News 11:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 16 December 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Basic Education Department appeals matric results publication ban
# Joint operations lead to arrests in a Gauteng child pornography case
# And, tennis: Novak Djokovic may backtrack on his scheduled plan to retire

# The Department of Basic Education has filed a High Court application to overturn the Information Regulator’s enforcement notice banning the publication of matric results in newspapers. The Department’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga argues that its current format, using only exam numbers, complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act and prior court rulings:

Meanwhile. AfriForum has expressed delight that the 2024 matric results will be published in the media, following a court ruling ensuring that this practice continues. .AfriForum’s Alana Bailey emphasises the public interest value of transparency and credits prior legal victories for safeguarding the tradition, benefiting matriculants nationwide:

# A collaborative effort between the police, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and US Homeland Security resulted in the arrest of two suspects in Gauteng on child pornography-related charges. The 49-year-old man and a former teacher, face serious allegations, including sexual grooming. Authorities seised electronic devices linked to these crimes. Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk says both suspects will appear in the Pretoria Central Magistrate’s Court tomorrow:

# Tennis: Novak Djokovic looks set to step up his tournament appearances in 2025, as he appears to be preparing to backtrack on his plan to become a part-time tennis player. Djokovic made it clear that he had limited motivation to play in tournaments outside of Grand Slams for most of 2024, with some unexpected defeats in ATP Tour events highlighting that lack of focus. He skipped several tournaments he may have been expected to play in and ended his season by pulling out of the ATP Finals with an injury.

# And, finally: The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund reports 80-percent of children under five were registered globally in the past five-years. However, 150-million children remain unregistered, over half in sub-Saharan Africa. Executive director Catherine Russell highlights birth registration’s role in legal protection and access to essential services. Russell praised success stories including Botswana’s universal registration and Côte d’Ivoire surpassing 90-percent. However, barriers like high costs, discrimination, and weak political commitment persist, threatening future progress, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Stay tuned for more news………….