News Bulletin of 5 December 2025, 5pm

A new donation from Sasol Pinehaven and Sasol Oil is set to strengthen conservation efforts for the famous black eagles at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden.
The Black Eagle Project Roodekrans says the support will help protect the eagles’ habitat and assist with ongoing monitoring work.
The team tracks the pair’s daily activity and gives educational talks to schools, pensioners and community groups about the role the eagles play in the local ecosystem.
Chairperson Gerald Draper says the funding will help preserve the species for future generations and invited the public to join BEPR monitors in the garden on Tuesdays and most Saturdays.

The Department of Higher Education and Training and the National Skills Fund have launched a new Enterprise Resource Planning system, aiming to end years of manual delays and enable real-time monitoring of billions in skills-development spending.
Minister Buti Manamela said the system allows performance tracking, automated disbursements, improved compliance, and full audit trails, ensuring every rand spent is traceable and purposeful.
The first phase, covering 25% of the project, went live on October 31, with three more phases planned.
Manamela highlighted the NSF’s role in expanding digital and AI training, producing 30,000 artisans annually, and upskilling over 10,000 trainees. He also stressed stronger financial discipline, with providers now held accountable and irregular expenditure from prior years being cleared.

Dubai has opened the world’s tallest hotel, Ciel Tower, rising 377 meters above Dubai Marina.
Developed by The First Group, its height grew unexpectedly as plans evolved.
The 82-floor building has 1,004 rooms, eight restaurants, and an infinity pool on level 76.
With a footprint of just 3,600 square meters, designers included a wind-venting void and vertical atria to manage space and environmental challenges.
While modest inside, the tower adds a new shape to Dubai’s ever-changing skyline.