News 17:00

BULLETIN 6 August 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC’s national executive committee expresses concern over rising crime and illegal firearms
# Home Affairs plan to verify Miss SA contestant’s eligibility to participate
# And, cricket: Coach Conrad backs Tristan Stubbs as the Proteas’ number 3 Test batter

# The ANC national executive committee has voiced serious concerns about the escalating crime rates, drugs, and the proliferation of illegal firearms. The committee noted that high-calibre weapons, kidnappings, and extortion are major challenges for law enforcement and public safety. Briefing the media on the last day of the lekgotla in Boksburg, NEC member and Police minister Senzo Mchunu says the crime situation is neither fully out of control nor entirely under control: 

# Home Affairs has confirmed a process to verify Miss SA contestant Chidimma Adetshina’s eligibility as a South African will begin soon after obtaining consent from her relatives. This comes amid discussions about her eligibility to represent the country due to her family’s foreign descent. Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber told Newzroom Afrika that Adetshina’s relatives requested the Department to clarify the issue:

# A 40-year-old man from New South Wales is thought to be the second person in just over a month to die in a crocodile attack in Australia. He had been fishing while travelling through Queensland with his family. The authorities say the man fell into the Annan River south of Cooktown. His body has not been recovered. The crocodile believed to have killed him, was euthanized. It comes after a 12-year-old girl was snatched last month while swimming with family in a creek in the neighbouring Northern Territory.

# Cricket: Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad believes inexperienced Tristan Stubbs has it in him to become a fantastic number three Test batter. He will be given the role in the first of two Tests against the Windies, starting in Trinidad tomorrow. White-ball captain Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi will open the batting for South Africa. Conrad says although 23-year-old Stubbs has only played one Test so far, he has a good aura and strong body language:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-52-cents and the euro at 20-rand-21-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 54-thousand-865-dollars-56-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-390-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

# And, scientists have called for greater promotion of paleontology research in Africa. This follows the Life in the Universe Conference in Cape Town which focused on human origins. The event marked the centennial of the Taung child fossil discovery in South Africa. The conference hosted by the African Astronomical Society and South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, highlighted the synergy between paleontology and astronomy in understanding human origins. Paleontological Scientific Trust CEO Kimberleigh Tommy describes the conference as pivotal for human discovery.

Stay tuned for more news………….