News 12:00

BULLETIN 5 March 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says nuclear still forms part of South Africa’s energy mix
# Ten people are killed in an accident between a bus and a truck in the Free State
# And two new lionesses roam the Addo Elephant National Park

# Electricity and Energy minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to nuclear energy, saying nuclear was now internationally accepted as one of the cleanest forms of energy. He was speaking at the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town. Ramokgopa says the country has an obligation to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions and to widen its industrial base:

# Ten people have been killed in a collision between a bus and a truck on the N6 between Reddersburg and Smithfield in the Free State this morning. The bus was contracted by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. The Free State Department of Road and Transport’s spokesperson, Hillary Mophethe, says over 20 people have been injured:

# Mexico will hit back at US president Donald Trump’s tariffs with retaliatory duties of its own. President Claudia Sheinbaum says there was no reason or justification for Trump to impose the 25-percent tariffs despite Mexico’s collaboration in efforts to tackle drug smuggling. She says her country will always seek a negotiated solution and she hopes to speak to Trump by phone tomorrow. Sheinbaum accused the White House of publishing an offensive and defamatory statement alleging that drug cartels operate unhindered due to an intolerable relationship with her government.

# Motorsport: South African crew Brian Baragwanath and co-driver Leonard Cremer, have had their final result from the Dakar Rally held in Saudi Arabia in January disqualified. This follows after the fuel sample taken from the car at the end of stage one was found to be not compliant with the regulations. Representatives from Century Racing Factory told a hearing on Monday that the intention to use high-octane fuel was not to gain performance but to protect the engine. Baragwanath and Cremer finished the overall race in tenth place.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-43-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-707-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-921-dollars-580-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-73-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Two lionesses introduced to Addo Elephant National Park near Gqeberha are now roaming the game viewing area. Brought from !Khamab Kalahari Reserve in December, the two-and-a-half-year-old sisters bring strong genetic diversity to the park’s lion population. SANParks says they will help researchers track habitat use, predator interactions, and prey species. Their introduction is part of a conservation effort to manage lion populations and maintain ecological balance in the park.

Stay tuned for more news………….