News 17:00

BULLETIN 24 November 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Zane Dangor highlights the advancing of Africa’s critical mineral sovereignty
# KZN’s premier links gender-based violence to male behaviour and calls for open dialogues
# And Cricket: Kane Williamson and Blair Tickner are back in the New Zealand Test side for the West Indies series

# Department of International Relations director-general Zane Dangor says the G20 framework ensures accountability and ethical management of Africa’s critical minerals. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Dangor highlighted that Africa’s resource wealth can now drive debates on sovereignty, trade, and financing at the United Nations, and World Bank. He added the framework aims to prevent the resource curse, promote resilient and ethical supply chains, and strengthen Africa’s position in global trade discussions:

# KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli has highlighted that gender-based violence and femicide are often linked to behavioural patterns among men. Ntuli urged creating platforms for men to express emotions rather than harming women and children. Ntuli called for partnership with the media to raise GBV awareness. He also cited alcohol and drugs as major contributors and called for police action to reduce substance abuse, to curb rising gender-based violence statistics:

# China called Japan’s plan to deploy missiles on an island near Taiwan a deliberate attempt to create regional tension and provoke confrontation.  It comes amid the worst diplomatic crisis in years, after Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger military response from Tokyo. Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry earlier said Japan had the right to take steps to protect its territory’s security.

# Cricket: New Zealand’s all-time leading Test run scorer, Kane Williamson, has been included in the 14-player squad to face the West Indies in a three-match series next month. He missed the August series against Zimbabwe. Fast bowlers Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes are included, as well as Blair Tickner, who returns to the Test side for the first time since 2023. The first Test begins in Christchurch next Tuesday. This is the Black Caps’ first series as part of the 2025 to ’27 World Test Championship.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-28-cents and the euro at 19-rand-94-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-270-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-82-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-92-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The South African Weather Service has issued Level two and four severe weather warnings for Johannesburg as intense thunderstorms persist. The alerts indicate a high risk of localised flooding, dangerous driving conditions, and rapidly rising water levels. Forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela predicts showers and thundershowers across the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, North West, northern Northern Cape, and high-lying areas of Mpumalanga. Residents are urged to monitor forecasts.

Stay tuned for more news………….