News 12:00

BULLETIN 3 February 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa is looking forward to engaging with Donald Trump on South Africa’s land reform policy
# More than five-thousand new police recruits are commencing with their training this week
# And golf: Rory McIlroy wins the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa, like other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of property owners’ rights. He responded to US president Donald Trump’s comments that he will cut future funding to South Africa until a full investigation into the country’s land expropriation policies is complete. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says the president looks forward to engaging with the Trump administration over the country’s land reform policy:

# National police commissioner Fannie Masemola has announced that police will welcome an additional five-thousand-500 new police trainees into its academies this week. Masemola was providing an update on police’s nationwide safer festive season operations in Pretoria. He says these recruits will undergo the Basic Police Learning Development Programme across the country:

# The largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere has been inaugurated in Johannesburg. Thousands of worshippers attended the consecration ceremony, led by spiritual leader Mahant Swami Maharaj. The temple aims to foster intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. Monks led a devotional Nagar Yatra procession. A spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship has described the site as a major cultural complex for Hindu expats in South Africa.

# Golf: Four-time major champion, Rory McIlroy, has made a winning start to his PGA Tour season, with a two-shot victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California. The Northern Irishman finished with a six-under 66 to win on 21 under par, securing his 27th victory on the PGA Tour. Ireland’s Shane Lowry finished second while England’s Justin Rose and American Lucas Glover tied for third. McIlroy says to victory at one of the cathedrals of golf is special:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-93-cents and the euro at 19-rand-37-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-30-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-633-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-796-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-53-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Beyoncé won Best Album for Cowboy Carter at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, for the first time. She also won Best Country Album, making her the first black female artist to win in the category since Lauryn Hill in 1999, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance Award for II Most Wanted featuring Miley Cyrus. Rapper Kendrick Lamar took home five Grammys. Chappell Roan won Best New Artist. Winners also included Doechii, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga.

Stay tuned for more news………….