News 17:00

BULLETIN 14 March 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cabinet calls for an immediate end to the hostilities in Palestine
# Confessions of accused 1 and 2 in the Meyiwa murder case are deemed admissible 
# And rugby: Werner Kok leaves the Sharks for Ulster 

# Cabinet has expressed deep concern over the loss of life and suffering in Palestine, urging for an immediate end to hostilities and the lifting of the Gaza blockade. Briefing the media on the outcomes of the latest cabinet meeting, minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says government is optimistic about its urgent application to the International Court of Justice. She says cabinet hopes it will cease all fighting and allow much-needed humanitarian aid to reach the region:

# Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng has ruled that confessions made by accused Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya and Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi regarding the murder of soccer star Senzo Meyiwa in 2014 are admissible. The court found the confessions were made freely and voluntarily, dismissing claims of coercion. The judge made his ruling following a trial-within-a-trial triggered by the defendants alleging police coercion:

# The sentencing of South African doctor Lauren Dickason, convicted of murdering her three daughters in New Zealand, has been delayed until June 26. Australian news outlet, The Press, reports that psychiatric assessments will determine whether she should be detained in a mental health facility or prison. Meanwhile, a conference of experts is scheduled for March 20 in place of the nominal sentencing date.  Dickason is currently remanded at Hillmorton Hospital awaiting sentencing, with further evaluations planned to address the type and length of her sentence.

# Italy’s competition authority has fined TikTok nearly 204-million-rand, saying the hugely popular video app had failed to sufficiently protect minors. The watchdog says the company has failed to implement appropriate mechanisms to monitor content published on the platform, particularly those that may threaten the safety of minors and vulnerable individuals. It says this very same content is systematically re-proposed to users as a result of their algorithmic profiling, stimulating an ever-increasing use of the social network.

# Rugby: Former Blitzbok star Werner Kok is leaving the Sharks at the end of the season to join Ulster in Ireland. This follows the departure of Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Le Roux Roets. Kok played 55 matches for the Durban team since joining in 2020. Springbok centre André Esterhuizen is expected to return to the Sharks after he left English club Harlequins, while the team also contracted World Cup winner Trevor Nyakane, and Jason Jenkins.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-62-cents and the euro at 20-rand-35-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-81-cents and Bitcoin trades at 72-thousand-918-dollars-2-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-163-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-66-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….