News 13:00

BULLETIN 28 March 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Cabinet supports the withdrawal of cannabis food product regulations for further consultation
# Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles and parts is blasted as the trade war intensifies
# And MTN and Lynk Global successfully conduct a satellite-to-mobile call in South Africa

# Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says cabinet supports the withdrawal of cannabis food product regulations for further consultation. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is coordinating interdepartmental draft regulations for the implementation of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act. Ntshavheni states this will allow more input from stakeholders to ensure clear and effective guidelines, balancing public health concerns with industry growth:

# The City of Tshwane says it has made significant progress in its commitment to settle the more than six-billion-rand of its arrear debt to Eskom. The multiparty coalition government has shaved one-billion-rand off its debt thanks to improved revenue collection. The metro’s Zonke Mahlangu says residents whose accounts are still in arrears are urged to make payment arrangements to settle their debt, to enable Tshwane to continue to honour its debt obligations:

# World powers have blasted US President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on imported vehicles and parts, vowing retaliation as a widening trade war intensifies. Major car exporter Germany urged a firm response from the European Union, while Japan said it will consider all options. The US duties take effect on 3 April and impact foreign-made cars, light trucks and key vehicle parts. Stock markets plummeted with Toyota, Hyundai and Mercedes leading the plunge. In New York, shares in General Motors tumbled with Ford and Stellantis also declining.

# Cricket: Michael Bracewell will captain New Zealand in the five-match one-day series against Pakistan after Tom Latham was ruled out with a hand injury. Latham was supposed to stand in for regular skipper Mitchell Santner, who is participating in the Indian Premier League, but fractured his hand while practising in the nets. He will be out for at least a month. Bracewell led the Black Caps in the T20 series against Pakistan which New Zealand won 4-1. The first ODI will be played in Napier tomorrow.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-14-cents and the euro at 19-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-49-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-205-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-71-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-18-cents a barrel.

# And finally: MTN South Africa and Lynk Global have completed a successful trial of the first satellite-to-mobile phone call in Vryburg, North West. According to My Broadband, the trial tested voice and SMS capabilities over a low-earth orbit satellite connection. MTN CEO Charles Molapisi says this technology could complement existing infrastructure, enhancing coverage in rural areas. He says the successful test marks a step forward in achieving 99-percent broadband coverage and improving communication in underserved regions.

Stay tuned for more news………….