News 09:00

BULLETIN 31 July 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Parliament’s Education committee says barbaric racism incidents must be condemned
# Action Society is pressing OPOD and the police minister for progress on the blue light mafia case
# And the British prime minister condemns the violent protests following a deadly knife attack in Southport

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Education has expressed concern at the recent incidents of racism at two schools. Twelve white pupils of Pretoria Girls High were suspended last week for allegedly sharing offensive messages on a WhatsApp group about their black classmates. The principal of the school has also been suspended pending an investigation. In Cape Town, several coloured pupils at Pinelands High School have been suspended for auctioning off black classmates in an alleged racial incident. The committee says such barbaric and uncivilised acts need to be condemned.

# Action Society urges the Independent Police Investigative Directorate and Police minister Senzo Mchunu to prioritise the blue light mafia case involving deputy president Paul Mashatile’s protection unit. The eight officers were filmed assaulting a motorist on the N1 near Winnie Mandela Drive last year. Action Society’s Juanita du Preez accuses the Randburg Magistrate’s Court defence of wasting time with bizarre cross-examinations, demanding accountability and safety for all road users: 

# Five suspects wanted for a string of murders and business robbery cases were shot dead in a shootout with police in Cato Crest, KwaZulu-Natal, yesterday evening. The suspects were positively linked with four counts of murder, 13 cases of business robbery, and another case of carjacking. Police spokesperson, Robert Netshiunda, says the suspects were cornered at a rented double-storied flat on Standard Road in Cato Crest:

# British prime minister Keir Starmer has condemned the violent protest in Southport, which left 39 police officers injured. The protest follows a knife attack that killed three children who were attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop on Monday. Eight other children suffered stab wounds and five are in a critical condition in hospital, alongside two adults who were also critically injured. A 17-year-old has been arrested. Starmer says the protesters hijacked the vigil for the victims with violence and thuggery:

# Olympic Games: Simone Biles is now the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history, after leading the US women’s gymnastics team to a gold medal in Paris. The five-woman squad of Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, finished nearly six points clear of Italy, who earned their first artistic gymnastics medal in 96 years. Brazil took bronze, the first team medal in their country’s history. Biles now has five gold medals, one silver and two bronze.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-29-cents and the euro at 19-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-741-dollars-89-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-416-dollars-43-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-15-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….