News 15:00

BULLETIN 19 December 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Motorists are urged to drive with caution on the N3 Toll Route
# Britain unveils a new 5.2-billion-rand military aid package for Ukraine
# And motorsport: Liam Lawson will partner with Max Verstappen at Red Bull next year

# The N3 Toll Concession urges motorists to drive with caution on the N3 Toll Route in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal as heavy rainfall continues. A multi-vehicle pile-up near the town of Van Reenen has been cleared. Spokesperson Thania Dhoogra says more than 80-percent of all crashes on the route are the result of human error, including driver negligence, distractions, speeding, recklessness, fatigue and an aggressive driving style.

Meanwhile, Limpopo’s Department of Transport is intensifying its crackdown on overloaded vehicles during the festive season. Targeting the N1 route from Pienaarsrivier to Beitbridge, officials have screened over one-thousand-400 vehicles this month already. Overloading causes tyre bursts, brake failures, and instability, endangering lives. The department’s spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene, says drivers are urged to follow loading regulations:

# The South African National Christian Forum has welcomed government’s decision to extend the registration deadline for spaza shops and other food handling outlets to the 28th of February. The foodborne illness outbreak in the country has resulted in over 890 cases and close to 30 deaths since September. The forum’s president, Marothi Mashashane, says this extension will serve no purpose when civic education to spaza shop owners is lacking:

# Britain has unveiled a package of 5.2-billion-rand in new military aid to Ukraine, including drones, boats and air defence systems. This follows after the UK’s Defence secretary, John Healey, visited Kyiv yesterday, holding talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, and vowing to step up British support to Ukraine next year. Heaky says three years since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine the depths of his miscalculation are clearer than ever, as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defy all expectations with their unbreakable spirit.

# Motorsport: New Zealander Liam Lawson will race for Red Bull alongside world champion Max Verstappen of the Netherlands next season after the decision to drop Mexican driver Sergio Perez. The Formula One team confirmed 22-year-old Lawson, who has earned three top-10 finishes so far in his fledgling F1 career, steps up from Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls. This follows after under-pressure Perez departed following four seasons with the team.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-23-cents and the euro at 18-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 102-thousand-284-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-621-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….