News 13:00

BULLETIN 10 October 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa regrets the violence over asylum applications
# A total of 268 inmates are ready for their Matric exams
# And tennis: Daniil Medvedev wins his first match since his disqualification

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed regret over the violence during protests in Durban and Soweto over the processing of asylum applications. Ten vehicles were burnt in Soweto and 14 in Durban on Thursday as protesters demonstrated against undocumented immigration and the acceptance of asylum applications. The protests followed a Constitutional Court ruling in July in a case brought by the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town. Ramaphosa supports Home Affairs’ decision to suspend the processing of asylum applications at its offices:

Meanwhile, the KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has asked for army support as the violence continues in Durban. The unrest has spread to areas including Umlazi and Merebank, with vehicles and buildings set alight and businesses looted. The Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn the directive that allowed refugee offices to accept the applications under the revised process. Ntuli is calling for investigation into looting and unrest:

# A total of 268 Grade 12 candidates from the Department of Correctional Services are ready to commence their 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations, which are scheduled to begin on Tuesday and conclude on 26 November. The candidates are enrolled at 18 correctional services schools across the country. National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Samuel Thobakgale, has wished all candidates well as they prepare to write their final examinations:

# French police are facing increased scrutiny over their handling of student protests after a series of serious injuries, including cases involving teenagers. Reuters reports that 24 cases linked to police actions are being investigated. A 14-year-old boy suffered serious facial injuries after being hit by a tear-gas grenade, while a 15-year-old lost a hand in an incident involving a stun grenade. The government has suspended the use of stun grenades during student protests while the incident is investigated. Police unions argue that officers need appropriate equipment to deal with violent confrontations.

# Tennis: Russia’s Daniil Medvedev has beaten Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in his first match since being disqualified from the China Open. The fifth-seeded Medvedev fought back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Shanghai Masters today, firing 21 aces. He was disqualified from his semi-final against Novak Djokovic in Beijing on Monday after hitting a ball into the stands that struck a spectator. Medvedev said the incident was accidental and apologised.

# And rugby: New Zealand have retained the Bledisloe Cup after beating Australia 50-19 at Eden Park in Auckland. The All Blacks led 17-14 at half-time but pulled away after the break, scoring five more tries to seal a convincing victory. The hosts have now extended their unbeaten run at Eden Park to 54 Tests. New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003. The teams meet again in Sydney next Saturday.

Stay tuned for more news………….