News 11:00

BULLETIN 30 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A massive search operation is underway after a plane with 64 people onboard crashed near Washington
# Minister Steenhuisen will appoint a committee on the Agricultural Land Act
# And rugby: Sydney will host the 2027 men’s World Cup final

# An active rescue operation is underway at the Potomac River in Washington after an American Airlines passenger plane collided midair with a Black Hawk helicopter and crashing in the river. The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and three US Army soldiers were on board the military helicopter. Fatalities have been confirmed, but no official number as yet. The chief of Washington’s Fire and Emergency Services Department, John Donnelly, says the rescue response is a highly complex operation:

# Parliament’s presiding officials, led by National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza, are hopeful that an urgent and sustainable resolution to the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo will be found. Thirteen South African National Defence Force soldiers have been killed in clashes with the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the DRC. Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, says the presiding officials have commended president Cyril Ramaphosa for his leadership in initiating dialogue with his DRC and Rwandan counterparts:

# Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen says an advisory committee, including not more than ten members, will be established to advise on achieving the objectives of the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Bill Act. The law sets out a countrywide policy and regulatory framework for the preservation and development of agricultural land. It is estimated that less than 13-percent of South Africa’s 122-million hectares of land is high-potential agriculture land. Steenhuisen says improving food security is one of the department’s seven strategic priorities.

# South Africa’s fintech industry has launched the Association for South African Payment Providers to drive a more inclusive digital payments ecosystem. Founded by eight major non-bank payment players, the association aims to expand fair access to payment infrastructure, lower transaction costs, and enhance real-time payments. The association will collaborate with regulators to modernise South Africa’s payment system, promoting financial inclusion for the unbanked and underbanked communities while encouraging innovation in digital transactions.

# Rugby: World Rugby has confirmed that the Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia, will host the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup final. The stadium, which has a capacity of 82-thousand, will also host the semifinals, the third-place playoff and two quarterfinals. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, which will host the opening game, Brisbane, Adelaide, Townsville and Newcastle will host matches and the world’s best 24 teams for six weeks. Rugby Australia’s CEO, Phil Waugh, says the country has a rich history of hosting major tournaments:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-67-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-765-dollars-9-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….