News 15:00

BULLETIN 30 April 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Godongwana will re-table the revised 2025 budget on 21 May
# The US and Iran will hold more nuclear talks on Saturday
# And, five South African independent short films will be showcased at the American Black Film Festival

# The minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, will re-table the 2025 budget on 21 May. This follows a decision to reverse the proposed 0.5-percentage point VAT hike. Godongwana told the media the revised budget will include updated fiscal projections, borrowing plans, and revenue estimates, and will undergo full consultation with the cabinet and political parties in the government of national unity:

# A cash-in-transit heist was dramatically foiled earlier this morning in Umlazi, south of Durban, after a driver escaped armed robbers by driving into the Mega City shopping centre. The vehicle was ambushed on the N2 highway. A-L-S Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson says in a swift move, the driver entered the mall parking area, prompting security to lock the gates and forcing the attackers to flee while firing shots:

# Iran and the United States will hold a fourth round of talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme in Rome on Saturday. The longtime adversaries have held three rounds of talks aiming for a deal on the programme, which the West believes is intended to develop nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran denies. The talks, which began on 12 April and are mediated by Oman, are the highest-level contact in years between the two sides.

# Cycling: The Giro d’Italia will pay tribute to the late Pope Francis during the final stage of this year’s race. For the first time in its history, as announced before the Pope’s passing on 21 April, the Giro will ride through the Vatican on 1 June. The 108th edition of the Giro, one of cycling’s main three-week races with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, begins on 9 May in Albania.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-58-cents and the euro at 21-rand-15-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-85-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-139-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-281-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-72-cents a barrel.

# And finally, five South African filmmakers will have their independent short films showcased at the 29th annual American Black Film Festival in Miami in June. Ayanda Halimana, Kopedi Aphane, Donna Sibande, Chris Djuma, and Nondumiso Buthelezi-Masache have been picked as the winners of the inaugural South African Stories Short Film Showcase, a new programme introduced for this year’s festival. The festival’s founder, Jeff Friday, says they were blown away by the quality, originality, and emotional power of the submissions they received from South Africa this year.

Stay tuned for more news………….