News 11:00

BULLETIN 16 February 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# African leaders call on M23 rebels to cease fire in the DRC
# Firefighters are battling mountain fire in the Banhoek Valley near Stellenbosch
# European leaders are set to hold an emergency summit on Ukraine

# The African Union Assembly of the Heads of State and Government expressed grave concern for the evolving situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This was discussed during the 38th Session of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Heads of State called upon the M23 rebels to cease fire to prevent additional loss of lives. The Assembly reaffirmed the urgent need for inclusive negotiations and political dialogue as the only solution to end conflicts on the Continent.

# The International Air Transport Association and 123Carbon have partnered to make their Sustainable Aviation Fuel registries compatible. This seeks to enhance transparency and preventing errors like double issuance. IATA’s Marie Owens Thomsen emphasised the importance of user trust and global alignment in decarbonising aviation. The collaboration focuses on unique data identifiers, information exchange, and dispute resolution. She emphasised that with IATA launching its SAF registry in April, this initiative supports standardisation and wider SAF adoption.

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape says firefighters along with their partners, continue to battle a mountain fire in the Banhoek Valley, Stellenbosch. The municipality’s spokesperson, Anesca Roodt says cooler temperatures overnight allowed for significant progress. She says however, the fire persists in hard-to-reach areas and has spread slightly into the Jonkershoek Valley:

# European leaders are set to meet next week for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine, in response to concerns the US is moving ahead with Russia on peace talks that will lock out the continent. British prime minister, Keir Starmer, who is expected to attend the summit in Paris, said it was clear Europe must take a greater role in Nato. It comes after Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine said European leaders would be consulted but not take part in any talks between US and Russia over ending the war.

# And, tennis: Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca yesterday  became the youngest clay-court finalist since Carlos Alcaraz in 2021 when he reached the championship final at the Argentina Open. The 18-year-old overcame Laslo Djere of Serbia 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 in a dramatic semifinal where he held his nerve having seen a match point saved by his experienced opponent in the ninth game of the second set. He will now face Francesco Cerondolo of Argentina in tonight’s final.

Stay tuned for more news………….