News 16:00

BULLETIN 21 November 4 pm

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In this bulletin:

# An international law expert says SA and Israel are in a strained relationship after Israel recalls its ambassador 
# Reeva’s mother won’t oppose parole for Oscar Pistorius this time 
# And Cricket: Shan Masood leads Pakistan in a three-match Test series in Australia 

# International law expert Patrick Kadima says there are notable tense dynamics between South Africa and Israel. This tension escalated as Israel recalled its ambassador for consultation, coinciding with South Africa’s parliamentary vote today on closing the Israeli embassy. In addition, South Africa is chairing the BRICS’s extraordinary joint meeting on Gaza, where members are expected to adopt a joint statement addressing the current situation. Kadima suggested to eNCA that the urgent BRICS meeting may have contributed to the heightened diplomatic strain between South Africa and Israel:

Play sound: ENG-KadimaOnIsrael

Meanwhile, Hamas’s chief says a truce agreement with Israel is imminent. Ismail Haniyeh’s spokesperson told Reuters the militant group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, without giving any details. According to other sources, negotiations are centred on how long the truce would last, arrangements for the delivery of aid to Gaza, and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Israel has up to now avoided commenting on the status of the talks, apart from an unidentified senior government source saying a breakthrough was close.

# June Steenkamp won’t oppose Oscar Pistorius’s bid for freedom when her daughter’s murderer appears before a Correctional Services Parole Board on Friday. When the former Paralympian champion applied for parole earlier this year, Steenkamp travelled to Pretoria for the hearing. Her legal representative, Tania Koen, says this time, a lawyer will read her victim impact report during the session. Pistorius has already served more than half of his sentence of 13 years and five months for murdering his girlfriend in his Pretoria home in 2013.

# Cricket: Shan Masood will lead Pakistan in a series of three Tests in Australia following Babar Azam’s resignation as captain of all three formats after the World Cup. The 1992 champions finished fifth in the tournant after winning only four of their nine group matchets. This also led to the removal of team director Mickey Arthur and head coach Grant Bradburn, with former captain Mohammad Hafeez taking over both roles. The first Test will start in Perth on 14 December, the second one in Melbourne on the 26th and the final one in Sydney on January three.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-37-cents and the euro at 20-rand-12-cents. One British pound costs 232-rand-4-cents and Bitcoin trades at 37-thousand-236-dollars-77-cents. Gold sells at one-thousand-988-dollars-20-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A report on the state of children in the country has revealed that 4.8-million South African children are facing hunger. The study, conducted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in collaboration with Deloitte Africa, highlights the highest rates of multi-dimensional poverty in Limpopo, Gauteng, and the Western Cape. Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund’s CEO, Linda Ncube-Nkomo says that black African-headed households and those led by females experience heightened poverty. Ncube-Nkomo emphasises the importance of ensuring equitable access to education and employment opportunities to address these challenges:

Play sound: ENG-Ncube-NkomoOnChildHunger

Stay tuned for more news………….