Latest news with #Rodda
The Citizen
26-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
‘Bloody' great milestone for Durban North blood donor
A DURBAN North resident has reached a remarkable milestone this month, celebrating 40 years of blood donation and completing his 215th unit, a contribution that may have helped save up to 645 lives. '40 years ago, on the 12th of July 1985, an icy cold winter's day in Johannesburg, I became a blood donor. Today, 12th July 2025, a chilly day in Durban, I am donating my 215th unit of whole blood,' said Greg Rodda. Rodda, whose blood type is O positive, began donating shortly before turning 21, inspired by his late father's example. Also read: Mandela Month food drive to support hungry children in north Durban 'As a child, I would watch my dad go and donate blood. When I came of age, it just felt like the natural thing to do,' he said. Looking back, Rodda says he never imagined he'd reach such a number. 'You don't know what life will throw at you. I never set out to hit a big number, but now that I've reached it, it feels like a good milestone,' he said. Over the years, his motivation has grown more personal. He recalls the moment his five-year-old daughter required a blood transfusion due to a burst ulcer, and another instance when a neonatal intensive care unit nurse rushed his blood to a clinic for a five-day-old baby in need. 'Those moments bring home just how critical blood donation is. You realise it's not just numbers, it's people, it's lives. I see it as something special I can do. What better way to give than with the gift of life?' For him, donating is not routine but something meaningful every time. 'I always consider it special. It's my way of giving back. You might not see who it helps, but you know it matters,' he said. 'There's really nothing to be afraid of. SANBS once had a poster of a baby in ICU, it read that the child's need is far greater than your fear. Cancer patients, accident victims are going through so much more than a needle prick.' Over the decades, Rodda has seen some changes to the process, particularly in the guidelines around donation frequency and eligibility due to tattoos. Yet his commitment has never wavered. He uses social media to encourage others to join him. Now, at 215 units, Rodda is aiming for the next big goal: 250. 'I'm going all out while I'm still strong. If you're fit and healthy, you can be part of the 1% of our population who currently donate blood.' For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook , X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here
Perth Now
08-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Australian shares seesaw ahead of Reserve Bank decision
The local share market has been gyrating between positive and negative territory amid tariff uncertainty and as traders wait for the latest Reserve Bank decision on interest rates. The ASX200 began trading on Tuesday with a 17-point fall, then climbed 20.7 points into the green in the second hour of trading before sinking back slightly into the red. At noon the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 7.3 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 8,582.2, while the broader All Ordinaries was down 4.5 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 8,821.9. analyst Kyle Rodda said markets had received a "quick punch in the guts" as Wednesday's US trade deal deadline approached. Market participants were expecting a flurry of trade deals with trading partners, but so far only letters about tariffs on the likes of Japan, South Korea and South Africa had been announced. But Mr Rodda added there was some merit to the idea this was all a negotiating tactic by the Trump administration designed to create urgency. Closer to home, it is widely expected that the Reserve Bank will announce later on Tuesday afternoon that it is cutting the cash rate from 3.85 per cent. Earlier on Tuesday, the NAB Business Survey rose to its highest level, in trend terms, in more than a year, suggesting business conditions were starting to stabilise or even turn around after a disappointing start to the year. "After a volatile but soft year for business confidence, we have seen a trend improvement over the past three months," said NAB's head of Australian economics, Gareth Spence. "It is now around its long-run average." Seven of the ASX's 11 sectors were lower at midday, with consumer discretionary, financials, telecommunications and telecommunications higher. Consumer staples was the biggest mover, dropping 1.1 per cent as Coles subtracted 1.0 per cent and A2 Milk retreated 3.3 per cent. In health care, Botanix Pharmaceuticals had plunged 43.6 per cent to 17.5 cents after the clinical dermatology company announced sales figures for the launch of its treatment for primary axillary hyperhidrosis, or excessive underarm sweating. There had been 16,000 prescriptions filled for 6700 patients since February, Botanix said, apparently underwhelming investors who were hoping for far more. In the heavyweight mining sector, BHP was down 1.1 per cent and Rio Tinto had dipped 0.8 per cent, while Fortescue had added 0.6 per cent. In financials, three of the four big banks were higher. CBA had added 0.3 per cent, NAB was up 0.5 per cent and ANZ had advanced 0.4 per cent, while Westpac was down 0.4 per cent. In currency, the Australian dollar was trading for 65.15 US cents, from 65.24 US cents on Monday.
