News 16:00

BULLETIN 28 November 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A sharp downturn in business closures as liquidations plunge by 34.7-percent in October
# More than 320 die in Southeast Asian flooding
# And rugby: Shilton van Wyk is eager to give the Blitzboks a fast start in Dubai tomorrow

# Statistics South Africa says total liquidations fell by 34.7-percent last month compared with October last year. Spokesperson Onica Mushwana says company liquidations decreased by 46 cases, while close corporation liquidations dropped by 22 cases, signalling a significant easing in business failures:

# The DA urges the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to ensure tuition and accommodation payments for the next academic year run smoothly. The party warns that past mismanagement under former minister of Higher Education and Training, Nobuhle Nkabane, including irregular board appointments, still threatens the stability of the funding body. The DA’s Delmaine Christians says students must not be disadvantaged:

Moving abroad:

# The death toll from floods across large swathes of Southeast Asia rose to at least 320 with authorities working to rescue stranded citizens, restore power and communications and coordinate recovery efforts. Huge parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been stricken by cyclone-fuelled torrential rain for a week, with a rare tropical storm forming in the Malacca Strait. In Thailand alone, 145 people died in the southern provinces, while 3.5 million people were affected by the flooding.

# US president Donald Trump says operations by land to stop alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers will start very soon. The US military has amassed more than a dozen warships and 15-thousand soldiers in the region as part of what the Pentagon has branded Operation Southern Spear. The military has killed more than 80 people in boat strikes as part of the anti-drug-trafficking campaign. Trump says they are doing everything possible to stop Venezuelan drug traffickers:

# Rugby: Springbok Sevens speedster Shilton van Wyk is eager to give the team a fast start in Dubai when the new world series kicks off in the United Arab Emirates tomorrow. The Blitzboks are in Group A together with Argentina, Fiji and France. Van Wyk made his debut for South Africa in the same tournament four years ago. He says they realise they need a fast start in the first match against France tomorrow morning, dominate from the outset and start the season on a high note.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-535-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-172-dollars-53-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….