News 07:00

BULLETIN 7 November 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IEC says the results for the 2026 Local Government Elections are 91% completed
# Newsrooms in the UK, Ireland and Bulgaria receive hoax bomb threats
# And rugby,  the Italian coach welcomes the Boks’ fielding their strongest team for the Nations Championship clash

# The Electoral Commission says it has made significant progress in finalising the results of the local government elections, with 91-percent of results completed nationally. IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, Masego Shiburi says the Commission had to process a total of 66-thousand-and-73 result slips from 23-thousand-696 voting stations across the country. He says 150 of the 213 municipalities, excluding the 44 district councils, have so far recorded complete results. Shiburi adds that all municipalities in the Northern Cape have finalised their results:

Afrika Mayibuye Movement leader Floyd Shivambu meanwhile has said he is satisfied with the party’s national presence after contesting its first local government elections. Shivambu said although the party failed to make the top ten on the national results list, it managed to establish a presence nationwide despite limited resources. He also criticised the EFF, arguing it held several music festivals but still failed to secure more than seven-percent of the vote:

# Newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria, including Sky News in the UK received emailed bomb threats on ​Friday from a purported “Mikhail Andropov” He claimed responsibility for a widening wave of hoax threats that also disrupted passenger flights across Europe. The messages, sent to Bulgaria’s ‌Nova TV and the Irish public broadcaster RTE, which evacuated its offices and suspended programming, were headlined “Message to the West” and portrayed the threats as the prelude to a series of attacks on means of transport across Europe. Police investigations into the incidents are ongoing.

# Rugby: Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada has welcomed the Springboks’ decision to field their strongest available team for Saturday’s Nations Championship clash in Turin, calling it a massive show of respect. Quesada says he is proud that Rassie Erasmus has selected his top players, despite facing France next week. However, the decision has shortened Italy’s preparations. The hosts are also battling a lengthy injury list, but Quesada says the match offers an opportunity to test new players ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup. Kick off this afternoon is at 20 to two.

And, former Springboks Jongi Nokwe and Keegan Daniel, as well as several retired provincial players are among 48 coaches who have been invited to take part in World Rugby Level 3 coaching courses in Pretoria and Cape Town later this month. SA Rugby’s Senior Manager for Training and Education, Hilton Adonis, explained that all areas of the game will be covered, including game and player analysis, player profiling and team selection, patterns of play, developing game plans and tactics, player welfare considerations, designing training sessions, and managing coaching teams.

# And finally, the City of Tshwane warns residents in Rethabiseng, Bronkhorstspruit, not to drink or use water from the natural spring at the Rethabiseng Social Integrated Centre. Tests have found that the water is unsafe for human consumption and may contain germs that cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. Residents are urged not to use the water for drinking, cooking or washing food, and to use only safe water from approved sources.

Stay tuned for more news………….