News 13:00

BULLETIN 19 February 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africans who returneed from Russia are urged to co-operate with police
# Shadrack Sibiya disputes claims of a power struggle among senior police officers
# And tennis: Paula Badosa laments the online abuse after withdrawing from the Dubai tournament

# Former ambassador Kingsley Makhubela says four South African men who returned from Russia must fully cooperate with police over their recruitment and alleged involvement in the Ukraiian-Russian conflict. The men arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng yesterday. Makhubela told SABC News the authorities must trace any payments made, as money leaves a paper trail. He warns foreign military training poses serious national security risks:

# Suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has rejected suggestions of a power struggle within top leadership. He is testifying before the Madlanga commission which is probing alleged political interference in the justice system. Sibiya contradicts claims by national commissioner Fannie Masemola his intervention in certain dockets were improper. He maintains as head of crime detection he is accountable for case targets and says his actions were policy-aligned:

# The GOOD Party in the Western Cape still hopes Joshlin Smith will someday be found. The girl was six when she disappeared from her home in Saldanha Bay in February 2024. Her mother and two men were convicted of human trafficking and kidnapping. Spokesperson Ricardo van der Merwe says they have done nothing to assist in locating her, and their continued silence adds to the family’s profound pain:

Moving abroad:

# Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of leading an insurrection. The short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024 plunged the country into political chaos after he claimed anti-state forces within opposition parties were sympathetic to North Korea. Former Defence minister Kim Yong-hyun has also been found guilty of insurrection and sentenced to 30-years in jail. Four other people, including former Seoul Metropolitan police chief Kim Bong-sik, also received jail sentences.

# Tennis: Spanish player Paula Badosa lamented online abuse after she was forced to withdraw from the Dubai Championship. The 28-year-old’s struggle with injuries saw her world ranking plummeting from second in April 2022 to the current 70th. Badosa lost the first set to Australian Open champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine when she was forced to retire with an injury. She reacted to an accusation on social media that she was disrespecting the game, saying she still chooses to continue despite a chronic injury.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-9-cents and the euro at 18-rand-99-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-979-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-13-dollars-25-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….