Breakfast Edition: 15 January 2016

NEW COMMISSION APPOINTED: The University of Johannesburg has welcomed President Jacob Zuma's appointment of a commission to deal with long term student funding. However, political parties are less impressed that a judge would oversee higher education issues. Meanwhile, the president held an initial meeting with the newly appointed members of the National Planning Commission at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday. Emerging after the meeting, Zuma told journalists that the commissioners had a vital role to play as independent thinkers and advisors. Deputy Chairperson of the commission, Professor Malegapuru William Makgoba, said his team's work would be apolitical and unbiased in taking the country forward.

STUDENTS WALK OUT OF MEETING WITH MINISTER: Yesterday some student leaders walked out of the meeting with Higher Education minister, Blade Nzimande. The meeting continued and a second group of students tabled eight demands, mainly regarding funding issues. The minister declared the discussion a success but as Maryke Vermaak reports, the students who left begged to differ. 

ELECTION SEASON KICKED OFF: Election season officially started in South Africa after the Independent Electoral Commission launched the 2016 Local Government elections campaign yesterday. The DA will launch its national election registration drive in Tshwane today. DA-leader, Mmusi Maimane said they were encouraging the youth to register and vote.

INDONESIA PROBING JAKARTA ATTACKS: Army trucks thundered through Indonesia's capital Friday as authorities boosted security at possible terror targets and probed a suspected Islamic State cell blamed for Jakarta's deadly terror attacks. A series of bombings and subsequent gun battles on Thursday between the attackers and police in a busy part of the capital lined with malls and foreign missions left two civilians and five attackers dead. Police in the world's most populous Muslim country have blamed the carnage on a network of Islamic State fighters from Southeast Asia forged in the radical jihadist group's war in Syria and Iraq.

WOMAN DIES AFTER BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: A 30-year old woman died after being struck by lightning during the storm that hit the Lowveld in Mpumalanga on Thursday. The incident occurred near the Lowveld College of Agriculture. Reports indicate the woman was working on a farm at the time of the incident. 

NASA TO REPLACE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: Space agency, NASA has split a multi-billion dollar contract to resupply the International Space Station between three US firms. The companies are: South African born Elon Musk's SpaceX, Orbital ATK and Sierra Nevada - a newcomer with re-usable spacecraft.

HOVERBOARD BURSTS INTO FLAMES: A shocking video, showing a hoverboard bursting into flames, has gone viral. A British hoverboard owner was filming his first attempt on the new gadget when smoke erupted from the side. Watch the video here:

FINANCIAL INDICATORS:

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