News 13:00

BULLETIN 10 February 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The US tariff plan threatens South Africa’s steel and aluminium sector
# The Johannesburg Emergency Services are on high alert for possible severe thunderstorms
# And American football: Philadelphia Eagles dethrone Chiefs to win the Super Bowl

# US president Donald Trump is expected to announce a 25-percent tariff on steel and aluminium imports today. According to experts, this could significantly impact South Africa’s metal industry. In 2024, South Africa exported over 16.6-billion-rand’s worth of iron, steel, and aluminium to the US. Trump also reaffirmed that he would announce reciprocal tariffs this week on products in cases where another country has levied duties on US goods.

Meanwhile, minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has expressed concern over US-SA tensions, fearing a negative impact on the agriculture sector. Speaking in Ceres in the Western Cape, Steenhuisen highlighted that farmers, manufacturers, and exporters would be most affected. He has called for urgent dialogue with the US to prevent adverse effects and maintain a strong trade partnership:

# The South African Weather Service has issued a warning for the possibility of severe thunderstorms in Gauteng today. This could lead to excessive lightning, damaging winds, and heavy downpours. Rain probability is currently at 50-percent. Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi, says motorists are urged to exercise caution while driving, including avoiding crossing flooded roads and low-lying bridges:

# Rwandan president Paul Kagame has strongly rejected the Democratic Republic of Congo’s attempts to silence Rwanda over ongoing security threats. Speaking at the joint summit of the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community, Kagame criticised the DRC for failing to address long-standing issues despite Rwanda’s efforts for dialogue. He emphasised that the conflict, rooted in ethnic tensions, was initiated by DRC and unfairly imposed on Rwanda. He called for serious action to resolve the matter and warned against mere meetings without meaningful solutions.

# American football: Philadelphia Eagles put on a dominant performance to beat defending champions Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 and win the Super Bowl in New Orleans. The Chiefs were aiming to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl. This victory was revenge for the Eagles’ 38-35 defeat by the Chiefs two years ago. Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who was named the game’s most valuable player, says this win was a team effort:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-44-cents and the euro at 19-rand-6-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-776-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-900-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….