News 13:00

BULLETIN 5 March 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Authorities crack down on 50 non-profit organisations suspected of money laundering
# Soccer: Liverpool’s clash against PSG in Paris is not seen as a high security risk
# And the University of KwaZulu-Natal receives a grant for the development of a cutting-edge extreme weather warning system

# Authorities are investigating 50 non-profit organisations suspected of money laundering and terror funding. Acting Social Development director-general, Peter Netshipale, says some foreign-backed groups exploit NPOs to recruit members, threatening national security. He says this crackdown aligns with Financial Action Task Force guidelines. He says investigations into illicite transactions continue as National Treasury hopes South Africa will exit the task force’s grey list by October.

# Electricity and Energy minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to nuclear energy, saying nuclear was now internationally accepted as one of the cleanest forms of energy. He was speaking at the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town on Tuesday. Ramokgopa says the country has an obligation to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions and to widen its industrial base:

# RISE Mzansi has welcomed minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald’s commitment to review the parole system to ensure that it speaks to current trends. Groenewald said since 2022/’23, over one-thousand offenders serving life sentences have been granted parole. RISE Mzansi’s spokesperson, Makashule Gana, says Groenewald also revealed that there are currently 13 parolees who are under consideration for cancellation of their parole:

# Soccer: French police say Liverpool’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain today was not classed as high risk. The last 16 first leg tie at Parc des Princes is the first time Liverpool returns to Paris since the 2022 Champions League final against Real Madrid at the Stade de France was plunged into chaos. That match had to be delayed by more than 30 minutes as fans struggled to enter the stadium. Around two-thousand Liverpool fans will attend today’s game.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-41-cents and the euro at 19-rand-70-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-64-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-161-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-918-dollars-12-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The University of KwaZulu-Natal has secured a 46.5-million-rand grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research to develop a pioneering warning system for extreme weather events in South Africa. The institution is working in collaboration with the University of the West of Scotland, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the University of Portsmouth in England. The project aims to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities and healthcare systems against climate-related disasters such as flooding and associated health risks.

Stay tuned for more news………….