News 09:00

BULLETIN 2 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The government is taking steps to reduce the cost burden on public transport users
# Minister Motsoaledi welcomes the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ new position on blood transfusion
# And golf: The South Africans start strong in Scotland

# Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy says as geopolitical pressures drive up household costs, government is advancing an integrated transport system designed to make public transport safer and more affordable. October is Transport Month. Creecy says her department is in the process of reforming the public transport grant system into a unified support model available on selected routes to bus and taxi operators alike. She added that they are also confronting criminality and intimidation in the sector:

# Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed Jehovah’s Witnesses’ decision to change their policy on blood transfusions. The organisation, which has more than nine million members worldwide across congregations in more than 200 countries and territories, previously refused four main components of another person’s blood, citing a biblical passage. Now members can decide whether to accept or donate certain blood components. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says the prohibition of blood transfusion on religious grounds has been a major problem in the healthcare system:

# ActionSA in Johannesburg says the metro’s Skills Development Strategy Report is guaranteed to incur wasteful expenditure by the Department of Social Development’s training offering to employees. The report was passed in Council with the support of the ANC and its coalition partners. ActionSA’s Sarah Wissler says the report identifies a disconnect between departmental programmes, SETA skills plans and the skills that employers require. She says it also acknowledges that existing programmes have not fully realised their potential to transform young people’s lives:

# South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung has accused Ukraine of breaching a confidentiality agreement by publicly disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky announced at the United Nations General Assembly last week that his government had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul. The two soldiers were among thousands of North Koreans supporting Russia in the Ukraine war. Lee has called on Kyiv to apologise. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the situation as a diplomatic misunderstanding.

# Golf: Seven South Africans are lined up behind joint leaders world number 979 Michael Stewart of Scotland and Australia’s Jack Buchanan on seven under par at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The tournament is played over three courses – Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews. Reigning South African Open champion Casey Jarvis is on six-under-par 66 at Carnoustie, while his countryman MJ Daffue joins him with the same score at Kingsbarns. Hennie du Plessis, Christiaan Burke, Dean Burmester, Brandon Stone and Daniel van Tonder are also well-placed on five-under-par.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-68-cents and the euro at 18-rand-77-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-3-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-198-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-186-dollars-76-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….