News 14:00

BULLETIN 17 June 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF mourns the deaths of 12 of its members in KwaZulu-Natal after a June 16 rally
# Motorsport: The Thai cabinet formally approves the country’s Formula One bid
# And the NSRI urges South Africans to take the Winter Solstice Plunge

# The EFF has expressed deep sorrow following the deaths of 12 of its members in a road accident near Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal this morning. The victims were returning from the party’s June 16 rally in Umlazi. The EFF describes them as heroes of the revolution, honouring the legacy of 1976’s youth. Several people were injured and hospitalised. Spokesperson Thembi Msane says the EFF is working with authorities to identify the victims:

# The Freedom Front Plus has welcomed the published guidelines for the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which partially mitigate the most severe risks posed by the BELA Act. Spokesperson Wynand Boshoff says the guidelines restrict the authority of the provincial head of department to interfere with schools’ language and admission policies, but do not fully address all concerns surrounding the act:

# Gaza’s Civil Defence Agency says Israeli forces killed at least 50 people gathered near an aid distribution site in Khan Yunis in the territory’s south today. Spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP more than 200 people were also wounded as thousands of Palestinians gathered to receive flour at a charity aid centre. He says Israeli drones fired at the citizens and some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at them. The Israeli Army told AFP it was looking into the incident.

# Motorsport: Thailand moved a step closer to staging Formula One on the streets of Bangkok after the cabinet formally approved a government bid to host a race today. The bid would see the Thai capital host races from 2028 to 2032, if it is successful when submitted to the sport’s governing body. Prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has held multiple meetings with F1 chief Stefano Domenicali in recent months to push the project forward, including last month in Monaco, home to the sport’s most storied famous race.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-83-cents and the euro at 20-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 106-thousand-87-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-395-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-46-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The National Sea Rescue Institute is calling on South Africans to take the Winter Solstice Plunge on Saturday, which is also the longest night of the year. South Africans are urged to take a sea dive or in a bucket of icy water as a symbolic challenge supporting life saving missions. The event raises funds for rescue operations, survival swim training, and water safety education. From coastal volunteers to inland supporters, all are urged to take the icy leap and make a real difference this winter.

Stay tuned for more news………….