News 12:00

BULLETIN 5 July 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Department of Health confirms the recovery of 15 M-pox patients
# The FF Plus accuses Panyaza Lesufi of undermining the establishment of a better dispensation in Gauteng
# And soccer: Bafana is drawn with Uganda, Congo Brazzaville and South Sudan for Afcon 2025

# The Department of Health has announced that 15 M-pox patients have recovered, while five remain hospitalised due to severe complications. Four new cases have been confirmed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the total to 20 cases and 3 deaths since the outbreak in May. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says outbreak response teams are activated, and a new batch of  treatment is expected soon:

# The Freedom Front Plus in Gauteng says it strongly condemns the blatant opportunism of premier Panyaza Lesufi, who is undermining the establishment of a better dispensation in the province. The new provincial cabinet consists of seven ANC MECs and one each from the IFP, RISE Mzansi and the Patriotic Alliance. The FF Plus’s Anton Alberts says Lesufi will have an uphill battle to implement any decisions seeing as he is currently ruling with a significant minority:

# University of Pretoria’s doctor Alseno Kagiso Mosai is warning that young children in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, are breathing in uranium, arsenic and mercury fumes wafting over from abandoned legacy mines. He and fellow experts have authored a journal article in which they recommend a combined approach that is both affordable and effective for urgent action in Krugersdorp. Mosai says while the mining companies responsible for the pollution are often nowhere to be seen, it is ultimately up to the government to fund acid mine drainage clean-ups to protect citizens.

# The Labour Party has won the UK general election, securing the 326 seats required for a majority in the House of Commons. Party leader Keir Starmer will enter Downing Street as Labour’s first prime minister in 14 years. He is set to travel to Buckingham Palace later today, where he will be asked by King Charles to form a government. Outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak has conceded defeat for the Conservative Party. Starmer says change begins now:

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana will face Uganda, Congo Brazzaville and South Sudan in Group K to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The group winners and runners-up qualify for the tournament that kicks off on 21 December next year. Nigeria will get a chance to avenge a shock recent World Cup qualifying loss to Benin when they were drawn in the same qualifying group yesterday. There will be two qualifying matchdays in September, two in October and the final two in November.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-19-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-24-cents and Bitcoin trades at 54-thousand-232-dollars-53-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-367-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….