South Africa Grants Putin Diplomatic Immunity For BRICS Summit – In preparation for the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting and summit, the South African government has granted diplomatic immunity to all officials involved. [dm]

China Sends First Civilian Astronaut To Space As Shenzhou-16 Blasts Off – China sent its first civilian astronaut into orbit on Tuesday, as it launched the Shenzhou-16 mission to its space station for its second in-orbit crew rotation, marking another step forward for the country’s ambitious space program. [cnn]

MannaBrew: Locally Produced ‘Coffee’ Made From A Superfood Known As Mesquite – The seedpods of the Mesquite tree are slow roasted to enhance the rich, smooth, caramel, nutty flavors that can be enjoyed like any other coffee. [capetalk]

Cape Town Reports Record Number Of Rooftop Solar Applications – Applications for solar PV installations have registered another record on the back of persistent load-shedding, the City of Cape Town said on Monday. [sowetan]

Pastor’s Wife Gets ‘Church Leaders Hot Under The Collar’ – Controversial reality TV star and the pastor’s wife Nandipha Mlombi is shaking things up and getting church leaders hot under the collar. [sowetan]

ANC Bigwigs Allegedly Demanded R600 000 To Make Mkhwebane Inquiry ‘Go Away’ – The police are investigating a case of extortion against three ANC MPs after their legate allegedly approached suspended Public Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s husband and demanded a R600 000 bribe in order to “manipulate or make” her Section 194 inquiry “go away”. [iol]