News 09:00

BULLETIN 12 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SARS confirms Rocky Montana offered it 5.4-million-rand to settle his 55.1-million-rand tax bill
# Tennis: Novak Djokovic loses against world number 204 Valentin Vacherot in the Shanghai Masters semi-final
# And, the Academy award-winning star Diane Keaton dies at 79

# The South African Revenue Service has confirmed that former PRASA CEO, Lucky Montana in August this year offered 5.4-million-rand as a compromise offer to settle his 55.1-million-rand tax bill. This was revealed by SARS spokesperson, Siphithi Sibeko, who told a special media briefing yesterday that a prerequisite in terms of the Tax Administration Act for SARS to consider a compromise offer, is that the tax debt may not be disputed. He says Montana’s claims that the revenue service doctored fake court judgments to justify his tax bill, are false:

# Higher Education and Training minister, Buti Manamela has urged the University of Fort Hare Council to reflect on a number of critical issues when they meet today to address onging student protests. Damages to infrastructure is estimated at between 300-million-rand 500-million-rand. Among the issues are the state of governance and leadership, the role and status of the Student Representative Council, and concerns raised about the Vice-Chancellor’s contract:

# The Commission for Gender Equality has asked Chapter 9 institutions and civil society organisations to create an open, inclusive, and safe society to ensure the quick resolution of hate speech and discrimination cases. Responding to recent comments by radio personality Ngizwe Mchunu against LGBTQIA+ persons, commissioner Leigh-Ann van der Merwe said the commission is deeply concerned about the persistence of gender-based and sexuality-based violence:

# BRICS Plus will host the 2025 BRICS Astronomy Meeting from Monday to Thursday next week in São José dos Campos, Brazil, under the theme “Multi-messenger and Multi-wavelength Transients.” Organised by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, the event will gather scientists, educators, and policymakers from eleven-member countries. Activities include workshops, outreach events, and a working group meeting aimed at strengthening global collaboration, training young researchers, and advancing discoveries in astronomy and space science.

# Tennis: The world number 204 Valentin Vacherot of Monaco stunned a struggling Novak Djokovic, 6-3, 6-4, in their semi-final clash at the Shanghai Masters to become the lowest-ranked ATP Masters1000 finalist ever. In the other semi-final of the day, Vacherot’s cousin, Arthur Rinderknech from France completed the family double by beating former champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia in three dramatic sets. Their final is the first cousin versus cousin match since 1991.

# And finally, the Oscar-winning star Diane Keaton has died at the age of 79. Keaton, who was born in Los Angeles, shot to fame in the 1970s through her role as Kay Adams-Corleone in The Godfather films. She was also known for starring roles in films including Father of the Bride, First Wives Club and Annie Hall, which won her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1978. Both in her film roles and in her personal life, Keaton was known for her unique style, which often featured menswear and a wide-brimmed hat.

Stay tuned for more news………….