News 17:00

BULLETIN 12 June 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cabinet outlines the priorities to tackle crime, illegal guns and corruption
# Egypt arrests hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of a march to Gaza
# And rugby: Marco van Staden replaces the injured Cameron Hanekom in the Bulls’ starting team for the URC final

# Cabinet says fighting crime remains a top priority, with a focus on reducing murder, tackling illegal firearms, and combating organised crime and corruption. It was in response to criticism that government lacks a concrete crime-fighting plan. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the cabinet also welcomed the guilty plea of a hitman involved in the 2017 killing of KwaZulu-Natal ANC councillor Sindiso Magaqa: 

# The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the Supreme Court of Appeal judgment upholding the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption’s appeal in the Nulane Investments fraud case. The ruling overturns Acting Judge Nompumelelo Gusha’s 2023 discharge of the eight accused, including Iqbal Sharma and former Free State officials. The SCA ordered a retrial before a different judge. The NPA’s Mthunzi Mhaga says this paves the way to continue prosecuting high-profile state capture-related corruption cases:

# Egyptian authorities have detained pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of a planned international march with the stated aim of breaking Israel’s blockade on Gaza. The march’s spokesperson, Saif Abukeshek, says over 200 participants were detained at Cairo airport or questioned at hotels across the capital, adding they include include nationals from the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Morocco and Algeria. The activists had planned to travel to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza to demand the entry of humanitarian aid and an end to Israel’s blockade.

# Rugby: Bulls head coach, Jake White, has made one forced change to his starting team for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship final against Leinster in Dublin. Cameron Hanekom is out after being injured in the semi-final win over the Sharks. White has picked Marco van Staden, with Nizaam Carr on the bench. Marcell Coetzee shifts to number eight. The Bulls are looking for their first URC title success, having lost two finals since the tournament’s inception, but go into the fixture as heavy underdogs.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-80-cents and the euro at 20-rand-63-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 106-thousand-982-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-382-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

# And finally: South Africa’s spatlo sandwich, famously known as kota, has made CNN Travel’s list of the world’s 25 best sandwiches. It is made from a quarter loaf of bread that has been hollowed out and filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, chips, egg, polony, and achar. Spain’s Bocadillo de jamón Ibérico, which is thinly sliced meat with cheese, piled on bread and drizzled with olive oil, tops the list. Other sandwiches that have made the list include New Orleans’ Po’boy, the UK’s Chip butty, and Uruguay’s Chivito.

Stay tuned for more news………….