News 12:00

BULLETIN 18 December 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A political analyst says terrorism in Africa has now penetrated every region of the continent
# Australia unveils new measures to combat anti-Semitism following the Bondi Beach shooting
# And tennis: South Africa is set to host 14 weeks of ITF world tour events in 2026

# Political analyst Kenneth Mokgathle says terrorism is growing across Africa as coups, corruption, and weak leadership leave nations exposed. According to the United Nations, the Sahel region now accounts for 19-percent of all global terrorist incidents. Mokgathle says extremist organisations such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and others have taken advantage of the vacuum created by declining international counterterrorism support in Africa:

Meanwhile, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese says his government is introducing new laws that will target those who spread hate, division and radicalisation. This is in response to Sunday’s Bondi Beach mass shooting in Sydney, where 15 people were killed on the first day of Hanukkah. Albanese says the new laws will include increased penalties for hate speech and making hate an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes for online threats and harassment:

Back home:

# The N3 Toll Concession says busy traffic conditions have been experienced on the toll route in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal since the summer holidays started last week. Spokesperson Thania Dhoogra says high traffic volumes of between 12- and 13-thousand vehicles per day were recorded travelling southbound towards Durban at both De Hoek and Mooi toll plazas last weekend. She says similar peak traffic patterns are expected this weekend.

Down south, the Identikidz child safety programme has kicked off strongly at Cape Town beaches, with nearly 12-thousand children registered in the first two days. The free initiative helps parents and caregivers keep children safe during the busy summer season by issuing identity wristbands linked to contact details, making it easier to reunite them if they get lost. Mayoral committee member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, says Strandfontein, Strand, and Muizenberg were the busiest beaches.

# Tennis: South Africa will host 14 weeks of International Tennis Federation world tour events in 2026, comprising seven women’s and seven men’s tournaments across the country. The WIPHOLD International Series will return to Pretoria for a fourth consecutive year, while Mpumalanga will host the inaugural Mbombela Open Global Series. Six weeks of tournaments will be held in Hillcrest, Durban. TSA says the expanded calendar provides South African players with the opportunity to compete on home soil, earn valuable ranking points, and gain vital international experience.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-74-cents and the euro at 19-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-803-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-327-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 59-dollars-80-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….