News 07:00

BULLETIN 18 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Unisa is probing over 1,400 cases of academic dishonesty
# Netanyahu says Israel will make its own decisions on how to attack Iran
# And cricket: The Sri Lanka women stun the Proteas with a record run chase

# The University of South Africa says it is investigating over one-thousand-400 cases of academic dishonesty including plagiarism. There has been an outcry from students about the efficacy of programmes such as the Invigilator App used during online exams. The university’s vice principal for Institutional Development, Ramagoai Magano, says they also take seriously allegations that acting chief financial officer, doctor Reshma Mathura, solicited and received bribes from students:

# A political analyst has warned the DA it could lose the support of Muslims due to its perceived pro-Israel stance. Professor André Duvenhage of the North West University says Muslims were irked by DA leader John Steenhuisen’s comment that one man’s genocide was another’s freedom. Duvenhage says some even called for a fatwa to prohibit people of the faith from voting for the DA. He points out the party also dismissed Ghaleb Cachalia as a member of its shadow cabinet over a tweet regarding the Middle East conflict.

# Western Cape MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, has condemned the fatal shooting of a police officer in Atlantis. The 44-year-old sergeant and his partner were responding to a domestic violence complaint when during a scuffle, the suspect took the service pistol of the deceased officer and fatally shot him. Reagen says he is dismayed at this senseless act:

# DA Emfuleni North constituency head, Kingsol Chabalala, has criticised Emfuleni Local Municipality for spending over 20-million-rand on 19 suspended public officials. This revelation comes from Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mzi Khumalo. Chabalala notes that one employee suspended for four years and eight months has been paid over three-million-rand. Chabalala says the inability to resolve the 19 cases dating back to 2019 is unacceptable and demonstrates an incapable system that needs reform. He emphasised the financial strain on ratepayers and the need to prioritise service delivery.

# Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will make its own decisions on how to respond to Iran’s unprecedented aerial strikes over the past weekend. He met with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron in Jerusalem yesterday. There are concerns that Israel’s retaliation could plunge the region into a full-scale war. Cameron says he hopes that anything Israel does is limited and targeted. Netanyahu says his government would do everything necessary to defend itself.

# Cricket: Sri Lanka completed the highest successful chase in women’s One Day Internationals, defeating South Africa by six wickets in the third and final ODI in Potchefstroom. Captain Laura Wolvaardt smashed an unbeaten 184, the highest-ever ODI score by an SA woman, to lead her side to 301 for five. In reply, captain Chamari Athapaththu scored an unbeaten 195, the third-highest individual women’s ODI, as the visitors reached the target and drew the three-match series one-all.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-98-cents and the euro at 20-rand-27-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-499-dollars-59-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-371-dollars-45-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-45-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….