News 16:00
BULLETIN 10 September 4 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The ANC confirms election candidate list errors in three KwaZulu-Natal municipalities
# Iceland will propose a whaling ban, leaving Norway and Japan isolated
# And athletics: Dambile leads the South African team at the inaugural Ultimate Championships in Budapest
# The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says technical glitches have affected its candidate lists in three municipalities ahead of the 4 November local government elections. Provincial task team coordinator James Nxumalo says errors in eThekwini and Ray Nkonyeni resulted in some ward candidates being listed in the wrong wards, with cases of duplication and candidate swapping. Despite the problems, provincial convenor Mike Mabuyakhulu remains confident the party has strong support across the province:
# South Africa and Saudi Arabia are looking to strengthen tourism ties, including increasing direct flights between the two countries. Tourism minister Patricia de Lille says discussions include commercial flights to Johannesburg and pilgrimage-related services to Cape Town. She says Saudi Arabia is among 30 countries covered by South Africa’s electronic travel authorisation system, allowing Saudi travellers to apply online for visas, with applications processed in less than 24 hours:
# The United Nations’ resident coordinator in South Africa, Nelson Muffuh, says the country faces a critical challenge of turning ambitious development plans into real results. He told the SABC South Africa has strong foundations on policies, reforms and partnerships, but implementation remains critical. With unemployment at 33.6-percent and economic growth at just 1.1-percent, Muffuh says urgent action is needed to create jobs and reduce inequality. He adds improved electricity stability and structural reforms are grounds for cautious optimism, but says delivery must now match the country’s ambition.
# Iceland’s government will submit a bill in February to ban whaling, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only two countries in the world to continue commercial whaling. Whaling in Iceland has sparked years of protests from animal welfare campaigners and Hollywood celebrities. According to the International Whaling Commission’s catch list, only Iceland, Norway and Japan have conducted commercial whaling in recent years. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 and Iceland in 2006, despite an international moratorium that took effect in 1986 to protect whale populations.
# Athletics: Commonwealth champion, Sinesipho Dambile, is leading South Africa’s team in the weekend’s inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary. He will participate in the men’s 100-metres alongside Akani Simbine and Gift Leotlela, while Zakithi Nene will contest the men’s 400-metres. Prudence Sekgodiso will feature in the women’s 800-metres and Marioné Fourie in the women’s 100-metres hurdles. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe says the year’s best performers will assemble:
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-17-cents and the euro at 18-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-85-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-506-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-350-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-29-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….