Good News

BULLETIN 26 June

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The Eastern Cape government is officially opening the 51st National Arts Festival in Makhanda today, marking the start of a ten-day cultural celebration. The programme includes Cape Ballet Africa’s triple bill SALT, and UK company Action Hero’s The Talent. Athol Fugard will be remembered through the staging of two plays, The Island and Sizwe Banzi is Dead. Provincial government spokesperson, Khuselwa Rantjie, says the festival is a celebration of theatre, dance, music, comedy, visual art, and film:

# For one night only, the Opera of the University of Cape Town and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, together with the powerful voices of the CPO AfriArts Choir, will present a concert performance of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Il Trovatore. This is the first time in two decades the opera will be performed in Cape Town. It is a gripping story of love, loyalty, and vengeance, set against the backdrop of a civil war in 15th-century Spain. The concert will be held at the Cape Town City Hall tonight.

# Researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Robotics, Autonomous Intelligence and Learning Lab are advancing the frontiers of artificial intelligence. This is by developing machines that can walk, pour milk, and even explore ancient fossil caves. The team is developing robotic explorers, ranging from legged robots and wheeled vehicles to drones. Professor Benjamin Rosman says the robots will be able to autonomously map the terrain, locate excavation zones, and safely gather data in areas that are dangerous or inaccessible to humans:

# Over 1.1-million-rand was raised and 14 charities supported from the proceeds of the 2025 Oceans 8 Charity Swim in Durban. Around 250 swimmers took part in the event. Among the first-timers were swimmers from Lamontville Swimming Academy, whose entries were sponsored by the Balwin Foundation NPC. The proceeds will support organisations working in conservation, education, and community upliftment. Race organiser Hilary Bruss says the event is about community and purpose.

# And finally: Oscar-nominated French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has been picked to direct the next James Bond movie. He most recently directed the hugely successful blockbusters Dune and Dune: Part Two. Villeneuve says he is a die-hard Bond fan, as he grew up watching James Bond films with his father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery. The search is still on for who will play the spy after Daniel Craig, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, and James Norton all named as favourites for the role.

Stay tuned for more news………….