News 09:00

BULLETIN 14 July 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa pays tribute to the former leader of Qatar
# The government strengthens partnerships to support the rollout of Lenacapavir
# And soccer: Four former champions play in the World Cup semifinals

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to the former leader of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, describing him as a visionary leader. The 74-year-old, who is credited with transforming Qatar’s economy into the wealthy global powerhouse it is today, passed away on Sunday. He ruled the Gulf state from 1995 until he resigned in 2013. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says Qatar has been a model of peace, development, prosperity, and global influence inspired by the extraordinary leadership of Sheikh Hamad:

# Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, says government will continue to mobilise resources and strengthen partnerships to support the rollout of the game-changer Lenacapavir, a new long-acting HIV prevention injection. Lenacapavir is administered as two injections every six months, offering individuals a highly effective long-acting prevention option. Motsoaledi says that expanding prevention choices allows people to access prevention methods that suit their circumstances and preferences. He adds that the introduction of Lenacapavir signals the next phase in the evolution of HIV prevention and strengthens South Africa’s efforts to end new infections.

# Western Cape police have arrested a 27-year-old man in connection with the mass shooting in Westbank, Malmesbury, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Preliminary investigations indicate that a group of people were gathered outside a residence when unknown suspects opened fire on them. A 22-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman were killed, while an infant and seven adults were injured in the attack. Police spokesperson, Andrè Traut, says the suspect will appear in the Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court today:

# Ten countries, France, the UK, Germany, Ukraine, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, have established the Integrated Anti-Ballistic Coalition, a shared protection programme for Europe against ballistic missiles. This comes as Ukraine is increasingly exposed to Russian ballistic missiles. The coalition says it recognises the growing threat posed by ballistic missiles and the increasing importance of defence capabilities for the security of the European continent. It says the protection of Europe requires a global solution of an integrated missile defence architecture to deter and defeat future missiles.

# Soccer: The World Cup has reached the semifinal stage, with the four teams remaining all former champions. Tonight, two-time champion France and 2010 champion Spain will play in the first semifinal in Dallas, Texas, while defending champion Argentina, who won the tournament three times in the past, will face the 1966 champion, England, in Atlanta. The playoff for third place will take place in Miami on Saturday, while the two semifinal winners will compete for the coveted golden trophy in New York on Sunday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-45-cents and the euro at 18-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-98-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-553-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-15-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-90-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….