News 15:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 31 december 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The SIU uncovers corruption in the Free State’s international bursary scheme
# The US Treasury says it’s been hacked by China in a major incident
# And tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka shows her class in Brisbane

# The Special Investigating Unit is probing the Free State’s controversial international bursary programme. The programme was intended to support disadvantaged students, but later faced criticism as beneficiaries struggled to secure employment with their international qualifications. The investigation has so far uncovered mismanagement and corruption. Provincial government spokesperson Matshediso Setai told SABC News the programme has cost government 3.9-billion-rand to date:

# The Johannesburg police have mandated liquor outlets and entertainment venues in the CDB to close by 6 pm tonight. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, Mgcini Tshwaku, cites public safety, crime reduction and avoidance of drinking and driving as priorities for the New Year celebrations. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Tshwaku urged South Africans to celebrate responsibly to ensure a safe transition into 2025:

# The Western Cape’s six major dams are still at over 90-percent of their capacity despite a slight drop. The combined water level dropped from 93.4-percent to 90.7-percent compared to 91.1-percent last year. The largest dam, Theewaterskloof, is at 90.3-percent, while Voëlvlei is at 92.7-percent. Recent unseasonal rainfall has helped, and although summer weather is now arriving, the province’s water supply remains strong.

# American officials say a Chinese state-sponsored hacker broke into the US Treasury Department’s systems earlier this month and was able to access employee workstations and some unclassified documents. The breach is deemed a major incident. The hackers are believed to have been seeking information, rather than attempting to steal funds. The Treasury had been working with the FBI and other agencies to investigate the impact of the hack. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy told BBC News the accusation is a smear attack and without any factual basis.

# Tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka started her Brisbane International singles campaign with a 6-4, 6-love win over Renata Zarazua of Mexico today. The Belarusrian is using the tournament to kickstart her bid to win the Australian Open for a third consecutive time. Today’s match was a prelude at the Pat Rafter Arena for later men’s matches involving Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic. Djokovic and Kyrgios yesterday won their first-round doubles match.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-80-cents and the euro at 19-rand-58-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-59-cents and Bitcoin trades at 93-thousand-948-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-613-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….