News 17:00

BULLETIN 8 January 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cyril Ramaphosa highlights local government reform
# The Border Management Authority intercept over 20 unsupervised minors near the Beitbridge border
# And cricket: An urgent review is instituted after England’s Ashes woes in Australia

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the party is focused on improving municipalities through its Local Government Action Plan. Speaking at the ANC’s 114th birthday celebrations during the Moses and Rebecca Kotane wreath-laying ceremony in North West, Ramaphosa added that government’s Operation Vulindlela is now entering a second phase targeting municipal challenges to driving meaningful transformation at grassroots level:

# Border Management Authority Commissioner Michael Masiapato confirms that more than 20 unsupervised minors have been intercepted near the Beitbridge border in Limpopo today. The children, aged between five and 17 years, were believed to be travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe. Police and the Department of Social Development will investigate the circumstances. BMA’s Mmemme Mogotsi has reiterated a zero-tolerance approach to the illegal movement of children across South Africa’s borders:

# Overstrand municipal manager in the Western Cape, Dean O’Neill, has cautioned that the fire in Stanford remains actively burning, with crews still on the fire line. The blaze, between Die Kop informal settlement and Stanford Industria, is burning out of control in dense, inaccessible vegetation. O’Neill urges landowners to stay vigilant, clear properties, and prepare for firefighting. He advises residents to report any smoke or new fire activity immediately:

# Cricket: The England and Wales Cricket Board instituted an urgent review into England’s continued Ashes humiliation after Australia clinched the series 4-1 with victory in the final Test in Sydney this morning. At this stage, it seems as if captain Ben Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and the ECB’s head of cricket, Rob Key’s roles are safe. But CEO Richard Gould says the team’s failure to regain the Ashes is deeply disappointing. He says they were not consistent enough and Australia ultimately deserved to retain the coveted urn.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-51-cents and the euro at 19-rand-28-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-18-cents and Bitcoin trades at 89-thousand-890-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-422-dollars-94-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-72-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A mountain gorilla has given birth to twins in war-ravaged eastern Congo in what it described as a major event for the endangered subspecies. The Virunga National Park says the birth of the two males to Mafuko was discovered recently and the twins appear to be in good health. The park is home to many of the world’s last mountain gorillas, yet much of the area is under rebel control and fighting has accelerated forest loss. The newborns are being closely monitored to help ensure their survival.

Stay tuned for more news………….