News 09:00

BULLETIN 22 January 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A political analyst says the elections must be about believability
# Ron DeSantis ends his presidential campaign and endorses Donald Trump
# And golf, Rory McIlroy wins the Dubai Desert Classic for a record fourth time

# Given the public’s frustration with corruption and incompetence, which are eroding South Africa’s potential, it’s not surprising that political parties will try to present solutions to voters. This is the view of political analyst Mpumelelo Mkhabela. Political parties have regularly spoken against corruption and the need for ethical leadership in public institutions. In an opinion piece for News24, Mkhabela says the reality is that anyone can make the promise to rid the country of corruption and incompetence, but the difference to a discerning voter is believability.

# The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has resolved to pilot the student accommodation project in 17 universities and 23 TVET Colleges for the 2024 academic year. The process will ensure that service providers provide student accommodation that is accessible, decent, safe, and academically conducive for all students. The scheme’s spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, says they have already communicated the list of all the accredited accommodation providers in each institution to a campus level, which shows where beds are available:

# The DA in Johannesburg says another devastating fire in the CBD underscores the urgent need for proactive measures. Two people died and four others were injured in a fire at a residential building in Commissioner Street yesterday. The DA’s, Michael Sun, says the city needs to urgently address the threat of unlawfully occupied buildings as they pose a significant threat:

# Florida governor Ron DeSantis has ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsed former president Donald Trump. This comes ahead of the New Hampshire primary tomorrow. He finished second in last week’s Iowa Republican caucuses. The departure of DeSantis leaves former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as the lone Trump alternative in the race. DeSantis says it is clear that a majority of Republican voters want to give Trump another chance, and he is the only one able to beat president Joe Biden.

# Golf: Defending champion Rory McIlroy won the Dubai Desert Classic by one shot to become the first four-time winner of the event. Poland’s Adrian Meronk finished second, and American Cameron Young, the overnight leader going into Sunday, finished two shots back in third. The 34-year-old Northern Irishman’s victory follows his runner-up finish at the Dubai Invitational last weekend. McIlroy says he is now looking to build towards this year’s majors, which start with the Masters in April:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-3-cents and the euro at 20-rand-76-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 41-thousand-and-3-dollars-68-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-26-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-25-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….