News 17:00

NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 14 November 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cosatu welcomes the decrease in the unemployment rate and the increase in jobs
# Afrika Tikkun and Microsoft Unite South African Businesses seek to revolutionise youth employability
# And, cricket: An Australian bowler amazes himself with six wickets in one over

# Union federation Cosatu welcomes a decrease in the unemployment rate to 31.9-percent in the third quarter, with 399-thousand new jobs providing relief for workers and families. Despite these gains, the federation calls for government intervention to address challenges in key sectors, such as load-shedding and Transnet. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says the looming threat of mine worker retrenchments requires the urgency for government and business intervention to secure industries and rebuild critical infrastructure:

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# Afrika Tikkun and Microsoft Unite South African Businesses are joining forces to address youth employability and close the skills gap. The organisations recently convened a roundtable discussion that examined whether South Africa’s unemployment challenges are more about job availability or a mismatch in skills demand and supply. The dialogue highlighted a significant obstacle in the country’s workforce development environment, highlighting the apparent lack of cooperation and coordination among stakeholders responsible for equipping the youth with the necessary skills and facilitating employment opportunities.

# Delegates from around the world are convening in Nairobi, Kenya, for crucial talks to formulate the first-ever global treaty addressing the plastic pollution crisis. The agreement, set to be finalised by next year, targets the cessation of plastic pollution in oceans and the atmosphere, including its impact on humans and animals. The United States, Saudi Arabia, India and China previously favoured state-determined commitments, while others, including Africa, sought global commitments. Plastic waste prompts calls for a 75-percent reduction by 2040 to curb emissions. The discussions are scheduled to conclude on Sunday.

# Cricket: Australian bowler Gareth Morgan says even he couldn’t believe his eyes when he took six wickets in a single over. The captain of Mudgeeraba Nerang achieved the feat in a Division Three match. Surfers Paradise needed just five runs in their final over to win, but Morgan took their final six wickets to hand his team an unexpected victory. His father, Huw, said afterwards Gareth also took five wickets in an over when he was a child and couldn’t get another since there were only five wickets left.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-47-cents and the euro at 19-rand-93-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 36-thousand-580-dollars-30-cents. Gold sells at one-thousand-953-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-97-cents a barrel.

# And, finally: The National Sea Rescue Institute urges the public to be safe around the water this summer in order to prevent drownings. The NSRI has issued a warning as the full moon springtide peaks this weekend and next week. The public is advised to avoid alcohol when swimming and to stick to designated safe swimming zones at the beach, guided by lifeguards. NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon appeals to everyone to adopt a safety mindset in all activities this summer:

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Stay tuned for more news………….