News 12:00

BULLETIN 7 March 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Three people are killed and four injured in a Sandton restaurant shooting
# Western Cape agriculture boosts South Africa’s GDP growth
# And Canada removes Jack Daniel’s from store shelves in retalliation for US levies

# Three people were shot dead and four others wounded at a restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg, last night. Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi says according to preliminary investigations, a man with a firearm wanted to enter the restaurant, which has a no-firearm policy. An altercation broke out, leading to a shooting between the man’s bodyguards and security. She says no arrests have been made as yet:

# Western Cape MEC for Agriculture, Ivan Meyer, has credited South Africa’s agriculture surge by 17.2-percent from October to December 2024, to increased field crop and livestock activity. He says projections for 2025 expect the province’s economy to grow 2.1-percent, driven by agriculture and trade. Meyer says the agriculture sector plays a major role in job creation, with plans to boost exports:

# South Africa’s Class of 2024 has until the 17th of this month to apply for a rewrite of their National Senior Certificate exams. Star Schools CEO Vimala Ariyan stresses a matric qualification’s role in breaking poverty cycles, as those without it earn 75-percent less over their lifetimes. While the Second Chance Matric Programme offers support, challenges like data access and study spaces remain. Ariyan urges students to choose accredited institutions with proper funding, emphasising that rewriting matric can unlock better education and job opportunities.

# Several Canadian provinces, including Ontario, took action in response to the 25-percent levies on Canadian goods imposed by the US’ Trump administration. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is one of the largest buyers of alcohol in the world and has removed US-made alcoholic drinks such as Jack Daniel’s from its shelves. Prime minister Justin Trudeau earlier accused president Donald Trump of planning a total collapse of the Canadian economy to make annexation easier. Trump has alluded to making Canada the 51st US state.

# Rugby: Flyhalf Romain Ntamack and right wing Damian Penaud return to France’s group for tomorrow’s expected blockbuster Six Nations clash with defending champion and log leader Ireland in Dublin. Ntamack served a suspension and Penaud didn’t play in the previous match against Italy. Head coach Fabien Galthie has again chosen seven forwards and just one back player on the bench, the same tactic that worked during the 73-24 thrashing of Italy. He says this is linked to the profiles of their current best players.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-11-cents and the euro at 19-rand-63-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-192-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-918-dollars-34-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-88-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….