News 13:00

BULLETIN 24 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# FlySafair’s flights are gradually back on schedule amid the pilot strike disruptions
# An auction of three opulent Gupta mansions begins in Saxonwold
# And rugby: The British and Irish Lions’ coach rings in the changes for the second Test against Australia

# FlySafair says over 90-percent of scheduled departures are operating normally after a strike by pilots since Monday caused major disruptions. At least 26 flights were cancelled after pilots issued last-minute no-show notices. Chief marketing official Kirby Gordon says negotiations with union Solidarity will resume tomorrow. He says the airline regrets the disruption:

# FNB agricultural economist, Paul Makube, says meat was the biggest driver of food inflation after surging to a 25-month high of 6.6-percent year-on-year and up by 2.2-percent month-on-month in June. He says the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak created a short supply crunch due to the inability to slaughter livestock, mainly cattle, while the earlier ban on Brazilian chicken imports due to the bird flu outbreak caused panic in the market. Makube says the disease-induced supply constraints underpinned the upswing in meat prices in the past three months.

# Three lavish multi-million-rand Saxonwold mansions linked to the Gupta family are being auctioned off in Johannesburg today. The properties, linked to the state capture scandal, are expected to fetch below their combined municipal value of 64-million-rand. Park Village Auctions is handling the sale, aimed to recover funds and settle debts after Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta-linked firm, Confident Concept, entered bankruptcy in 2018. Deposits for the auction ranged from 250-thousand-rand to 500-thousand-rand. Furniture and appliances will be sold separately after each property auction.

Moving abroad:

# Hamas says it had responded to an Israeli proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, as pressure mounted for a breakthrough to end almost two years of devastating conflict. Mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas negotiators in the Qatari capital Doha for more than two weeks but the indirect talks have so far failed to yield a truce. International criticism is growing over the plight of the more than two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza, where more than 100 aid and rights groups have warned of mass starvation.

# Rugby: British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell has made seven changes to the side that will face Australia in the second Test in Melbourne on Saturday. Bundee Aki, Ollie Chessum and Andrew Porter come into the starting lineup, replacing Sione Tuipulotu and Joe McCarthy, who are both injured, and Ellis Genge who moves to the bench. Owen Farrell, Jac Morgan, James Ryan, and Blair Kinghorn have been added to the bench. The coach says team selection is always difficult:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-61-cents and the euro at 20-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 118-thousand-704-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-364-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….