News 12:00

BULLETIN 10 February 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan calls his accusers criminals
# The US military kills two people in another strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat
# And motorsport: Fernando Alonso is ready for the new season, but unsure about his F1 future

# Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has dismissed allegations against him, calling his accusers criminals. He spoke to SABC News ahead of his testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee. O’Sullivan says he has spent 36-years investigating crime and helping place senior police officials behind bars. He claims renewed attacks mirror past harassment, insisting unlawful possession of phone records is a criminal offence. O’Sullivan says he will present the truth to the committee:

# The Board of Healthcare Funders is urging president Cyril Ramaphosa to announce bold, affordable health reforms in his state of the nation address on Thursday. Spokesperson Katlego Mothudi says practical interventions that could immediately reduce healthcare costs and improve access to quality services for millions more citizens are needed. He says there are viable solutions that government could implement now to ease affordability pressures, especially while the National Health Insurance Act remains subject to ongoing legal challenges:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Basic Education has welcomed the Western Cape Education Department’s decision to expel six learners from Milnerton High School in Cape Town following a disciplinary process related to serious misconduct. Video footage of the group assaulting a fellow learner went viral in October last year. They were charged with various counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Committee chairperson, Joy Maimela, has urged schools across the country to strengthen discipline frameworks, codes of conduct and preventative programmes to address misconduct early.

Moving abroad:

# The US military says it killed two people in its latest strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean. One person survived. This is the third publicly known attack this year. At least 130 people have now been killed in 38 strikes on suspected drug boats as part of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign president Donald Trump’s administration says is aimed at curtailing narcotics trafficking. Legal experts have called these strikes a series of extra-judicial killings by the Pentagon.

# Motorsport: Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso feels ready to compete at the highest level, but is uncertain about his long-term future in Formula One. The 44-year-old Spaniard last won a Grand Prix in 2013 with Ferrari. He took his titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. Alonso, who joined Aston Martin in 2023, says despite being the oldest driver in F1, he remains fully motivated after a record 425 starts:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-93-cents and the euro at 18-rand-96-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-723-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-41-dollars-14-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-68-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….