News 17:00

BULLETIN 4 August 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Ronald Lamola confirms a new US ambassador will be announced soon
# Russia urges caution in nuclear rhetoric after Trump’s comments
# And rugby: Lions centre Bundee Aki missed his child’s birth to play against the Wallabies

# International Relations and Cooperation minister Ronald Lamola says the absence of a South African ambassador in Washington has not affected trade negotiations with the US. In a joint media briefing with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition, Lamola confirmed that president Cyril Ramaphosa will announce a new ambassador soon, but says the decision will be made carefully and without outside influence:

# National police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, is today leading a high-level delegation in Maseru, Lesotho, under the National Joint Operation and intelligence Structure to meet the Lesotho Mounted Police Service delegation led by Borotho Matsoso. The meeting addresses allegations of illegal Basotho military training camps in South Africa. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says both chiefs will present investigation findings and issue a joint statement:

# Russia has urged caution after US president Donald Trump said he would deploy two nuclear submarines following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Trump said he had ordered the deployment in response to alleged highly provocative comments by Medvedev, saying the submarines would be positioned in appropriate regions. Trump did’nt say whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. Medvedev, currently deputy chairperson of Russia’s Security Council, accused Trump of playing the ultimatum game and said that Trump should remember that Russia was a formidable force.

# Rugby: British and Irish Lions player Bundee Aki regards the birth of his fifth child as an omen for their victory over the Wallabies in the first Test in Brisbane – although he missed his child’s arrival to play in the match. The 35-year-old revealed his wife, Kayla, gave birth in their native New Zealand just hours before the Test in which he came on as a substitute. Ireland’s centre says now that the successful tour is over, he can’t wait to go home and meet his newborn.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-96-cents and the euro at 20-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-275-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-375-dollars-99-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Lightstone says in South Africa, women are increasingly asserting their financial independence and making significant strides in both homeownership and vehicle ownership. Spokesperson Hayley Ivins-Downes says this is according to Lightstone’s latest data on property, automotive and business assets. She says Women’s Month highlights women’s progress across many sectors. Ivins-Downes says the proportion of homes owned by women as sole buyers, as opposed to men or mixed couple buyers, has increased from 30-percent in 2014 to 39-percent this year, while mixed couple ownership declined from 39- to 30-percent.

Stay tuned for more news………….