News 16:00

BULLETIN 26 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A man from KwaZulu-Natal gets 12-years jail time in America for possessing child sexual abuse material
# Brazil seeks deeper trade ties with South Africa
# And freight groups call for an urgent plan to fix the Durban port delays

# A man from KwaZulu-Natal will spend the next few years in an American jail after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. Forty-five-year-old Marcell Meyer worked on a farm in Sackets Harbor, New York State. He was sentenced to 12-years in federal prison by the District Court in Albany, must register as a sex offender and must pay his victims 334-thousand-rand in restitution. The US Attorney’s office says Meyer will be immediately eligible for deportation proceedings once released.

# Brazilian Foreign minister Mauro Vieira says a multisectoral Brazilian trade mission is in South Africa to explore mutually beneficial opportunities. Speaking during the eighth South Africa-Brazil joint commission in Pretoria, he highlighted trade, science and technology cooperation, particularly in space science, ocean research and health. Vieira also said both countries can strengthen vaccine production and local health manufacturing. He also identified greater cooperation in agriculture and international forums:

# Freight groups South African Freight and Logistics Association and Road Freight Association calls for an urgent recovery plan to restore cargo flow at Durban Gateway Terminal after sustained disruption. RFA CEO Gavin Kelly says July vessels averaged 80-hours at anchorage, throughput fell 26-percent after the August NAVIS N4 cutover, and port call times more than doubled. He says the groups propose a 30-day plan to ensure fair treatment for delayed cargo:

# South African coal producers are increasingly investing in renewable energy to cut costs and reduce emissions. Exxaro Resources, through its subsidiary Cennergi, is targeting one-thousand-600-megawatts of installed renewable capacity by 2030. Its 68-megawatt solar plant at Grootegeluk Mine in Limpopo has cut grid reliance by 30-percent, saving about 100-million-rand annually. Meanwhile, Thungela Resources is exploring coal-bed methane in Limpopo, with the project expected to reduce electricity costs and diversify its energy business.

# Soccer: Tottenham Hotspur paid an initial fee of 1.6-billion-rand to obtain the services of Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City. The 22-year-old didn’t establish himself as a regular at City, but Spurs believe he could add pace and creativity to its attack. Savinho is excited to work under head coach Roberto de Zerbi, who rescued Spurs from relegation from the English Premier League for the first time in 49 years at the end of last season. De Zerbi says Savinho brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-91-cents and the euro at 18-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-193-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-619-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….