News 16:00

BULLETIN 2 February 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A building collapses in Doornfontein following a suspected explosion
# Tennis: Rybakina improves to third in the world rankings after winning the Australian Open
# And a doctoral study highlights a post-harvest food waste crisis in South Africa

# Parts of a residential building has collapsed between Lower Ross Street and Beacon Street in Doornfontein, Johannesburg, following a suspected explosion. Eyewitnesses say it’s unclear if it was a gas or transformer explosion. Early reports indicate that three people suffered third-degree burns and were rushed to hospital, while emergency teams assisted residents to evacuate safely. Investigators are currently scouring the scene to determine the cause. Emergency Medical Services have yet to confirm the full extent of injuries or damage.

# The South African Institute for Advancement, Inyathelo, has uncovered significant unintended consequences of global financial regulations for South Africa’s non-profit organisation sector. Inyathelo’s Feryal Domingo says measures designed to combat money laundering and terrorist financing are inadvertently stifling legitimate work through increased administrative burdens and financial exclusion. She says 62-percent of organisations in the country has experienced account closures or freezing of bank accounts:

# AfriForum has requested answers from the North West government and the the province’s Parks and Tourism Board over massive entrance fee increases at Pilanesberg National Park. The organisation’s Lambert de Klerk says they want transparency on how funds are allocated, spent, and reinvested, noting infrastructure has deteriorated due to poor maintenance. He adds they want voluntary disclosure of historical budgets, fees, and concessions, and may pursue further action if ignored:

# Tennis: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan improved from fifth to third in the world rankings after clinching the Australian Open title on Saturday. American Coco Gauff fell back to fifth after losing in the quarterfinals. Losing finalist Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus retains top position, with Poland’s Iga Swiatek still second. American Amanda Anisimova is still fourth and compatriot Jessica Pegula sixth, followed by Russian Mirra Andreeva, Italian Jasmine Paolini, and Swiss Belinda Bencic. Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina completes the top-ten.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-98-cents and the euro at 18-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-107-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-775-dollars-65-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-9-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A Stellenbosch University doctoral study by Ikechukwu Opara reveals that between nine-and 17-thousand-tonnes of fruits and vegetables are wasted annually at South Africa’s largest wholesale markets. The waste results from cold chain breaks, poor transport, and inadequate storage. Opara says improved infrastructure and machine learning tools can monitor temperature and humidity, optimise supply, and reduce postharvest losses. He adds these measures can lower food prices, enhance food security, and help households access affordable fresh produce.

Stay tuned for more news………….