News 12:00

BULLETIN 5 September 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COSATU backs a global flotilla to challenge the blockade on Gaza
# Forum for SA says AfriForum and Saai must stop weaponising history to divide citizens
# And Tennis: The top two are still on course to meet in the US Open final

# The Congress of South African Trade Unions has declared solidarity with ten South Africans aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest civilian maritime effort to challenge the blockade on Gaza. The federation praised international worker solidarity, saluting Italian unions for threatening to shut down Europe if the flotilla is attacked. Cosatu’s Zanele Sabela says the crimes of war, genocide, and apartheid are shared struggles demanding global working-class unity:

# The Forum for South Africa has criticised AfriForum and Saai’s call for international sanctions against EFF leader Julius Malema. This is over the struggle songs he sings, particularly ‘Kill the Boer’. AfriForum is set to send a delegate to Europe later this year to garner support for targeted sanctions against the EFF leader. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says the actions of AfriForum and Saai are an attack on freedom of speech:

# GPS interference over the Baltic Sea region has risen sharply since 2023. Sweden’s Transport Agency points the finger at Russia. The number of incidents in Swedish airspace has risen from 55 in 2023 to 733 this year. The interference includes both false positioning and jamming or disruption of signals. The agency says this is serious and is a security risk for civil aviation. In early June, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, raised the issue with the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, of which Russia is a member state.

# Tennis: The top two men’s players are still on course to meet in Sunday’s final at the US Open. Jannik Sinner of Italy and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz have dominated the game of late, winning the past seven Grand Slam tournaments between them. Sinner plays 25th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinal and Alcaraz will face seventh-seeded Novak Djokovic. The 38-year-old Serbian’s time is probably running out to clinch a record 25th Grand Slam tournament before bowing out of the game.  

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-69-cents and the euro at 20-rand-67-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-83-cents and Bitcoin trades at 112-thousand-746-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-548-dollars-82-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-65-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A beach in Melbourne, Australia has been bathed in an “ethereal glow” at nighttime this week thanks to bioluminescent algae adding a shimmering, electric blue hue to the water and sand. Marine ecologist Richard Pensak told CNN the algae bloom, sometimes referred to as “sea sparkle”, appears as a bright pinkish-orange cloud during the day, but at night it transforms into a stunning light display. The phenomenon is caused by a chemical reaction the algae produce when they are agitated or disturbed. Research has linked more frequent and intense blooms to warming oceans.

Stay tuned for more news………….