News Bulletin of 19 December 2025, 2pm

The Hyde Park Precinct along Jan Smuts Avenue has gone live, bringing coordinated cleaning, security, and beautification to the area.
Teams are removing litter, weeds, and illegal posters, while maintaining seasonal flowers on the median.
Security patrols in collaboration with JMPD and SAPS target illegal trading and loitering, including on the pedestrian bridge.
The precinct plans to expand its membership in 2026 to further improve safety, cleanliness, and urban management along the corridor.

A group of pensioners from Mendwane, Willowvale in the Eastern Cape are nearing completion of a community hall they are building using their SASSA grants.
The project, which began in 2023, is supported by small household contributions and donated materials from residents. The hall will provide a proper space for gatherings that were previously held outdoors in all weather.
The community has a history of self-built projects, including a clinic in 2021 and a primary school in the 1980s.
Despite limited resources, residents are determined to create infrastructure that meets local needs, with some already using the hall even as finishing touches are completed.

The Academy Awards are expected to be shown exclusively on YouTube from 2029, signalling a major change in how the ceremony reaches audiences worldwide.
The move will bring an end to the Oscars long standing broadcast arrangement with ABC, which is set to continue airing the event until 2028.
The Academy says the shift is aimed at increasing access for viewers as more people consume content online rather than through traditional television.
YouTube already reaches millions of users globally and accounts for the largest share of television viewing time in the United States.
The change is expected to make the ceremony easier to watch across different regions and devices, particularly for younger and international audiences.