News 17:00

BULLETIN 7 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Several Eastern Cape roads are closed due to flooding
# The police welcome the bail postponement in the Adams case
# And, a New York judge releases a suicide note purportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein

# The Eastern Cape Department of Transport says flooding has forced the closure of several roads across the province, especially in low-lying areas. Traffic officers have been deployed to manage traffic and assist motorists in affected regions. Snow has also been reported in high-lying areas, including Lady Grey, Wapadsberg in Nxuba and Lootsberg Pass near Middelburg. The department’s Unathi Binqose says despite the severe weather, all major mountain passes remain open:

# National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe has welcome the postponement of National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams bail at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court in KwaZulu-Natal. Adams faces charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice to the 2017 murder investigation of ANC councilor Sindiso Magaqa. Mathe says police have a strong case and are verifying addresses as the political killings task team makes significant arrests and convictions nationwide:

# Former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki have opposed an application to extend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s cases inquiry and asked president Cyril Ramaphosa not to grant the request. They previously filed an unsuccessful court bid to have Justice Sisi Khampepe removed as chairperson, accusing her of failure to disclose her recommendations on TRC cases referred to the National Prosecuting Authority. The inquiry probes alleged political interference to block prosecutions of apartheid-era crimes. Ramaphosa last year granted an extension until 31 July for the final report.

# US federal judge Kenneth Karas released a document described as a suicide note purportedly written by late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The note, scrawled on a yellow legal pad, was submitted by lawyers for convicted murderer and ex‑police official Nicholas Tartaglione, who was Epstein’s cellmate in Manhattan. The note surfaced in July 2019 after Epstein was found alive in his cell after an apparent suicide attempt. The disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker was found dead in his cell ‌a month later in what was ruled a suicide. ⁠

# Soccer: Co-hosts Mexico’s governing body has threatened players they will be dropped from the World Cup squad if they don’t report for a training camp and choose to stay with their clubs instead. The camp, which started yesterday, falls outside the designated international window and clashes with Liga MX play-offs. Players were given a deadline of eight o’clock tonight to arrive at the camp in Mexico City. Mexico will announce it’s World Cup squad on 1 June, with their first match against Bafana Bafana on the 11th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-26-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-15-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-996-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-738-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 96-dollars-9-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….