News 06:00

BULLETIN 13 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IFP announces it will form part of the government of national unity
# A national state of disaster is declared in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Free State
# And the UN accuses Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes

# The IFP has confirmed it will join a government of national unity that includes the ANC and the DA, to strengthen governance with a shared vision. IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa briefed the media this evening following coalition talks. He says they will participate in a government of national unity for the sake of the country and a stable government:

# Health minister Joe Phaahla has called for public cooperation to prevent the spread of the M-pox virus. The plea follows two confirmed cases in Gauteng and three in KwaZulu-Natal. Briefing the media, the minister urged individuals with suspected symptoms or those in contact with confirmed cases to seek medical attention promptly. National Institute for Communicable Diseases health expert Jaqueline Weyer says cooperation is crucial in disrupting local transmission and preventing avoidable deaths:

Meanwhile, Union federation Cosatu urges workers to exercise caution following the outbreak of the M-pox virus.  Symptoms include rash, fever, and fatigue, with skin-to-skin and sexual contact as primary modes of transmission. Cosatu spokesperson Zanele Sabela advises workers to take precautions, as the virus poses a serious threat:

# Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembi Nkadimeng, declared a national disaster for areas affected by severe weather in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and the Free State last week. Twelve people died in KwaZulu-Natal and ten in the Eastern Cape. Minister Nkadimeng says midday today is the deadline for municipalities and the National Treasury to receive the final submissions regarding the national disaster.

# Israel and Hamas committed a litany of war crimes and human rights abuses since the seventh of October last year. This is according to a report by a commission of inquiry formed in 2021 by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The commission says Israel’s alleged war crimes include starvation, arbitrary detention, and the killing of thousands of civilians. It also accuses Hamas’s military wing and six other Palestinian armed groups of killings, torture, sexual violence, and systematic kidnapping.

# Rugby: Wallaby flyhalf Carter Gordon’s decision to switch to rugby league is described as a body blow to head coach Joe Schmidt. He will join the Gold Coast Titans next year after Rugby Australia kicked out his Super team, Melbourne Rebels. This meant he was without a team next year. The 23-year-old is still available for this year’s Tests, but the Wallabies will now be without their playmaker in next year’s series against the British and Irish Lions.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-36-cents and the euro at 19-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-52-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-263-dollars-49-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-320-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….