News 12:00

BULLETIN 2 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Road Traffic Management Corporation is to assist the Eastern Cape to improve road safety
# South Africa withdraws from the 2025 World Expo in Osaka
# And rugby: Cardiff moves three United Rugby Championship points clear of the Bulls

# The Road Traffic Management Corporation will bolster efforts to reduce road crashes and fatalities in the Eastern Cape as holidaymakers prepare to return to home in the next few days.  Spokesperson, Simon Zwane says information about fatal crashes since the start of the festive season has revealed the Amathole District as one of the top ten districts nationally with a high number of crashes and fatalities:

# South Africa will not be participating in the 2025 World Expo in Japan due to fiscal constraints. The spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Chrispin Phiri, told News24 South Africa had never confirmed its participation and the decision was not a reflection of South Africa’s relationship with Japan. The Expo will be held in Osaka, Japan and some 158 nations have already confirmed their attendance. South Africa’s failure to exhibit at the world expo comes a few months before it is due to host the G20 summit.

# A gunman shot dead at least ten people, including two children, in southern Montenegro this morning. Police say some of the deaths happened inside a restaurant in the Cetinje area following a verbal argument between guests. Four people were seriously wounded. It was later confirmed that the attacker had killed himself. The government has declared three days of national mourning in the small Balkan nation. The gunman killed members of his own family, as well as the owner of the restaurant and two of his children.

# Rugby: Third-placed Cardiff were held to a 13-13 draw by the Ospreys in yesterday’s United Rugby Championship match at the Arms Park. Cardiff’s two log points take them three clear of the fourth-placed Bulls, who have two games in hand. The fifth-placed Sharks are four points behind Cardiff, with a game in hand. In yesterday’s other Welsh derby, the Scarlets claimed a 32-15 bonus-point win against the Dragons in Llanelli to shoot up from 12th to sixth in the standings.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-78-cents and the euro at 19-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-48-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-776-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-633-dollars-94-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The City of Cape Town says the Street Parade, also known as the Kaapse Klopse, will welcome the New Year in the streets of the CBD on Saturday. Approximately 20-thousand performers from 18 minstrel troupes will entertain crowds accompanied by banjos, guitars, ghoema drums, trombones and tubas. Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith says starting from District Six around midday, the procession of performers will entertain crowds along the historic route before they finish in the Bo-Kaap:

Stay tuned for more news………….