News 07:00

BULLETIN 3 January 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The UDM calls for strengthened sexual education in schools
# Economists expect South Africa’s economy to improve in 2025
# And Cricket: The Proteas make three changes for the second Test starting at Newlands today

# The United Democratic Movement  is deeply alarmed by reports of a 13-year-old girl giving birth on Christmas Day and a 12-year-old on New Year’s Day. The party’s Yongama Zigede says the UDM is urgently calling for strengthened sexual education in schools and improved access to youth-friendly healthcare services. He says these cases highlight South Africa’s ongoing crisis of teenage pregnancies, reflecting systemic failures in education, healthcare, and social support:

Meanwhile, the Family Policy Institute director, Errol Naidoo, says broken family structures are a leading cause of South Africa’s high teenage pregnancy rate. This comes after alarming figures and a statutory rape charge. Speaking to the SABC, Naidoo links the lack of father figures to increased teen pregnancies, and school dropouts. He calls for urgent action to stop this scourge:

# Economists have predicted a positive outlook for South Africa’s economy in 2025, with growth projected at 2.2-percent. Key factors driving this include improved consumer spending, lower inflation, and better export performance. Structural improvements in electricity, logistics, and fiscal policies are expected to further support growth, while inflation is expected to remain below 4.5-percent by year-end. However, economists have warned that geopolitical risks, particularly post-US election policies and potential tariffs, could affect growth and inflation.

# The chief of Gaza’s Hamas-run police force and his deputy are among 11 people killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp sheltering displaced families. The Hamas-run interior ministry condemned what it called the “assassination” of Mahmoud Salah and Hussam Shahwan, while Israel’s military confirmed it had carried out a strike targeting Shahwan. Meanwhile cold and wet weather has worsened conditions in the makeshift camps for displaced families. The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said more than one-thousand-500 tents across Gaza have been flooded by rainwater and sewage since Tuesday.

# Cricket: The Proteas have made three changes to the team that take on Pakistan in the second Test starting at Newlands in Cape Town this morning. Eighteen-year old Kwena Maphaka will become South Africa’s youngest Test player and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and spinner Keshav Maharaj are back in the team. They replace injured batter Tony de Zorzi, all-rounder Corbin Bosch and fast bowler Dane Paterson. This is South Africa’s last Test before the final of the World Test Championship in June at Lord’s. Play starts at 10:30.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-69-cents and the euro at 19-rand-19-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-16-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-897-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-663-dollars-27-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-4-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….