News 18:00

BULLETIN 28 May 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa joins the global condemnation of Israel’s attack in Rafah
# The death toll in an accident in Limpopo rises to 13
# And tennis: Novak Djokovic begins his French Open campaign with low expectations and high hopes 

# The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has joined the international community in condemning what it terms the deplorable and brutal attacks on innocent civilians in Rafah by Israeli forces. It says these deadly attacks occurred in a designated safe zone for displaced Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of dozens, including women and children. The department is deeply concerned about the ongoing targeting of essential facilities in Gaza, jeopardising humanitarian aid. Spokesperson Clayson Monyela reiterates government’s support for justice for Palestine.

Meanwhile, Norway hailed its recognition of a Palestinian state today as a special day and denounced Israel’s lack of constructive commitment for a two-state solution. Foreign minister Espen Barth Eide says Norway has been one of the most fervent defenders of a Palestinian state for more than 30 years. In a move coordinated with Spain and Ireland, Norway announced last week it would formally recognise the State of Palestine as of today. Israel slammed the decision as a reward for Hamas more than seven months into the devastating Gaza war.

# Limpopo’s MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Florence Radzilani, has visited the accident scene in which 13 people have now been confirmed dead. The crash involved a truck and a taxi on the R521 in Kalkbank between Polokwane and Dendron early this morning. Radzilani confirmed there were no survivors. She expressed her condolences to the families affected by this devastating incident:

# Tennis: World number one Novak Djokovic begins his French Open campaign today, looking to win a 25th Grand Slam title. The 37-year-old Serb will start against French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the night session in Paris. Djokovic is the defending champion at Roland Garros, but is out of form and has not reached any final this year. He says he has low expectations and high hopes:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-32-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-41-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-54-dollars-58-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-348-dollars-37-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has reported that in addition to black rhinos, many species in South Africa face the threat of extinction. The Knysna seahorse is listed as endangered due to habitat loss, while the African wild dog suffers from human-wildlife conflict. The Cape clawless otter is near threatened, with declining numbers from habitat destruction. The union says climate change and human conflict has led to a wide range of South Africa’s biodiversity at risk.

Stay tuned for more news………….