News 16:00

BULLETIN 12 October 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC asks the Constitutional Court to include disqualified candidates on the ballot
# A fire destroys a historic Paris market
# And rugby: The Sharks want to lure Malcolm Marx to Durban

# The ANC has told the Constitutional Court the Electoral Commission must include its candidates for six municipalities if required by law. Legal repesentative Daniel Berger argues failing to click the final submission button should not automatically disqualify the party’s lists. He says changing the ballot papers would cost approximately 720-thousand-rand, and argues excluding the candidates could undermine voters’ rights:

# The Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign has warned attacks on the judiciary threaten South Africa’s constitutional democracy. The campaign’s July Eccles says criticism of court judgments is legitimate when it is lawful, reasoned and evidence-based. However, she says threats, intimidation and incitement against judges undermine judicial independence and the rule of law. Eccles has also raised concern over what she describes as xenophobic narratives and misinformation spread by anti-migrant groups:

Moving abroad:

# A fire has destroyed Paris’s oldest covered food market. The historic site dates back more than 400 years. The market in the French capital’s Marais district was engulfed by flames early this morning. Firefighters brought the blaze under control, but the market’s structure was destroyed and part of it collapsed. No deaths have been reported, while a firefighter suffered a minor medical episode. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The market, established in 1615, has been protected as a historic monument since 1982.

# Rugby: The Sharks have also shown interest in the services of Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx. He was earlier linked to a possible move to the Bulls in Pretoria, but the Durban team was forced to examine other number two options due to uncertainty over Bok hooker Bongi Mbonambi, who is currently involved in a disciplinary dispute with the union. Thirty-two-year-old Marx, the current world player of the year, had played 93 Tests for South Africa. He is currently conctracted to Japanese team Kubota Spears.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-53-cents and the euro at 18-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-231-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-170-dollars-94-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 108-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

# And finally: American economists Robert Hall and Michael Woodford have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their work on economic stabilisation. Their research has helped develop models used by governments and central banks to manage economic ups and downs through interest rates, government spending and other policy measures. The Nobel Committee’s John Hassler says the models help policymakers respond to recessions, inflation and sudden economic shocks, including energy crises:

Stay tuned for more news………….