Good News

BULLETIN 19 March

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# A SpaceX capsule holding NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been in space for nine months, and two others have safely splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. The duo, who were originally due to be on the International Space Station for only eight days, got stuck on the station in June last year after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned. NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme manager, Steve Stich, says they are glad Wilmore and Williams are back home:

# Shares in Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD surged to a record high after it unveiled new battery technology it says can charge a vehicle in the same time it takes to fill up a petrol car. The company says the battery and charging system, called “Super e-Platform”, boasted peak speeds of one-thousand kW, allowing cars to travel up to 470 kilometres after being plugged in for just five minutes. The new technology aims to fundamentally solve users’ charging anxiety.

# The National Playwright Competition has named four finalists who could see their work staged at this year’s National Arts Festival. Thozama Busakwe, Lwando Sindaphi, Naledi Malotana, and Campbell Meas will each receive five-thousand-rand and mentorship to refine their scripts. The competition, which supports emerging playwrights, allows writing in any language. The winner will receive 20-thousand-rand and have their play produced.

# City of Cape Town firefighters will once again participate in the Two Oceans Half Marathon to raise much-needed funds for the Volunteer Wildfire Services. The firefighters will be led by Jermaine Carelse and Renaldo Duncan, and joined by former Springbok hooker James Dalton for the 21.1-kilometre run. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says Volunteer Wildfire Services is one of the organisations involved in protecting Cape Town from devastating wildfires:

# And finally: Hollywood actor and Grammy-winning musician, Will Smith, will embark on a world tour for the first time in decades. The Based on a True Story Summer Tour will kick off in Hamburg, Germany, on July 13, and will head through other major cities such as London and Monte Carlo, before wrapping in Paris on September secnd. The tour comes as Smith is set to release his first full-length rap album in 20 years next week. The album, Based on a True Story, features Teyana Taylor, Jac Ross, and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Stay tuned for more news………….