News 09:00
BULLETIN 19 July 9 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# John Steenhuisen leads a foot-and-mouth disease Indaba in Pretoria
# The Trump administration asks the court to release some of the Epstein documents
# And athletics: Simbine faces Lyles at the Diamond League in London
# The minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, says his department and other stakeholders will host a high-level national foot and mouth disease indaba in Roodeplaat, Pretoria, on Monday and Tuesday. He says South Africa is currently experiencing significant and ongoing challenges with outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease across several provinces. These have resulted in restrictions on livestock movement and significantly impacted the country’s red meat trade on international markets. Steenhuisen says South Africa cannot afford to treat foot-and-mouth disease as business as usual:
# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse welcomes a ruling by the High Court in Johannesburg that strengthens the fight against maladministration and legal intimidation. The court dismissed a bid by former National Student Financial Aid Scheme chairperson Ernest Khosa to block OUTA’s report accusing him of corruption. The organisation’s Stefanie Fick says the judge confirmed that private organisations are not required to offer a pre-publication hearing before exposing wrongdoing:
# Cape Town Metro Police CCTV has recorded 215 smash-and-grab incidents from July 2024 to May 2025, mostly in late afternoons and over weekends. The Bonteheuwel-Langa corridor remains a hotspot, with increased activity in Leonsdale, Philippi, and Milnerton. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says vigilance is key, urging motorists to hide valuables, lock doors, and stay alert. Targeted deployments are planned to improve road safety:
# The US justice department has asked a judge to unseal material related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following intense criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of the case. The request concerns transcripts from the grand jury in the 2019 sex trafficking case against Epstein. The court filing came as Trump filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal’s parent company, Dow Jones, its owner Rupert Murdoch, and two reporters, over a story claiming he wrote a “bawdy” personal note to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. Trump said the note is “fake”.
# And finally, sports news:
# Golf: The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland has turned into a nightmare for the 11-man South African contingent. Reigning PGA Championship winner Scottie Scheffler is leading by a shot on 10-under par. Christiaan Bezuidenhout got off to a good start when he opened with a 67 to share a six-way tie for the lead heading into the second round. But at the halfway stage, he is out of contention and eight shots off the leader. For South Africa, Dean Burmeister is on par, Thriston Lawrence at one over, and Dylan Naidoo at four over par.
# And athletics: South Africa’s Akani Simbine will continue his preparations for the World Athletics Championships in September when he races in a star-studded 100 metres Diamond League event in London today. Olympic champion Noah Lyles insisted he was ready to bring his showman persona to a sell-out London Stadium. A crowd of 60-thousand is expected to pack out the home stadium of Premier League club West Ham, which served as the venue for track and field during the 2012 Olympics. South Africa’s Zakithi Nene will run in the men’s 400 metres.
Stay tuned for more news………….