News 09:00

BULLETIN 18 June 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Lamola says the cabinet will decide on the closure of the Israeli Embassy
# ActionSA says violent crime and gender-based violence remain out of control
# And the doctor who gave Matthew Perry ketamine will plead guilty

# Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, says the final decision to close down the Israeli embassy in South Africa is still being processed by Cabinet. Parliament downgraded the embassy in 2023 due to Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories. Responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces virtually on Tuesday, Lamola said all factors are being considered objectively before a final decision can be made:

# ActionSA’s Dereleen James says the government of national unity has failed to deliver on law and order, giving it a failing grade. Reviewing the GNU’s first year in office performance, she said over five-thousand people were murdered and more than 13-thousand sexual offences reported in just three months, showing a national crisis. James says communities in the Western Cape are under siege from gang violence, and police efforts are weakened by corruption and poor resources:

# The GOOD Party in the Western Cape says Garden Route District Municipality councilor, now serving as an EFF member in Parliament, owes the municipality 92-thousand-rand, following an overpayment during their time in office. Virgill Gericke was erroneously paid 164-thousand-213-rand, as a result of a portfolio change that was not communicated to the Finance Department in time. GOOD’s Ashwill Oktober says a sitting member of Parliament cannot continue to benefit from a municipal error without taking immediate steps to rectify it:

# A Los Angeles doctor has agreed to plead guilty to giving Friends actor Matthew Perry ketamine in the lead up to his death from a fatal overdose. Prosecutors say Salvador Plasencia faces up to a maximum of 40-years in prison. He is among five people charged in connection with Perry’s death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal treatment for depression but wanted more than his doctor would give him. Plasencia is accused of supplying the bulk of Perry’s ketamine in his final weeks.

# Tennis: Five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz is through to the round of 16 at the Queen’s Club. The Spaniard defeated Australian lucky loser Adam Walton, 6-4, 7-6, to set up a clash with compatriot Jaume Munar. American Taylor Fritz, who came into this tournament on the back of winning the Stuttgart Open, was beaten by qualifier Corentin Moutet of France, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5. Another American, Ben Shelton, was stunned by lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech of France 7-6, 7-6.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-97-cents and the euro at 20-rand-67-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-254-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-393-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-31-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….