News 13:00

BULLETIN 26 December 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The KZN Health MEC urges action against statutory rape amid teenage Christmas births
# Cape Town gun violence claims two lives over Christmas
# And, tennis: A documentary on the King of Clay airs today

# KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has called on parents to report statutory rape cases against men who impregnate teenage girls. KZN welcomed 47 Christmas babies yesterday. Among the mothers are three 15-year-olds, and a 13-year-old, raising societal concerns. She emphasised the legal duty to report such cases and urged police action to protect minors:

# Western Cape police have confirmed that a teenager was fatally shot in Wellington on Christmas Day, with three others injured. Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi also confirmed a second shooting in Delft, on Christmas Eve. Suspects in both cases remain at large, and the motives for the attacks are under investigation. He urges anyone with information to come forward as communities grapple with the tragic surge in gun violence.

# The N1 has reopened after a 16.5-hour recovery operation when a truck carrying explosives caught fire near Kroonstad. Three people sustained minor injuries. Free State Emergency Services acting manager Sidney Dywili confirmed that fire and emergency teams successfully evacuated motorists. He says authorities remain on-site to ensure safety as investigations into the incident continue:

# A body was found in the landing gear compartment, also known as the wheel-well, of a United Airlines plane after it landed in Hawaii on Christmas Eve. According to the BBC Flight 202 departed from Chicago’s O’Hare airport on Tuesday morning and landed at Maui’s Kahului airport in the afternoon. The airline said it remained unclear how or when the person got into the landing gear, which it said was only accessible from the outside of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft. It said it was working with law enforcement authorities on an investigation.

# And, tennis: A documentary on Spanish great Rafael Nadal named “Nadal, the King of Paris”, will be aired on Eurosport today. It follows his career from the start until his retirement aged 38 last month. The film also focuses on Nadal’s unprecedented 14 French Open titles out of his Grand Slam tally of 22. His compatriot, former world-number-two Alex Corretja, says in the documentary he was stunned when Nadal won Roland Garros at his first attempt and expected him to maybe clinch five or six titles in Paris.

Stay tuned for more news………….