News Bulletin of 30 September 2025, 5pm

To mark International Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month, West Village businesses and residents came together in green to raise awareness for muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic disorders that cause progressive muscle weakness.
The Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of South Africa partnered with Cowboy Town to encourage community participation through the ‘Get into the Green Scene’ initiative.
Muscular dystrophy affects around one in 1 200 people, including children and adults, and can lead to reduced mobility and independence.
While there is no cure, treatments such as physiotherapy, exercise programmes, and supportive devices can improve quality of life.
The campaign aimed to educate the public, unite communities, and inspire hope for those living with muscular dystrophy.

The University of Cape Town has joined the World Data System, reinforcing its commitment to open science and global research collaboration.
The membership connects UCT to an international network dedicated to trustworthy, sustainable, and accessible research data.
Through its ZivaHub platform, UCT publishes high-quality, quality-assured data, supporting reproducible and impactful science. Membership in WDS strengthens the university’s digital identity and ensures its research is recognised worldwide.
This milestone reflects UCT’s leadership in data stewardship, open scholarship, and innovation, helping researchers and the public access reliable data while fostering international collaboration.

Nearly 80 million more children are now receiving free school meals compared to 2020.
A new UN World Food Programme report says that is a 20 percent increase in just five years.
The biggest progress has been in low-income countries, where the number of children getting meals at school has risen by 60 percent in the past two years.
The UN calls this a rare success in development, showing how school meal programmes boost children’s health and education while also supporting local farmers.
Global funding for school meals has nearly doubled since 2020, helping to secure the wellbeing of the next generation