News 11:00

BULLETIN 12 August 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Sanco changes its stance on the government of national unity
# There was another accident involving a bus transporting learners
# And Hamas might not participate in the next round of ceasefire negotiations

# The South African National Civics Organisation’s national executive committee has now decided to support the government of national unity. Over the past few months, Sanco, together with the South African Communist Party, have been critical of the ANC’s decision to form a national coalition government with the DA. The organisation’s secretary-general, Mike Soko, says the change in its stance stems from the arrogance displayed by the EFF and MK Party during negotiations with the ANC:

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has called on Parliament’s portfolio committee on Transport to address serious governance issues at the South African Maritime Safety Authority. The organisation’s concerns include the lack of a permanent CEO for eight years, the controversial reinstatement of chief operating official Sobantu Tilayi, and a pending 44-million-rand civil claim. OUTA’s Stefanie Fick calls for an in-depth audit and accountability for irregular spending:

# A multiple-vehicle accident involving a truck, school bus, and a bakkie has left at least three people dead on KaNyamazane road in Mpumalanga this morning. Twenty-seven people have been transported to hospital. This comes just a few weeks after six children died when the learner bus they were travelling in collided with a train in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.

# Hamas has cast doubt on its participation in the next round of ceasefire negotiations scheduled for Thursday. It wants any resumption of ceasefire talks to be based on previous plans rather than holding new rounds of negotiations. Hamas says its latest stance has been influenced by an Israeli attack on a school in Gaza on Saturday that killed over 80 people. Meanwhile, in a joint statement, the leaders of the UK, France and Germany say they will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability.

# Golf: LIV Golf has suspended and fined Graeme McDowell for one tournament for using a decongestant medicine that included a banned substance. He says after struggling with severe congestion that was affecting his sleep, he used a generic Vicks nasal decongestant without realising it might be on the banned list. The 2010 US Open winner says he deeply regrets this oversight. McDowell will miss this week’s event in West Virginia and is eligible to return to competition in Chicago next month.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-25-cents and the euro at 19-rand-93-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-29-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-313-dollars-41-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-436-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-4-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….