News 12:00

BULLETIN 4 November 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Electoral Commission warns against election misinformation
# A man from Phalaborwa is arrested for photographing his marked ballot paper
# And Trump is surprised by the Republicans losing control of Congress

# Electoral Commission chairperson Mosotho Moepya has warned against the spreading of misinformation surrounding the municipal elections. He has called on the public and media practitioners to ensure responsible and accurate reporting of the electoral process. Moepya says no glitches have been reported since voting stations opened this morning, adding the process has so far proceeded without any reported technical disruptions:

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old man was arrested at a voting station in Lulekani, Limpopo, this morning for photographing his marked ballot paper, violating the Electoral Act. Police spokesperson Hlulani Mabasa says he will appear in court today. Police are searching for a second suspect who posted a similar picture on social media after being confronted. Mabasa says other election-related incidents were reported in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Elections news from abroad:

# US president Donald Trump says he is a little bit surprised by the outcome of the midterm elections. His Republican Party has lost control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Democrats managed to flip six key Republican-held Senate seats, winning races in Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa, North Carolina and South Carolina. Trump told Fox News he is prepared to reject legislation proposed by the Democratic-controlled Congress until both sides find common ground:

# Motorsport: Formula One team Haas has confirmed Esteban Ocon will not race for the team again this season, with no reasons given. The Frenchman was replaced at last weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix following the Friday’s practice session, apparently after a row with team principal Ayao Komatsu. Ferrari junior and Formula Two standings leader Rafael Camara, who has signed with Haas for next year, will replace Ocon at his home race, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, this weekend. He will partner British driver Ollie Bearman.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-49-cents and the euro at 18-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-23-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-232-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-30-dollars-31-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-52-sents a barrel.

# And finally: Australia’s world-first ban on social media accounts for children under 16 is facing its first major legal challenge in the High Court. Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project argue the law restricts young people’s right to participate in political debate and is unconstitutional. The government says the restrictions are justified to protect children from online harm. Nearly five-million accounts have been blocked across ten platforms since the ban took effect in December last year.

Stay tuned for more news………….