News 09:00

BULLETIN 8 August 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The defence force explains the very expensive Cuba flight
# The GOOD Party says minister Gwarube is undermining the BELA Act
# And Israel’s cabinet approves Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City

# The South African National Defence Force has noted concerns regarding a chartered flight to the Republic of Cuba. The DA is demanding answers after it obtained evidence that shows the SANDF spent 34-million-rand on the flight to transport over 200 personnel to Havana, to attend a graduation. SANDF’s spokesperson, Prince Tshabalala, says the primary objective of the flight was to repatriate 212 South African military students who had completed their medical and engineering studies in Cuba:

# Government has approved the Regulator Board to oversee the Transport Economic Regulator. The board will align regulatory principles across ports, rail, road, and aviation, ensuring fair pricing and improved service. Key priorities include boosting competition, protecting users, attracting investment, and shifting freight from road to rail. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni emphasised that the move aims to reduce transport costs, enhance safety, and create jobs:

# The GOOD Party says Basic Education minister, Siviwe Gwarube, appears to be using regulations to undermine the intention of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act and the now amended South African Schools Act. The minister has published the first two regulations under the BELA Act for public comment. The regulations relate to key issues like school admissions. GOOD’s secretary general, Brett Herron, says the gazetting of the regulations, nearly eight months after the Act came into effect, has revealed serious concerns:

# Israel’s security cabinet has approved prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City. Israel fully occupied Gaza after capturing it in the 1967 war, but withdrew in 2005. Netanyahu’s office says the Israeli Defence Force will prepare to take control of Gaza City, while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones. The IDF has detailed the principles for ending the war. These include the disarmament of Hamas, the return of all hostages – both living and dead, and the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip.

# Tennis: Twenty-two-year-old American Ben Shelton and 18-year-old Canadian wild card Victoria Mboko are the Canadian Open champions. Shelton came from a set down to defeat Russia’s Karen Khachanov, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 in Toronto, to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title. Meanwhile, in the women’s draw in Montreal, Mboko defeated four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, to claim her first WTA Tour title. Following this victory, Mboko’s world ranking will soar to number 34-up 51 spots.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-72-cents and the euro at 20-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-81-cents and Bitcoin trades at 116-thousand-833-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-397-dollars-54-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-14-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….