South Africa, World
While you were sleeping: 18 July 2017
Trumpcare suffers setback, Iran deal retained, and strange signals from distant star.
Tuesday, 18 July 2017
“If all the rich people in the world divided up their money among themselves there wouldn’t be enough to go around.”
Christina Stead
STORY OF THE DAY
SassaGate Reloaded: CEO Magwaza fired as Dlamini sets Sassa on course for another crisis
By MARIANNE THAMM
Just hours after Themba Godi, chair of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public accounts lashed out on Monday at shadowy individuals threatening the life of Sassa CEO Thokozani Magwaza, Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini fired the embattled CEO. The shocking move comes as Magwaza was putting finishing touches on a contract with the South African Post Office to replace CPS in March 2018 as the distributor of social grants to 17-million South Africans and worth a whopping R10-billion a month. Dlamini appears to be hell-bent on manufacturing another social grants crisis.
US health bill dead in the water
Two more Republican senators have jumped party ship, arguing that Donald Trump’s replacement for Obamacare was a “bad policy”. Replacing key Obamacare provisions for coverage of the poor and marginalised, Trump’s health care act would remove such requirements. With senators Mike Lee and Jerry Moran out, the required votes simply do not exist.
Trump backs away from Iran election promises
President Trump announced today that an Obama-era agreement with Iran and the lifted sanctions status will remain. For now. The statement was a major step back from Trump’s election promise to completely scrap the Iran nuclear security deal. Conditions of Iranian scale-back of nuclear production were met, according to the White House. It’s almost as if Trump was failing on his election promises like every other politician since humankind first left the water.
Strange radio signals detected from star
A star just 11 light years away has emitted some “peculiar signals”. Scientists in Puerto Rico say they detected the signals on the Ross 128 red dwarf. Although speculation over alien life has erupted over the discovery, perhaps it’s not time to break out the tinfoil hats just yet. Scientists from SETI will be using their telescope array to measure and verify the erratic signals on Sunday.
South Africa clobbered by Belgium
South African men’s hockey suffered a crushing 9-1 defeat at the hands of Belgium last night. Hoping to secure a last-eight berth at the mini-league match last night in a freezing Johannesburg, South Africa was instead punished for each and every mistake. At one point replacing goalkeepers, it seems that the men’s side will not be emulating the women, who managed a stunning upset victory over high-ranked US earlier last week.
IN NUMBERS
11
The number of worldwide blood alcohol cases above 1%. Five of these are from Poland.
FACTS OF THE DAY
Today is Mandela Day. It is also World Kindness Day.
Odds are good that you were not the fastest swimmer. An egg’s outer layer often requires several sperms to wear it out. In all likelihood, you were the result of one of the slower, lazier swimmers in the race.
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