News 17:00

BULLETIN 28 August 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cabinet confirms its readiness for the local government elections
# South Africa prepares for a possible new TB vaccine
# And tennis: Sabalenka and Rybakina will battle it out for the number one ranking at the US open

# Cabinet says preparations for this year’s local government elections are progressing, with the polls scheduled for 4 November. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says coordination mechanisms across all spheres of government are in place to support free, fair, credible and peaceful elections. She also condemned the recent killings of councillors, and called on South Africans to reject intimidation, violence and political intolerance:

# Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says South Africa must move from energy planning to delivery, backed by a 2.23-trillion-rand electricity investment programme. Speaking to energy sector leaders in Johannesburg, Ramokgopa said the Integrated Resource Plan targets 105-thousand-megawatts of new generation capacity by 2039, including solar, wind, gas, storage and nuclear. He says private investors and development financiers are key as 440-billion-rand is needed for 14-thousand-500 kilometres of new transmission lines:

# Cabinet says government is preparing for the registration and introduction of a new tuberculosis vaccine, should ongoing Phase Three trials prove successful. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the M72/AS01E candidate is being tested in South Africa and other countries and it aims to prevent active pulmonary tuberculosis in adolescents and adults. It will be the first new tuberculosis vaccine introduced in over a century:

# Waves of drones have again targeted Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and surrounding areas today, damaging homes, warehouses and apartment blocks. At least one person was killed outside Kyiv, while four others were injured in a separate strike on a home-improvement store. The emergency service says the Kyiv region came under attack 38 times in the past 24 hours. Air-raid sirens sounded across the capital, with authorities warning residents to stay away from areas where fires were still being tackled. The attacks follow a major Russian assault on Ukraine yesterday.

# Tennis: Defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka will face Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the first round of the US Open. The Belarusian anchors a top half draw also including Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic. Reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who has an opportunity to take over the number one ranking from Sabalenka, will play American wildcard Thea Frodin. Former champion Coco Gauff will start against Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez. Two-time champion Venus Williams, who has been given a wildcard, faces American compatriot Sofia Kenin.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cent against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-73-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-425-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-600-dollars-36-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….