News 11:00

BULLETIN 14 December 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# NPA welcomes the reopening of the Nicholas Tlhapi inquest
# ACSA is ready to welcome record passenger volumes this festive season
# And soccer: South America will also hold a qualifying tournament for the women’s World Cup

# The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the reopening of the Nicholas Tlhapi inquest. This follows after the Justice ministery requested the North West High Court to restart the investigation into the activist’s disappearance in 1986. He was detained by police during apartheid and reportedly vanished after allegedly being released. The Ikageng Civic Association member was last seen on 20 March 1986 while traveling to a funeral. Fellow detainees were released after 14 days, but Tlhapi remains missing.

# Airports Company South Africa says it is ready to welcome record passenger volumes this festive season. Robust plans are in place to ensure smooth travel at its airports nationwide. During a briefing, ACSA’s Terrence Delomoney announced measures such as enhanced infrastructure, e-Gates, optimised queues, and reliable baggage systems:

# The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport urges caution after a 15-vehicle crash at Marrianhill Toll Plaza on the N3 Durban-bound. A Zimbabwean vehicle collided with multiple trucks and cars. Spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya reported a 13-percent rise in crashes between 1-12 December 2023 and the same period in 2024. Sibiya says MEC Siboniso Duma has called for heightened vigilance this festive season:

# Thousands of people gathered in northwestern Syria yesterday for weekly prayers and a rally in the port city of Latakia, a former stronghold of ousted president Bashar al-Assad. Syrian clergy urged for national unity under the country’s new government. Some of  the crowd chanted “freedom forever despite Assad” outside the Al-Aijan mosque. Khaled Kamal, a Sunni imam who spoke at the gathering, told Reuters it was a “joy like no other” to return to Syria after fleeing abroad during the war. He called on all Syrians abroad to return.

# And, soccer: South America has decided to follow Europe’s example and also hold a qualifying tournament for the women’s World Cup. Governing body Conmebol says the first one will be played between next year and 2026. Nine teams will compete in a home-and-away round robin format. The top-two teams will qualify directly for the tournament taking place in Brazil in the middle of 2027, and the next two teams will go into the intercontinental play-offs. The hostess qualify automatically.

Stay tuned for more news………….