News 13:00

BULLETIN 26 February 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Electricity minister notes an improvement in the energy availability factor
# The MK Party Youth League calls for the scrapping of N-S-FAS 
# And Cricket: India seals the Test series win over England with a five-wicket victory in Ranchi 

# Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says concerted efforts targeting priority power stations have yielded positive results in improving the energy availability factor and reducing unplanned outages. Stations such as Kusile, Kendal, Majuba, Matla, Tutuka, and Duvha have detailed recovery plans in place, contributing to the recovery of three-thousand-510 megawatts by January. In a media briefing, Ramokgopa outlined the successful implementation of the energy action plan, providing a comprehensive assessment of performance over the past 12-months:

# The uMkhonto weSizwe Party Youth League calls for the scrapping of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. It says Africans are called previously disadvantaged people and as a result they still suffer the humiliation of poverty because of the injustices of the past. The league stands in solidarity with the students at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg who are planning a total shutdown today. League spokesperson Nkateko Mkhabela calls for free education for all, saying government must fund that education:

# The sixth United Nations Environment Assembly focusing on addressing the interlinkages of the three planetary environmental crises, gets underway in Nairobi, Kenya, today. The assembly will focus on how multilateralism can help tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Cities are the biggest drivers of the triple planetary crisis, consuming the lion’s share of energy, food and resources, giving back around 70-percent of CO2 emissions and over 50-percent of global waste.

# Cricket: India sealed the five-match Test series against England by winning the penultimate match in Ranchi by five wickets. The visitors squandered a first innings lead of 46 runs by being bowled out for a meagre 145 in their second innings. This set the hosts a winning target of 192 runs, which they reached on the fourth day with five wickets down. England won the first two Tests and India the following three. Indian batter Shubman Gill says the victory means the world to their young team:

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-33-cents and the euro at 20-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-51-cents and Bitcoin trades at 51-thousand-108-dollars-81-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-33-dollars-8-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-19-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Reigning Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert has announced her engagement to her partner of nearly nine years, Enrico Vermaak. He popped the question during a romantic sunset yacht cruise from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town over the weekend. Joubert says the setting was perfect and so special as both of their families and friends had flown down for the occasion. She says they will tie the knot when her Miss South Africa reign is over. Miss South Africa Organisation CEO, Stephanie Weil, says they are delighted for the couple.

Stay tuned for more news………….