--- title: "While you were sleeping: 17 July 2017" description: "France steps into Gulf Crisis, Trump takes to the offensive, and zombie movie grandfather dies." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "South Africa" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-07-17-while-you-were-sleeping-17-july-2017/" published: "2017-07-17T06:05:03" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 780 --- # While you were sleeping: 17 July 2017 > France steps into Gulf Crisis, Trump takes to the offensive, and zombie movie grandfather dies. By John Stupart · Published 17 July 2017, 08:05 SAST ## Content **Monday, 17 July 2017** *“All morons hate it when you call them a moron.”* **JD Salinger** ![Image](https://i2.createsend1.com/ei/d/2A/8CB/C5F/csimport/849x493q70Pauli-Molefes-pension1.050606.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [SCORPIO: The pension like no other – the truth of Brian Molefe’s R30m Eskom ‘golden handshake’ exposed](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-khutjjl-l-x/) By PAULI VAN WYK In November 2016 a sorrowful Brian Molefe announced he would resign from Eskom “in the interests of good corporate governance” after the Public Protector proved just how chummy he was with Gupta Inc. Three months later Molefe received a controversial R30-million golden handshake… err, performance bonus. No, make that a pension fund payout. Because Molefe – Eskom’s CEO at the time – got retrenched. Or resigned. Took early retirement? No, was on unpaid leave. Yeah, we all got lost in the absurdity that stopped short of maternity leave. Thanks to a series of emails and documents leaked from the heart of Eskom, SCORPIO now clears the confusion. [France urges calm in Gulf crisis](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-khutjjl-l-m/) French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has issued a call for cooler heads in the crisis between Qatar and four of its neighbours. Holding talks in the UAE and Kuwait, Le Drian spoke amidst a waft of fresh scandal implicating the UAE in a series of cyberattacks, creating false Qatari quotes that helped contribute to the Gulf boycott. With having talks based in a country that deliberately meddled in Qatar's affairs makes for an awkward engagement all round. [Trump takes to the #fakenews offensive](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-khutjjl-l-c/) Returning from his French tour, President Donald Trump has focused his attention on the issues that matter, namely covering for his son's Russian transgressions. Criticising "fake news" and deploying their lawyer on at least five talk shows, the Trump familia were determined to defend themselves against mounting scandals. Trump also took time to scoff at the latest ratings, which saw the be-tanned president at an unhealthy 58% of people disapproving of their leader. [Opposition voters gunned down in Venezuela](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-khutjjl-l-q/) Gun-wielding attackers shot at Venezuelan voters queueing at an opposition-organised ballot on Sunday, killing one woman and wounding three. The attackers rode towards the crowd on motorbikes, opening fire on those in line to vote. The ballot was aimed at highlighting the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who passionately opposed President Nicolas Maduro's attempt at manipulating the constitution. [Father of the zombie movie dies](http://subscriptions.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-khutjjl-l-a/) George Romero, the film-maker behind the 1968 "Night of the Living Dead" and creator of a genre, died at age 77. Romero, who had been suffering from lung cancer, died on Sunday, triggering a flood of tributes from actors, directors, and fans of zombies. Shooting zombies in the head and the ever-present infectious bite were all stereotypes piggy-backed on Romero's masterpiece. — IN NUMBERS 35 The number of restaurants in China busted for lacing food with opium in order to get customers addicted. FACTS OF THE DAY Today is**International Emoji Day**;-) **"Sugar Rush"**or hyperactivity in children after sugar intake is a myth. 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