News 17:00

BULLETIN 19 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The GOOD Party calls for diplomacy over disinformation as South Africa visits Washington
# A teacher is sentenced to life for the rape of a learner in Worcester
# And soccer: The UDM applauds Amajita’s historic Under-20 AFCON victory

# The GOOD Party says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington DC this week, is a key moment to rebuild ties with the US and correct false claims about South Africa. Ramaphosa is expected to meet president Donald Trump on Wednesday, with land reform, trade, and foreign policy high on the agenda. GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron says land is being expropriated fairly and with compensation, despite some groups in the US spreading disinformation:

# The Worcester Regional Court in the Boland has sentenced teacher Jeremy Claasen to life imprisonment for the rape of a Grade 8 learner during school hours. According to the state, Claasen groomed the victim before assaulting her in his classroom. His alibi was dismissed and the court found no grounds for leniency, citing his abuse of authority. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila says the victim received support from the Thuthuzela Care Centre throughout the trial:

# Seven schoolgirls, aged 13 to 15, appeared in a Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court today on charges of common assault. Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo says they were arrested for assaulting a 14-year-old learner in Bellevue. This follows a video gone viral earlier this month. Masondo confirmed the girls were later released into their parents’ custody under the Child Justice Act. The incident has sparked public concern over school violence and the role of social media in exposing such acts.

# Soccer: The United Democratic Movement has hailed South Africa’s Under-20 national team, Amajita, for winning the Under-20 AFCON title for the first time, in Egypt last night. Amajita wrote their redemption story 28-years later since they last reached the final of the continental youth showpiece in 1997, suffering defeat to Morocco. UDM’s acting secretary-general, Zandile Phiri, has urged investment in grassroots sports to nurture more young talent:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-7-cents and the euro at 20-rand-34-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 102-thousand-446-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-232-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

# And finally: British mountaineer Kenton Cool has scaled Mount Everest for the 19th time, breaking his own record for the most climbs up the world’s tallest mountain for a non-sherpa. The 51-year-old, who was accompanied by Nepali sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, reached the eight-thousand-849-metre-high summit yesterday. Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has summited it almost yearly since. Gyaljen logged his 23rd climb up Everest. Another Nepali sherpa, Kami Rita, holds the record for making the most Everest summits at 30, and is also currently on the mountain attempting to set a new record.

Stay tuned for more news………….