News 12:00

BULLETIN 13 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Iran is reportedly set to withdraw from the controversial BRICS Navy exercise in Simon’s Town
# The Garden Route District wildfire remains uncontained
# And rugby: A strong Bok Women’s Sevens team is selected for the Dubai qualifier

# Iran has reportedly been asked to withdraw from the BRICS Navy drills off the South African coast in an effort to prevent a further escalation in diplomatic tensions with the US. Two ships from Iran arrived at the Simon’s Town Naval Base in Cape Town last week. Warships from China, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia are also participating in the Will for Peace naval exercise. South Africa’s request for Iran’s withdrawal apparently comes amid government’s reluctance to further strain its US relations given ongoing trade talks.

# The Garden Route District Municipality in the Western Cape says the wildfire at Heidelberg in the Hessequa municipality remains uncontained and burning in inaccessible mountainous terrain. Spokesperson Herman Pieters says the northern and north-western flanks, including the Tradouw Pass area between Barrydale and Swellendam, remain active. He adds the eastern flank along the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is also active:

Meanwhile, the Cape Winelands District Municipality Fire Services says the Wemmershoek wildfire in Franschhoek, which originated in Langrug, remains active. Some concerning flare-ups were experienced last night. The municipality’s spokesperson, Anesca Roodt, says suppression efforts will continue today on active fire lines, while monitoring and mopping-up operations are ongoing in areas where the fire has been contained:

Moving abroad:

# Morocco and Egypt recorded historic tourism growth in 2025, reaffirming their status as Africa’s top destinations. Morocco welcomed about 19.8-million visitors, up 14-percent year-on-year, while arrivals to Egypt surged by 21-percent to 19-million. Growth was driven by new international flight links, major cultural attractions and high-profile sporting events. Tourism officials say the boom has boosted jobs, foreign currency earnings and post-pandemic recovery. Both countries are targeting even higher visitor numbers in coming years.

# Rugby: Springbok Women’s Sevens coach Cecil Afrika has selected a strong 12-player squad for this weekend’s decisive World Rugby Challenger Series tournament in Dubai. South Africa, grouped in Pool A with Thailand, the Czech Republic and Mexico, must reach the final to progress to Sevens 2, the next step in their bid to regain core status in the World Series. Nadine Roos will captain the side, joined by 15-a-side teammates Zintle Mpupha, Bryhandré Dolf and Ayanda Malinga. Afrika says the players know what is at stake.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-42-cents and the euro at 19-rand-15-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-937-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-589-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….