News 18:00

BULLETIN 4 December 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The judgement on the Zuma and Thales’ appeal bid is set for next month
# The DA says it will protect language rights in schools
# And, Gauteng Education says the matric exams ran smoothly across over one-thousand centres

# The High Court in Pietermaritzburg, in KwaZulu-Natal, will deliver its judgement on former president Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales’ bid to have their arms deal charges dropped on 23 January. Zuma and Thales are challenging a ruling that dismissed their application to quash the corruption case. Zuma’s legal counsel, Dali Mpofu, argued that the deaths of key witnesses in the long-running 1999 arms deal corruption case make it difficult to present crucial evidence:

# The DA says it is unfortunate that there has been a deliberate distortion in reporting that former Model C schools are being targeted by Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube. This is about language policies at schools. The DA’s Jan de Villiers says they support Gwarube’s advancement of mother tongue-based bilingual education. He adds that the party also strongly defends the rights of school governing bodies, led by parents, to determine language policy, in line with the law.

# Gauteng Education says this year’s matric exams ran smoothly across more than one-thousand centres in the province. The department reports that all exam venues operated without major disruptions, and security measures were strengthened to protect the integrity of the exams. Education MEC Matome Chiloane told the media candidates who were ill or unable to finish certain papers will be supported, with an opportunity to rewrite in June next year:

#  Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the Novichok nerve agent attack on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018, according to a UK public inquiry. Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a public bench in Salisbury after Novichok was applied to the front door handle of his nearby home. The Skripals and a police officer were left critically ill but recovered. Former UK Supreme Court judge Anthony Hughes said there is overwhelming evidence that it was a Russian state attack. Russia has always denied any involvement, casting the accusations as anti-Russian propaganda.

# Soccer: Former captain of England and Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, will conduct the draw for next year’s World Cup alongside award-winning broadcaster Samantha Johnson in Washington tomorrow. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal, seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Aaron Judge, and National Hockey League Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky will serve as draw assistants. Forty-two nations, including South Africa, will be represented. Six of the 48 teams have yet to be determined and will only be known in March.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-97-cents and the euro at 19-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-678-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-204-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-89-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….