News 17:00

BULLETIN 4 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Minerals increases its profits by 19-percent
# The Garden Route braces for heavy rain and damaging winds
# And motorsport: Lewis Hamilton is excited by the possibility of becoming the first black Ferrari driver to win in Italy

# African Rainbow Minerals, founded and backed by billionaire Patrice Motsepe, posted a 19-percent increase in annual profit. The result came as strong platinum group metal prices offset the impact of lower income from its coal, iron ore and manganese divisions. The diversified South African miner’s headline earnings came in at around 3.2-billion-rand in the year ended June 30, compared with almost 2.7-billion-rand previously. The company’s PGM operations swung back to profit with 1.345-billion-rand in headline earnings against last year’s loss of almost 1.3-billion-rand , after metal prices rose by more than 50-percent.

# The George Municipality in the Western Cape has placed its emergency services on high alert following the South African Weather Service’s level four warning for disruptive rain. Up to 70-millimetres of rain is expected in mountainous areas, while strong to gale-force winds are also forecast today and tomorrow. The municipality’s Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe warns of possible flooding, dangerous fast-flowing streams and disruptions to roads and traffic:

# A total of 411 suspects were arrested for various crimes in Tshwane’s Olievenhoutbosch and Wierdabrug during a multidisciplinary crime prevention Operation Shanela yesterday. Police spokesperson Johan van Dyk says the suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and rape. He added a total of 100 illegal immigrants were detained and handed over to immigration officials for further processing:

# Families in northwestern Nigeria say they have heard nothing from kidnappers nearly two weeks after hundreds of people were abducted in a coordinated raid. Residents say about 600 people, mostly women, children and older people, were seized from three communities in Niger State on 22 August, while at least 40 people were killed. President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to rescue the hostages, but authorities have given little information on the operation. Families say they are desperate for answers as many remain homeless after their communities were burned.

# Motorsport: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton says the potential of becoming the first black Ferrari Formula One driver to win a home race for the team would be phenomenal. The Briton’s hopes of victory in the Italian Grand Prix this weekend should be boosted by the arrival of Ferrari’s second engine upgrade of the season. Championship leader Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will start from the back of the grid for exceeding his engine-part allowance. Hamilton admits that the pressure is high for the team to do well this weekend.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cent against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-60-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-432-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-381-dollars-85-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 96-dollars-48-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….