News 18:00

BULLETIN 27 June 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Automobile Association anticipates fuel price drops for July
# The UN sends condolences to South Africa for the fallen soldiers in the DRC 
# And Tennis: South Africa’s Lloyd Harris qualifies for Wimbledon

# The Automobile Association expects significant fuel price decreases in July based on unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund. Petrol prices could drop by around one-rand-per-litre, while diesel and paraffin prices may decrease by approximately 30-cents-per-litre and 25-cents-per-litre respectively. Spokesperson Eleanor Mavimbela highlights that this second consecutive monthly drop will benefit consumers and the economy:

# The UN’s head of Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, has expressed condolences to South Africa after two soldiers were killed and 20 injured in a rebel attack in North Kivu, DRC. Lacroix emphasised ongoing coordination amidst complex security challenges. Lacroix said the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, will soon present future plans to the Security Council:

# Police in Hibberdene, Kwazulu-Natal, are investigating the execution of three people travelling in one car this morning at Mthwalume. Reports indicate that the victims, who had just left the local court, were ambushed by suspects in two vehicles. The assailants opened fire, killing all three occupants instantly, before fleeing. The deceased were reportedly robbed of their firearms. The motive remains unclear.

# Kenyan police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators in Nairobi again today, as protesters returned to the streets despite President William Ruto scrapping contentious tax hikes after deadly clashes. The protests, led largely by young Kenyans, caught the authorities off-guard. Ruto’s government has moved between taking a tough line on the unrest and calling for dialogue. Dozens of protesters gathered in the capital’s central business district. Soldiers and police in anti-riot gear were blocking access along roads leading to Ruto’s office.

# Tennis: South Africa’s Lloyd Harris has qualified to play in the main draw at Wimbledon. On the last day of qualifying he beat Frenchman Hugo Grenier 6-4, 6-2, 3-6 and 7-6 to advance to next week’s first round. Harris has been on the comeback trail. He underwent major right wrist surgery in June 2022 and recently returned to the top 100 ATP-rankings for the first time in 21 months. Harris recently won his maiden grass-court title and became just the fourth player to win three ATP Challenger Tour titles this season.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-43-cents and the euro at 19-rand-76-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-33-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-266-dollars-98-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-326-dollars-74-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….