News 15:00

BULLETIN 18 February 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng lead in employment gains
# The US and Russia begin talks aimed at ending the Ukrainian war
# And soccer: Liverpool’s captain says the team can cope with the mounting pressure of the title race

# Statistics South Africa’s latest quarterly labour force survey reveals that the largest increases in employment in the fourth quarter of 2024 were recorded in three provinces. The Western Cape saw a rise of 62-thousand jobs, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with an increase of 52-thousand, and Gauteng with 45-thousand more employed people. Statistician-general Risenga Maluleke says despite these gains, other provinces like the Free State, North West, and Limpopo experienced declines:

# Stats SA will release the January inflation number next Wednesday and not tomorrow as planned. It says January’s Consumer Price Index is the first to incorporate the updates to the basket and weights announced by Stats SA on 28 January. The delay is due to the need for additional checks and verifications on the data and compilation systems to ensure that all updates are correctly implemented. These processes have taken longer than anticipated.

# The South African Human Rights Commission has urged the public to stop sharing videos of the attacks at Zanzou night club in Pretoria. The commission’s provincial manager, Zamantungwa Mbeki, told SABC News the graphic footage shows clear human rights violations. Mbeki warns that sharing these videos could lead to further victimisation. She stresses the importance of protecting the dignity and rights of those affected:

# US and Russian talks to discuss the end of the Ukrainian war have started in Saudi Arabia – the first in-person meeting since Moscow’s invasion three years ago. Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and US secretary of state Marco Rubio are present, while Ukraine and Europe are absent. The US says the talks are a first step to see if Russia is serious about ending the war, while Russia hopes to normalise relations with America. President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will not recognise agreements reached without them.

# Soccer: Liverpool’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, insists the Premier League leaders can cope with the mounting pressure of the title race. Arne Slot’s side moved seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal after beating struggling Wolves 2-1 on Sunday. After conceding a stoppage-time equaliser against Everton on Wednesday, there was a tangible air of anxiety around Anfield as Liverpool laboured to protect their lead in the closing stages against Wolves. Van Dijk expects more drama as Liverpool edges closer to a record-equalling 20th English crown.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-42-cents and the euro at 19-rand-27-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-637-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-911-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….