News 18:00
BULLETIN 10 November 6 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The South African unemployment rate edges up to 33.7-percent as joblessness increases
# Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa calls for a deliberate approach to nuclear industrialisation
# And, soccer: The former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger considers challenging for the FIFA presidency
# South Africa’s official unemployment rate has edged up to 33.7-percent between July and September, from 33.6-percent in the previous quarter. The number of unemployed people rose by 97-thousand to 8.6-million, while discouraged job-seekers increased by 70-thousand to 3.7-million. Statistics South Africa’s Dimakatso Maloka says the broader unemployment measure, which includes people who have given up looking for work and those working fewer hours than they want, remained unchanged at 46.3-percent:
# Electricity and Energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says government must deliberately support local companies to build South Africa’s nuclear energy industry. Speaking at the Nuclear and Clean Energy Conference in Pretoria, Ramokgopa says a proposed ten-gigawatt nuclear industrialisation plan must identify local manufacturing capabilities and procurement opportunities. He says businesses need clear specifications and long-term investment certainty. He acknowledges that failures may occur, however government must support innovation and continued development:
# Madlanga Commission evidence leader advocate Mahlape Sello has rejected claims that consultations with businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala were conducted off the record. This follows allegations of ethical misconduct by Matlala’s lawyer, advocate Annelene van den Heever. She says an investigator was present to record a formal statement, with notes by all parties supporting this. Sello disputed claims of confidentiality, saying there was no agreement to exclude the discussions from the record:
# A Spanish police officer has been killed and another injured after an explosive device inside a backpack detonated in the city of Oviedo. The officers were responding to a shooting in which a 17-year-old girl was wounded during a dispute between two families. They found the backpack at a building entrance and were moving it outside when it exploded. The officer who died was a member of the police canine unit, while the injured officer was an explosives specialist who lost a leg. Police are searching for the suspected gunman.
# Soccer: Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger is considering standing against FIFA president Gianni Infantino in next year’s presidential election. The 77-year-old is being discussed as a possible candidate by European officials seeking an alternative to Infantino, but he has not yet decided whether to run. UEFA is expected to discuss its options this week, ahead of the November 18 deadline for candidates to declare their intentions. Wenger has served as FIFA’s chief of global development since 2019. The election will take place in Morocco on 18 March.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-45-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-41-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-3-cents and Bitcoin trades at 73-thousand-794-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-60-dollars-37-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 92-dollars-8-cents a barrel.