News 11:00

BULLETIN 29 July 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Lamola says South Africa continues to support a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine
# Police intercept an unlicensed firearms trafficking syndicate in Johannesburg
# And World Rugby backs the match officials in the second Test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions

# Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, says South Africa will continue to advocate for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. The minister is in New York, participating in a United Nations high-level conference on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution. Lamola says Israel can exist side-by-side in peace with a viable and fully independent Palestinian state:

Meanwhile UN secretary general, António Guterres, has warned that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at a breaking point, and heading toward a one-state reality marked by perpetual occupation and inequality. He said at the conference a just and sustainable path forward is the establishment of two independent, democratic states:

# The minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, will today release the findings of the 800-million-rand tender for a pressure swing adsorption oxygen plant. The report conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers focuses on procurement irregularities and allegations of corruption linked to the Independent Development Trust. Macpherson says he will outline the findings and actions to be taken to hold those involved accountable.

# The police’s anti-kidnapping task team believes it has broken the back of a syndicate involved in the trafficking of unlicensed firearms. This follows the arrest of two suspects in Meyersdal, Johannesburg, who are believed to have been involved in the moving of unlicensed firearms across the country. National police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says the suspects were found with 30 unlicensed firearms:

On to sports news:

# World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin has expressed support for the match officials involved in the second Test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne. Officials have faced criticism, including from Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and Rugby Australia’s CEO, Phil Waugh, for not penalising Jac Morgan for a clear-out in the lead-up to Lions fullback Hugo Keenan’s match-winning try. Gilpin says they are undertaking their normal review of the refereeing decisions, but the findings won’t be made public.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-95-cents and the euro at 20-rand-72-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-95-cents and Bitcoin trades at 118-thousand-928-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-316-dollars-43-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-28-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….