News 08:00

BULLETIN 2 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# John Steenhuisen says the DA is committed to fighting for urgent reforms within the government of national unity
# Freedom Front Plus urges South Africans to vote in the local government elections
# And, Russia claims it has evidence of Ukraine targeting Putin’s private home

# DA leader John Steenhuisen says the party is committed to fighting for urgent reforms within the government of national unity to ensure that opportunities are expanded for many South Africans. In his New Year’s Day message, he stated that the DA’s priorities in 2026 remain clear: service delivery, jobs, safety, and tackling corruption. Steenhuisen has encouraged eligible voters to register for the upcoming local government elections:

# FF Plus leader Corné Mulder says the upcoming local government elections are a make-or-break moment for South Africa. He warns that failing municipalities, rising debt, and poor service delivery highlight the urgent need for change. Mulder urges citizens to vote for coalition governments, which the party says have proven successful in improving governance, restoring basic services, and representing the values and interests of local communities:

# Russia’s Defence Ministry has released what it says is evidence of Ukraine using drones to target president Vladimir Putin’s private home on Lake Valdai in north-west Moscow on Tuesday. It says specialists have accessed the navigation system in one of the drones, which it claimed was used in the attack, and that the data extracted confirmed that Putin’s residence was the target. The ministry says the government will review its position on the ongoing peace negotiations as a result of the incident, which Ukraine has strenuously denied.

# Soccer: Gabon’s government has suspended the national team until further notice and sacked coach Thierry Mouyouma, after they were eliminated from the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The team finished bottom of Group F after losing all three games. Gabon’s acting Sports minister, Simplice-Desire Mamboula, has also banned captain Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from selection, despite both missing the final group game against the Ivory Coast. The acting minister described the team’s performances at AFCON as disgraceful.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-30-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-369-dollars. Gold sells at vier-thousand-351-dollars-45-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-93-cents a barrel.

# And finally, health Departments in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape recorded the first babies of 2026. Gauteng welcomed more than 196 babies born on the first day of this year, including 90 boys and 106 girls, including two sets of twins. KZN recorded over 144 new babies, the Eastern Cape celebrated the birth of around 102 babies, and the Western Cape welcomed 28 babies born in public health facilities across the province.

Stay tuned for more news………….