News 18:00

BULLETIN 12 January 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Israel rejects South Africa’s plea for provisional measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza
# Minister Patel says America agreed to extend AGOA for another decade
# And Rugby: Skosan and Jantjies will start for the Stormers against the Sale Sharks 

# Israel says South Africa’s plea for provisional measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza lacks justification. They contend that the military operation is Israel’s right to self-defence, complying with international humanitarian law. The International Court of Justice, in The Hague, in the Netherlands, is expected to rule on these provisional measures in a few weeks, potentially prompting a pause in the war. Israel’s deputy attorney general, Gilad Noam warns that provisional measures could hinder security efforts and allow Hamas to strengthen, posing a greater threat:

# Trade and Industry minister, Ebrahim Patel announced the United States have reached a preliminary agreement with African countries to extend the AGOA agreement for another decade. He says this is pending approval by the US Congress. The current agreement that enables over 30 African nations to export goods to the American market duty-free, expires in September next year. Patel says they also want to increase the level of manufactured exports to America as part of the re-industrialisation strategy.

# The Western Cape Education Department has recieved 609 new late applications in the first ten-days of January. MEC David Maynier has confirmed ongoing placements for two-thousand-636 Grade 1 and 8 learners, with the process continuing as teachers return to school on Monday. Maynier has urged parents with pending applications to apply promptly, emphasising the department’s strategic placement plan. He confirmed that 99.43-percent of learners in the province have already secured placements:

# Rugby: The Stormers made a few changes to their backline and just one in the forward pack for tomorrow’s Champions Cup encounter with Sale Sharks in Cape Town. Wing Courtnall Skosan and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies are back in the starting line-up, while Suleiman Hartzenberg shifts to outside centre in place of injured Ruhan Nel. The only change among the forwards sees hooker André-Hugo Venter make a deserved start after a number of impressive performances as an impact player.

# And finally: A report by the International Energy Agency shows that 50-percent more renewables capacity was installed globally last year than in 2022. A total of 507 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity was installed last year, increasing the installed base to about three-thousand-600 megawatts, with solar photovoltaic accounting for three-quarters of worldwide additions. China commissioned as much solar photovoltaics last year as the entire world did in 2022. The agency forecasts that global renewables capacity will grow to seven-thousand-300 gigawatts over the five years to 2028.

Stay tuned for more news………….