News 08:00

BULLETIN 9 March 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eight suspects linked to car jamming robberies have been arrested in Pretoria
# The US embassy in Russia warns of an imminent attack in Moscow by ‘extremists’
# And, Soccer: motorists are warned of road closures for the Soweto derby

# Gauteng police apprehended eight suspects believed to be part of a syndicate responsible for a series of car- jamming armed robberies. National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says, the arrests were made after a robbery on the N1 in Pretoria, involving a female diplomat. Mathe says Investigations are ongoing to determine any links to other similar incidents:

# Eskom has announced a varied weekend load-shedding schedule, featuring suspensions and alternations between stages two and one until further notice. Starting at five this morning, load-shedding will be suspended until four this afternoon, followed by stage two until five tomorrow morning. Another suspension will follow until four tomorrow afternoon, after which stage one will then be implemented until further notice. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena attributes this reduction to the expected return of one-thousand-500 megawatts of generation capacity by tomorrow:

# The US embassy in Russia has warned that “extremists” have imminent plans for an attack in Moscow, hours after Russian security services said they had foiled a planned shooting at a synagogue by a cell from the Afghan arm of Islamic State. Reuters reports the embassy, which has repeatedly urged all US citizens to leave Russia immediately, gave no further details about the nature of the threat, but said people should avoid concerts and crowds and be aware of their surroundings. The embassy advises US citizens on its website to avoid large gatherings over the next 48-hours.

# Soccer: Motorists have been warned that certain roads around the FNB Stadium will be affected today, due to the Soweto Derby match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla says Nasrec Road will operate with a contraflow traffic system, and Soweto Highway will be closed to general traffic from eleven this morning until eight tonight:

# And, the Director-General of the Department of Science and Innovation, Phil Mjwara, has been awarded the Presidential Award at the South African Medical Research Council Merit Awards. Mjwara’s leadership in 18 years of service significantly contributed to South Africa’s National System of Innovation. Mjwara has been recognised for his vision and academic achievements and the role in shaping policy and addressing societal challenges through science, technology, and innovation.

Stay tuned for more news………….