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BULLETIN 21 September 9 am

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In this bulletin:

# The African Editors Forum asks the Djibouti authorities for information on Micah Reddy
# The Gauteng police are investigating the discovery of a woman’s body in Soweto
# The German Chancellor remains defiant as his party is projected to lose in two state elections

# The African Editors Forum has expressed concern at the disappearance of South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy and his local “fixer” Kooki Mahmoud while on an assignment in Djibouti, East Africa. The pair were last seen around midday on Saturday. Reddy is Africa coordinator at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has confirmed it is aware of the case. Forum Secretary-General Sbu Ngalwa says they are calling on the Djibouti authorities to clarify Reddy and Mahmoud’s whereabouts:

# The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide has approved a comprehensive emergency strategy to speedily bring to justice the perpetrators behind the killing of nine women in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. Three persons of interest have been taken in for questioning, while police are still trying to establish whether all the murders are connected. Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has urged people to be in constant contact with their female relatives in the metro:

# Gauteng police have opened an inquest docket after the discovery of a woman’s body in Soweto yesterday evening. Her body was wrapped in a duvet and dumped in a dam at Moroka. It remains unclear if this is linked to the spate of murders in Ekurhuleni. Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi says the victim is estimated to be in her 20s, and the circumstances surrounding the incident are unknown at this stage:

# German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he won’t resign despite exit polls in two local elections suggesting damaging defeats for his centre-right Christian Democratic Union party. The far-right Alternative for Germany is projected to win the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at 38-percent. In the other election, the left-wing Die Linke party leads in Berlin at 26-percent. Merz called the exit poll results a disaster for his party, but emphasised that what is needed now is reform to address Germany’s economic issues and deepening divisions. 

# Soccer: Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has criticised match officials, saying they couldn’t cope with the pressure, following his team’s 2-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid in La Liga. He claims Atlético should have been handed two red cards in the first half, for defender Cristian Romero stamping on Jude Bellingham, and a second for a challenge by Atlético’s Lee Kang-in on Fede Valverde. Mourinho says referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias had no experience refereeing a derby. Madrid are now six points behind leaders Barcelona with seven games played.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-22-cents and the euro at 18-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-70-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-257-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-364-dollars a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 102-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….