News 13:00

BULLETIN 29 January 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC commits to advancing education, healthcare and research to empower the youth
# Late applications for Grades 1 and 8 in Gauteng close tomorrow
# And cricket: The four teams in the Under 19 Women’s T20 World Cup semifinals are confirmed

# The ANC is committed to improving access to quality education, especially in rural areas, and strengthening healthcare services for all citizens. Key initiatives include increasing funding for early childhood development, improving school infrastructure, and tackling healthcare challenges like HIV, Tuberculosis, and teenage pregnancies. ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula told the media the party also plans to invest in skills development, especially for the youth, to equip them for the digital economy:

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Department of Education is reminding parents that the 2025 online admissions late application period for Grades 1 and Grade 8 will close tomorrow. This period accommodated parents who were unable to apply for their children during the online admissions application period between July and August last year. The department’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, says to date, a total of 32-thousand-587 late online applicants have been placed:

# The National Council of SPCA’s Special Projects Unit is on the hunt for a group of teenagers after a dog was rescued from a fight in Johannesburg. A team of inspectors were travelling on the N12 when they noticed a commotion at the side of the highway. They saw a dog fight in progress and rushed to the animals’ aid. The SPCA’s Jacques Peacock says a pitbull-type dog suffered severe injuries:

# Cricket: The four teams in the semifinals of the Under 19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia had been confirmed even before the Super Six stage was completed. This means tomorrow’s Super Six match between Ireland and Nigeria, and the one between Australia and Sri Lanka, both in Bangi, are only of academic interest. South Africa, India, Australia and England will play in the semifinals, both taking place in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. The young Proteas have impressed in the tournament so far, winning all their matches.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-67-cents and the euro at 19-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-22-cents and Bitcoin trades at 102-thousand-570-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-762-dollars-15-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Today is the Chinese New Year, which is a holiday that celebrates the beginning of the year on the traditional Chinese calendar. This year is the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese zodiac, which is a symbol of wisdom, elegance, and intuition. Festivities span over 15 days and conclude with the Lantern Festival on February 12th. As red is considered a lucky colour in Chinese culture, people often decorate their homes and public spaces during Chinese New Year with lots of red lanterns and other festive decorations.

Stay tuned for more news………….