News 14:00

BULLETIN 21 June 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Nigerian president Bola Tinubu hold bilateral talks 
# A report indicates Gauteng will remain the most populous province in South Africa
# And Rugby: The Bulls will not give an inch against the Glasgow Warriors in the URC final

# President Cyril Ramaphosa held private bilateral talks with Nigerian president Bola Tinubu at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Johannesburg yesterday. Tinubu’s visit follows Ramaphosa’s inauguration ceremony. The meeting emphasised the importance of a stronger partnership between Nigeria and South Africa. Tinubu underscored the need for discussing economic development, security cooperation, and regional stability. Ramaphosa highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two nations, aiming to enhance trade, investment, and regional integration:

# Gauteng leads as South Africa’s population reaches 63.1-million, with projections indicating it will remain the most populous province. The Western Cape meanwhile has shown steady growth, likely due to economic factors. According to a Bureau of Market Research report, Gauteng has an estimated 15.4 million people, while the Northern Cape remains the least populous at 1.4 million. Women are projected to make up 51-percent of the population.

# A Yellow level 2 warning has been issued for damaging winds along the Cape Agulhas and Overstrand coasts. Near gale to gale force westerly to north-westerly winds at 60 to 80 kilometres per hour are expected this morning, to last until evening. Waves reaching heights of 4.0 to 4.5 metres may lead to rough seas, posing navigation challenges for small vessels and personal watercraft, potentially causing capsising. Localised disruptions to harbors, ports, and beachfront activities are also possible.

# The death toll from the latest case of tainted liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has climbed to 47, with over 100 people still in hospital. More than 150 people, suffering from vomiting, stomach aches, and diarrhoea, have needed treatment after drinking methanol-mixed liquor made in the Kallakurichi district. At least 118 people are still being treated in hospitals. Police arrested four people over illicit liquor sales and seized 200 litres of the alcoholic drink. The state government had taken disciplinary action against ten officials for failure to prevent it.

# Rugby: The Bulls will not give an inch tomorrow when they host the Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby Championship final in Pretoria. They want to become the second South African franchise to win the title. A victory will have extra significance for South African rugby. It will rubberstamp the country’s status as one of the top in the world following the Springboks second Rugby World Cup victory in a row in France last year and the Sharks’ victory in the Challenge Cup last month. The match kicks off at 6pm.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-89-cents and the euro at 19-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-62-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-970-dollars-23-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-361-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-57-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….