News 13:00

BULLETIN 15 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Lamola calls on the SADC region to strengthen the fight against hunger
# Japan’s Defence minister visits the contentious Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of its surrender in World War Two
# And in rugby news, an All Black veteran cherishes tactical challenge in today’s match against the Bull

# International Relations and Cooperation minister, Ronald Lamola has called on the Southern African Development Community region to strengthen the fight against hunger. While delivered closing remarks during the meeting of SADC Council of Ministers in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, the minister commended the progress made by Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia in pushing back the frontiers of hunger. Owever, Lamola says 58-million people in the region still live with the uncertainty of where their next meal will come from:

# The EFF says the disclosure that external partners have provided 445.57-million-rand towards Presidential initiatives confirms that the Presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa has increasingly opened state machinery to private and foreign interests. The party says it rejects what it calls the privatisation of state-owned entities, westernisation and the imperialist capture of South Africa’s economic policy. It says Eskom and Transnet are strategic public assets and must be strengthened, and not dismantled in favour of private corporations. The EFF says government must build its own technical capacity rather than outsource policy-making to corporations, foreign governments and billionaire foundations.

Meanwhile, Eskom says as South Africa approaches the end of the winter season, it continues to meet peak winter demand and deliver sustained energy security across the country. This is a result of the focus on operational and financial sustainability as the turnaround plan progresses. The power utility spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says these achievements reflect Eskom’s progressive shift from recovery to reliability and sustainability due to stronger performance of the energy availability factor:

# Japan’s Defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi has visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine as the country marked the 81st anniversary of its surrender in World War Two. The shrine honours about 2.5-million Japanese war casualties, including 14 wartime leaders convicted of serious war crimes. China and South Korea both said such visits whitewash Japan’s wartime aggression and harm diplomatic ties. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not attend but sent a ritual offering. No ⁠sitting Japanese prime minister has visited Yasukuni Shrine since Shinzo Abe in 2013, when he was criticised by then President Barack Obama for doing so.

# Rugby: Veteran All Black centre Anton Lienert-Brown is looking forward to the tactical challenge of Bulls’ fullback Willie le Roux and flyhalf Curwin Bosch in tonight’s clash at Loftus in Pretoria. He expects a kicking game that will ask significant questions from the visitors. Lienert-Brown describes Le Roux, a Springbok veteran of 101 Tests, as one of the game’s smartest players, and says Bosch, who have played two Tests, has a very strong boot. He says South Africa’s set-piece and big bodies haven’t changed since leaving Super Rugby.

And, in more rugby news, Australia have thrashed Japan 56-17 in Townsville, scoring 35 unanswered points in a dominant second half. The Wallabies led 21-17 at halftime before running in five more tries after the break. Prop Taniela Tupou scored twice, while Josh Nasser, Angus Bell, debutant Massimo De Lutiis, Charlie Cale, Harry Wilson and Brandon Paenga-Amosa also went over. The win gives Australia three consecutive victories for the first time since 2024. It is another boost for coach Les Kiss as Australia build towards next year’s World Cup on home soil.

Stay tuned for more news………….