News 18:00

NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 14 November 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cosatu welcomes the decrease in unemployment rate and the increase in jobs
# A UNICEF report reveals over 700 million children are exposed to severe water scarcity
# And Cricket: Consistent Kiwis are ready for the fifth consecutive World Cup semifinal

# Union federation Cosatu welcomes a decrease in the unemployment rate to 31.9-percent in the third quarter, with 399-thousand new jobs providing relief for workers and families. Despite these gains, the federation calls for government intervention to address challenges in key sectors, such as load-shedding and Transnet. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says the looming threat of mine worker retrenchments requires the urgency for government and business intervention to secure industries and rebuild critical infrastructure:

Play sound: ENG ParksOnJobIncrease

Meanwhile, Afrika Tikkun and Microsoft Unite South African Businesses are joining forces to address youth employability and close the skills gap. The organisations recently convened a roundtable discussion that examined whether South Africa’s unemployment challenges are more about job availability or a mismatch in skills demand and supply. The dialogue highlighted a significant obstacle in the country’s workforce development environment, highlighting the apparent lack of cooperation and coordination among stakeholders responsible for equipping the youth with the necessary skills and facilitating employment opportunities.

# Around 739 million children worldwide, already live in areas exposed to high or very high water scarcity, with climate change threatening to make this worse. This is according to a new report titled, The Climate Changed Child, by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. The report provides an analysis of the impacts of three tiers of water security globally, water scarcity, water vulnerability, and water stress. UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell says despite their unique vulnerability, children have been either ignored or largely disregarded in discussions about climate change.

# Cricket: New Zealand have never won the World Cup but they have been incredibly consistent, by reaching a fifth successive semifinal. The Kiwis, together with host India, five-time champion Australia and long-time title contender South Africa, navigated the five-week first phase to reach the final four. India won nine straight games to end on top of the standings and will play fourth-placed New Zealand in tomorrow’s first semifinal in Mumbai. Pace bowler Lockie Ferguson says the Black Caps love big tournaments:

Play sound: ENG Lockie Ferguson

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-40-cents and the euro at 19-rand-93-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 36-thousand-6291-dollars-7-cents. Gold sells at one-thousand-965-dollars-11-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Village has launched a matriculant guide in the form of a digi-zine, a free digital publication, in an effort to provide guidance for matriculants considering a gap year. The guide is specifically designed for Grades 10, 11, and matric learners, and offers insights into life post-matric and available gap year options. Founder Vanessa Raphaely emphasises that the platform assists parents and learners in making informed decisions about the various options during a gap year. The guide also offers support for matriculants considering further studies after completing school.

Stay tuned for more news………….