News 16:00

BULLETIN 15 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa calls the national convention the launch of a million conversations to shape South Africa’s destiny
# The DA names Cilliers Brink as its 2026 mayoral candidate for Tshwane
# And a strike looms at Air Canada and will affect thousands of passengers

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has termed the National Dialogue Convention the launch of a million conversations to shape South Africa’s destiny. Speaking at the University of South Africa in Pretoria, Ramaphosa stated that South Africans are all sons and daughters of the same soil despite challenges and differences as South Africans share a common past and future. He emphasised that open conversations can heal divisions, conquer fears, and unite the country:

# DA leader John Steenhuisen has announced Cilliers Brink as the party’s mayoral candidate for Tshwane in next year’s local government elections. Brink was ousted as mayor in a motion of no confidence last year. Steenhuisen says he has a proven track record of turning the city around, fixing services, and creating jobs. He criticised the current coalition of corruption, poor service delivery and misusing public funds:

Moving abroad:

# Air Canada and its flight attendants remained at odds despite government pleas for both sides to return to the negotiating table to avert a strike. It could upend travel for tens of thousands of passengers. Canada’s largest airline expects to cancel 500 flights by the end of the day ahead of tomorrow’s planned strike, leaving some 100-thousand passengers scrambling for alternatives. The airline’s ten-thousand flight attendants are gearing up to strike should their demands for higher wages and compensation for unpaid work are not met.

# Motorsport: One of McLaren’s cars for next year’s Formula One season will be auctioned off in December – even before it has raced. The Sotheby’s auction will also feature the next Arrow McLaren Indycar being raced in Indianapolis in May next year, and the 2027 World Endurance Hypercar that will compete in that year’s Le Mans. The buyer of the F1 car will only receive it in 2028, but can lease a 2025 show car until then and also have access to the team and events.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-58-cents and the euro at 20-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 118-thousand-921-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-337-dollars-83-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-1-cent a barrel.

# And finally: The African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size. The map, created for navigation, distorts continent sizes, enlarging areas near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America. AU Commission deputy chairperson Selma Haddadi told Reuters it creates the false impression that Africa was marginal, despite being the world’s second-largest continent by area, with over a billion people.

Stay tuned for more news………….