News 12:00

BULLETIN 28 October 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Parliament is calling for comprehensive anti-bullying strategies
# Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the groundbreaking anti-HIV injection Lenacapavir is a game-changer
# And rugby: The Bok assistant coach says the end-of-year tour will be a challenging test

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Basic Education has expressed concern over the lack of comprehensive anti-bullying strategies in schools. This follows the Milnerton High School incident in Cape Town, where a Grade 10 learner was bullied and assaulted. Eight Grade 11 pupils appeared in court last week and were charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Committee chairperson, Joy Maimela, says the department must develop a national policy to address and prevent bullying effectively:

# Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority’s decision to approve Lenacapavir. South Africa is the first country on the continent to approve the groundbreaking twice-a-year anti-HIV injection. Lenacapavir is a revolutionary long-acting drug that offers six months of protection. Motsoaledi says the drug has the potential to address critical gaps in current HIV prevention methods:

# The Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute says South Africa must resist false solutions like oil, gas and nuclear projects, that perpetuate inequality and delay a just, renewable transition. This comes as several offshore oil and gas projects are being proposed, in addition to Eskom’s proposal to extend the operating lifespan of Koeberg nuclear power station in Cape Town’s Unit 2. SAFCEI says government must abandon high-risk energy projects that undermine the country’s Just Energy Transition.

# Rugby: Springbok assistant coach, Jerry Flannery, says their end-of-year tour will be a great and challenging test for the team. South Africa will face Japan, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales in November. The Boks kick off the tour with a clash against Japan at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday. With five Tests in five weeks, Flannery admitted the schedule will push the world champions mentally and physically, but believes it’s exactly the type of test the squad needs:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-27-cents and the euro at 20-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-150-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-915-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-85-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Stellenbosch University has revealed a prestigious lineup of this year’s honorary doctorate recipients. Each year, the university confers honorary doctorates upon extraordinary individuals who have excelled in their fields, demonstrating a legacy of commitment and vision that inspires future generations. This year’s recipients are Nobel Laureate and internationally acclaimed author, Abdulrazak Gurnah, disaster management expert, Colin Deiner, entrepreneur Chris Otto, social scientist and epidemiologist, Olive Shisana, and innovator, Tjaart Johannes van der Walt.

Stay tuned for more news………….