News 13:00

BULLETIN 6 January 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The new year starts with bad news for steelworkers
# A crash on the N3 near Colenso causes a major traffic backlog
# And Cricket: Australia want to beat the Proteas to defend their World Test Championship title

# ArcelorMittal South Africa plans to cease long-steel production in its Newcastle and Vereeniging Works, along with their rail and structures unit by month-end, potentially impacting three-thousand-500 jobs. CEO Kobus Verster says reduced coke production at Newcastle will continue. Verster expressed disappointment over failed efforts to secure industry reforms. He says that high logistics and energy costs, weak government interventions, and surging low-cost imports from China have rendered operations unsustainable. The company also expects a bigger annual loss, citing deteriorating market conditions.

# A crash involving a bus and truck near Colenso, north of the Tugela River in KwaZulu-Natal has caused significant delays on the N3. N3 Toll Concession chief operating officer, Thania Dhoogra, says injured passangers involved in the early morning accident were rushed to various medical facilities. She urges motorists to drive cautiously and expect delays due to heavy traffic backlogs following the accident:

# Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to announce his resignation in the coming days. Sources have told Reuters and Canada’s Globe and Mail the 53-year-old could announce as early as today that he would quit as leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party. Although no final decision has been made, sources expect an announcement before an emergency meeting of Liberal politicians on Wednesday. Trudeau has been prime minister since 2015. He has faced calls to resign from an increasing number of his MPs amid poor showings in opinion polls.

# Cricket: The World Test Championship final is still five months away but it is already playing on the mind of Australia skipper Pat Cummins, saying the defence of their title is a huge goal after conquering India. Australia surged into a June showdown against South Africa at Lord’s with a six-wicket victory in the fifth Test against India in Sydney yesterday. The thrilling win sealed a first series triumph against their Indian rivals in a decade. It also confirmed their place in a clash against the Proteas for the championship.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-68-cents and the euro at 19-rand-35-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-32-cents and Bitcoin trades at 99-thousand-97-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-633-dollars-91-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-9-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset is recycling old Christmas trees to provide enrichment for animals. Over the past five years, the zoo has received about 15-thousand trees. The zoo aims to become a community hub for recycling. The zoo’s Chris Wilkinson shared with the BBC how the spectacled bears appreciate the pine scent of the trees while rhinos search through the chippings:

Stay tuned for more news………….