--- title: "While you were sleeping: 16 March 2018" description: "US slaps sanctions on Russia, Miami bridge collapses, and world's biggest battery usurped." 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/2018-03-16-while-you-were-sleeping-16-march-2018/" published: "2018-03-16T05:59:23" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 683 --- # While you were sleeping: 16 March 2018 > US slaps sanctions on Russia, Miami bridge collapses, and world's biggest battery usurped. By John Stupart · Published 16 March 2018, 07:59 SAST ## Content **TGIF, 16 March 2018** *“Each of us is carving a stone, erecting a column, or cutting a piece of stained glass in the construction of something much bigger than ourselves.”* **Adrienne Clarkson** ![Image](https://i2.createsend1.com/ei/d/D4/D3F/6B3/csimport/849x493q70Pauli-Moyane-and-the-Guptas-VAT-p.050533.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [Scorpio: The Moyane Dossier, Part 1 – How SARS boss disregarded the law to pay Guptas’ VAT refund](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-p/) By PAULI VAN WYK for SCORPIO. Tax boss Tom Moyane aided possible acts of money laundering and fraud while contravening the VAT and Tax Acts when he allegedly pressured SARS officials to illegally effect three VAT payments to the Guptas into the account of a third party. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [US slaps Russia with sanctions](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-x/) The United States has enacted sanctions against Moscow in relation to its 2016 election meddling and at least two previous cyberattacks. The sanctions target 19 individuals and five organisations, focusing primarily on the Russian intelligence services, including the FSB and its military intelligence wing, GRU. Russia has promised to announce its response "soon". Soviet double agents the world round are no doubt avoiding park benches and the free food samples at the store. [Trump to oust National Security Adviser](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-m/) Rex Tillerson has not yet had time to find a box for his things before President Donald Trump had announced another high-profile firing. This time, National Security Adviser HR McMaster. White House sources indicated that McMaster clashed with Trump over "personality and style", because one of them was a witless reptile and the other a distinguished military veteran. [Miami bridge collapses](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-c/) A footbridge in Miami collapsed late on Thursday, killing at least four people. The walkway connected student housing with a local university. Less than a week old, the bridge's collapse raises major concerns over the standard to which it was built. [Australia unveils biggest battery](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-q/) Step aside Elon Musk, Australia has a new battery. British billionaire businessman Sanjeev Gupta - hopefully no relation - has built the world's largest battery in South Australia. The 120MW/140MWh behemoth was designed in order to support a new solar farm. This dwarfs Musk's 100MW/129MWh battery. However, not to be outdone, Musk switched over to rolling out solar panels to over 50,000 homes in Australia. — IN NUMBERS 180 The number of episodes in Seinfeld. Jerry Seinfeld is the only character to have appeared in every single one. FACTS OF THE DAY Today in 2005**Israel officially hands over Jericho** to Palestine. **The Skybeam from the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas**attracts so many insects that it has created an entire ecosystem of bats and owls. FEATURED ARTICLES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Pauli-Moyane-and-the-Guptas-VAT-payments.jpg) [Scorpio: The Moyane Dossier, Part 1 – How SARS boss disregarded the law to pay Guptas’ VAT refund](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-v/) BY PAULI VAN WYK ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70marelise-LandParly.jpg) [Promised Land: Grim truth about ‘redistributed’ land failures told in Parliament](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-s/) BY MARELISE VAN DER MERWE ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70pauli-makwakwaAnalysis.jpg) [Scorpio: Poking holes in Tax boss Tom Moyane’s statement on Makwakwa’s resignation](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-w/) BY PAULI VAN WYK ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70bloom-skirting-ecocide.jpg) [Skirting Ecocide: Alternatives to the UN, global elites and Ramaphosa](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-yh/) BY KEVIN BLOOM ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70merten-parlynotebookExministers.jpg) [Reporter's Parliamentary Notebook: Shuffling the ANC backbench to accommodate ex-ministers](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-yu/) BY MARIANNE MERTEN ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70numsa-renewables.jpg) [Op-Ed: Numsa supports a transition from dirty energy to clean renewable energy](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-jr/) BY KARL CLOETE ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70groundup-rainhope.jpg) [GroundUp: Will there be more rain in Cape Town this winter?](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-jj/) BY GROUNDUP ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Audi_RS5_15-MAIN-PHOTO.jpg) [Tried and Tested: Audi RS5 Coupé – Rock Me Gently](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-ji/) BY DEON SCHOEMAN OPINIONISTAS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Andrew-Gasnolar.jpg) [The politics of expediency and the cult of power](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-jh/) A column by ANDREW IHSAAN GASNOLAR ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q707fc6b61188b1c5c5e41f8b57f7356f0c.jpg) [The Other News Round-Up: A little streamlining](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-ju/) A column by MARELISE VAN DER MERWE ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Prof-Le-Cordeur-7\(1\).jpg) [When is a school full?](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-tr/) A column by MICHAEL LE CORDEUR ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Saliem-Fakir.jpg) [SA’s Carbon Tax Bill nearly there, but not yet enough to do the job](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-oidjril-l-tj/) A column by SALIEM FAKIR — **Weather** BFN: min: 12° max 25°, cloudy CPT: min: 14° max: 19°, cloudy DBN: min: 18° max: 21°, rainy JHB: min: 12° max: 27°, cloudy KIM: min: 16° max: 28°, cloudy MHK: min: 14° max: 32°, cloudy NLP: min: 16° max: 29°, rainy PE: min: 13° max: 22°, cloudy PMB: min: 15° max: 17°, rainy PTA: min: 14° max: 31°, cloudy **Financial Data** Oil=$64.41 Gold=$1,324.83 Platinum=$963.15 R/$=11.77 R/€=14.57 R/£=16.43 BTC/$=8,716 JSE All Share=58,423.17 DJIA=24,715.10 FTSE 100=7,132.25