News 16:00

BULLETIN 20 February 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Missing miners are presumed dead after a mudslide at the Ekapa Mine
# The Epstein estate agrees to a 564-million-rand settlement in a victim class action
# And cricket: Australia’s coach blames the players for their poor T20 World Cup showing

# Mineral and Petroleum Resources minister Gwede Mantashe says the five miners trapped after a mudslide at the Ekapa Mine in Kimberley in the Northern Cape since earlier this week, are presumed dead. Recovery efforts are ongoing but expected to take longer due to water and drilling challenges. Mantashe will address the families, describing the incident as a potential disaster. He adds last year saw a record of 41 deaths in the mining industry:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says climate change poses an existential threat to humanity and the planet. Speaking at the Presidential Climate Commission’s special session, he urged global cooperation to limit warming to 1.5-degrees Celsius. Ramaphosa highlighted the need to reduce emissions, climate-proof infrastructure, protect vulnerable communities, and safeguard jobs. He urged that climate action aligns with South Africa’s development, growth, and efforts to reduce poverty and inequality:

# The MK Party has expressed concern over government’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s participation from the 61st Venice Biennale in Italy. Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie overruled an independent curatorial panel’s unanimous selection of a work by South African artist Gabrielle Goliath, titled Energy, which addresses gender-based violence, femicide and collective mourning. The MK Party says while government departments cite administrative, legal and funding reasons for their decision, South African artists must not become victims of bureaucratic failures or internal governance disputes.

# Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has agreed to pay as much as 564-million-rand to resolve a class action lawsuit against two of the disgraced US financier’s advisers accused of aiding and abetting his sex trafficking of young women and teenage girls. This is according to papers filed in a federal court in Manhattan. The deal, if approved by a judge, would bring an end to a 2024 lawsuit filed against Epstein’s former personal lawyer, Darren Indyke, and former accountant Richard Kahn, who are co-executors of his estate.

# Cricket: Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, rejects criticism on him after the country’s exit in the group phase of the T20 World Cup, saying the players are to blame. The 2021 champion lost two of their first three group matches and will leave after today’s final one against Oman in Pallekele, Sri Lanka. Former players and experts claim there were inadequate preparation and the team isn’t taking the format seriously. McDonald says despite missing a few proved match-winners, the available players were good enough but didn’t perform.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-9-cents and the euro at 18-rand-94-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-69-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-285-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-12-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-98-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….