News 14:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 9 July 2 pm Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Assembly approves John Hlophe’s nomination to the Judicial Service Commission
# The pre-trial date is set for Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s corruption case
# And, rugby: The Boks are targeting the breakdown to stop Ireland from slowing the game down

# The National Assembly has passed the motion for MK Party parliamentary leader John Hlophe to serve in the Judicial Service Commission, despite objections from the DA, ACDP, and FF Plus. His nomination has sparked mixed reactions due to his impeachment as Western Cape judge president for attempting to influence Constitutional Court justices in a case involving former president Jacob Zuma. EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu highlights Hlophe’s Cambridge PhD in defence of his eligibility:

# The pre-trial date for former National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s corruption case is set for 16 October at the High Court in Pretoria. Mapisa-Nqakula, out on 50-thousand-rand bail, faces 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering. She is accused of receiving over two-million-rand in kickbacks from a contract during her tenure as Defence minister. Mapisa-Nqakula stands alone in the case as the state decided not to charge anyone else.

# Extreme weather in South Africa, including floods and a rare tornado, is disrupting tourism. Researcher Kaitano Dube found these events, driven by rising global temperatures, have damaged coastal infrastructure and tourist attractions. Dube says coastal areas, especially in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, have been hardest hit, impacting guest houses, hotels, and adventure activities. In addition, inland areas, including the Kruger National Park, face severe droughts and floods, harming tourism infrastructure and economic potential.

# Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial over the fatal shooting on the set of a Western movie begins today, with the selection of a jury who must decide if a “Rust” crew member’s death was his fault. Baldwin was pointing a prop gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a scene rehearsal when it fired a live round, killing her and wounding the movie’s director. Prosecutors say he acted recklessly and has repeatedly changed his story since the tragic events of October 2021.

# Rugby: The breakdown will be a big focus for the Springboks when they take on Ireland in the second and final Test in Durban on Saturday. The Boks won the opening encounter 27-20, despite a concerted effort from the Irish to slow down the ball at the breakdown. Attacking coach Tony Brown says South Africa will have to be more accurate to ensure better attacking opportunities:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-12-cents and the euro at 19-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 57-thousand-571-dollars-11-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-364-dollars-5-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-44-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….