News 09:00

BULLETIN 10 June 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The World Bank approves a 26.5-billion-rand infrastructure loan
# The MK Party rejects Helen Zille’s intention to run for Joburg mayor
# And the Gaza-bound aid ship is towed to an Israeli port

# Finance minister Enoch Godongwana says South Africa’s ongoing partnership with the World Bank will assist the country to move forward with greater speed on the reforms vital to transforming the infrastructure landscape. This comes as the World Bank has approved an approximately 26.5-billion-rand loan to support structural reforms aimed at boosting the country’s infrastructure. The loan will make available funds for Eskom to bolster the grid for renewable generation and for Transnet to increase freight transport capacity.

# Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, is attending the Ministerial Coordination Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Changsha, Hunan province, from today until Thursday. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the implementation of the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Summit. The department’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, says the FOCAC 2025–2027 Action Plan includes cooperation in ten partnership areas, including trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity and development cooperation:

# The MK Party says it rejects DA Federal chairperson Helen Zille’s intention to pursue mayoral candidacy in the City of Johannesburg. Zille has indicated that she has been approached to run for the position in the 2026 local government elections, which she is considering. The MK Party’s spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, says it is nonsensical to consider the possibility of a Capetonian resident holding mayoral capacity in a metro that she is alien to:

# The Gaza-bound Madleen of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition docked in the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening after being intercepted by Israel. The boat was carrying humanitarian aid and human rights defenders, including climate activist Greta Thunberg. The Israel Foreign Ministry says the passengers underwent medical examinations and were sent to the Ben Gurion Airport to return to their home countries. It adds that those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority.

# Golf: Three additional players have earned full exemptions into this week’s US Open Championship, while five alternates from final qualifying have been added to complete the 156-player field. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox won the Canadian Open to secure his place in the major championship. Americans Cameron Young and Bud Cauley also earned full exemptions into the field. The alternates are Japanese Takumi Kanaya and Riki Kawamoto, and Americans Doug Ghim, Chase Johnson, and Eric Cole.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-73-cents and the euro at 20-rand-21-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand and Bitcoin trades at 109-thousand-46-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-306-dollars-68-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-80-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….