Good News

BULLETIN 31 October 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Time Out has revealed its list of the 20 Friendliest Cities in the World for 2025, with Cape Town making the cut. These cities stand out for their warmth, hospitality, and welcoming spirit. The global survey discovered that people from Porto, Portugal, were more likely to call their city friendly than anyone else in the world. Porto also came fourth for beauty and 12th for happiness. Second is Bilbao in Spain, with Colombia’s Medellin in third. Cape Town is fourth, with Lagos in Nigeria fifth.

# The North-West University honoured ten remarkable professionals at its prestigious biennial Alumni Excellence Awards ceremony held in Pretoria. The distinguished honourees include veteran South African actor Hans Strydom, World Cup cricket star Tazmin Brits, and health economist professor James Avoka Asamani. Strydom received the Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his pioneering contributions to South African television and film, as well as his tireless advocacy for performers’ rights. The university says all the honourees are making a lasting impact in their respective fields.

# University of Pretoria researchers Lerothodi Leeuw and Muaaz Bhamjee have made scientific history by earning the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their role in the European Organization for Nuclear Research’s ATLAS experiment in Switzerland. Their work contributes to understanding fundamental questions about dark matter, forces, and the universe, upgrading the Large Hadron Collider’s detectors. UP recently joined the SA-ATLAS collaboration, strengthening South Africa’s presence in global science. Leeuw says the recognition marks a phenomenal milestone for African research.

# SANParks Arid Region hosted its annual Regional Awards at the Mokala National Park in the Northern Cape, recognising excellence, dedication, and teamwork among staff. A total of 48 awards were presented across categories such as best customer service, leadership, ranger post, and lifetime contribution. SANPark’s JP Louw says the event celebrated employees from Kgalagadi, Augrabies Falls, Namaqua, and Mokala National Parks, who exemplify SANParks’ commitment to conservation, tourism, and community engagement.

# And finally: Fifteen-year-old Owen Lineker from Plettenberg Bay has smashed both the South African and the All-Africa junior record at the Junior Bottom Fish Nationals. He caught a 5.9-kilogram red stumpnose on a reef off the Gqeberha coast, surpassing the previous record of 4.9-kilograms. Found around rocky reefs, red stumpnose are prized by anglers for their fighting spirit and rarity as a top recreational catch. Owen says he now has his sights on representing South Africa on the international stage.

Stay tuned for more news………….