News 08:00

BULLETIN 2 July 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ad hoc committee says it is not deviating from its witness rules
# South Africa records a 12.8-percent rise in international tourist arrivals
# And, the Madibeng municipal manager survives an apparent assassination attempt

# Parliament’s Ad Hoc committee chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, has defended the committee’s procedural work, including on witnesses that appeared before it. This comes after MK Party’s Vusi Shongwe told the Madlanga Commission that it was difficult to get deputy Crime Intelligence head, Feroz Khan, to testify before the committee. He claimed this was due to resistance from committee members and singled out EFF leader Julius Malema. Lekganyane says all committee members had a say in the witness list:

# Tourism minister Patricia de Lille has welcomed a rise in international visitor numbers, with more than 4.2-million tourists arriving in South Africa between January and May this year. That is an increase of 12.8-percent compared with the same period last year. The biggest growth came from African and European markets, while tourist arrivals from Brazil also increased sharply. De Lille says investment in tourism and improved air links are helping to attract more visitors.

# The Madibeng municipal manager, Quiet Kgatla, survived an apparent assassination attempt after being shot multiple times on the R-511 at Silkaatsnek near Hartbeespoort in the North West. According to preliminary information, gunmen travelling in a dark grey Volkswagen Polo opened fire on Kgatla’s vehicle before fleeing the scene. He sustained gunshot wounds to his arm and pelvis. Kgatlha has been leading efforts to identify and address alleged corruption, financial misconduct, and other irregularities involving certain municipal officials. The motive for the attack is unknown at this stage.

# Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche says federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers will be cracking down on combating so-called “birth tourism”. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that anyone born in the US is a citizen, even if that child’s parents are not. According to the Migration Policy Institute, there are up to 26-thousand births by women on tourist visas annually in America. Blanche says people who travel to the US on tourist visas solely to give birth are violating federal law:

# Tennis: World number one and defending champion, Jannik Sinner, is through to the Wimbledon third round after the Italian beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. Seven-time champion Serbia’s Novak Djokovic continued his bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. In the women’s draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus beat unseeded American McCartney Kessler, 6-1, 7-6. American Coco Gauff battled past Argentina’s Solana Sierra, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, while Czech Barbora Krejcikova stunned Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-38-cents and the euro at 18-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-76-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-555-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-63-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….