News 15:00

BULLETIN 16 October 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# French companies boost their investments in South Africa
# The setting of Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s corruption trial date is delayed to December
# And soccer: Alex Ferguson will leave his Manchester United role at the end of the season

# French companies are significantly boosting their investments in South Africa. Speaking at the French Business Forum in Johannesburg, French ambassador David Martinon noted that South Africa’s financial regulatory framework and political stability make it an attractive destination for international investors. He says the forum provides a platform for French companies to engage with local businesses, further strengthening economic ties between the two nations:

# The setting of a trial date for former National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s corruption case has been postponed to 5 December by the High Court in Pretoria. Her defense team requested access to parts of the docket. She is accused of soliciting millions of rands in bribes while Defence minister. State prosecutor Bheki Manyathi requested timelines to avoid further delays:

# The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has announced that train services have been fully restored across all lines in the Western Cape, now operating at a 90-percent service level. Recent disruptions, including a power loss on the Northern Line and a signal failure at Bellville, have been resolved. Prasa regional spokesperson Zino Mihi encourages the community to report vandalism to help maintain reliable rail services:   

# A new proposal to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales is introduced in the UK parliament today, sparking concern from senior church leaders and opponents about the implications of allowing the terminally ill to die on their own terms. Details of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill have not yet been published but The Times reports that if passed, a patient’s wish to die is likely to need sign-off from a judge and two doctors, and would be limited to those with six to 12 months to live.

# Soccer: Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will leave his role at the English giants at the end of the season. He became United’s global ambassador and club director since his retirement in 2013 after leading the team to 13 Premier League titles and numerous other accolades. Eighty-year-old Ferguson has reportedly been paid a multi-million-pound amount in his new role, but co-owner Jim Ratcliffe is trying to slash costs after already making over 250 staff members redundant. United announced a 2.6-billion-rand net loss last month.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-57-cents and the euro at 19-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-803-dollars-50-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-675-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….