News 16:00

BULLETIN 13 May 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The death toll in the George disaster rises to 27 
# Tshwane’s mayor visits the family of a five-year-old hijacking victim
# And rugby: The new Wallabies coach says the Springboks will pose a massive challenge

# The death toll in the George building collapse has risen to 27, as rescue operations continue tirelessly. Among the 81 individuals present during the collapse, 55 have been rescued, while 13 remain hospitalised, and 25 are still unaccounted for. Efforts to expedite the identification of the deceased are underway, and families with missing loved ones are urged to provide detailed information. The tragic incident has prompted a national call for psychosocial support practitioners to assist survivors.

# Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink says the death of five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane, killed during a hijacking in Soshanguve, is the worst tragedy he has encountered. He expressed deep condolences to the family and vowed to assist them. The mayor calls for national assistance and urged this tragedy to be a turning point in addressing crime. Brink emphasises the need for action to catch the perpetrators and improve road safety: 

# Western Cape MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, says the province continues to shine as a destination in high demand. Tourist arrivals to Cape Town by air recorded a 16-percent year-on-year increase between January and March this year, reaching 336-thousand-268 visitors. UK was the top overseas air market to Cape Town in the first quarter of this year, followed by Germany and the USA. Wenger says tourism is a cornerstone of the province’s strategic economic initiative Growth for Jobs:

# Israel battled Hamas in Gaza today, including in far-southern Rafah, despite US warnings against a full-scale invasion of the crowded city and of the threat of post-war anarchy across the Palestinian territory. Clashes also raged in northern and central areas of the besieged Gaza Strip as Israel prepared to mark a sombre Independence Day, beginning tonight. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Memorial Day event their war of independence is not over yet. Israel is commemorating its Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948.

# Rugby: New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is preparing for his first Tests in charge. The former coach of Ireland succeeded Eddie Jones, who won just two from nine Tests and failed to steer Australia into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time. The Aussies will host Wales and Georgia in July before turning their attention to the Rugby Championship, with two home games against South Africa. Schmidt says the Springboks will be a massive challenge:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-34-cents and the euro at 19-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-551-dollars-81-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-348-dollars-20-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-22-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….