News 14:00

BULLETIN 20 December 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# New measures are in place to ease the Lebombo border congestion in Mpumalanga
# Malaysia agrees to a new search for the plane that went missing with 239 people ten years ago
# And rugby: The Stormers welcome back five Springboks to face the Lions

# The Border Management Authority says plans are in place to tackle traffic at the Lebombo border post in Mpumalanga. Commissioner Michael Masiapato told Newzroom Afrika South African and Mozambican officials will collaborate, while the deployment of drones will commence for the first time after being launched by Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber. He says political unrest and illegal migration remain key concerns and is being monitored:

# The Health Department has urged the public to remain calm following a surge in rubella cases, with over ten-thousand reported this year, mostly in children under 15-years old. Gauteng and the Western Cape have recorded the highest numbers. Parents are advised to watch for symptoms such as rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says while rubella is a mild illness in children, it poses severe risks to pregnant women and their unborn babies:

# Malaysia’s cabinet has agreed to a proposal to launch a new search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared mysteriously ten years ago. The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people vanished from radar screens on 8 March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Transport minister Anthony Loke says the government agreed to a proposal from a company based in the United States and the United Kingdom, Ocean Infinity, to proceed with the search in a new area estimated at 15-thousand square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean.

# Rugby: Springbok hooker Deon Fourie returns from injury to captain the Stormers in tomorrow’s United Rugby Championship clash with the Lions in Cape Town. Bok lock Salmaan Moerat will earn his 50th cap. Three other Boks, Manie Libbok, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Ben-Jason Dixon, have all recovered from concussion to take their place in a starting line-up which will also feature Test tighthead prop Frans Malherbe. Director of rugby John Dobson says having five Boks return from injury is a timely boost ahead of such a big game.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-38-cents and the euro at 19-rand-9-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-1-cent and Bitcoin trades at 94-thousand-661-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-605-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-80-cents a barrel.

# And finally: King Charles’s cancer treatment will continue into the new year. Sky News quotes palace sources that his treatment has been moving in a positive direction and the treatment cycle will continue into next year. The source added the king will continue with his busy schedule of public engagements, including during the festive period. Buckingham Palace announced in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The monarch personally took the decision to share his diagnosis and his experience, in the hope it may help others.

Stay tuned for more news………….