News 11:00
BULLETIN 14 January 11 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# President Ramaphosa says the tourism sector has great potential
# AfriForum is concerned about learners disappearing from the education system
# And Biden says a ceasefire deal in Gaza is within reach
# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government of national unity has identified the growth of tourism as a vital part of creating employment. In 2023, South Africa recorded around 8.5-million international tourist arrivals. These visitors spent over 95-billion-rand. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa says the government is scaling up tourism promotion strategies to restore inbound tourism figures to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels. He says these include improving the tourism visa regime, streamlining the tour operator license process, and improving safety and security at tourism sites.
# AfriForum says the country’s 87.3-percent matric pass rate in the 2024 National Senior Certificate examinations is an excellent achievement, but there are concerns. It says it is concerned about the group of learners who disappeared from the school system before they could even write the matric exam. AfriForum’s, Alana Bailey, says the number of matriculants who wrote the exam is 36-percent less than the number who were in Grade 1 in 2013:
# A high-level delegation from the ministries of Police and Mineral Resources and Energy will visit Stilfontein in the North West today, following the commencement of rescue operations at Buffelsfontein Gold Mine. To date, over one-thousand-500 illegal miners have resurfaced and were arrested. Since the rescue operation started on Monday, 26 zama zamas were brought to the surface and arrested as well as nine bodies. The ministries say since the implementation of Operation Vala Umgodi in the province, significant success has been made in curbing illegal mining activities.
# US president Joe Biden says his administration is pressing hard to close on ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. According to the Israeli government, Hamas still holds 94 of the 251 hostages taken from Israel, including at least 34 of whom are dead. Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks for more than a year mediated by Qatar, the US and Egypt. Biden says the contours of the ceasefire deal matched a proposal he made a few months ago:
# Tennis: 2024 Australian Open quarterfinalist Taylor Fritz is through to the second round for the seventh consecutive year. The American defeated compatriot Jenson Brooksby, 6-2, 6-0, 6-3. Italy’s Matteo Berrettini fired 32 aces as he overcame Briton Cameron Norrie 6-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. In the women’s draw, 2023 finalist Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan booked her spot in the second round following a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Australian wildcard Emerson Jones. There were also wins for British number two Emma Raducanu, American Emma Navarro, and Russian Daria Kasatkina.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-96-cents and the euro at 19-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-038-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-669-dollars-25-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-76-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….