News 12:00

BULLETIN 8 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency says there is no legal obligation to make the National Director of Public Prosecutions panel’s report public
# Cricket: Australia claims a 4-1 Ashes series victory over England
# And the ANC turns 114 today

# The Presidency says it will not release the report president Cyril Ramaphosa received from the advisory panel tasked with finding a suitable candidate for the National Director of Public Prosecutions position. Ramaphosa has appointed Andy Mothibi for the position despite him not being among the six candidates interviewed. In its report, the panel advised the president that none of the interviewed candidates were suitable for the position. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told News24 there is no legal obligation for the report to be made public.

Meanwhile, the Public Servants Association says it is confident Mothibi will bring integrity, decisiveness, and stability to the National Prosecuting Authority. Mothibi currently heads the Special Investigating Unit. PSA’s Claude Naicker says Ramaphosa must ensure the NPA is provided with the necessary resources and has enough prosecutors appointed without delay:

Moving abroad:

# Venezuela’s Interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, says 100 people died in the US attack which removed president Nicolás Maduro from power on Saturday. Officials have said a large part of Maduro’s security contingent was killed in cold blood, while some of Cuba’s military and intelligence services in the country were also killed. Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, reportedly suffered a head injury during the raid, and Maduro suffered an injury to his leg. Venezuela on Tuesday declared a week of mourning for members of the military killed in the raid.

# Cricket: Australia secured a five-wicket victory over England in the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney to take the series 4-1. The visitors’ second innings ended on 342 on the final day, with Jacob Bethell scoring 154. Australia managed to chase down the target of 160 in 31.2 overs. Player of the series, Mitchell Starc, who took 31 wickets, conceded he was a little bit tired after a draining contest:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-47-cents and the euro at 19-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-14-cents and Bitcoin trades at 90-thousand-509-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-429-dollars-76-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 59-dollars-92-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The oldest liberation movement in Africa, the ANC, is celebrating its 114th anniversary today. The party was founded in Bloemfontein on this day in 1912. Following the 2024 general election, the ANC lost its majority in Parliament for the first time in South Africa’s democratic history, but remains the largest party with over 40-percent of the vote. The ANC says it is celebrating more than a century of unwavering commitment to the struggle for freedom, unity and social justice.

Stay tuned for more news………….