News 12:00

BULLETIN 21 June 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Economists expect shopping activity to remain constrained by the high cost of living
# Tshwane has the largest fully accredited artisan training programme in country 
# And Cricket: Australia beat Bangladesh in a weather-disrupted T20 World Cup match

# Economists expect shopping activity in South Africa to remain constrained by the current high cost of living. This after Stats SA’s retail sales data showed a year-on-year increase of only 0.6-percent in April, down from 2.3-percent the previous month. Seasonally adjusted retail sales increased by 0.5-percent in April compared with March 2023. Absa’s Sello Sekele says lower fuel prices may have contributed to the increase:

# Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink says the city has the largest, fully accredited artisan training programme in the country which, to date, has trained over four-thousand young people. Tshwane welcomed a new group of 114 young people to the city’s three-year accredited artisan skills training programme at the Tshwane Leadership and Management Academy. Brink says the selected group ranges between 20 to 25 years of age, making this a real youth empowerment programme:

# A Yellow level 2 warning has been issued for damaging winds along the Cape Agulhas and Overstrand coasts. Near gale to gale force westerly to north-westerly winds at 60 to 80 kilometres per hour are expected this morning, to last until evening. Waves reaching heights of 4.0 to 4.5 metres may lead to rough seas, posing navigation challenges for small vessels and personal watercraft, potentially causing capsising. Localised disruptions to harbors, ports, and beachfront activities are also possible.

# Cricket: Pat Cummins claimed a hat-trick and David Warner thrashed a quick-fire 53 not out as Australia beat Bangladesh by 28 runs in a weather-disrupted T20 World Cup Super Eight clash in Antigua yesterday. Australia, who are bidding to complete a historic treble of World Test Championship, ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup titles, were awarded the victory under the Duckworth-Lewis formula when rain stopped play. The match between England and South Africa starts at half past four this afternoon.

# The Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-96-cents and the euro at 19-rand-20-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-73-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-268-dollars-49-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-364-dollars-44-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

# And finally:  A Cape Town social worker and University of the Western Cape student, Ferah Aysel Güles has been selected for the prestigious 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship. This fellowship, part of the Young African Leaders Initiative, will take her and 39 other South Africans to the United States for six weeks of intensive academic coursework and leadership training. She will join other young African leaders at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, where she will focus on public management. Güles, who resides in Pinelands, expressed her excitement and gratitude for being chosen for the fellowship.

Stay tuned for more news………….