News 13:00
BULLETIN 25 October 1 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Five are killed and three wounded in a mass shooting in Steenberg
# The riots in France spill over to Italian cities
# And finally, Gauteng braces itself for extreme heat as temperatures reach 35 degrees
# The Western Cape police have condemned the mass shooting that claimed five lives and left three people injured in Steenberg on Saturday evening. Police spokesperson, Novela Potelwa, says the victims were drinking at a residence on Blode Street at around eight o’clock when unidentified gunmen entered the property and opened fire indiscriminately. Potelwa says four men and a woman, aged between 21 and 33, died at the scene:
# The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has arrested a 49-year-old police sergeant stationed at Honeydew SAPS in Johannesburg, in connection with the alleged sexual violation of a female relative. IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping says the victim was 14 years old at the time of the alleged offences. She was living with her aunt, who is married to the suspect, after losing both her parents. Suping says the alleged offences took place between 2022 and October 2024:
# The South African Communist Party is calling on the South African government, trade unions and civil society to intensify pressure to end the decades-old US blockade against Cuba. The party’s call comes as the 34th debate on the blockade at the United Nations General Assembly takes place in New York this week. The SACP called the blockade as an extreme threat to Cuba’s survival. The party’s Alex Mashilo is urging a strong international rejection of the blockade:
Moving abroad:
# Protests against war and rising living costs took place in major Italian cities yesterday. This follows major riots in cities in France yesterday. Authorities deployed a heavy police presence, and many shops closed as a precaution against possible damage. The demonstrations, which followed clashes last weekend in which protesters fought with police, looted shops and vandalised property, were violent in Turin, Rome and Bologna. They were largely peaceful in Milan.
# Cricket: India have taken a two-nil lead in their five-match T20 cricket series against New Zealand after a thrilling four-wicket victory in Christchurch. Chasing 181 for victory, India slumped to 70 for five before Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 off 26 balls, and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 26 not out off 13 deliveries rescued the innings. The pair added 69 runs off just 30 balls, guiding India home with one ball to spare. Glenn Phillips top-scored for New Zealand with 70.
# And finally: The South African Weather Service is warning Gauteng residents to take precautions as the province experiences its first official heatwave of the 2026/27 summer season. The heatwave, which began on Friday, is expected to intensify, with scorching conditions forecast to persist until Monday. Pretoria is expected to reach 35-degrees-Celsius, while Johannesburg could hit 33 and Vereeniging 32-degrees. Persistently high temperatures are also forecast for parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Residents are urged to stay hydrated, avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, and limit strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day.
Stay tuned for more news………….