News 17:00

BULLETIN 1 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A manhunt is launched after a farm manager was murdered near Porterville in the Western Cape
# Joe Biden’s family urges him to stay in the White House
# And cricket: India beats the Protea women by 10 wickets in their one-off Test

# Police in the Western Cape have launched a manhunt following a fatal farmhouse robbery on the Tevrede farm in Porterville. According to News24, five armed men entered the farmhouse, where they fatally stabbed a farm manager. They ransacked the premises and fled with firearms, ammunition, and mobile devices. The victim’s wife managed to escape unharmed. Agri Western Cape has expressed outrage, advocating for enhanced rural security measures to protect farming communities. Police are appealing to the public for any information that could assist in apprehending the murderers.

Meanwhile, the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation warns of increased evictions and exploitation of farm workers under newly appointed Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen. It criticised the DA’s poor relationship with labour unions and lack of compassion for farm workers. Amid concerns of neglect and heightened vulnerability under the new leadership, the organisation’s executive director, Billy Claasen, urges immediate action from the government to protect farm workers’ rights:

# The George Municipality says following the council’s approval of the budget in May, electrical tariffs are increasing by 12.72-percent from today. The Southern Cape municipality’s spokesperson, Chantel Edwards-Klose, says they conducted the required cost studies before increasing the tariffs, while the National Energy Regulator also issued the necessary approval last week:

# Joe Biden’s family has urged the US president not to quit the election campaign. This comes amidst donors discussing the alternatives should he pull out following his disastrous performance in last week’s first presidential debate with Donald Trump. His wife, Jill, and son Hunter both insisted he should stay in the race as he’s the best-placed candidate to defeat Trump. It was a view echoed by the rest of the family, who instead blamed the president’s advisers for failing to prepare him properly. Biden’s campaign managers insist he can still win the November election.

# Cricket: India beat the Protea Women by 10 wickets in their one-off Test in Chennai. The hostesses declared their first innings on a mammoth 603 for six and then forced the visitors to follow on after bowling them out for 266. In South Africa’s second innings, captain Laura Wolvaardt and Suné Luus both scored centuries, but the team could only muster 373. India reached the target of 37 without losing a wicket. The two teams will now face off in three T20s, starting on Friday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-18-cents and the euro at 19-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-657-dollars-74-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-327-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….