News 09:00

BULLETIN 4 January 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# the UN Security Council will meet on Monday over the US action in Venezuela
# A legal expert warns against erosion of international law
# And, Border Management reports a major surge official surge in returning travellers

# The United Nations Security Council is due to meet tomorrow after America attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Saturday said the US military action overnight constitutes a dangerous precedent. He said the Secretary-General was deeply concerned that the rules of international law were not respected. Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15-member council. The Security Council has met in October and December over the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, RISE Mzansi national Leader Songezo Zibi has condemned the US military action against Venezuela, saying it crossed an unacceptable line. Zibi says abducting president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro is unlawful. The couple has now been indicted in New York on terrorism and drugs charges. He stressed that governments must be changed through elections, not foreign intervention:

A legal and governance researcher Sherwyn Sean Cupido-Weaichhas has warned that global stability is at risk if powerful states ignore international law. In an opinion piece for IOL, Cupido-Weaichhas says the reported abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro undermines the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against sovereign states. He argued that criminal allegations or disputed elections do not justify military action, warning that normalising such conduct threatens international order.

# Border Management Authority commissioner Michael Masiapato has confirmed that South Africa has began receiving a large influx of returning travellers. Speaking at Beitbridge Border Post, Masiapato says authorities expected to process over 18-thousand people today. Passenger vehicles, buses, and taxis are being processed at key checkpoints, while trucks are handled separately. He confirmed smooth operation amid anticipated peak as holidaymakers return ahead of tomorrows work schedules:

# Australian police said they would bolster staffing at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the fifth Ashes test starting today, weeks after gunmen killed 15 people at a Hanukkah event at the famed Bondi Beach on December 14. Authorities on Saturday announced a high-visibility police presence for the event. Measures at the cricket ground, some five kilometres from Bondi Beach, would include the riot patrol unit, officers on horseback, and officers carrying rifles. Police said they expected a capacity crowd for the final encounter in the five-match series already claimed by Australia.

# And in soccer: Pape Gueye scored twice as much-fancied Senegal came from behind to beat Sudan 3-1 on Saturday, to seal a place in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations. And despite being down to ten players, Mali got the better of Tunisia after winning 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Senegal were AFCON champions in 2022 and are seen as the biggest threat to hosts Morocco’s dreams of winning a first AFCON title in half a century. Morocco will meet Tanzania tonight at 6, with South Africa up against Cameroon at 9.

Stay tuned for more news………….