News 12:00

BULLETIN 25 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A renowned international human rights lawyer believes South Africa will win the case against Israel 
# The DA Abroad demands expanded voting centres for expats
# And Dricus du Plessis gets a hero’s welcome at the OR Tambo International Airport 

# Renowned international human rights lawyer, Francis Boyle, believes that South Africa will win a cease-and-desist order against Israel for genocide against the Palestinians. The International Court of Justice will tomorrow deliver its highly anticipated verdict on South Africa’s request for an order for a ceasefire in Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid into the country. Speaking to the Anadolu Agency, Boyle says the order could have very significant consequences for Israel:

# The DA Abroad has threatened legal action against the Department of International Relations and Cooperation if more temporary foreign missions for expat voting are not established. The party calls for 14 additional voting centres abroad to address accessibility issues for South Africans living far from existing locations. However, DIRCO argues the request should go to the Independent Electoral Commission, stating the law restricts the IEC’s ability to increase voting centres. The DA has expressed concern that the online registration portal for expat voting has faced glitches.

# The government’s diesel rebate system is under scrutiny as manufacturers grapple with the increasing costs outweighing the benefits. The rebate, originally designed to provide relief for fuel levies in primary sectors, has faced challenges, especially among manufacturers of foodstuffs. Despite a two-year extension granted in April due to the impact of load-shedding on food prices, many manufacturers have not taken advantage of the offer. The diesel rebate for food manufacturers is set to conclude in March next year.

# Mixed martial arts: South Africa’s first Ultimate Fighter champion, Dricus du Plessis, received a hero’s welcome at the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng this morning. He defeated the defending champion, American Sean Strickland, in a brutal five-round fight in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday to win the UFC middleweight title. Du Plessis says winning this title is a big step up for him:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-87-cents and the euro at 20-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 40-thousand-and-41-dollars-83-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-14-dollars-69-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-56-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town attributes its improved matric pass rate from 62.1-percent in 2022 to 92.9-percent in 2023 to learner and teacher dedication. Principal John Philander told Newzroom Afrika despite underperforming in the past four years, their hard work has paid off, with two of its learners ranking among the top students nationally:

Stay tuned for more news………….