News 13:00

BULLETIN 11 October 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# AZAPO calls on government to address the escalating murders in the country
# The Forum of South Africa says South Africa is in need of a complete reform of the justice system
# And, Israel rejects freeing the most popular Palestinian leader held as hostage

# The Azanian People’s Organisation is calling on government of national unity to come up with plan to address escalating murders and solving crimes in the country. AZAPO spokesperson, Nosipiwo Manona says a week hardly ends without news of a girl child found dead, shot, strangled, raped and their bodies discarded or a boy gunned down or stabbed. She says ensuring the safety of people is a right and not a privilege, especially children and women:

# The Forum for South Africa demands that Parliament urgently review its bail laws and close the doors that “allow money to determine who walks free and who stays behind bars”. FOSA leader Tebogo Mashilompane says the the High Court in Johannesburg’s decision to grant alleged crime kingpin Katiso KT Molefe bail of 400-thousand-rand – overturning the Alexandra magistrate’s Court decision to deny his release from prison – is an example. He says South Africa need a complete reform of the justice system:

# The Road Freight Association has endorsed the proposed 50-billion-rand Port of Gauteng project to revitalise South Africa’s logistics network. The association says the project could ease pressure on Durban’s congested port and improve road–rail integration but warns success depends on real private-sector participation. It supports plans for smart trucks and multimodal hubs while urging collaboration to build an efficient, competitive, and resilient freight system for South Africa’s economy.

# The most popular and potentially unifying Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouti, is not among the prisoners Israel intends to free in exchange for hostages, as part of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The 66-year-old is a leader of Hamas’s main political rival, Fatah, and widely seen as a potential successor to President Mahmoud Abbas, who runs the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Senior official Mousa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera that Hamas insists on the release of Barghouti, but Israel views him as a terrorist.

And in sport:

# Cricket: New Zealand convincingly beat Bangladesh in their Women’s Cricket World Cup encounter yesterday, clinching a crucial 100-run victory in Guwahati, India. The White Ferns posted 227 for 9 in their 50 overs, driven by half-centuries from Brooke Halliday on 69 and captain Sophie Devine on 63. Their bowlers were then clinical, dismantling the opposition to restrict Bangladesh to just 127 all out. The win moves New Zealand from 6th to 5th  position on the points log. Australia are still leading with 5 points followed by India, England and South Africa, on four.

# And squash: The sport hopes inclusion in the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles will help with its development so it could become a regular Olympic feature. The president of World Squash, Zena Wooldridge, says they have instantly saw a huge surge in motivation and funding. The Games’ competition will take place at a single glass court at Universal Studios, where 16 men and 16 women will compete. Today is World Squash Day, which focuses on increasing grassroots participation this year.

Stay tuned for more news………….