News 16:00

BULLETIN 26 July 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Police detain 95 Libyans suspected of military training in Mpumalanga
# The ANC welcomes the appointment of justice Mandisa Maya as chief justice
# And, Olympic Games: France wants to take revenge for their World Cup loss to the Boks in tomorrow’s sevens semifinal

# Police in Mpumalanga have taken 95 Libyan nationals into custody for questioning after discovering them at a suspected military camp in White River. They allegedly misrepresented themselves on their visa applications, claiming they were coming to South Africa for security guard training. Police are also investigating possible links to other criminal activities. Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Jackie Macie, confirmed that the Libyans have been in the country since April and are currently being processed by authorities: 

# The ANC has welcomed president Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya as Chief Justice. The ANC’s Zuko Godlimpi says Maya’s qualifications and judicial record, leadership qualities, experience as a judge in various courts, past leadership of the Supreme Court of Appeal, and current role as Deputy Chief Justice make her well-suited to lead the judiciary. He says she has played a crucial role in maintaining credibility and trust in the judiciary:

# South Africa’s e-commerce sector is set to exceed 400-billion-rand by 2025 with over a billion transactions annually. According to a study by World Wide Worx, this is due to increased internet connectivity and smartphone use. Innovations in financial technologies and digital payments have also enhanced customer experiences, while supermarket chains and global entities like Amazon are expanding. Despite significant growth, challenges remain, such as high business costs, legacy technology, and skills gaps. Efforts to address digital divides and leverage artificial intelligence technologies are deemed essential for sustained growth in the global market.

# International cocoa prices have surged due to fears of a shortage. Ghana’s industry regulator, Cocobod, announced plans to allocate the 2024/’25 crop based on total output, sparking concerns about the crop’s recovery. Unfavorable weather has affected Ghana and Ivory Coast though the latter expects a rebound to two million tonnes next season. Ghana’s production is projected to rise from 425-thousand to 700-thousand tonnes, but doubts remain. Oxford Economics Africa anticipates continued price volatility and uncertain cocoa output recovery in both countries.

# Olympic Games: Tomorrow’s rugby sevens semifinal between South Africa and hosts France is touted as a revenge match after the Springboks beat the French in the quarterfinal of last year’s World Cup. France’s 15-man captain, Antoine Dupont, who criticised the referee after the devastating loss to the eventual champions, switched to sevens afterwards and will take on the Blitzboks at the same venue, the Stade de France. South Africa can expect a very hostile reception at 3.30 tomorrow afternoon.

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-23-cents and the euro at 19-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-239-dollars-64-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-374-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-83-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….