News 17:00

BULLETIN 11 October 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Umalusi approves the 2024 matric exams but warns against cheating
# SCOPA acknowledges Prasa’s improvements amid ongoing challenges
# And cricket: Temba Bavuma is out of the first Test against Bangladesh, and a maiden Test call for Dewald Brevis

# Umalusi has approved the 2024 National Senior Certificate exams, set for 21 October to 28 November. CEO Mafu Rakometsi urged learners and teachers to avoid cheating, including group copying, which sometimes involves teachers. He also discouraged communities from using protests to disrupt exams, stressing it jeopardizes children’s futures and compromises the integrity of the exam system:

# Parliament’s standing committee on Public Accounts has noted significant operational improvements at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. Following a recent oversight visit, officials found that the new trains and restored rail corridors have enhanced commuter experiences. However, SCOPA chairperson Songezo Zibi noted that challenges such as the need for faster services and infrastructure upgrades remain:

# Polyco, in partnership with Massmart, has announced a joint sponsorship aimed at empowering waste reclaimers with vital personal protective equipment and hygiene packs valued over 500-thousand-rand. Polyco CEO, Patricia Pillay, says organisations such as the African Reclaimers Organisation, South African Waste Pickers Association and SA “We Can Do It” are distributing the packs. She says they hope to give waste reclaimers the necessary tools to do their work safely and with dignity:

# An Australian woman is fighting for her life in hospital after her arm was bitten off by her own dog in the coastal city of Townsville in north Queensland. The 34-year-old woman had sustained life-threatening injuries. She is in a serious but stable condition in a local hospital, after her right arm was severed below the elbow. Police say they had to euthanise the very aggressive pit bull they found at the scene. It comes a day after another attack in Melbourne, where a woman was critically injured by three dogs.

# Cricket: Proteas captain Temba Bavuma will miss the first Test against Bangladesh due to an arm injury, and white-ball captain Aiden Markram will lead the team. Exciting young batter Dewald Brevis got his maiden Test call-up after impressing in the shorter formats. Bavuma will still travel with the team to Bangladesh next week, hoping to be fit for the second Test. The first encounter starts in Dhaka on the 21st of this month, and the second one in Chattogram on the 29th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-48-cents and the euro at 19-rand-12-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-289-dollars-97-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-647-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-74-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….