News 06:00

BULLETIN 16 February 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says countries that did not support the International Court of Justice case are now worried about the Palestinians
# Israel’s special forces carry out a raid on the largest functioning hospital in Gaza
# And in rugby: The United Rugby Championship returns with the Bulls looking for victory at Ellis Park

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has affirmed his administration’s continued support for the people of Gaza. He told a joint sitting of Parliament that many countries who had criticised South Africa’s application to the International Court of Justice were now calling on Israel to stop the killing of Palestinians. He says government will continue to work for peace on the continent and around the world. South Africa on Tuesday lodged an urgent petition to the International Court to intervene after Israel’s announcement that it was extending its military operation in Rafah.

Meanwhile, Israeli special forces raided Nasser Hospital in Gaza, the largest functioning hospital in the enclave, after laying siege to the facility for days. The Israel Defence Force said it had detained several suspects in Thursday’s raid. Doctors Without Borders said Israeli forces shelled the hospital early Thursday, killing and injuring an undetermined number of people. Doctors and medical officials in southern Gaza told CNN that Israeli snipers earlier had shot dead a number of people as they tried to flee the Nasser hospital.

# Ramaphosa also affirmed the government’s commitment to contribute to peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts in Africa. Personnel from the South African National Defence Force are deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a Southern African Development Community peace-keeping mission, with two soldiers being killed and three wounded in a mortar bomb attack this week. Ramaphosa replied to the State of the Nation debate in Parliament and saluted the courage of the members who faced great dangers to promote peace and stability in Africa:

# Tourism minister Patricia de Lille has clarified that tourists can still apply for visa extensions, amidst concerns over a recent memo from Home Affairs. The memo suggested tourists without visa renewals should prepare to depart by next week. De Lille confirmed discussions with minister Aaron Motsoaledi, clarifying the memo’s internal nature and its applicability to Border Management Authority officials. She says tourists with extension applications and receipts are unaffected by the memo’s directive.

# Umkhonto we Sizwe Youth League will march in Pretoria today to address student housing and National Student Financial Aid Scheme issues. Starting at nine from Church Square, the demonstrators are expected to move via Paul Kruger Street to the offices of the Department of Higher Education. Other affected streets include Pretorius, Sophie de Bruyn, and Frances Baard. Motorists are advised to use alternative routes like Kgosi Mampuru, Bosman, and WF Nkomo Streets. Tshwane Metro Police and police will monitor the march.

# Rugby: The United Rugby Championship returns after a three-week break this weekend, and local fans will be treated to two South African derbies. The Sharks will host the Stormers at Kings Park in Durban, while Ellis Park will be the venue for the Jukskei derby between the Lions and the Bulls. The Pretoria team beat their neighbours 30-28 at Loftus Versfeld in round nine of the competition, and Bulls co-captain Marcell Coetzee says they are heading south with a heightened focus for the return fixture:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-96-cents and the euro at 20-rand-42-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 51-thousand-998-dollars-23-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-3-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-69-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….