News 12:00

BULLETIN 14 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Gauteng Education Department is working to secure placements for learners
# The Clintons could be held in contempt after refusing to testify in the Epstein probe
# And golf: Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith commit to staying with LIV Golf

# The Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, says the department is working tirelessly to ensure placement for the approximately three-thousand learners who have not found space at schools in the province. Since the beginning of the month, thousands of parents have been storming the department’s offices with the hope of securing space for their children. Chiloane says 13 of the 26 schools under construction are nearing completion, and all those stranded would have found schools by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, the GOOD Party demands that the Western Cape Department of Education must place seven-thousand-200 grade R, 1 and 8 learners. GOOD Secretary-General, Brett Herron says the start of a new school year cannot be celebrated while so many children remain excluded. He says a school year starting with so many learners left without a school, is not a success:

Moving abroad:

# Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, refused to testify before a Republican-led congressional investigation of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter to the chairperson of the House of Representatives’ oversight committee, James Comer, they said they had tried to provide what little information they had to help with the investigation. They accuse Comer of shifting focus away from the Trump administration’s action. Comer says the committee will meet next week to begin contempt procedures, which could potentially lead to criminal charges.

# Golf: American Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm of Spain and Australia’s Cam Smith have committed to stay with LIV Golf this year. This comes after Brooks Koepka announced his departure after four seasons with the Saudi-backed circuit, and he will make a return to the PGA Tour. Smith, the 2022 Open winner, says he will be staying with LIV for years to come:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-37-cents and the euro at 19-rand-6-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-98-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-206-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-623-dollars-15-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-45-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Finnish adventurer Jari Saario is expected to arrive in Cape Town on Friday after his attempt to row solo from Cape Horn in Chile to the Mother City was cut short when his boat capsized and was badly damaged in a violent storm in the South Atlantic. He was rescued by the crew of the Greek merchant ship Cymona Eagle. The alert was received by the South African Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, who contacted the vessel. Its route was diverted to pick up Saario.

Stay tuned for more news………….