News 13:00

BULLETIN 18 October 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Over two thousand suspects are arrested for sexual offences nationwide
# Paul Mashatile pushes for a 695-billion-rand trade boost with Turkey
# And the Police call off the search for a four-year-old missing in the Australian outback

# The SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units in September have arrested two-thousand-320 suspects nationwide for rape, sexual assault, and abduction. The Western Cape recorded the highest arrests with 536, followed by Gauteng with 459 and KwaZulu-Natal with 360. Forty-six offenders received life sentences, while 35 got 20 years’ imprisonment. Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk confirmed the arrest of a 36-year-old KwaDukuza suspect linked to rape and robbery cases dating back to 2013:

# The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Human Settlements has confirmed 106 motorists were arrested in a single night for drunk driving in Newcastle. Department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya, speaking on behalf of MEC Siboniso Duma, commended the law enforcement teams for their dedication. He praised the operation as a significant step toward cleaning up the province’s road networks and improving road safety for all users:

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has highlighted the need to deepen trade and investment ties between South Africa and Turkey, aiming for bilateral trade of 695-billion-rand. Speaking at the South Africa–Turkey Business Council, Mashatile stressed diversifying trade, increasing exports of manufactured and processed goods, and balancing the economic relationship. Mashatile also invited Turkish companies to invest in South Africa’s Special Economic Zones to stimulate growth and job creation.

# Australian police have called off a search for a four-year-old boy who has been missing in the outback for almost three weeks, after fresh efforts failed to find any traces of the child. Gus Lamont was last seen playing outside his home on a remote sheep station about 300 kilometres from Adelaide. His grandmother left him alone for about half an hour before finding him gone, prompting one of the largest land and air searches in South Australian history. The case has sparked huge interest with images of the boy featured across Australian media.

# And finally sports news:

# Tennis: Italian second seed Jasmine Paolini kept her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals alive with a gritty comeback win over Belinda Bencic, beating Switzerland’s Tokyo Olympic gold medallist 5-7 7-5 6-3 in the Ningbo Open quarterfinals on Friday. Paolini will face third-seed Elena Rybakina in the semis, after the Russian-born Kazakh took less than an hour to beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2 6-0 later in the day. Twice Grand Slam finalist Paolini needs a win over Rybakina in the last four to qualify for next month’s WTA Finals in Riyadh.

# And motorsport:  Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat McLaren’s title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with a final flying lap to take pole position for the US Grand Prix sprint race later today. The Dutchman has beaten both McLaren drivers in the last three regular grands prix but remains 63 points behind championship leader Piastri. With eight points on offer to the winner of Saturday’s 100-kilometre race, Verstappen and Norris both have a good chance to reduce the gap to the Australian. McLaren has already won the constructors’ championship for the second year in a row.

Stay tuned for more news………….