News 13:00

BULLETIN 25 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party asks Parliament’s speaker for a secret ballot on a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa
# Cycling: Today’s 19th stage of the Tour de France is shortened after the outbreak of a contagious cattle disease
# And Abu Dhabi is the safest city in the world for the ninth consecutive year

# The MK Party has asked National Assembly speaker, Thoko Didiza, for a secret ballot on the motion of no confidence against president Cyril Ramaphosa. The party says a secret ballot will ensure that members of Parliament can exercise their constitutional duty freely and without fear of intimidation or reprisal. MK’s parliamentary leader, John Hlophe, says this is particularly important given the sensitive nature of the motion and the potential political consequences for individual members. Hlophe says a secret ballot will safeguard the integrity of the voting process.

# Government says crime has no place in South Africa, and it is committed to intensifying efforts to eradicate it. Government spokesperson, Nokululeko Mtshali, says the capacity of law enforcement agencies is being strengthened to detect, investigate, and prosecute criminal activities effectively. She says high-impact crime-fighting is being rolled out across the country, with a focus on hotspots and areas affected by persistent violence:

# BetterBond says interest rate relief could boost growth in the property market even further. The home loan company reports bond approvals rose by 13.6-percent over the past year, with applications also up by 7.4-percent. The company’s Bradd Bendall says lower interest rates have strengthened buyer confidence, and a possible rate cut next week could drive further growth in the housing market:

# Cycling: Today’s 19th stage of the Tour de France had to be shortened after an outbreak of a contagious cattle disease forced the authorities to restrict access to a part of the route. The climb on the route of 129.9 kilometres between Albertville and La Plagne had been scrapped to avoid the affected zone, and the stage will now only be 95-kilometres long. The grueling race ends in the French capital of Paris on Sunday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-74-cents and the euro at 20-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 115-thousand-714-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-348-dollars-14-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-69-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Abu Dhabi has been officially named the safest city in the world for the ninth consecutive year. This is according to the 2025 report by the global statistics website Numbeo. Abu Dhabi achieved a safety index score of 85.2 out of 100. The total index score is determined by general perception of crime levels, perceived safety while walking at night, as well as concerns about violent crime, burglary and discrimination. Doha is the second safest city in the world, followed by Dubai in third place.

Stay tuned for more news………….