News 18:00

BULLETIN 3 September 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A deputy principal faces rape charges in Bronkhorstspruit
# The National Consumer Commission recalls Ford, BMW, Volkswagen and Hino vehicles over safety defects
# And cricket: Laura Wolvaardt leads the squad of 15 Proteas to the Women’s World Cup

# A deputy principal at a primary school in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng, appeared in the local Magistrate’s Court facing three counts of raping an eight-year-old learner. The alleged abuse came to light after the child’s mother noticed unusual behavior and reported it to police. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Lumka Mahanjana says the case was postponed to next Thursday for a bail hearing:

# The National Consumer Commission has announced recalls for the Ford Mustang, Ford Transit Custom, BMW X3, Volkswagen Polo, and Hino 500 series buses. The recalls are due to critical safety faults, including faulty fuel pumps, airbags, headrests, rear axles, and steering components. The commission’s Phetho Ntaba urged owners to take their vehicles to authorised dealerships for free safety repairs to ensure safety on the road:

# The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association says Eskom has reached 100 consecutive days without load-shedding, crediting the milestone to the utility’s improvements and the rapid growth of solar energy, which has reduced demand on the national grid and strengthened energy security. The association’s CEO, Rethabile Melamu, calls for further investment in solar and storage technologies to ensure a stable and sustainable power supply for South Africans.

# Cricket: Laura Wolvaardt will lead a squad of 15 Proteas to the Women’s one-day World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, starting on the 30th. She will be able to draw on the experience of players such as Chloé Tryon, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus, and explosive batter Tazmin Brits. Seventeen-year-old Karabo Meso is one of the wicketkeepers, with 20-year-old allrounder Miané Smit named as travelling reserve. South Africa’s first match is against England in Guwahati on the third of October.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-64-cents and the euro at 20-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-72-cents and Bitcoin trades at 111-thousand-334-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-561-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-52-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The European Union has banned gel nail polishes containing the chemical known as TPO from nail salons, citing fertility and cancer risks. The chemical hardens polish under UV light but is now classified as toxic to reproduction in humans. Salons in the EU must immediately stop using TPO products, including getting rid of existing stock. Manufacturers are reformulating gel polishes with safer alternatives. While the ban currently applies in the EU, health experts urge caution amid rising concerns over toxic chemicals in everyday cosmetics.

Stay tuned for more news………….