News 13:00

BULLETIN 27 December 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ATM calls for constructive dialogue among all political stakeholders in Mozambique
# South Africa’s greylist exit by June is unlikely
# And tennis: Simona Halep withdraws from the Australian Open due to injury

# The ATM is calling for immediate and constructive dialogue among all political stakeholders in Mozambique to resolve the election disputes. The ATM’s spokesperson, Zama Ntshona, says it is crucial for the Southern African Development Community to engage actively in mediating this conflict to foster peace and stability. He says the potential implications of prolonged unrest, including increased immigration pressures and cross-border criminality, must be taken seriously:

# It is unlikely that South Africa will exit the Financial Action Task Force’s greylist by June 2025, but if progress continues October is a more achievable target. Analysts say although the country has made significant strides on several required actions, issues such as identifying beneficial ownership information and prosecuting complex financial crimes remain challenges. News24 reports a quick exit is crucial for attracting investment, especially as foreign direct investment has been affected by concerns about compliance.

# Cosatu has welcomed the extension of the African Growth and Opportunities Act benefits for South African exports by the United States administration. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says the federation further welcomes the US Congress’ lapsing of a bill seeking to review and possibly downgrade relations between the US and South Africa, including its membership of AGOA. He says these provide certainty to key South African export industries and comfort for those workers’ jobs:

Meanwhile, New York governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Climate Change Superfund Act, that requires large fossil fuel companies to pay fees to help the American state combat climate change. The law will mandate companies who are liable for significant greenhouse gas emissions to contribute to the fund. The contributions will be steered towards infrastructure projects to repair or prevent damage from extreme weather. The projects include coastal wetland restoration and upgrades to roads, bridges, and drainage systems.

# Tennis: Former world number one Simona Halep of Romania had to withdraw from next month’s Australian Open as well as a warm-up tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. She hoped to get back on track after a doping ban saw her ranking plummeting, and was awarded a wild-card for the year’s first Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne. The 33-year-old says she is suffering from knee and shoulder problems, and she and her team agreed it was sensible to delay the start of her season.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-78-cents and the euro at 19-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-775-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-625-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-98-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….