News 08:00

BULLETIN 24 July 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# John Steenhuisen says the budget is maintaining a good balance in the government of national unity
# Solidarity says it has reached a sensitive stage in the discussions with FlySafair
# And tennis: Fritz and Medvedev are through to the Washington Open last 16

# The DA leader John Steenhuisen says with the budget now passed, the focus must shift decisively to service delivery, and the rapid implementation of critical reforms to unlock economic growth and create jobs. The party voted in favour of the Appropriation Bill, which was passed in Parliament on Wednesday. Steenhuisen says the DA played a critical role in shaping this budget, most notably, successfully blocking the ANC’s proposed two-percent value-added tax increase:

Meanwhile, the GOOD Party says now that the national budget has been approved, the government of national unity partners must resist the creation of further crises. The National Assembly passed the Bill, authorising government to spend just over 1.2-trillion-rand in the 2025-2026 financial year. GOOD’s secretary general, Brett Herron, says party political manoeuvring in the GNU is a distraction, defocusing the state from growing the economy and meeting its Constitutional obligations to provide social justice:

# Solidarity says it has reached a sensitive stage in the negotiations with FlySafair at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. Around 200 pilots represented by the trade union have been on strike since Monday after a breakdown in wage negotiations. The low-cost airline previously tabled a multiyear 5.7-percent wage increase for its pilots, while the union is demanding a 10.5-percent increase and improved working conditions. Solidarity says strike and lockout conditions remain, and parties will reconvene tomorrow to continue discussions.

# The man who murdered four University of Idaho students in November 2022, Bryan Kohberger, has been sentenced to four consecutive life imprisonment terms without parole. The 30-year-old former criminology student stabbed to death roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen while they were sleeping in their off-campus home in November 2022. He pleaded guilty as part of a deal that meant he would avoid the death penalty. Judge Steven Hippler called Kohberger a faceless coward:

# Tennis: Top seed Taylor Fritz is through to the last 16 of the Washington Open. The American eased past Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, 6-3, 6-2, his first win on the hard court surface since March. Russia’s Daniil Medvedev rallied past American Reilly Opelka, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, while Australia’s Alex de Minaur beat China’s Yunchaokete Bu, 7-6, 6-2. In the women’s draw, there were victories for Greece’s Maria Sakkari and Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-51-cents and the euro at 20-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-78-cents and Bitcoin trades at 119-thousand-103-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-378-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-12-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….