News 09:00

BULLETIN 24 December 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Deputy President wishes South Africans a merry Christmas and prosperous new year
# Drunk drivers are persistent in disregarding the law in Cape Town
# And, a 90-year-old with Parkinson’s enters a weightlifting contest

# Deputy President Paul Mashatile has wished South Africans a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. He described the festive season as a special period for family, reflection, and renewal. In his message, Mashatile reflected on the challenges and achievements of 2024, a year marking 30 years of democracy. Mashatile urged citizens to remain responsible during the holiday season, highlighting road safety and responsible alcohol consumption:

# The City of Cape Town says drunk drivers are being persistent in their disregard for the law in the Metro. Over the past week, 41 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith says on Sunday, two suspects, aged 25 and 26 were arrested with the help of CCTV footage for the alleged murder of a 15-year-old boy on a bicycle in Lavender Hill:

# The Department of Basic Education has addressed the Information Regulator’s infringement notice, assuring compliance within the required 30-day timeframe. The department confirmed that it filed an appeal on 13 December under the Protection of Personal Information Act in which the High Court approved the application on 17 December. The department says it was served on the Regulator the next day. The Department plans urgent engagement through the State Attorney, emphasising resolving inter-governmental disputes through dialogue over adversarial legal actions.

# Soccer: Virgil van Dijk says there is no deadline regarding his contract situation with Liverpool. The Netherlands international’s current contract expires at the end of the season and from January 1 he will be able to negotiate with overseas clubs. However, it is understood the 33-year-old’s preference is to stay at Anfield. Van Dijk is one of three key players whose deals are entering their final six months, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah the others. Salah is fourth on Liverpool’s all-time list of scorers with 229 goals, after Sunday’s Tottenham game.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-55-cents and the euro at 19-rand-28-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-25-cents and Bitcoin trades at 94-thousand-391-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-620-dollars-27-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-66-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A 90-year-old with Parkinson’s Disease was cheered on by three generations of her family while competing in a weightlifting competition for over 70’s in Taipei, Taiwan. During the three-round competition, Cheng Chen Chin-Mei lifted 35, 40 and 45 kilograms. Taiwan is on track to become a super aged society, a designation given to countries where at least 21-percent of the population is aged 65 and above. The country aims to establish 288 fitness clubs for elderly people nationwide by next year.

Stay tuned for more news………….