News 18:00

BULLETIN 12 October 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Electoral Commission argues the ANC failed to meet the candidate submission deadline
# The ANC Youth League condemns what it calls attacks on black economic transformation
# And, Tom Cruise’s latest film is forecast to lose about four-billion-rand

# The Electoral Commission says the ANC may have missed the candidate submission deadline by failing to complete the final step on its online system. The ANC is challenging the disqualification of 181 candidates across six municipalities. IEC advocate Terry Motau told the Constitutional Court that all parties must follow the same rules to ensure fairness and certainty. He says allowing exceptions could force the commission to make individual decisions about parties:

# COSATU’s parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks has expressed confidence that the federation’s 15th national congress will progress well at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Gauteng. COSATU adjourned in September following disagreements about a change in leadership. The three-day congress will also discuss future campaigns and strengthening leadership. He says the federation is confident the gathering will strengthen its commitment to workers and working-class communities:

# The ANC Youth League has condemned what it describes as an escalating offensive against the economic upliftment of black people. The organisation says the setting aside of the Legal Sector Code by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, the Constitutional Court’s invalidation of the Public Procurement Act, and efforts to weaken Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment in public procurement threaten efforts to address historical economic inequalities. The party argues that these developments protect an economic system that continues to marginalise the black majority, particularly Africans, and preserve wealth concentrated in white hands.

# Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger, is forecast to lose about 4-billion-rand after disappointing audiences at the box office. The dark comedy took just 35-million-dollars worldwide in its first two weekends, while ticket sales in North America fell by 60-percent in the second weekend. The film cost an estimated 4.6-billion-rand to make and market. Analysts expect it to earn only about 825-million-rand during its cinema run, far below the amount needed to break even. The film stars Cruise as a wealthy oil tycoon whose actions threaten to trigger a catastrophe.

# Golf: The DP World tour confirmed any player signing up for LIV Golf next season won’t be allowed to be a member of its circuit. CEO Guy Kinnings, says players will have to make a choice, taking a significantly tougher stance than in recent seasons. BBC Sport reports deadlines for both competitions are next month, while there is still uncertainty over LIV’s future due to financial issues. Kinnings says players will have to disclose which tours they intend to play in and that would determine membership decisions.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-55-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-49-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-851-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-164-dollars-26-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 109-dollars-64-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….