News 09:00

BULLETIN 25 June 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Tau says the allegations involving the winning bidder of the lottery licence will be probed
# The government says it is managing the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
# And a leaked US intelligence report suggests the strikes on Iran didn’t destroy their nuclear sites

# Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, says allegations about conflicts of interest involving the winning bidder of the lottery licence will be investigated thoroughly. Sizekhaya Holdings won the multi-billion-rand tender for the eight-year lottery licence; however, questions have arisen over alleged links between the company and deputy president Paul Mashatile’s sister-in-law. Tau says he would not discount the possibility of going to the next bidder, but insisted that he was satisfied that the process of selecting Sizekhaya was fair.

# Government says the arrival of vaccines to combat the persistent foot-and-mouth disease will help contain the spread of the disease and enhance biosecurity. A total of 900-thousand vaccines purchased from the Botswana Vaccine Institute arrived in the country last week. FMD has been reported in KwaZulu-Natal, the most affected, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga. Government spokesperson, Kgomotso Ranoto, says vaccination and quarantine of infected properties have started:

# The DA in Gauteng is demanding answers on why the agreement between the Emfuleni Municipality and Rand Water has not been honoured. This has resulted in the attachment of the municipality’s bank accounts. At the end of March, Emfuleni’s water losses were at 57.3-percent. The DA’s Elize Aucamp says this has happened, despite the launch of a Special Purpose Vehicle between Rand Water and the municipality, set up to resolve the water woes:

# A leaked preliminary US intelligence assessment has concluded that core components of Iran’s nuclear programme were not destroyed in America’s military strikes on three facilities. This is despite president Donald Trump claiming that the strikes obliterated Iran’s nuclear programme. According to the Pentagon’s Defence Intelligence Agency, Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium that could be put to use for a possible nuclear weapon was moved before the strikes. It adds that key components of the nuclear programme, including centrifuges, were capable of being restarted within months.

# Cricket: England chased down 371 to seal a five-wicket victory over India in the first Test in Headingley. Player of the match Ben Duckett scored 149 and shared an 188-run opening partnership with Zak Crawley, as England completed the tenth-highest successful run chase in Test history. India posted scores of 471 and 364, while England replied with 465 and 373 for five in their respective innings. Duckett says this is the most incredible game he has ever played in:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-76-cents and the euro at 20-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 106-thousand-25-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-327-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….