Critical Brexit negotiations begin

[Daily Maverick] FIRST THING with JOHN STUPART Monday, 9 October 2017 “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savour) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” EB White STORY OF THE DAY [ANC Leadership Race: With Mpumalanga’s massive growth, it’s now David Mabuza, the decider. Be very afraid.]( By STEPHEN GROOTES When trying to put together the complicated puzzle that is the ANC’s leadership election equation, it is important to assign values to your pieces. You need to know which way someone will go, and how much power they will have. The release on Friday night of the numbers of delegates each ANC province will be sending to the national conference now gives us much more information. While it is still far from clear what exactly will happen, we now know that the biggest piece, the player with the most weight, is probably going to be David Dabede Mabuza, the Premier of Mpumalanga and the ANC Chairman of that province. For those hoping for a wholesale clean-up and an end to corruption within the ANC and South Africa, this is probably bad news. [Make or break round for Brexit negotiations begin]( Bexit negotiators will begin a crucial week of talks ahead of a looming 19 October deadline. Three major issues have proved difficult to resolve: the exit bill, British citizens' rights in the EU, and just what to do with Northern Ireland. EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has expressed doubt, saying that "miracles" are needed to proceed with the next round on the 19th. [Pence walks out of NFL game]( US Vice President Mike Pence walked out of the NFL match between the Colts and 49ers. Over 20 49ers players took a knee during the playing of the anthem, prompting a not-so-pensive retreat by Pence. Given that the 49ers and former quarterback Colin Kaepernick were the original kneelers, either Pence has been oblivious to NFL politics for the past two years, or his entire walk-out was a planned inevitability. [Weinstein fired from his own studio]( Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was booted from the Weinstein Company on Sunday. New reports emerged saying that Weinstein had sexually harassed several women over the decades. The founder of Miramax production house and producer of "Good Will Hunting" was terminated from the company "effective immediately". The White House might have some vacancies open for a man like Weinstein. [Clashes erupt in DRC]( Congolese troops and rebels exchanged fire on Sunday after the latter were accused of orchestrating the "disappearance" of 20 civilians. The hostilities broke out in Beni, in the North Kivu province. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are believed to be responsible. ADF forces have previously clashed with the South African contingent in the DRC's United Nations peacekeeping mission, Monusco. — PICTURE OF THE DAY By EPA-EFE/CHRISTIAN BRUNA Two boats tied together and carrying Bavarian mountain farmers' cattle float on the Koenigssee lake to transport the animals back home from the summer pastures in Koenigssee, Germany, 7 October, 2017. The farmers at the Koenigssee Lake in south-west Bavaria have to drive their cattle down from their alpine meadows to a narrow valley that can only be reached by boat. After about 100 days at the summer pastures, around 30 cattle returned to their home stables across the lake. IN NUMBERS 42% The decline in air quality in the US on the 4th of July as a result of fireworks. FACTS OF THE DAY Today in 2012 the Taliban fail in an assassination attempt on Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai. Adolf Hitler was the first European leader to ban human zoos. FEATURED ARTICLES [Analysis: Coalitions no easy route come 2019, as current co-operation pacts wobble]( [Analysis: Coalitions no easy route come 2019, as current co-operation pacts wobble]( BY Marianne Merten [Evita's Free Speech: Ep.111 – Evita meets Picasso in Africa (Video)]( [Evita's Free Speech: Ep.111 – Evita meets Picasso in Africa (Video)]( BY Pieter-Dirk Uys [ANC Leadership Race: As Sirleaf bows out in Liberia, could Dlamini Zuma be a true champion of women in the south?]( [ANC Leadership Race: As Sirleaf bows out in Liberia, could Dlamini Zuma be a true champion of women in the south?]( BY Carien du Plessis [Life Esidimeni: Quest for healing and compensation for victims’ families begins]( [Life Esidimeni: Quest for healing and compensation for victims’ families begins]( BY Greg Nicolson [Nobel Prize for Literature: Beating the drum for Athol Fugard to be nominated in 2018]( [Nobel Prize for Literature: Beating the drum for Athol Fugard to be nominated in 2018]( BY J Brooks Spector [The SADC wrap: Plague hits urban areas in Madagascar, politics get dirty in Zim]( [The SADC wrap: Plague hits urban areas in Madagascar, politics get dirty in Zim]( BY KRISTEN VAN SCHIE [Op-Ed: New assault on academic excellence – research grants cut amid funding shortage]( [Op-Ed: New assault on academic excellence – research grants cut amid funding shortage]( BY Belinda Bozzoli [amaBhungane: The Trillian playbook - How Oliver Wyman nearly got ensnared]( [amaBhungane: The Trillian playbook - How Oliver Wyman nearly got ensnared]( BY AMABHUNGANE OPINIONISTAS [From the Inside: Western Cape should be given the power to combat violent crime and gangs effectively]( [From the Inside: Western Cape should be given the power to combat violent crime and gangs effectively]( A column by Helen Zille [ANC succession debate: Top structures have failed to set the right tone for branches]( [ANC succession debate: Top structures have failed to set the right tone for branches]( A column by David Ka-Ndyalvan [Aspiring presidents and public acts of regret]( [Aspiring presidents and public acts of regret]( A column by Brij Maharaj [ANC Leadership Race: Ramaphosa and Sisulu in top two positions can lead SA]( [ANC Leadership Race: Ramaphosa and Sisulu in top two positions can lead SA]( A column by Rebone Tau — Weather BFN: min: 5° max 21°, cloudy CPT: min: 8° max: 14°, cloudy DBN: min: 16° max: 19°, rainy EL: min: 13° max: 16°, cloudy JHB: min: 7° max: 20°, rainy KIM: min: 5° max: 22°, sunny NLP: min: 16° max: 29°, rainy MHK: min: 7° max: 25°, sunny PMB: min: 12° max: 17°, rainy PE: min: 9° max: 16°, rainy PTA: min: 9° max: 23°, rainy Financial Data Oil=$55.62 Gold=$1,276.68 Platinum=$916.20 R/$=13.74 R/€=16.12 R/£=17.92 $/€=0.83 JSE All Share=57,231.87 DJIA=22,773.67 FTSE 100=7,522.87 [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( Copyright © 2017 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. 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