News 11:00

BULLETIN 30 October 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy president Mashatile is set to answer oral questions in Parliament today
# Eight people have been killed in a minibus taxi accident on the N3 highway in the Free State
# And rugby: Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ ban has been reduced by just one game

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile will answer oral questions in the National Assembly this afternoon. He will answer questions on issues related to service delivery, settlement of debt by municipalities to Eskom, land reform, and the government’s approach towards addressing the disproportionate HIV prevalence in women and girls. Mashatile will also give an update on the multi-sectoral coordination and intelligence-driven strategies undertaken by the government to curb the scourge of gangsterism, especially in the Western Cape.

# The Department of Basic Education says the National Senior Certificate exams are progressing smoothly with no major incidents reported nationwide. This year there are 766-thousand full-time candidates, the highest number since 1996. The exams kicked off on the 21st of this month with the Computer Applications Technology practical exam. The examination period concludes on 26 November. The department’s spokesperson, Terrence Khala, says roughly a quarter of the 112 exam papers have been written:

# At least eight people have been killed in a collision between a minibus taxi and a truck on the N3 highway between Van Reenen’s Pass and Montrose in the Free State this morning. Several others have been injured. The highway has been closed. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, says the exact cause of the accident is unknown at this stage:

Moving abroad:

# US president Donald Trump says following his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, tariffs on China would be lowered to 47-percent from 57-percent. The two leaders met in South Korea. Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One after concluding a three-stop tour of Asia, Trump said he will be reducing fentanyl-related tariffs to 10-percent from 20-percent. He also added that he has reached a one-year agreement with China on rare earths and other critical minerals. Trump described the meeting as a great success.

# Rugby: Springbok and Bulls prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has failed in his appeal to overturn a nine-week suspension, but has had his suspension reduced by one game. He was penalised after Connacht flanker Josh Murphy accused him of groping during a United Rugby Championship match two weeks ago. A URC appeal panel found the disciplinary panel erred in their nine-week suspension and did not take into account Wessels’ conduct. He will miss the Springboks’ end-of-year tour as well as the Bulls’ two Champions’ Cup matches against Bordeaux and Northampton.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-20-cents and the euro at 19-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-70-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-714-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-973-dollars-62-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-79-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….