News 17:00

BULLETIN 4 January 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A gender activist says the release of Oscar Pistorius will open painful wounds for victims
# Over 4-thousand people denied entry at South African borders
# And, tennis: Another victory for Nadal in Brisbane

# Gender Activist Anele Mda has expressed concern that the release of Oscar Pistorius on parole would reopen wounds for the victims affected by the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius is set to be released tomorrow, a few weeks before the 11th anniversary of Steenkamp’s death. Mda told eNCA justice was not served in this particular murder case:

# The Border Management Authority has prevented over four-thousand individuals from entering South Africa as they return from festive season celebrations. Border Management Authority deputy assistant commissioner, Stephen van Neel, says that these individuals were denied entry due to lacking proper documentation. Van Neel says security agencies have been deployed to address vulnerabilities along the borderline to curb illegal immigration. Screening is also taking place as most people are returning from cholera prone countries including Zimbabwe:

# France has temporarily closed its embassy in Niger, but plans to continue financial support to non-governmental organisations in West Africa. The decision comes a week after the withdrawal of the last one-thousand-500 French soldiers, following the demand from Niger’s military government to remove France’s soldiers and political presence. France has clarified that consular matters will be handled through its other embassies in the region.

# Tennis: Rafael Nadal’s return to the professional game after almost a year is still on course, with another straight-sets victory in the Brisbane International in Australia. The 22-time Grand Slam champion got rid of local player Jason Kubler in the round of 16. The Spaniard beat Austria’s Dominic Thiem earlier this week in his first singles match since injuring his hip at last year’s Australian Open after winning the tournament in 2022. Nadal will play another Australian, Jordan Thompson, in the quarterfinals in Brisbane.

# And finally: Lucy the dog is hailed as a heroine in a town in Arlington in the US after waking her owners to alert them about a fire across the road. The mixed-breed dog’s unusual style of barking made Douglas O’Connor leap out of his bed, and then he saw the neighbours’ detached workshop was on fire. He called the authorities, who were able to extinguish the flames before it could reach the home where the occupants were still sound asleep. The firefighters later returned to give Lucy a well-deserved pat on the head.

Stay tuned for more news………….