News 06:00

BULLETIN 30 May 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The election results are starting to trickle in
# The Election Commission is challenged with fake news on social media platforms
# And BHP’s pursuit of Anglo-American collapses for now

# The first batch of voting results was announced just after midnight, produced by the Mbizana Baptist Church in the Madikizela Mandela Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The ANC got 60.7-percent, EFF 17.8, newcomers MK Party 10.4, UDM 4.9 and the DA three percent. Some results in voting districts in KwaZulu-Natal see the MK Party winning including Mooi Mpofana with the party winning 52-percent of the votes followed by the ANC and then the DA. Electoral Commission chairperson, Mosotho Moepya, says having three ballots has slowed down the counting process:

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission says it has put a lot of resources into managing the social media space relating to fake news. A video of an eNCA segment from the ninth of this month about pre-election poll data has been circulating on social media, and used to falsely claim that the MK Party has received 68-percent of overseas votes. IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo says they have not been able to deal quickly with some social media posts, especially on different platforms:

# BHP Group says it does not intend to make a formal offer for Anglo American for at least six months. This comes after Anglo rejected BHP’s last-ditch request for more time to discuss a 900-billion-rand takeover offer, dismissing it as highly complex. The two sides were unable to agree on BHP’s complicated deal structure. BHP CEO Mike Henry says while they believe that their proposal for Anglo was a compelling opportunity to effectively grow the pie of value for both sets of shareholders, they were unable to reach an agreement.

# Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has expressed condolences following Tuesday’s collision on the R521 in Limpopo’s Capricorn District that killed two drivers and eleven passengers. Poor visibility due to mist is suspected as the possible cause. National spokesperson, Collen Msibi said the Road Traffic Management Corporation will investigate to determine the cause of the accident. Msibi stated the minister’s called for heightened road caution and vigilance from all users, as road safety remains everyone’s responsibility.

# China’s president Xi Jinping has told his Egyptian counterpart that China was deeply pained by the extremely severe situation in Gaza. China is hosting Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and several other Arab leaders in Beijing this week, with talks aimed at deepening consensus between Beijing and the Arab countries. Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, have been engaged for months in talks aimed at securing a lasting truce between Israel and Hamas, accompanied by the release of hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian militant group.

# Rugby: Bulls winger Sebastian de Klerk says they plan to play an expansive United Rugby Championship game against the Sharks on Saturday. In the final round of the URC, the Bulls will be looking to wrap up the battle for the South African Shield, while claiming a top-two finish. The Pretoria team conceded a combined 69 points in the last two games against Glasgow Warriors and Benetton at home, but De Klerk says they are happy with the way they have defended this season.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-44-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-42-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-461-dollars-41-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-335-dollars-35-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….