News 12:00

BULLETIN 13 June 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Joe Phaahla announces one more Mpox case and a death
# Alan Winde is to be sworn in as the Western Cape premier 
# And rugby: Cheslin Kolbe returns to the Bok training camp to follow a rehabilitation programme

# The minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, has announced another laboratory-confirmed case of Mpox and second death linked to the disease. The latest case is a 38-year-old man who was admitted to a hospital in uMgungundlovu, KwaZulu-Natal, and tested positive for Mpox yesterday. He died the same day. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says this brings the total number of positive cases in the country to six and two deaths within a period of five weeks:

# Western Cape premier Alan Winde will formally be sworn in by acting Judge President Patricia Goliath for his second term in office today. The DA won 55-percent of the vote, securing 24 seats in the legislature. Winde will also appoint his new cabinet, with some MECs in key portfolios expected to make a return to lead the province for the next five years. He says his new cabinet has been carefully chosen to build on the successes of his first term and confront issues that need to be addressed.

# The Vatican refuses to comment on media reports Pope Frances repeated an offensive term for gay men after the headquarters of the Catholic Church issued an apology over the issue last month. Italian news agency ANSA cited unnamed sources who said the pontiff used the word in a meeting where he suggested gay men should be welcome in the church, but not in seminaries. The church’s official news outlet, Vatican News, didn’t mention the discussion of homosexuality when it reported on the meeting.

# Rugby: Winger Cheslin Kolbe has rejoined the Springbok training camp in Pretoria, with an eye on possibly being available for selection for the Tests against Ireland next month. The double World Cup winner injured his knee during the Japanese club season. He will now do his rehabilitation under the supervision of the Bok medical staff. The match-day squad for the opening Test of the season, against Wales at Twickenham next weekend, will be announced on Tuesday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-39-cents and the euro at 19-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-54-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-627-dollars-61-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-315-dollars-52-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Wreck hunters have found the ship on which the famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton made his final voyage. The vessel, called “Quest”, has been located on the seafloor off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Shackleton suffered a fatal heart attack on board on 5 January 1922. Although Quest continued in service until it sank in 1962, the earlier link with the explorer gives it great historic significance. The British-Irish adventurer is celebrated for his exploits in Antarctica at a time when very few people had visited the frozen wilderness.

Stay tuned for more news………….