News 17:00

BULLETIN 11 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South African mining production rises 4,4-percent in July
# The DA launches a national probe into the staggering child pregnancy pandemic
# And the US marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

# Statistics South Africa reports that mining production rose by 4.4-percent year-on-year in July. Principal Survey Statistician, Juan-Pierre Terblanche, says iron ore and platinum group metals drove growth, with increases of 12.2-percent and 6.2-percent, respectively. He confirmed that despite diamonds, chromium ore, and coal contributing positively, gold, manganese ore, copper, and nickel declined:

# The DA says the growing number of girls under 16 becoming pregnant and giving birth in South Africa is deeply disturbing. The DA’s Alexandra Abrahams says in the Eastern Cape a staggering 117 girls between 10 and 14 years gave birth between April and July of this year. She says dealing with gender-based violence begins with protecting girls from sexual abuse by older men:

Meanwhile, British prime minister Keir Starmer has sacked Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US following mounting scrutiny over his relationship with late US child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Foreign Office says the decision was made in light of additional information in emails by Mandelson. They show the depth and extent of his relationship with Epstein was materially different to what was known when he was appointed. Mandelson served as a key link between Starmer and US president Donald Trump during a crucial time for diplomacy between the countries.

# Tennis: Australia’s non-playing Davis Cup captain, Lleyton Hewitt, plans to appeal his suspension and fine for shoving a doping control official. An independent tribunal from the Tennis Anti-doping Programme suspended the former world number one for two weeks and fined him 350-thousand-rand. This follows October’s incident after Australia lost to Italy in the semifinal of last year’s competition. The suspension will only take effect in two weeks’ time, meaning Hewitt can be present for this weekend’s second-round qualifier against Belgium in Sydney.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-46-cents and the euro at 20-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-65-cents and Bitcoin trades at 113-thousand-728-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-628-dollars-32-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-12-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The US today marks 24-years since the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in 2001. Nearly three-thousand lives were lost when Al-Qaeda hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon, and in a field in Pennsylvania. Families will gather for the reading of names and six moments of silence in New York. President Donald Trump will attend a Pentagon memorial as the nation reflects on a day that reshaped US history and foreign policy.

Stay tuned for more news………….