News 15:00

BULLETIN 2 November 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A political analyst says security measures are vital for peaceful elections
# Rugby: The Springboks arrive in Turin for Saturday’s clash with the Azzurri
# And North Korea promotes the barbecue restaurant boom despite widespread food insecurity

# Political analyst Susan Booysen says strong security measures are essential for peaceful and credible local government elections. Special voting takes place today and tomorrow, ahead of Wednesday’s main voting day. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure says it is monitoring political violence, protests and other potential threats, warning violence, intimidation and lawlessness will not be tolerated. Booysen says authorities must assure voters threats are taken seriously and legal processes are followed.

Meanwhile, Communications and Digital Technologies minister Solly Malatsi has praised balanced coverage of the elections, but warns of growing attempts to manipulate public opinion. Speaking at the Electoral Commission’s result centre, he condemned the use of misinformation and artificial intelligence-generated content as it can affect an election outcome. Malatsi says institutions must strengthen fact-checking and detection efforts to ensure voters access accurate and authentic information during the elections:

# Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero says water systems are showing signs of improvement, as efforts to stabilise and improve water infrastructure are beginning to yield positive results. Joburg Water has been throttling supplies at 12 reservoirs to support the recovery of some of the systems, which were under heavy demand pressure. Morero says teams remain on the ground working to stabilise supply across the metro:

# Rugby: The Springboks have arrived in Turin for Saturday’s Nations Championship Test against Italy. The squad travelled in different groups from South Africa since yesterday, and coach Rassie Erasmus will announce his team for the clash with the Azzurri this evening. Next weekend, the Boks will play France at the Stade de France in Paris, followed by the Test against Ireland in Dublin a week later. The competition’s northern chapter will be followed by the finals weekend at Twickenham in London on the 27th of this month.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-63-cents and the euro at 18-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-32-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-751-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-906-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 112-dollars-72-sents a barrel.

# And finally: North Korea is showcasing a boom in upmarket barbecue restaurants, with state media reporting the opening of more than a dozen nationwide since September. The new venues include multi-storey buildings with riverside terraces and menus offering beef, pork and even ostrich. Analysts say leader Kim Jong Un is using the openings to project an image of growing prosperity beyond the capital, Pyongyang. But critics question how many ordinary North Koreans can afford to eat there. According to a United Nations’ estimate more than 40-percent of the population is undernourished.

Stay tuned for more news………….