News 12:00

BULLETIN 12 February 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Solidarity is to launch a campaign against South Africa’s race-based laws
# A kidnapped nine-year-old East London girl is reunited with her family
# And cricket: Australia’s Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the Champions Trophy

# Solidarity says it will launch a comprehensive national and international campaign against South Africa’s race-based laws, including affirmative action and broad-based black economic empowerment. Solidarity’s Jaco Kleynhans says their action plan includes pressuring the government to change the country’s race laws and liaising with the G20 countries to put South Africa’s race-based laws on the agenda. He says they will also request the International Labour Organisation to appoint a special rapporteur to send to the country:

# Nine-year-old Emaan Fatima Ghumman, who was kidnapped outside Dreamland Primary School in Buffalo Flats, East London, last Tuesday, has been reunited with her family. She was reportedly dropped off near a police station in the early hours of this morning. The family confirmed Emaan is traumatised and receives treatment following the ordeal. Police are investigating the incident.

# A teacher has fatally stabbed an eight-year-old girl at an elementary school in Daejeon in South Korea. The girl was found with stab wounds on the second floor of a school building and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The teacher was found beside her with stab wounds that police say might be self-inflicted. According to the education office the teacher requested a six-month leave of absence citing depression, but returned after 20 days when a doctor assessed her as being fit to work.

# The United Nations Climate Change body is urging countries to submit new climate targets by September. This comes as China, India, and the European Union are among big polluters that have missed the deadline. Under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, countries must submit detailed plans very five years, with clear targets for cutting emissions, or curbing them in the case of poorer countries. The UN’s Simon Stiell says the G20 group is responsible for about 80-percent of global emissions:

# Cricket: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the Champions Trophy in Pakistan for personal reasons. This means Australia will be without their entire World Cup-winning frontline pace attack for the tournament, which starts next Wednesday. This follows after injuries had already ruled out Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh, alongside the retirement of Marcus Stoinis. Steve Smith will captain the team in Cummins’ absence.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-44-cents and the euro at 19-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-211-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-890-dollars-24-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-28-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….