News 11:00

BULLETIN 12 June 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile is set to respond to questions in Parliament today
# A United Nations report shows the trend of high civilian deaths in Ukraine is continuing 
# And soccer: Mexico is racing to upgrade the iconic Azteca Stadium in time for the World Cup opener

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile is set to answer questions on wide-ranging issues in the National Assembly today. One of the main issues he will deal with is the measures government has taken following the withdrawal of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funding. The Presidency says Mashatile will emphasise that the withdrawal will not have a dire impact on the purchasing and distribution of anti-retrovirals. He will also highlight efforts to address water shortages, and funding and resource support for small-scale and smallholder farmers.

# ActionSA has launched a series of engagements to mark the first anniversary of the formation of the government of national unity. This will culminate in a presentation next week Tuesday of the party’s assessment of the GNU’s performance, measured against key indicators drawn from the government’s own reporting and the commitments it made to citizens. ActionSA’s leader, Herman Mashaba, says in the absence of the promised economic reforms, the GNU has presided over an economy with little prospect for growth:

# The DA says crime prevention in Gauteng is being severely affected by a shortage of mechanics at police garages. Premier Panyaza Lesufi has earlier confirmed there are 110 mechanic vacancies, causing long delays in police vehicle repairs. The DA’s Crezane Bosch warns that unrepaired vehicles have been stuck in garages for up to a year, putting communities at greater risk:

# Civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine in the first five months of this year were nearly 50-percent higher than the same period last year. This is according to a report by a monitoring mission set up by the Office of the United Nations high commissioner for Human Rights. April recorded the highest casualties of one-thousand-389. Long-range missile and drone attacks by Russia caused the largest proportion of civilian casualties. The UN’s Danielle Bell says at this pace, further loss of civilian life is not just possible, but inevitable.

# Soccer: Co-host Mexico is engaged in a race against time to upgrade the iconic Azteca Stadium before the opening match of next year’s World Cup. The country will become the first to host the international showpiece for the third time when the tournament kicks off on the 11th of June next year. The stadium in the capital of Mexico City is being enlarged from 87- tot 90-thousand seats, and upgrades, centred on meeting world body Fifa’s standards, also include new changing rooms and bigger hospitality zones.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-75-cents and the euro at 20-rand-46-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 107-thousand-950-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-373-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….