News 14:00

BULLETIN 6 January 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# National Christian Forum calls on communities to take action in curbing teenage pregnancies
# President Cyril Ramaphosa declares a Special Official Funeral for Professor Sibusiso Bengu
# And Cricket: India’s coach says Rohit Rohit and Virat Kohli still have a future, if they want it

# The South African National Christian Forum is calling on communities and faith institutions to take action in curbing teenage pregnancies. The forum’s president, Marothi Mashashane says faith-based organisations can establish programmes that provide vocational training and life skills to both girls and boys. He says creating mentorship opportunities where successful women and men from the community guide the youth, can provide the encouragement and hope they need to stay focused on their education and future goals:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a Special Official Funeral Category 2 for the first democratic Education minister, Sibusiso Bengu. The 90-year-old passed away on 30 December. The funeral will be held on Friday, at the University of Zululand, with police ceremonial honours. The Presidency’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya says flags will be flown at half-mast nationwide from tomorrow until the evening of the funeral:

# The DA has criticised the decision to allow five Tshwane officials, implicated in an irregular tender for the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrade to return to work. Despite a forensic report recommending disciplinary action, the officials won their Labour Court case and are due to return to office later this month. The party’s Cilliers Brink urged city manager Johann Mettler to appeal the decision, citing concerns over tender rigging and conflicts of interest involving the ANC-led coalition:

# French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo unveiled a special edition to mark 10 years since an attack on its offices by Islamist gunmen. The 7 January 2015 massacre left 12 people, including eight editorial staff, dead. The attack by two Paris-born brothers of Algerian descent was said to be revenge for Charlie Hebdo’s decision to publish caricatures lampooning the Prophet Mohammed, Islam’s most revered figure. The special edition will go on sale tomorrow when public commemorations by President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo are set to take place.

# Cricket: India coach Gautam Gambhir said veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still have a future in the team if they want it, despite disappointing returns on the test tour of Australia. The tourists went down 3-1 in the series after losing the fifth test by six wickets on Sunday. Rohit was rested for the match at his request, while Kohli made 17 and six in his two innings in Sydney. Gambhir said they still have the hunger and the passion and can hopefully continue to take Indian cricket forward.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-66-cents and the euro at 19-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-27-cents and Bitcoin trades at 98-thousand-860-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-632-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-20-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….