President Jacob Zuma has once again found himself in a middle of a political storm regarding upgrades of his home in Nkandla, KwaZulu Natal. The EFF was true to its word that it would insist that the President should say when he will pay back the money for non security upgrades as instructed by the Public Protector. Joseph Mosia reports...

On the Forum@8 we ask, why are we losing the fight against drug and substance abuse? Our guest, Operations Director for the South African Depression & Anxiety Group, SADAG, Cassey Chambers, Chief Director responsible substance abuse at the dept of Social Development Siza Magangwe and Cindy Le Grange, Editor in Chief of Addicts Magazine and living with family members that were addicts.

1. Asian stocks rose, following a rebound in global shares, amid optimism over the American economy
2. Japanese stocks advanced, sending the Topix toward an eight-year high, as a weaker yen boosted earnings prospects
3. Thursday Investment Theme: Fixed Income Funds

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police has condemned the support shown by the Board of Commissioners of the Police towards their boss, National Commissioner Riah Phiyega. The Board of Commissioners, which consists of nine provincial police commissioners, issued a statement saying they are concerned about the unfair and negative attitudes towards Phiyega. The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Francois Beukman, says the statement is not appropriate and has called on the commissioners to appear before the committee to explain themselves.

South Africa is heading for a major crisis as a result of a lack of nuanced and mature strategic leadership. This is according to the Vice-Chancellor of Wits University and political analyst, Professor Adam Habib He says the country is facing a moment of reckoning, and the political pact of 1994 is slowly beginning to unravel.

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has appointed seasoned corporate executive Sizwe Nxasana as chairperson of the troubled National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Nxasana will have the task of trying to resolve issues of alleged corruption and financial mismanagement at the scheme. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande...

In August 1945, US planes dropped two atomic bombs - one on Hiroshima, and the other on Nagasaki three days later. It was the first and only time that nuclear weapons have been used in history. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives as a direct result of the bombings. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Japanese ambassador to South Africa Shigeyuki Hiroki

1. MTN interim results
2. Standard bank PMI data that came out yesterday
3. Ascendis health bid for Spanish pharmaceutical company Farmalider

Job losses at the country's mines took the centre stage during a debate on transformation of the mining industry in the National Assembly. While political parties were not in agreement about solutions, there was broad agreement that the decline in commodity prices was largely to blame for the crisis. Joseph Mosia reports

The Minister of Mineral Resources Ngoako Ramatlhodi is said to have instructed Glencore to suspend its Optimum coal mine operations as it did not comply with legal requirements in its retrenchment process. Last month, Glencore announced that it would shut part of the Optimum mine and cut 380 jobs due to lower coal prices. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the Minister's Special Advisor, Advocate Mahlodi Muofhe.