News 13:00

BULLETIN 1 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# KwaZulu-Natal will access the Western Cape’s resources during major natural disasters
# At least 34 people are killed in a blast at a pharmaceutical factory in India
# And rugby: Two experienced French players could miss the first Test against the All Blacks due to injury

# KwaZulu-Natal will now be able to access Western Cape resources during major natural disasters. This follows after a new memorandum of understanding was signed between the two provinces. KZN Public Works MEC Martin Meyer and the Western Cape’s Tertuis Simmers signed the agreement in Musgrave to strengthen cooperation and protect key infrastructure from floods. KZN continues to face challenges repairing storm-damaged infrastructure, while the Western Cape has successfully rebuilt flood-damaged structures within weeks, reconnecting affected communities and restoring essential services.

# The Freedom Front Plus says it has rejected a report that allocates 230-million-rand over three years to provide benefits to over one-thousand contracted security guards in Tshwane. The party says one-thousand-283 guards were appointed in 2021 without benefits. FF Plus’s Grandi Theunissen says the party suggested to Council that a thorough investigation be conducted to determine whether the guards meet the relevant requirements:

# Nine-day-old missing boy Mogamat Imaad Shamar has been found unhurt in Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town. Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk says a multi-disciplinary crime team worked tirelessly since a case of kidnapping was registered with Bellville Police Station on Saturday. He says the baby was abducted at a local shopping complex:

# Scores of people have been killed in a massive blast and fire at a pharmaceuticals factory in the southern Indian state of Telangana. News agencies report the incident took place during work hours at a unit of Sigachi Industries, leaving several injured and in critical condition. A senior police official told the Press Trust of India 31 bodies have been extricated from the debris, while three died in hospital. The death toll is expected to rise. A company spokesperson says fine dust chemical particles accelerated the tragedy.

# Rugby: Two experienced French players may miss Saturday’s first Test against the All Blacks in Dunedin through injury. Fullback Cheikh Tiberghien and winger Gabin Villiere were expected to be named in head coach Fabian Galthie’s starting-15, with the visitors already lacking many of the players who’ve helped secured this year’s Six Nations title. Five members of the Top 14 finalists, Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles, will strengthen the French squad when they join the squad for the remaining two Tests in Wellington and Hamilton.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-58-cents and the euro at 20-rand-76-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-20-cents and Bitcoin trades at 106-thousand-690-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-342-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-64-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….