News 09:00

BULLETIN 25 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COSATU commends the government’s progress with the grey list findings
# Eskom says the generation recovery plan yields sustained grid stability
# And Germany suffers an alarming increase in hard drug use

# COSATU has commended the ANC-led government’s progress in addressing the United Nations’ Financial Action Task Force’s grey listing findings. This follows the Task Force announcement yesterday that South Africa has complied with all the requirements regarding money laundering.  Cosatu’s spokesperson, Matthew Parks says whilst welcoming this important achievement, it is critical not only to resolve FATF’s findings in letter, but in action:

Meanwhile, the DA has commended the work, focus, and commitment of the government in getting South Africa off the grey list. The party says that since entering government, they have helped to secure the outcome. However, the DA’s Mark Burke says there is no room for complacency. He says South Africa must build momentum by ramping up successful prosecutions of financial crime:

# Eskom says the power system continues to be stable, resilient, and reliable. Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says this is due to ongoing technical improvements achieved under Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan, ensuring a consistent electricity supply for over 98-percent of the time during the current financial year. She says generation performance has improved significantly, with the energy availability factor having reached 70-percent and surpassing this level more than 24 times since August this year:

# Authorities warned Germany is suffering an “alarming” increase in hard drug use, with narcotics more accessible as production in Europe is on the rise. There has been a “boom” in the use of drugs such as cocaine, crack, and synthetic narcotics. Cocaine trafficking offences, for example, have increased by more than 45-percent over the past five years. The report also noted that the amount of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, seized by German police jumped by 115-percent, while seizures of methamphetamine rose by 13-percent and amphetamine by eight-percent.

# And sports news:

# Tennis: Elena Rybakina clinched the eighth and last spot at next month’s WTA Finals when she beat Victoria Mboko 6-3, 7-6 to reach the Pan Pacific semi-finals in Tokyo. The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins the elite field in Saudi Arabia after a successful run of form that also saw her win the Ningbo Open in China last week. Rybakina will play sixth seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in the semi-finals today.

# And motorsport: Thousands of car racing enthusiasts are expected to flock to the inaugural Speed Classic Cape Town taking place today, reviving the city’s historic hillclimb tradition on Philip Kgosana Drive. Today is dedicated to Classic Car runs, featuring over 70 rare and iconic vehicles, including a 1930 Bentley 4.5L, against the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain. Tomorrow, the “King of the Mountain” showdown will see modern supercars take the stage. Event Director Garth Mackintosh says the goal is to make the Speed Classic a yearly tradition. The public is reminded of several road closures around the venue.

Stay tuned for more news………….