News 18:00

BULLETIN 14 February 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Urgent upgrades are needed for South Africa’s power grid
# Volvo is slammed over a premature restructuring announcement
# And cricket: Sri Lanka humiliates Australia in the second ODI in Colombo

# The National Transmission Company says South Africa’s grid infrastructure is unfit for supporting economic growth or new renewable energy sources essential for the just energy transition. The company plans to expand transmission lines by 14-thousand-kilometers by 2035, but challenges in construction capacity and funding persist. Industry leaders advocate for Independent Transmission Projects to attract investment and accelerate upgrades. The company says that the private-sector readiness underscores the need for rapid grid expansion to fuel economic activity and revitalise local industries.

# The Motor Industry Staff Association condemns Volvo South Africa for announcing its restructuring plans without consulting them. According to the association, Volvo failed to comply with the Labour Relations Act, which requires consultation before possible dismissals. The association’s spokesperson, Sonja Carstens, says it’s unacceptable that employees had to learn about potential dealership closures through the media, causing unnecessary panic:

# Three men have been found guilty in Germany of trying to blackmail Formula One legend Michael Schumacher’s family. They threatened to release 900 private pictures and almost 600 videos on the dark web if they were not paid around 290-million-rand. They also threatened to publish digitised copies of Schumacher’s medical records. The 53-year-old ringleader was sentenced to three years while his son received a six-month suspended sentence. A former employee of a security firm working for the Schumachers received a two-year suspended sentence and a 46-thousand-rand fine.

# Cricket: Sri Lanka humiliated Australia in the second one-day match in Colombo, winning by a wopping 174 runs. The hosts posted 281 for four in their 50 overs after Kusal Mendis contributed 101 runs and captain Charith Asalanka an undefeated 78. The visitors were then bowled out for just 107 within 25 overs, with captain Steven Smith’s 29 the highest score. Dunith Wellalage took four wickets and Asitha Fernando and Wanindu Hasaranga both three. Sri Lanka won the first ODI by 49 runs.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-32-cents and the euro at 19-rand-11-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-790-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-924-dollars-22-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-11-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Neurological Association of South Africa is urging the government to take immediate action to close the significant gap in epilepsy treatment. Evidence shows the treatment gap for epilepsy can reach 90-percent in low-income countries. The association’s Rajeshree Govender says the limited availability of anti-seizure medications is a major barrier to treatment, often due to issues with drug supply and affordability:

Stay tuned for more news………….