News 15:00

BULLETIN 5 March 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Paul O’Sullivan apologises to Parliament for walking out
# The Gautrain will continue operating under a public-private partnership model 
# And tennis: Alcaraz and Sinner return to action at the Indian Wells Masters

# Private investigator Paul O’Sullivan has formally apologised to Parliament for abruptly leaving the ad hoc committee proceedings last week. He returned for his fourth appearance today. Some Members of Parliament, including David Skosana, demanded a formal retraction of previous comments, highlighting ongoing tensions from a prior heated exchange. O’Sullivan submitted a letter expressing regret and cited personal reasons for his departure:

# Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, says the Gautrain system will continue to operate under the public-private partnership model, as it advances into the next phase of its operational journey. The provincial government and the Gautrain Management Agency are in the process of appointing a new private operator. Diale-Tlabela says the new private partner will operate, maintain, refurbish, upgrade and modernise the Gautrain system for the next 15 years:

Moving abroad:

# Nigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission says the measure was necessary for the safety and comfort of pilgrims. Thousands of Nigerian Christians go on pilgrimages to Biblical sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth every year. The pilgrimages are widely regarded as being spiritually significant, with many saving for years to make the trip.

# Tennis: The world’s top-two players, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Italian Jannik Sinner, return to action in the US this week when they play in the Indian Wells Masters Tournament. Alcaraz arrives in California following 12 straight victories, including clinching a career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open in January and following that up by winning the Qatar Open. Sinner had a different start to the year, losing to Serbian Novak Djokovic in Melbourne and to Czech player Jakub Mensik in Qatar.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-12-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 73-thousand-97-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-165-dollars-75-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-90-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The DA has expressed sincere condolences to the family and friends of veteran South African entertainer Soli Philander, who died of cancer. The 65-year-old actor and TV, radio, and cabaret star was an arts pioneer with a career spanning many decades. The DA’s leader in the Western Cape, Tertuis Simmers, says Philander influenced a new generation of the arts with his captivating storytelling, insight, and wit:

Stay tuned for more news………….