News 12:00

BULLETIN 18 July 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Sisulu Foundation slams Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s coup claims
# The police’s trainees’ applications surpass the 900-thousand mark
# And the legendary fearless skydiver Felix Baumgartner has died

# The Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation for Social Justice has criticised minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s coup claims as irresponsible and dangerous. The minister disclosed this week that the security cluster had identified a risk of an attempt to overthrow the government, but that the relevant agencies are monitoring those behind the plan. The foundation says making such claims without evidence is not merely reckless; it verges on fearmongering and risks undermining investor confidence and national cohesion.

# The South African Police Service’s Basic Police Development Learning Programme recruitment application process is closing today. By yesterday, police had received more than 927-thousand applications, with over 527-thousand from young women. National police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says Gauteng has brought in the most applications, followed by KwaZulu-Natal:

# AfriForum has collected five water samples in and around Musina, after reports of severe pollution and visible blue-green discolouration in the Limpopo River. AfriForum’s Environmental Affairs advisor, Marais de Vaal, says the samples are undergoing urgent lab testing to assess health risks. De Vaal says the incident reflects South Africa’s broader environmental crisis and poor governance. He adds it’s unacceptable that communities must sound the alarm before authorities act:

# Rugby: Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi says they are preparing for a Georgian outfit that is traditionally forward dominant and direct when the ball goes to the backline. The 23-year-old is set to earn his 12th cap for the Boks when they take on Georgia in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, tomorrow afternoon. Fassi, who will form part of a back three with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe, expects a physical battle:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-69-cents and the euro at 20-rand-59-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-76-cents and Bitcoin trades at 119-thousand-222-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-347-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-1-cent a barrel.

# And finally: Fearless extreme sportsman, Felix Baumgartner, has died at the age of 56. The Austrian, famously known for a record-breaking 2012 skydive from the edge of space, died in a paragliding accident in central Italy. Reports suggest he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air before falling on the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel. Baumgartner’s long career of daredevil jumps included skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

Stay tuned for more news………….