News 16:00

BULLETIN 28 October 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# One person dies in the Eastern Cape flash floods
# The Nulane corruption case’s pre-trial is set for January
# And tennis: Wawrinka ends his professional career in Basel

# At least one person died after flash floods hit parts of the OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The floods followed a severe storm that caused damage in several areas. Authorities say emergency services are on the ground assessing the situation and providing assistance to affected communities. Residents in low-lying areas are urged to remain cautious as more rain is expected. The municipality is monitoring water levels and will provide updates as rescue and recovery efforts continue.

# The Nulane corruption case has been postponed to January 20 for a pre-trial conference in the High Court in Bloemfontein. This follows after the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal of all the accused, including businessman Iqbal Sharma. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says they are accused of acting in common purpose in the irregular payment of 24.9-million-rand to Gupta-linked Nulane Investment for a feasibility study connected to the Vrede dairy farm project:

# Former president Thabo Mbeki says the outcome of the US midterm elections could indicate what to expect from Congress and the Senate’s commitment to the United Nations and international law. Speaking at the sidelines of the Africa and African Diaspora Conference in Boksburg, Gauteng, Mbeki cautioned the results may not meet global expectations and may remain unchanged. He urged the world to monitor developments after the vote, saying the election outcome alone may not reveal how the US will approach international relations and multilateral cooperation.

# Tennis: Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka ended his professional career after 24 years. The 41-year-old played his last match at the Basel Open in his home country, losing to Czech player Jiří Lehečka in the round of 32. Wawrinka turned professional in 2002 and won three Grand Slam tournaments – the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open the next year, and the US Open in 2016. He reached his highest world ranking of third in January 2014. Wawrinka will still participate in an exhibition tournament in Geneva in December.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-64-cents and the euro at 18-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-12-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-638-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-54-dollars-68-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 116-dollars-46-sents a barrel.

# And finally: Cape Town is set to light up the festive season with its flagship Festive Lights Switch-On on 29 November. The free event at the Grand Parade runs from 4pm to 10pm and features a star-studded line-up including Nasty C, Liquideep, Thukuthela, Monique Steyn, Dee Koala and Ricky Vani Frontline. Mayoral Committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says DJs and dancers will also take to the stage:

Stay tuned for more news………….