News 08:00

BULLETIN 15 December 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Kubayi leads a delegation at the UN Anti-Corruption Conference
# The EFF accuses minister Malatsi of overstepping his authority
# And rugby: The Northampton Saints thrash the Bulls in the Champions Cup

# Justice and Constitutional Development minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, is leading a South African delegation to the eleventh UN Anti-Corruption Conference in Doha today. The Ministry’s spokesperson Terrence Manase says the week-long event expects over two-thousand global delegates who will collaborate on best practices, and address emerging threats, including cybercrime and AI-enabled corruption. Team SA includes the SAPS, National Prosecuting Authority, the Special Investigating Unit, Financial Intelligence Centre, and International Relations Department:

# The EFF has accused minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, of using a Ministerial Policy Directive to subvert South African laws to allow SpaceX and Elon Musk’s Starlink to operate in South Africa. Malatsi has directed the Independent Communications Authority of SA to amend its regulations to allow international players to enter the country’s market using a different set of empowerment rules. The EFF says it will pursue all mechanisms in Parliament and in the courts to ensure the illegal directives are not implemented.

# ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula says they believe that the newly elected Greater Tshwane Region leadership will return the party to power in the capital. Tshwane deputy mayor Eugene Modise was elected uncontested as the chairperson, while George Matjila and Sam Mashola were also re-elected unopposed as regional secretary and deputy secretary, respectively. Delivering the closing address at the 12th ANC Tshwane Regional Conference on Sunday, Mbalula urged the leadership to demonstrate discipline and unity:

# Law enforcement officials have detained a person of interest in connection with the Brown University shooting in the US, which left two students dead. Nine others were injured when 24-year-old Benjamin Erickson of Wisconsin opened fire at the Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday. The suspect was detained at a hotel in Coventry in the early hours of Sunday morning. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez says they are not looking for any other suspect: 

# Rugby: English club Northampton Saints thrashed the Bulls 50-5 in the Champions Cup at Franklin Gardens, to secure maximum points from their opening two games. The hosts ran in eight tries with George Hendy scoring a hat-trick. The only try for the Bulls came from Stravino Jacobs. The Saints have moved to the top of the table on points difference from holders Bordeaux Bègles, with both sides on ten points. The Bulls are winless after two rounds, having also lost 46-33 at home to Bordeaux last weekend.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-87-cents and the euro at 19-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-54-cents and Bitcoin trades at 89-thousand-524-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-319-dollars-82-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….