Good News

BULLETIN 13 November 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Cape Town has been chosen as the host city for WorldPride 2028, becoming the first city in Africa to host the international event. WorldPride celebrates LGBTQ+ pride, promoting equal rights and visibility for the community worldwide. WorldPride Cape Town bid leader, Michael Gladwin, says this is not just a moment for Cape Town but a pride for all of Africa, adding that they are dedicated to leaving a lasting legacy. 

# The old Johannesburg Planetarium has been transformed into the state-of-the-art Wits Anglo-American Digital Dome. The dome is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere, made possible through an investment of 90-million-rand from Anglo American and the University of Witwatersrand. It offers a 360-degree immersive experience for visitors of all ages, with a variety of shows. Wits says it will also serve as a modern teaching venue and a collaborative research space where scientists and students can visualise their work.

# Tshwane University of Technology’s Data Team from the ICT Faculty’s Computer Science Department secured second place for South Africa in the 2024 IBM Z Datathon. The competition aims at empowering participants to leverage technology for meaningful impact. There were more than nine-thousand registrations across 39 countries and over 320 final projects submitted. TUT says the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the participants created a vibrant atmosphere, fostering innovation and collaboration among budding data scientists. 

# Orbital by Samantha Harvey has won the 2024 Booker Prize, the UK’s most prestigious prize for fiction. At 136 pages long, Orbital is the second-shortest book to win in the prize’s 55-year history. The book, which is Harvey’s fifth novel, deals with a single day in the life of six astronauts and cosmonauts. Harvey, who is the first woman to win the award since 2019, says this will change her life:

# And finally: For the second consecutive year, Prince William has been named the world’s sexiest bald man. This is according to Reboot Online, which looked at different factors including how shiny the men’s heads are, their facial golden ratio, height, and smile. The 42-year-old Prince of Wales scored 9.9 out of a possible total of ten points. Second on the list is Hollywood superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson with a score of 8.9, followed by basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal in third.

Stay tuned for more news………….