News 13:00

BULLETIN 12 January 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The outcome of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel could take years
# Tshwane approves a new operating model for Wonderboom National Airport 
# And Tennis: Djokovic and Murray could meet in the third round in Melbourne

# The Ceasefire Centre for Civil Rights anticipates a lengthy timeline before a verdict is reached on whether Israel has committed acts of genocide in Palestine. South Africa presented its case accusing Israel of genocide to the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the Netherlands yesterday, and Israel is replying today. The organisation’s director, Mark Lattimer, says the court will now merely look at provisional measures like an injunction or an interim order, but a decision on the merits of the case and a final judgment could take years.

Meanwhile, the GOOD party is calling on the City of Cape Town to withdraw its new Outdoor Advertising by-law. The party’s, Suzette Little, says late last year, the city jumped to table this by-law, which GOOD had warned would be used against expressions of public support for justice in Palestine. She says the law, which was adopted following an illegitimate process, is indeed now being used to clamp down on freedom of expression:

# The City of Tshwane has approved the new operating model for Wonderboom National Airport. Mayor Cilliers Brink revealed the plan’s reliance on private sector participation. He says this approach aims to enhance the airport’s efficiency and unlock its full potential. Brink announced the approval of a process plan, with a dedicated technical team overseeing the implementation. He says a transactional advisor will be enlisted to guide the process, ensuring a smooth transition towards the optimised operation of the airport:

# The UK government says it is exploring plans to build a new large-scale nuclear plant, which will be Britain’s biggest nuclear power expansion in 70 years. Nuclear power currently provides around 15-percent of the UK’s electricity. The government hope to build a fleet of nuclear reactors capable of producing 24 gigawatts by 2050, enough to meet a quarter of the national electricity demand. Prime minister Rishi Sunak says nuclear was the perfect antidote to the energy challenges facing Britain.

# Tennis: Novak Djokovic could meet a former world number one, Andy Murray of Scotland, in the third round of the Australian Open. The Serbian is aiming for his 11th title at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. Djokovic faces a qualifier in the first round in Melbourne, while Murray will play 30th-seeded Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry on Sunday. The tournament is being played over 15 days for the first time in an effort to reduce the amount of matches only ending in the early morning hours.

Stay tuned for more news………….