NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 18 January 12 pm

Good afternoon,

In this bulletin:

# A Court rules that the matric results may be published
# Greenpeace Africa says the continent must grab the opportunity to fight plastic pollution
# And Tennis: Australian Open organisers say they deeply regret the impact of the Novak Djokovic deportation saga

# AfriForum has welcomed the court ruling by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria which overturns the Department of Basic Education’s decision not to publish the matric results on media platforms. Manager of Education Rights at AfriForum, Natasha Venter, says it is in the public interest that this information is shared:

Play sound: ENGNatashaVenter 

# Environmental justice organisation Greenpeace Africa says a proposed treaty addressing plastic pollution is an opportunity for Africa’s leadership to truly demonstrate the commitments they have made in addressing this environmental challenge. A spokesperson, Erastus Ooko, says the treaty will be tabled next month when national governments and multinationals will gather for the next session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. Ahead of the meeting, more than 70 signatories signed a statement banning unnecessary plastic packaging and stating support for the development of refill and reuse systems.

# It’s not only in South Africa where the issue of gender-based violence and femicide is top of mind. After several particularly horrific cases were widely reported in the media in Austria, the issue of femicide is under the spotlight. In the small, wealthy country where violent crime is generally rare, a public debate has begun, galvanising activists and forcing politicians to act. AFP reports figures have fluctuated, but between 2010 and 2020, 319 women were killed in Austria, mostly by their male partners or ex-partners, with a record high of 43 victims in 2019.

# Tennis: Australian Open organisers say they deeply regret the impact that the Novak Djokovic deportation saga had on other players and admitted there were lessons to learn. His dramatic departure followed a protracted, high-stakes legal battle between the 34-year-old and Australian authorities that cast a dark shadow over the tournament. AFP reports in its first comments on the matter, Tennis Australia said in a statement it respected the court’s decision and hoped the focus could now switch to the action on the tennis court.

# Financial indicators: The dollar is trading at 15-rand-44-cents and the euro at 17-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 41-thousand-734-dollars-8-cents. Gold is selling at one thousand-811-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-28-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A family-owned urban farmer business in Cape Town unveiled their expanded facility that will bring further food provision and employment opportunities to Philippi and the greater Cape Town. The business started in 2005 with a few kilograms of vegetables and 100 chickens. They now produce hundreds of kilograms of vegetables and produce an average of nine-thousand eggs every day. Mayoral committee member for Economic Growth, James Vos, believes urban farming is the way forward for food security:

Plays sound: ENG VosONUrbanFarms

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