News 14:00

BULLETIN 8 January 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# High Court dismisses Information Regulator’s bid to halt publication of matric results
# SAMA threatens legal action over the unemployment crisis among junior doctors
# And Soccer: Dutch great Patrick Kluivert is appointed as the coach of Indonesia

# The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an urgent application by the Information Regulator to block the publication of the 2024 matric results in newspapers and digital platforms, with costs. The Department of Basic Education is now free to release the matric results for media publication as planned next week. Judge Ronel Tolmay ruled that the urgency of the case was self-created and that no evidence of harm to learners’ rights was presented:

# The South African Medical Association has criticised the government for not offering jobs to over one-thousand-800 junior doctors after they completed community service. The association is launching a nationwide survey to understand the crisis and is urging the government to provide jobs and increase healthcare funding. SAMA chairperson Mvuyisi Mzukwa has threatened legal action if the issue is not resolved:

Meanwhile, the South African Medical Association Trade Union has also expressed concern over the growing number of unemployed doctors who have completed their community service. Despite ongoing discussions with the National Department of Health, no concrete solution has been implemented. SAMATU condemned the Health minister’s suggestion that these doctors seek private practice or work abroad. SAMATU believes this statement undermines the public healthcare system.

# More than 14-thousand rescue workers have arrived in Tibet to continue the search for survivors after a strong earthquake killed at least 126 people in a remote part of western China. Chinese state media says more than 400 people were rescued since the quake struck some 80 kilometres from the base of Mount Everest, with thousands of homes destroyed. Earthquakes are common in the region, but Tuesday’s was one of the deadliest in recent years. The magnitude 7.1 quake was also felt in Nepal and parts of India.

# Soccer: Netherlands and Barcelona great Patrick Kluivert was named Indonesia coach and tasked with taking the country to their first World Cup since independence. The 48-year-old former striker inherits a side featuring mostly players born in the Netherlands and naturalised to play for the Southeast Asian nation. Indonesia have only been to the World Cup once, in 1938, when they were under Dutch colonial rule. The country gained independence in 1945. They are third in their qualifying group after one win and three draws in six games.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-81-cents and the euro at 19-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-41-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-481-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-653-dollars-3-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-40-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A hiker who went missing for nearly two weeks in New South Wales, Australia has been found alive, having survived on water from creeks, foraged berries and two muesli bars. Medical student Hadi Nazari went missing on Boxing Day after he wandered off to take photos during a hike with his friends in Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains region. Hundreds of people joined search efforts to locate the 23-year-old. He was found in good health, alert, able to speak and had no significant injuries.

Stay tuned for more news………….