He will deliver a keynote address at the event, which will be led by Police minister Senzo Mchunu, premier Alan Winde, and mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. The agreement aims to boost collaboration to address crime and enhance public safety through community-driven initiatives and resource integration. This follows recent stakeholder discussions with community policing forums, spiritual organisations, and businesses. 

# The GOOD Party says the reduction in teacher posts in the Western Cape will directly affect the rights of children to basic education, along with the quality of education they receive in government schools. The provincial Education Department intends to cut two-thousand-407 educator posts from January next year as a result of budget cuts. GOOD’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, says once again, it is the poorer and less-resourced schools that will feel these cuts the most:

# The World Health Organisation says Israel and Hamas have agreed to a series of humanitarian pauses in fighting in Gaza to allow for the vaccination of children against polio. The campaign, which begins on Sunday, will aim to vaccinate around 640-thousand children across the Gaza Strip. A ten-month-old baby had been partially paralysed after contracting Gaza’s first case of polio in 25 years. WHO’s Michael Ryan says they are aiming to achieve 90-percent vaccine coverage across the strip:

# Tennis: Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp knocked out Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the US Open. The world number 74 defeated the world number three, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, ending the Spaniard’s hopes of a third consecutive major title. World number one Jannik Sinner of Italy captured his 50th win of the season beating American Alex Michelsen, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2, to make the third round. In the women’s draw, top seed Poland’s Iga Swiatek defeated Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara, 6-0, 6-1.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-75-cents and the euro at 19-rand-67-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-37-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-65-dollars-44-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-514-dollars-45-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-3-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….