News 06:00

BULLETIN 9 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA calls for transparency in the smart driving licence tender
# The police probe a fire that destroyed 19 vehicles at the Bethlehem Airshow
# And rugby: The Sharks beat the Bulls in a dress rehearsal for the Currie Cup semifinals

# The DA urgently calls on the Portfolio Committee on Transport to seek a detailed explanation from Airports Company South Africa regarding its recent termination of the 115-million-rand contract with IDEMIA Identity and Security South Africa. The party’s Chris Hunsinger says this issue is particularly pressing because IDEMIA has been selected as the preferred bidder by the Department of Transport for producing new smart driving licence cards:

# National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has issued a stern warning to criminals and syndicates involved in extortion that they will be dealt with decisively. Four provinces account for 73-percent of extortion crimes, namely KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Western Cape. The commissioner visited the Eastern Cape yesterday following an attack on a member of the National Intervention Unit in Mthatha, who was investigating allegations of extortion in the area. Masemola says a collaborative effort is required to win the war against extortionists:

# Free State police are investigating a fire incident after 19 vehicles were damaged and destroyed at the Bethlehem Airshow this weekend. Police spokesperson, Loraine Earle says the fire started outside the area where the Bethlehem Airshow took place. She says it spread rapidly in the strong windy conditions:

# Three people have been killed in an attack at the border between Jordan and the occupied West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces said three Israeli civilians in their 50s were killed in the shooting at the Allenby Bridge crossing. The attacker approached the area from the Jordanian side in a truck, got out and opened fire. The incident happened in an Israeli-controlled area where Jordanian vehicles offload goods entering the West Bank. The crossing is about halfway between Amman and Jerusalem and the only official crossing point between the West Bank and Jordan.

# Rugby: The Sharks have the momentum going into the knockout stage of the Currie Cup after beating the Bulls 24-18 in Durban. Both teams scored two tries each but it was the boot of flyhalf Siya Masuku that made the difference, kicking four penalties and a conversion. The two teams will renew hostilities on Saturday when they face each other in the semifinals at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. In the other Currie Cup semifinal, log leaders the Lions host the Cheetahs.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-80-cents and the euro at 19-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-40-cents and Bitcoin trades at 55-thousand-56-dollars-3-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-495-dollars-86-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

# And finally: This week is SA National Parks’ Week, an opportunity for people to visit most of the country’s national parks for free. The inaugural SANParks week was held in 2006 and was aimed at linking the South African national parks system to the global national movement. SANParks says it uses this week to cultivate a sense of pride in the country’s natural, cultural and historical heritage, as protected and preserved by the national parks system.

Stay tuned for more news………….