News Bulletin of 28 October 2025, 6pm

Scores of parents and young people attended the Tswa Daar drug and substance abuse programme across seven venues in Johannesburg.
The initiative, launched by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, aims to help individuals overcome addiction and access rehabilitation services.
Participants are evaluated and can be enrolled in state rehabilitation programmes, with support also tied to skills development.
The programme has been well received by families seeking help to support loved ones struggling with addiction

Blind SA’s White Cane initiative has won the SAB Foundation Disability Empowerment Award 2025, with the ceremony held at the Inanda Polo Club in KwaZulu-Natal.
The project received R1.3 million in funding support.
It enables blind and partially sighted individuals to manufacture their own white canes locally, making essential mobility aids more affordable.
The initiative promotes independence, dignity, and local empowerment for its participants. The award recognises innovative solutions developed by and for people living with disabilities and underscores the impact of grassroots innovation on communities.

Scientists report a year without mortalities among North Atlantic right whales, with four new mothers joining the breeding population.
Eleven calves were born this year, bringing the estimated population to 384 individuals.
Conservation measures, including protections against ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement, have contributed to the population’s slow recovery.
The whales migrate between breeding grounds near Florida and feeding areas off Canada and the northeastern United States.
Experts caution that continued protection is needed to sustain growth and support long-term recovery.