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BULLETIN 2 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom says the synchronising of Kusile Power project Unit 5 will contribute an additional 800 megawatts
# The Shelly Point Hotel and Spa in St Helena Bay is on fire
# And, soccer: Mohamed Salah scores his 150th Premier League goal

# Eskom says the synchronising of the Kusile Power project Unit Five, which was not previously part of Eskom’s grid capacity, will contribute an additional 800 megawatts to the country’s power system. The unit was synchronised to the national grid for the first time on Saturday evening. Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says it will supply electricity intermittently during the testing and optimisation phase over the next six months before being transferred into commercial operation and the capacity officially added to the current power utility fleet:

# West Coast Medical Rescue is currently on the scene of a structural fire at the Shelley Point Hotel and Spa in St Helena Bay. The fire seems to have started at around seven this morning in one of the restaurants and quickly spread through the thatch-roofed building. The fire is raging out of control and has destroyed a large part of the building. Saldanha Bay firefighters are working tirelessly to battle the flames that are driven by a strong wind. Residents were urged to avoid the area and keep a clear way for emergency vehicles.

# The powerful earthquakes that hit central Japan on New Year’s Day, killed at least 30 people and forced thousands to spend the night in evacuation centres. The quakes hit Ishikawa and nearby prefectures mid-afternoon local time, with one having a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, according to Japan’s weather agency. A major tsunami warning was issued for the area but was later downgraded to a less serious advisory. Experts warned tremors and aftershocks could continue for several days. A Japanese government spokesperson warned people in the area to stay away from the coast.

# Soccer: Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool beat Newcastle United four-two to open up a three-point lead at the top of the English Premier League. Liverpool top the table ahead of Aston Villa, with defending champions Manchester City a further two points back with Arsenal. Salah’s first strike was his 150th Premier League goal for the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp praised his performance:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 13-rand-39-cents and the euro at 20-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-45-cents and Bitcoin trades at 45-thousand-730-dollars-60-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-73-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-14-cents a barrel.

# And finally: In the first few hours of 2024, 411 babies were born at public health facilities in South Africa. Health minister Joe Phaahla said 211 girls and 200 boys were born, with Gauteng having the highest number of 112. In KZN 84 babies were born with the youngest mother being a 14-year-old girl. North West recorded 33 births while 41 babies were born in Limpopo. In the Free State, 17 babies were born, the Eastern Cape recorded 52 births, and the Northern Cape 15. In the Western Cape, 29 babies were born while Mpumalanga recorded 28 births.

Stay tuned for more news………….