News 17:00

BULLETIN 3 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says South Africa is not responsible for repatriating foreign nationals
# A Ukrainian woman disguised as man is the main suspect in the Monaco attack
# And cycling: The four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome retires

# Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says South Africa has no legal obligation to repatriate foreign nationals, stressing that responsibility rests with their home countries. Ntshavheni said government’s role is to support neighbouring states when requested. Ntshavheni cited Mozambique’s coordinated repatriation efforts and said assistance to Malawi aims to prevent a humanitarian crisis. She added that processing delays are largely due to limited capacity at Malawi’s diplomatic mission:

# According to Statistics South Africa, electricity generation fell by nine-percent in May compared with the same month last year, while electricity available for distribution declined by 4.3-percent. On a month-on-month basis, electricity generation rose by 0.6-percent and distribution increased by 1.5-percent after seasonal adjustment. Stats SA’s Tsholofelo Ditinti says over the three months to May, electricity generation was down 2.2-percent compared with the previous three-month period, while electricity distribution increased by 1.7-percent:

# The Madlanga Commission has heard allegations of unlawful activities involving Carnilinx Tobacco Company directors Adriano Mazzotti and Mohamed Sayed, suspended Crime Intelligence Deputy Head Major-General Feroz Khan, and the South African Revenue Service. Evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim presented testimony alleging off-the-books cigarette manufacturing, unlawful surveillance of SARS officials, cash payments for confidential information, and improper payments to legal advisers linked to tax disputes:

# A Ukrainian woman who disguisend herself as a man, is the main suspect in a bomb attack that wounded a Ukrainian tycoon in Monaco on Monday. Thirty-nine-year-old Anastasiia Berezovska has been the subject of a manhunt ever since a bomb exploded in the entranceway of one of Monaco’s fanciest apartment buildings, targeting Ukrainian-born businessman Vadym Yermolaiev. The bombing is seen as an attempted assassination, the first ever recorded on Monaco’s highly surveilled, secure streets. It is so secure that there were no homicides, or even attempted murders, last year.

# Cycling: Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome has retired from professional cycling, bringing the curtain down on a ​glittering career spanning over two decades. He confirmed his retirement ahead of this year’s tour, which begins tomorrow and concludes in Paris on the 26th. The ​41-year-old has not raced since sustaining life-threatening injuries in ​a training crash in France last year. Froome also won two ⁠Vuelta a Espana titles, and one Giro d’Italia victory – with Team Sky, later rebranded as Team Ineos.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-23-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-970-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-166-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-87-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….