News 06:00

BULLETIN 25 January 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Multi-Party Charter unveils a plan to tackle unemployment and poverty
# Two accused implicate Kelly Khumalo as having instructed to murder Senzo Meyiwa
# And, Russia accuses Ukraine of a terrorist act for shooting down a plane, leaving 74 people dead

# The Multi-Party Charter for South Africa has unveiled a comprehensive plan to address the rising unemployment rate and foster economic growth amid alarming economic challenges. Faced with a staggering 41-percent unemployment rate, the charter aims to stabilise public finances and enhance education quality. The proposed plan focuses on unlocking investment potential and empowering the small, micro, and medium enterprises sector, amongst other things. ActionSA president, Herman Mashaba, says the charter offers a compelling alternative to the ANC’s economic approach ahead of the elections:

# The Automobile Association remains concerned over the high number of one-thousand-427 road user deaths during the festive period. Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga released the latest statistics, revealing a 25 deaths reduction from the previous year. The AA argues the fatalities are still too high, signalling the need for urgent comprehensive measures. While appreciating heightened law enforcement, the association calls for sustained efforts throughout the year to combat the role of human factors in 80-percent of incidents. They advocate ongoing education and awareness campaigns to bring about meaningful improvement.

# Accused numbers one and two in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial have implicated the soccer star’s then-girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, as the person who ordered his killing. Meyiwa was shot and killed while visiting Khumalo at her mother’s house in Vosloorus in October 2014. Five suspects are on trial. An affidavit read out by the lead investigator, Bongani Gininda, at the High Court in Pretoria yesterday, stated that Khumalo had been linked to the accused, Muzi Sibiya and Bongani Ntanzi, through the analysis of cellphones:

# Russia’s Defence ministry has blamed Ukraine for deliberately shooting down a plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Belgorod region. Onboard were also six crew and three Russian servicemen. Russia’s Defence ministry says Kiev used an anti-aircraft missile system to down the plane, calling it a terrorist act. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military did not confirm or deny the downing of the plane. Still, it accused the Russian army of using military transport aircraft to deliver missiles to the Belgorod region to perform cross-border attacks in recent weeks.

# Rugby: The Blitzboks are in Australia for this weekend’s Perth Sevens. Selvyn Davids is captaining a squad that includes two uncapped players, David Brits and Tristan Leyds, who are transitioning from 15s. There are also three players returning to the squad – prop James Murphy and playmakers Donovan Don and Ricardo Duarttee. After being named last season’s Rookie of the Year, Duarttee missed out on the World Series tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town, but he is back and ready to make an impact:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-90-cents and the euro at 20-rand-57-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-4-cents and Bitcoin trades at 39-thousand-957-dollars-41-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-16-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-13-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Africa’s first deep underground science laboratory, the Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory, or PAUL, is set to become a reality in the next five to ten years. Located in the Du Toits Kloof mountains in the Western Cape, PAUL will be the continent’s first and the Southern Hemisphere’s second such laboratory. The facility aims to study dark matter and conduct unique research in various fields. Stellenbosch University professor Faïrouz Malek says the laboratory’s establishment will bring substantial benefits to science, education and the broader community:

Stay tuned for more news………….