News 11:00

BULLETIN 9 September 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IEC expects more court challenges over candidate list submissions
# Trump bans a slew of Canadian imports as the trade war escalates
# And tennis: Sabalenka maintains her hopes of a third successive US Open title

# The Electoral Commission expects more political parties to approach the Electoral Court over candidate list submissions. The ANC has approached the court to challenge the IEC’s decision not to register party candidates in six municipalities. The party claims it was unable to register the candidates because of technical glitches in the IEC system. The Electoral Court dismissed the United Democratic Front Party’s urgent application to register candidates. The IEC reiterates there were no issues with the system that prevented parties from meeting the deadline.

# Union federation SAFTU says the latest gross domestic product figures are a red alert of an economic catastrophe unfolding. South Africa’s economy contracted by 0.2-percent in the second quarter, with three key industrial sectors, mining, manufacturing and trade, pushing national growth into negative territory. SAFTU’s Asive Dyani says for a country already drowning in catastrophic unemployment, poverty, hunger and inequality, economic contraction is a disaster:

# Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela met with the Special Investigating Unit’s head, Leonard Lekgetho, to receive an update on investigations into allegations of maladministration, fraud, and corruption across the post-school education and Training sector. The SIU recorded over two-billion-rand in NSFAS-related recoveries from universities and TVET colleges, and acknowledgement of 5.4-million-rand’s debt. Spokesperson Matshepo Seedat says the SIU prevented 109-million-rand in future expenditure following the cancellation of a security contract at the Vaal University of Technology:

Moving abroad:

# US president Donald Trump has retaliated against Canada’s latest tariffs by banning a slew of Canadian goods, including alcohol and dairy products. Ottawa’s 15-to-50-percent counter-tariffs on nearly 320-billion-rand of US imports came into effect yesterday. Last month, the White House imposed 50-percent tariffs on Canadian goods, including wine, furniture and sporting equipment. Trump has also threatened to prevent the US government from buying Canadian-made products through a major federal purchasing programme, unless Canada gives American companies and farmers greater access to its markets.

# Tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka is still on course for a third successive US Open title after advancing to the semifinals. The Belarusian battled past Wimbledon champion Czech Linda Noskova, her 19th consecutive victory at the tournament. Sabalenka will next face Jessica Pegula after the American defeated compatriot Emma Navarro. In the men’s draw, American Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down to beat countryman Alex Michelsen to reach his third US Open semifinal.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-99-cents and the euro at 18-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-291-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-403-dollars-34-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 101-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….