News 13:00
BULLETIN 25 July 1 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Government issues a stern warning against attacks on law enforcement officers
# Romania shoots down a second drone breaching its airspace
# And cycling: Four-time champion Tadej Pogačar is in a commanding lead in the Tour de France
# Government says any attack on members of the South African Police Service or other law enforcement agencies will be met with the full force of the law. It has pledged to act decisively to protect law enforcement officers and ensure those responsible are arrested and prosecuted. This comes after several recent violent, targeted attacks on police officers in various parts of the country. Deputy government spokesperson William Baloyi says attacks on law enforcement are attacks on the authority of the state and will not be tolerated:
# The Forum for South Africa has expressed disappointment over the court interdict halting Parliament’s Section 89 impeachment proceedings against president Cyril Ramaphosa. FOSA says the decision delays the accountability South Africans deserve and argues that Ramaphosa had sufficient opportunity to challenge the Independent Panel report earlier. FOSA spokesperson Tebogo Mashilompane has called on the courts to urgently finalise the review application for Parliament to resume the impeachment process:
# Rand Merchant Bank has expanded its Asia-Africa strategy by opening Rand Merchant Advisory in Beijing to strengthen ties with Chinese businesses investing across Africa. RMB says the new office will support cross-border trade, investment, foreign exchange and transactional banking as China-Africa trade exceeds 5.8-trillion-rand. The bank says the expansion builds on its Shanghai presence and will help drive infrastructure, renewable energy and sustainable finance opportunities across the continent through closer engagement with Chinese corporations.
# Romania said today that it had shot down a second drone breaching national airspace in as many days over a sparsely populated area near the border with Ukraine. The first drone, which Romanian prosecutors investigating the fragments said was Russian, was shot down by the NATO state yesterday. The Romanian defence ministry said the airspace breach had been spotted by radar at 8:22 local time, and two F-16 fighter jets had been scrambled to take the drone down.
# Cycling: Tadej Pogačar built up a comfortable lead of 7 minutes and eleven seconds as the riders took on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France today. With only one stage remaining before the final arrival in Nice tomorrow, Pogačar has firmly put himself on the brink of an historic fifth overall Tour de France title. The Slovenian’s closest rival, Remco Evenepoel from Belgium attempted a late counter-move, but Pogačar held firm to claim Stage 19 yesterday.
# And finally: Veteran South African actor Seputla Sebogodi is being laid to rest today at Ga-Mothapo outside Polokwane in Limpopo. The 63-year-old died last week from diabetes-related complications. Best known for his role as Kenneth Mashaba in Generations, Sebogodi enjoyed a distinguished career in television and theatre, featuring in productions including Scandal, Suburban Bliss and The Rivonia Trial. He is remembered as one of South Africa’s finest performers, whose remarkable talent and lasting contribution inspired generations of actors and audiences alike.
Stay tuned for more news………….