News 13:00

BULLETIN 5 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A Mpumalanga teenager is linked to the murder of two young children
# Eskom reaches 100 days without load-shedding
# And rugby: A feast of Tests awaits lovers of the game this weekend

# Mpumalanga police exhumed the body of three-year-old Peaceful Khoza from a shallow grave in Pienaar. Spokesperson Donald Mdhluli says she was reported missing earlier this week. An 18-year-old boy has since been apprehended in connection with the murder of the girl as well as that of six-year-old Junior Mabandla, whose body was discovered in a shallow grave on Wednesday. Mdhluli says the suspect is currently receiving medical treatment after he was assaulted by community members:

# Eskom says it has successfully achieved 100 consecutive days without load-shedding, a milestone that reflects the enhanced reliability and performance of its generation fleet. Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says this accomplishment is the result of a multi-dimensional Generation Operational Recovery Plan, initiated in March last year, and aggressive planned maintenance, both of which were made possible by financial support from the National Treasury’s debt relief scheme:

# The SPAR Group says it is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, but emphasises that industry-wide collaboration is crucial for impactful change. A McKinsey study reveals that approximately 93-percent of emissions lie outside grocers’ direct control. The food system contributes over 30-percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. SPAR’s Kevin O’Brien says they seek to address this by working with farmers, supporting supplier decarbonisation, and promoting sustainability.

# Outgoing UK prime minister Rishi Sunak says he takes full responsibility for the Conservative Party losing the general election. The Labour Party and its leader, Keir Starmer, have secured the 326 seats required for a majority in the House of Commons, putting an end to 14 years of Conservative rule. Several Tory cabinet ministers lost seats to Labour, including Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt. Sunak says power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner:

# Rugby: A feast of international matches awaits lovers of the game this weekend. Georgia will host Fiji in Batumi this evening, while seven Tests will be played tomorrow. America plays Romania in Chicago, followed by the matches between the All Blacks and England in Dunedin, and the Wallabies and Wales in Sydney. Then there’s the hugely anticipated encounter between the Springboks and Ireland in Pretoria. Argentina plays France in Mendoza, Chile faces Hong Kong in Talca, and Canada and Scotland will do battle in Ottawa.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-19-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-25-cents and Bitcoin trades at 54-thousand-66-dollars-80-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-365-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….