News 08:00

BULLETIN 19 July 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# John Steenhuisen is encouraged by Ramaphosa’s commitment on National Health Insurance
# Julius Malema is confident the government of national unity will collapse
# And the UN says evacuation orders in Gaza have forced many food distribution points to close

# DA leader and minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, says they welcome the acknowledgement by president Cyril Ramaphosa that growing the economy is the starting point to fixing so many social ills. He was responding to the president’s opening of Parliament address in Cape Town yesterday evening. Steenhuisen says he is encouraged by Ramaphosa’s commitment that parties in the government of national unity could iron out their differences on the National Health Insurance:

The EFF leader Julius Malema responded there was nothing of substance offered by president Cyril Ramaphosa in his address. He says the president’s grand promises of job creation have devolved into empty rhetoric devoid of any tangible results for South Africans. Malema says the alliance with the DA is a clear indication that Ramaphosa’s administration is more interested in maintaining power than addressing the needs of citizens:

Meanwhile MK Party leader in Parliament and impeached judge, John Hlophe, has described president Cyril Ramaphosa’s address as appalling. The president outlined the government of national unity’s priorities for the next five years. Hlophe says it is clear that Ramaphosa did not prepare the speech himself, claiming it was done by the DA. He adds that there were so many untruths in the president’s speech:

# The United Nations World Food Programme says a new round of evacuation orders in Gaza has prompted the largest displacements since October. A spate of evacuation orders issued by the Israel Defence Forces in June and earlier this month increased the number of people displaced in Gaza from 1.7-million to 1.9-million. The WFP has provided more than 600-thousand people in Gaza with food assistance this month. The UN agency says evacuation orders have forced many food distribution points to close, calling for safe and sustained humanitarian access.

# Golf: Britian’s Daniel Brown carded an opening round six-under 65 to hold a one-shot lead over 2019 champion Shane Lowry of Ireland at the Open at Royal Troon in Scotland. The 29-year-old is playing in his first Major. American Justin Thomas is two behind Lowry. South African duo Thriston Lawrence and Dean Burmester are in a 13-way tie for 18th. Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy struggled after an opening-round 78, while American Tiger Woods is in danger of a third consecutive missed cut following an eight-over 79.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-27-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-15-dollars-64-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-427-dollars-8-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….