News 15:00

BULLETIN 10 November 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A multi-party delegation represents Parliament at COP31
# NEHAWU congratulates the SACP on its performance in the local government elections
# And: Engen launches a new premium fuel brand

# South African Members of Parliament will be part of a multi-party parliamentary delegation to COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, from today till 20 November. The delegation will take part in parliamentary dialogues on climate finance, resilience, just transition, biodiversity, renewable energy and climate justice. Spokesperson Nqabisa Gantsho says the outcomes will strengthen oversight and inform future legislation:

# The National, Education and Allied Workers’ Union says the SACP’s electoral performance must serve as a building block for strengthening its presence amongst communities and consolidating its role in the struggles of the working class. Contesting the local government elections independently for the first time, the SACP will have 264 councillors take up their seats when councils meet for the first time in just over two weeks. NEHAWU’s spokesperson, Lwazi Nkolonzi, says the SACP’s electoral performance shows there is a need for working-class political representation:

# South African petroleum group Engen has launched a new premium fuel brand called V-Max, bringing its premium petrol and diesel products together under one name. Engen says the fuels use advanced additives to improve economy, engine performance and protection. Industry tests show V-Max can deliver up to 25-kilometres of additional range per tank. It also removes up to 100-percent of deposits from tested engine parts. The company says actual benefits will vary depending on driving conditions and vehicle type.

Moving abroad:

# At least 10 people have been killed in two major pile-ups involving around 50 vehicles on Bulgaria’s Trakia Motorway. The crashes happened near the town of Yambol on Tuesday morning, in dense fog and on wet roads. Cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks were involved in collisions on both sides of the motorway. Dozens of people have been injured, with several reported to be in a serious condition. Emergency teams from four regions have been deployed, while the motorway remains closed in both directions. Authorities believe poor visibility contributed to the crashes.

# Cricket: India have named their squads for a multi-format women’s tour of South Africa in December, with Smriti Mandhana captaining the team in all three formats. Jemimah Rodrigues returns after injury, while 21-year-old Jintimani Kalita has earned her first Test call-up. Former captain Harmanpreet Kaur is included in all three squads. The tour begins with a one-off Test in Gqeberha on 9 December, followed by three one-day internationals and three T20 matches. The ODI series includes a match in Cape Town on 19 December.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-39-cents and the euro at 18-rand-39-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-1-cent and Bitcoin trades at 74-thousand-159-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-72-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-75-sents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….