News 17:00

BULLETIN 8 October 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Popcru reiterates calls for a summit to address the rising police killings
# Tennis: Sabalenka, Gauff and Pegula reach the last 16 at the Wuhan Open in China
# And SANParks’ National Parks Week visitor numbers beat the 100-thousand mark

# The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union is calling for a national summit to tackle the growing number of police killings. Speaking at Popcru’s Central Executive Committee meeting in Johannesburg, president Thulani Ngwenya voiced concern over ongoing challenges within the criminal justice cluster amid the Madlanga commission of inquiry. He says new strategies are urgently needed to protect members as investigations into corruption within the justice system continue to unfold:

# The Judicial Service Commission has concluded interviews for two vacancies on the Constitutional Court, recommending five candidates. The shortlisted individuals excluded seasoned academic Madumetja Malepe from the list after allegations of stolen church funds, debt concerns, and doubt ovr academic credibility were thrust into the spotlight. JSC commissioner Sesi Baloyi confirmed the list will be submitted to president Cyril Ramaphosa for final consideration:

# Science, Technology and Innovation minister Blade Nzimande, speaking virtually at the ninth biennial CSIR Conference, stressed that science, technology, and innovation are essential for a sustainable and just future. He called for a sovereign African research agenda addressing food security, climate resilience, AI development, and pandemic preparedness. Spokesperson Veli Mbele says Nzimande highlighted global collaboration, ethical innovation, and the Decadal Plan to strengthen Africa’s research capacity and advance sustainable development:

# Tennis: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka battled hard to keep her unbeaten record in the Wuhan Open in China intact, having to come from behind to beat Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Last year’s semifinalist, third-seeded Coco Gauff, booked her place in the last 16 with a smooth 6-1, 6-love performance against Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima. In contrast, world number six Jessica Pegula needed seven match points and almost three hours to overcome fellow American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 4-6, 7-6.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-15-cents and the euro at 19-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 122-thousand-635-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-41-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-73-cents a barrel.

# And finally: SANParks says its National Parks Week was a huge success, as 105-thousand-and-51 people visited national parks between the 22nd to the 28th of September. The campaign allowed South Africans an opportunity to receive a day pass at a national park of their choice, free of charge. SANParks says Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo saw a 52.3-percent increase in visitor numbers, followed by the Eastern Cape’s Mountain Zebra and Addo, with a 52-percent and 47.3-percent increase, respectively.

Stay tuned for more news………….