Good News

BULLETIN 9 May 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The University of Pretoria’s Nicholas Joubert has completed three degrees over five years while also building a music career and releasing a debut single. The 28-year-old recently graduated with a master’s degree in Strategic Management. He also completed his Business Management and Communication Management degrees in 2020 and ’22, respectively. Joubert’s debut single, Someone New, charted on South African radio stations and even on playlists in the UK and Australia. He says despite his growing musical popularity, he is determined to keep building on his academic qualifications.

# The University of Johannesburg has launched the UJ Disability Forum, recognising and addressing the unique needs of diverse student and staff populations. The university says the forum serves as a platform to gather first-hand accounts of challenges including the underestimation of the disabled population at the institution. It says the forum signifies the university’s commitment to dismantling barriers and creating a space where everyone can reach their full potential.

# Kloof and Highway SPCA in the Western Cape’s operations manager, Sarah van Heerden, has successfully raised 120-thousand-rand for animal welfare. She completes her one-thousand-600 kilometre bicycle mission. For seven days she cycled from Wellington and through 53 mountain passes and back. Van Heerden says the funds have the potential to make a remarkable difference for SPCA services, like being able to afford their own outreach clinic.

# Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to offer a new streaming bundle comprising Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max, which will be available to customers in the US later this year. The move comes as Disney and Warner Bros face competition from rivals, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Disney Entertainment’s, Joe Earley, says this incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, and three libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today.

# And finally: An 18-month-old British girl has become the first person in the world to take part in a pioneering gene therapy trial, which has restored her hearing. Opal Sandy was born completely deaf due to auditory neuropathy, a condition that disrupts nerve impulses travelling from the inner ear to the brain. In September last year, Opal had surgery where she received an infusion of the gene into her right ear. Her parents noticed improvements in her hearing after four weeks, and now she can hear almost perfectly.

Stay tuned for more news………….