News 12:00

BULLETIN 11 November 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Basic Education Committee requests a detailed breakdown of outstanding BELA policy reviews
# COSATU calls the salary increase for public representatives “tone-deaf”
# And rugby: More injury problems for the Blitzboks before the new season

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Basic Education has requested a detailed list of schools that have not yet completed reviews of their admission and language policies, along with reasons for these outstanding reviews. This relates to the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. Committee chairperson Joy Maimela says the Department of Basic Education informed the committee that while there is progress in implementing the provisions of the Act, there are challenges. She says these include shortfalls in funding, infrastructure and capacity of provincial education departments:

# Union federation COSATU has criticised president Cyril Ramaphosa’s approval of salary increases for public office-bearers, calling the move “tone-deaf” and “beyond shameful”. Members of the national executive, National Assembly, and permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces will receive a 3.5-percent increase. Four-percent increase is earmarked for judges and magistrates in the Constitutional Court and other courts. COSATU’s Matthew Parks says they support the increase adjustment for magistrates, arguing that they are a skilled professional group whose retention is important:

# The South African government has filed an application for leave to appeal a Malawian court ruling that stopped Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary’s extradition to South Africa. Last month, the Malawian High Court set aside an order that paved the way for the extradition. In court papers, government argues the judge improperly rejected documentary evidence and failed to assess whether the available material was sufficient to warrant a trial in South Africa. The couple face fraud and money laundering charges.

# US federal prosecutors have charged three Iranian-backed operatives with terrorism-related offences. This is for their alleged involvement in nearly 20 attacks in Europe and the US, as well as a terrorist plot targeting the UK’s Fairford Airbase in September. The men have been identified as dual Iranian-Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri, and Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani. FBI director Kash Patel says the eight-count indictment shows Iran’s determination to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the US.

# Rugby: The Blitzboks have suffered more injuries before the new season, with playmaker Shilton van Wyk and captain Impi Visser now also on the sidelines. Forwards Zander Reynders and Jayden Nel were injured earlier. Coach Philip Snyman says there is a possibility that Visser will be ready for this month’s first tournament in Dubai. Snyman plans to use the first six tournaments to build depth, and the last three for Olympic qualification:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents and the euro at 18-rand-44-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-4-cents and Bitcoin trades at 73-thousand-865-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-59-dollars-61-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 94-dollars-22-sents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….