News 08:00

BULLETIN 17 February 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa is finalising the names of the international envoys set to clarify the country’s policies
# Over a hundred cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease were recorded in KwaZulu-Natal
# And Netanyahu vows the gates of hell will open if all hostages are not released

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will this week finalise the names of international envoys to be dispatched to various countries to clarify South Africa’s foreign and domestic policies. This comes after US president Donald Trump halted aid funding to the country over the Expropriation Act, and offered refugee status to Afrikaners. In an interview with eNCA, deputy president Paul Mashatile says the envoys will be a broad delegation:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Higher Education has condemned unethical practices both within and outside the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. According to the Special Investigating Unit, there are students who fraudulently access funding and some Nsfas employees knowingly approve ineligible applicants. The SIU says recently NSFAS re-vetted all students previously approved for funding, and approximately 40-thousand-and-44 of them were found to not qualify for funding. The committee has expressed concern about the systemic challenges in addressing fraud within Nsfas.

# The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department has expressed concern at the growing number of hand, foot, and mouth disease cases in the province. The first six cases were reported between the sixth and tenth of February, and since then the number of confirmed cases has risen to 117. Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane, says primary schools and daycare centres in Phoenix, Greenwood Park, and Umhlanga, have reported cases:

# Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to open the gates of hell if Hamas does not return all the hostages held in Gaza. This comes just two weeks before the first phase of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Gaza is set to end. The second phase, which includes Hamas releasing the remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, has yet to be negotiated. Netanyahu says he is determined to ensure that Hamas never again poses a threat to Israel:

# Tennis: Former champion Belinda Bencic, who is on a six-match winning streak, is through to the second round of the Dubai Championships. She swept past Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito, 6-0, 6-2. Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina defeated Russian Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets, while Britain’s Emma Raducanu claimed a, 6-4, 6-2, victory over Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova, American Emma Navarro, and Spain’s Paula Badosa are also through to the second round.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-34-cents and the euro at 19-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-10-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-086-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-900-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….