News 15:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 2 August 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A Durban police member is injured and three hijackers killed during a shootout
# Denmark and Netherlands will stop adoptions from South Africa next year
# And, heartbreak for Chad le Clos in Paris

# A Durban police member has been injured during a shootout in Umlazi while three suspected hijackers were fatally wounded earlier today. The official remains in a stable condition. The suspects were reportedly hijacking a woman of her vehicle when police responded. Spokesperson Robert Netshiunda says the member was shot in the arm:

# Diversi-T founder Teresa Oakley-Smith has called for more race-related conversations in schools. Some learners from Pinelands High School in Cape Town and Pretoria High School for Girls have been suspended for alleged racism. Oakley-Smith emphasised to SABC the need to address racial trauma for victims and asserted that South Africa has yet to become a true rainbow nation:

# PRASA has introduced new blue and white Electric Multiple Units on the Central Line in the Western Cape, extending service from Nyanga to Mandalay station in Cape Town. This marks the first deployment of the People’s Train on this route, featuring advanced amenities like automated doors, CCTV cameras, and air-conditioning. The agency says the completion of essential infrastructure and modern signalling enhances safety and reliability, and benefits the communities along the line. Work to re-signal the rest of the central corridor continues.

# Denmark and the Netherlands have announced plans to halt inter-country adoptions from South Africa by next year. The countries have cited difficulties in the process of tracing biological parents. South Africa now needs to enhance its domestic adoption programme, which has already flagged issues in the private sector. The Department of Social Development’s Tebogo Mabe notes that these developments provide the country with an opportunity to strengthen national practices and address identified irregularities.

# Olympic Games: Chad le Clos of South Africa failed to qualify for the semifinal of the 100-metre butterfly in Paris. The silver medallist in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 came second in his heat, but only mustered the 24th fastest time, with only the 16 fastest swimmers going through. Compatriot Matthew Sates also didn’t qualify. Sates earlier also failed to advance to the semifinal of the 200-metre butterfly, while Le Clos didn’t compete in the item he won in London.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-19-cents and the euro at 19-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-18-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-749-dollars-56-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-460-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….