Good News

BULLETIN 27 June 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says artificial intelligence will accelerate innovation and make it easier to combat climate change. But, in an interview with Sky News, he also warned it must be used by people with good intent.  He said the role of artificial intelligence had been modest so far in helping to combat climate change, but it was going to make innovation easier. Referring to climate change, Gates said AI will make the modelling of fusion energy so much easier.  

# In May 2024, South African salaries showed a slight recovery, surpassing 2023 levels amid uninterrupted power supply and improved business conditions. The BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index reported an average nominal salary of 15-thousand-888, marking a 10-percent increase from a year ago. Adjusted for inflation, salaries reached 14-thousand-and-15-rand, up 4.5-percent. Forecasts align with the Reserve Bank’s predictions, suggesting a positive trend for 2024 despite ongoing economic challenges like high interest rates and living costs.

# The City of Cape Town secured 3.5-billion-rand from Nedbank for a three-year infrastructure investment project. Approved by the city council, this is part of a 39.5-billion-rand plan running until June 2027 and aimed at creating 120-thousand construction jobs. According to Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the cash injection is South Africa’s largest investment ever for a metropolitan infrastructure project. The city also received 2.7-billion-rand from the International Finance Corporation and 1.95-billion-rand from the Agence Française de Développement.

And, in more news from Cape Town, The City of Cape Town has successfully completed 72 hours of essential maintenance on the Cape Flats water network that affected 22 communities. Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says communities are already reporting that water has been restored and the list will increase as pressure increases:

# And finally: A non-invasive procedure that uses high-intensity focused ultrasound to create a lesion in a part of the brain that controls a person’s movements, is now giving Parkinson’s patients hope of regaining independence. The procedure was carried out for the first time on a patient in Scotland earlier this month. Retired firefighter Ian Keir suffered two years of tremors in his right hand and couldn’t manage everyday tasks. He was treated as part of an international clinical trial. Keir says he knows it’s not a complete cure but it is a cure for some of his Parkinson’s symptoms.

Stay tuned for more news………….