News 09:00

BULLETIN 18 December 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Parliament’s temporary structure will be ready for the State of the Nation
# A Fedsas report highlights the urgent need for public schools
# And aerial surveillance will keep Table Mountain safe for the festive season

# Department of Public Works and Infrastructure director-general, Sifiso Mdakane, says plans to provide Parliament with a new temporary home are beginning to take shape. Yesterday, he conducted the official site handover for the dome installation to the contractor in Cape Town. The dome will serve as the temporary home for Parliament for the next 24 months, whilst Parliament is being rebuilt following the fire two years ago. Mdakane says the setting up of the dome will take 24 days and will be ready for the State of the Nation address.

# A new report by the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools, Fedsas, urges swift action to build more public schools, especially in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Analysing data from 2009 to 2023, the report reveals pressing educational infrastructure challenges. Deputy chief executive, Riaan van der Bergh, emphasised to Newzroom Afrika the critical need to address overcrowding and ensure adequate resources for learners:

# A New York grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The 26-year-old has been charged with eleven counts including first-degree murder, and two counts of murder in the second degree, one of which describes the killing as an act of terrorism. Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, says Mangione is scheduled to appear for a court hearing on Thursday, over whether he will be extradited to New York on the charges:

# Soccer: Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior won Fifa’s men’s player of the year at the Fifa Best Awards in Doha. The Brazilian scored 24 goals across all competitions in the 2023-2024 season. Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award. The men’s coach of the year award went to Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti with the women’s award going to USA’s Emma Hayes. Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho won the best men’s goal of the year. Ancelotti says this sport has given him everything:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-8-cents and the euro at 18-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 103-thousand-915-dollars-1-cent. Gold sells at two-thousand-646-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-25-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the South African National Parks has deployed a helicopter to improve safety at Table Mountain National Park in the Western Cape during the festive season. The plan includes aerial surveillance, ground patrols, and collaborative efforts with the City of Cape Town and the police. SANParks says these efforts will ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the high number of visitors expected.

Stay tuned for more news………….