News 08:00

BULLETIN 29 July 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Parliament’s Impeachment Committee continues its preparatory work
# The US and Saudi forces conduct joint retaliation strikes against Iranian terrorists in Iraq
# And, Team SA wins another five medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

# Parliament’s Impeachment Committee will continue its preparatory work today. Among the agenda items is the implication of the recent Western Cape High Court decision on president Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent application. The court granted the president an urgent interim interdict, pausing the impeachment process, while his application to review the independent panel’s report that found he has a case to answer on Phala Phala is pending. The committee will also deliberate further on the draft terms of reference and the updated list of nominated candidates for the evidence leader role. 

# Outgoing South African National Roads Agency Limited CEO, Reginald Demana, has admitted that the agency was ill-equipped to award the 9.5-billion-rand routine road maintenance tender to a panel of 20 companies. The High Court in Pretoria declared the tender unconstitutional and unlawful, after two construction companies, BCB Solutions and Botle Ba Afrika Roads, challenged SANRAL’s decision to reject their bids. Demana says the agency has been on the wrong end of several court cases owing to lapses in its procurement processes and practices:

# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia has assured the public that there is no shortage of adult or child rape evidence collection kits. According to Cachalia, the kits are available nationwide, and more are being distributed to keep facilities fully stocked. Police ministry spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi says the kits are vital for collecting forensic evidence, supporting investigations and helping bring perpetrators of sexual violence to justice:

# The US Central Command says Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at American bases in the region, in what amounted to a “surprise attack”. All the missiles were intercepted. In retaliation, Centcom says the US military and Saudi Arabian forces conducted joint precision strikes “against Iran-aligned terrorists” in Iraq. It says the strikes targeted groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed to attack American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. Iran has repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia throughout the war, but has largely refrained from a military response.

# Commonwealth Games: South African swimmers secured another five medals to take the country’s tally to 16 in Glasgow. Chad le Clos earned a record-equalling 20th Games medal as he helped Team SA claim silver in the mixed four-by-100-metres relay. Lara van Niekerk won gold in the women’s 50-metres breaststroke. Aimee Canny secured silver in the women’s 200-metres individual medley. Paralympians Danicka Vyncke and Nathan Hendricks won silver medals in their respective S13 50-metres freestyle disciplines. In Netball, Team SA cruised to a 78-30 win over Northern Ireland.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-73-cents and the euro at 19-rand-7-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-24-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-643-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-26-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….