News 16:00

BULLETIN 15 January 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Forum 4 Service Delivery is to contest the local government elections under the ActionSA banner
# The Gauteng Education Department urges patience as placements for late registrations continue
# And Rugby: The former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper comes out of retirement

# ActionSA has merged with Forum 4 Service Delivery to form a united front for the local government elections in 2026. Both parties believe unity and shared leadership are essential to tackle the country’s issues, including corruption, ineffective governance, and electoral reform. ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont told the media the merger aims to create a stronger opposition to the government of national unity:

# The Gauteng Education Department has received approximately 40-thousand complete late registrations for grades 1 and 8 ahead of the 31 January deadline. Education MEC Matome Chiloane advises parents to apply to available schools with the correct documentation. The MEC also confirmed plans to ease overcrowding with 625 mobile units in high-pressure areas. He gave the assurance that all learners will be placed:

# Mozambique has a fifth president following the swearing in of Daniel Chapo amid unrest over disputed election results. President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Guinea-Bissau president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, are the only heads of state present. Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane called for mass protests, claiming the election was rigged. Chapo is expected to announce his new government this week. He has pledged stability.

# Elon Musk’s SpaceX is gearing up for the seventh orbital flight test of Starship, the colossal prototype rocket the company hopes will help humans colonize Mars. A launch window from the company’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, opens tonight. Space enthusiasts will be eager to see if SpaceX can replicate the stunning feat of catching the first-stage Super Heavy booster in the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms during descent, approximately seven minutes after liftoff. It was successfully achieved in October but not during the following flight in November.

# Rugby: Ex-Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper is coming out of retirement to play for Japan’s Toyota Verblitz after receiving a call from former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. The 33-year-old played the last of his 125 Tests in 2023 before being unceremoniously axed by then-coach Eddie Jones ahead of the Rugby World Cup. He turned to Rugby Sevens but called time on his playing career in June after missing out on selection for the Paris Olympics. Hooper captained the Wallabies a record 69 times.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-86-cents and the euro at 19-rand-44-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-4-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-565-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-685-dollars-59-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-48-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….