Jacaranda FM Newswatch @ 19H00

0:00Yeah. Pretoria 26 degrees tomorrow, Johannesburg 24, Emela Lainey, 22. We begin with the turmoil in the Middle East. Earlier today, at the Energy Indraba in Cape Town, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Department of International Relations and Cooperation is working around the clock to identify the number of South African stranded in the Middle East among ongoing tensions there. He also called for a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. and Israel. Ramaphosa says the country is positioning itself as a stable and reliable maritime route as instability in the Middle East threatens global shipping lanes. Well, in the end, whenever there's turmoil around the world, we always find that we in the South become a safe passage. And we will give safe passage for boots and for ships that can come to our shores. Meanwhile, Dirkau emphasises that South Africans

1:02in the region have to register with their closest consular support or embassies. Another big story today, the deployment of soldiers to assist violent, ridden communities is expected to last a year. This is according to a mission plan presented to Parliament this morning. Now, the Minister of Defence, Angie Morceja, also said she has spoken to the President to ensure that communities don't fall back into chaos. Once violent elements have been removed. There's going to be a need for soft power to make sure that we can have communities to rebuild themselves with this kind of violence, also undermines or tears the fabric of the community. Andolanses are still streaming in, after news of the death of the anti-apartheid activist and leader of COPE, Moziwa Lakota. He passed away at the age of 77 this morning. Now, in a statement, the Congress of the People Party described his death as a profound loss to the party and the nation. He was a veteran of the Liberation Struggle

2:02and a former Minister of Defence. He then broke away from the ANC in 2008 to form COPE. Moving abroad, Danish shipping giant Marx says it's suspending bookings in the Gulf. Until further notice, it follows a risk assessment as the Middle East conflict spreads across the region. The company added that exceptions will be made for critical food stuff, medicine and other essential goods. They also added that the measure doesn't apply to Jordan and Lebanon. Speaking about Lebanon, we've also learned that Israeli strikes on the country killed 72 people since Monday. The Lebanese authorities also say that more than 83,000 people have been displaced by Israeli strikes allegedly targeting his polar targets in the country. And finally, the Minister of Sports and Culture, Gaiton Mackenzie, said its all systems go for the country to host the first live golf series tournament in Africa. It will be held in Stain City, Johannesburg.

3:04Love golf is projected to generate close to one billion rent in economic activity. To tourism, hospitality, local spending, take-vation and international exposure. Mackenzie briefed the media in Pretoria today. That's it for myself and the rest of the team. Our full news, bulletins are online. Click on jackpot or read about the latest developments when you click on news.