News 12:00

BULLETIN 28 March 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# FNB says the interest rates decision likely means property market activity will remain mediocre
# AZAPO urges road safety vigilance for the Easter Weekend 
# And tennis: Daniil Medvedev is to face Jannik Sinner in the Miami Open semifinals 

# FNB Property Sector strategist, John Loos, says the South African Reserve Bank’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged likely means property market activity remains mediocre and real values are correcting for the time being. The ongoing sideways movement in interest rates is expected to keep property values growing at very low single-digit rates, not keeping pace with general inflation. Loos says if the existing market is to move sideways at best, the new development market is likely to remain in the doldrums:

# AZAPO has urged motorists and pedestrians to exercise caution this Easter Weekend. Spokesperson for Publicity and Information, Jabu Rakwena, emphasises the importance of roadworthiness, adherence to traffic rules, and abstaining from drinking and driving. Rakwena also urges pedestrians to remain vigilant on the roads. He says the aim is to promote safety and reduce road accidents during the holiday period:

# Search teams have recovered two bodies from a vehicle in the Patapsco River in Baltimore at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Eight construction workers were on the bridge when a cargo vessel crashed into it on Tuesday, plunging them into the waters below. Two were rescued on the same day. Maryland state police’s Roland Butler says the search is continuing for the other four, all presumed dead:

# Tennis: Defending champion Daniil Medvedev has booked his spot in the semifinals of the Miami Open. The Russian beat Chilean Nicolas Jarry, 6-2, 7-6, as he attempts to successfully defend a title for the first time in his career. The world number four will face Italy’s Jannik Sinner in a rematch of the Australian Open final earlier this year. Medvedev has reached the last four without dropping a set, while Sinner has lost only one match this year.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-99-cents and the euro at 20-rand-50-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-94-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-482-dollars-84-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-194-dollars-36-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-73-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The University of the Western Cape says the discovery of 49 galaxies is testament to the power of collaboration among international astronomers. The gas-rich galaxies were uncovered by a team using the MeerKAT radio telescope located in South Africa. The team of astronomers, including a UWC researcher, were attempting to study star-forming gas in a single radio galaxy, but instead, they found 49 new galaxies in observations lasting about 180 minutes. UWC says this groundbreaking discovery is astonishing.

Stay tuned for more news………….