News 09:00

BULLETIN 28 December 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom says the strategic use of peaking stations remains key in managing the electricity demand
# The UN secretary-general calls for calm in Mozambique following post-election violence
# And rugby: The Stormers and the Sharks face off in a URC coastal derby in Cape Town today

# Eskom says its strategic use of peaking stations, including pumped storage and open-cycle gas turbines, remains key in managing electricity demand during peak times, particularly in the evenings. Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says the unplanned capacity loss factor is at 24.92-percent for the financial year-to-date, improving from 32.97-percent in the corresponding period last year:

# United Nations secretary-general António Guterres has expressed concern over the post-election violence in Mozambique. Following the Constitutional Council’s confirmation of the election results, he urged political leaders to defuse tensions through dialogue and legal channels. Associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay says Guterres emphasises the need for a peaceful resolution to ensure Mozambique’s economic growth and sustainable future:

Meanwhile, at least two-thousand Mozambican families have fled to neighbouring Malawi this week to escape the violence. The death toll has reportedly reached 125 since the court’s decision, and over 252 since the election. Malawian authorities says the situation remains dire as the refugees need urgent humanitarian assistance.

# Nato plans to boost its presence in the Baltic Sea in an effort to curb suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable and four internet lines. Estonia earlier launched a naval operation to guard an electricity link. This follows Finland’s seizure of a ship carrying Russian oil, suspecting a link to an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable linking Estonia and fibre optic lines. Reuters reports Baltic Sea nations as being on high alert for acts of sabotage after a string of unexplained outages.

# And rugby: The Stormers will host the Sharks in Cape Town in a coastal derby in the United Rugby Championship today. The other two South African teams, the Bulls and the Lions, are enjoying a Christmas break this weekend. The Bulls are currently in fourth place on the log behind Leinster, defending champions Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff, followed by the Sharks, and the Lions in seventh place. The Stormers, who won the competition in the 2021/22-season, are languishing in thirteenth position.

Stay tuned for more news………….