Business Insider
23-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Why all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz, a 90-mile strip critical to global oil prices
Global investors are on alert about a 90-mile sea passage in the Middle East, fearing that any block of the Strait of Hormuz could derail global shipping and oil. Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply after the US struck Iran's nuclear facilities on Sunday, prompting fears of retaliation from Tehran. Beyond concerns about defense and security, markets are concerned about the fallout for oil prices and the global economy should Iran block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — a threat Tehran has repeated for years. "If Iran chooses to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, it'd be categorically negative," Kyle Rodda, a senior financial markets analyst at told Business Insider. "In the worst-case scenario, it would be incredibly impactful: higher fuel prices, higher inflation, slower growth, and interest rates higher than where they'd otherwise be," Rodda said. What is the Strait of Hormuz? One of the most geopolitically sensitive maritime routes, the Strait of Hormuz is just 21 miles across at its narrowest point. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, with Iran to its north and the United Arab Emirates and Oman to its south. According to the US's Energy Information Administration, the Hormuz is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, carrying about 20 million barrels of oil a day. Most energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have no other means of exiting the Persian Gulf, the starting sea point for major oil producers like Saudi Arabia to export their energy to the rest of the world. How much shipping goes through the Strait of Hormuz? About a quarter of seaborne oil and a fifth of global liquified natural gas trade moves through the Hormuz, so any disruption to shipping would hit the energy markets hard. "The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the US over the weekend increased supply risks significantly for the oil and LNG market," wrote Warren Patterson, the head of commodities strategy at ING, on Monday. Can Iran really close the Strait? Iran doesn't have the legal authority to shut down marine traffic in the Hormuz. But it could disrupt the movement of vessels by other means, for example by damaging oil and shipping infrastructure. On Sunday, the Iranian parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation against the US's action. The final decision still lies with the country's top security officials, according to Iran's state-owned Press TV. Analysts said they think an Iranian blockade is probably more about political posturing than real action. "While the headlines sound dramatic, the reality is that Iran's parliament holds no executive power over military or strategic decisions, particularly not ones with such far-reaching geopolitical and economic consequences," Dilin Wu, a research strategist at Pepperstone, told BI. "Iran is well aware that any direct disruption to global oil flows through the Strait would likely trigger a significant military and economic response, possibly escalating the conflict beyond its control," she added. Would the US be affected by a blockade? The US is an energy giant and has become a net energy exporter since 2019, so it's less prone to physical supply shock from a blockade of the Hormuz. However, the US could still be hit by the fallout from worsening global economic conditions. "Any negative impact would be through deteriorating financial conditions or through higher for longer rates as the Fed has another reason to delay cuts," Deutsche Bank analysts said in a Monday note. What about other countries? Asian countries would be the most affected by a blockade of the Hormuz, said Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior analyst at brokerage Phillip Nova. In 2024, over 80% of crude oil, condensates, and LNG that moved through the Hormuz headed to Asia, according to the EIA. "Asia, which consumes the lion's share of Middle Eastern oil, would be most vulnerable, with India, Japan, South Korea, and China facing logistical uncertainties and costlier re-routing," said Sachdeva. South European countries dependent on Gulf oil could also face higher import costs, although Saudi Arabia and the UAE can reroute significant volumes of such exports via pipelines and via a pipeline and the UAE port of Fujairah. What would a closure mean for gas prices and inflation? Energy is a key input cost, so any gains in oil prices are likely to drive up inflation broadly. The US's strike on Iran sent oil futures up to a five-month high late on Sunday. Oil prices are now up about 10% since Israel's strikes on Iran in June. These developments are taking place amid the summer driving season, when US gas demand peaks. Should the gains in oil prices be sustained, pump prices are likely to rise in the weeks ahead. According to the EIA, the price of gas typically rises by 2.4 cents per gallon when crude oil prices rise by $1. This translates into a gain of about 20 cents per gallon at current levels for oil futures.
Herald Sun
23-06-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
US strikes on Iran spook ASX as crude oil price soars
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Oil prices have surged as the rest of the market wobbled on Monday morning, with the ASX 200 suffering a 'very nervous start' to the trading week. The ASX 200 fell 44.30 points or 0.52 per cent to 8461.20 on the opening bells as investors weighed up the risks in the Middle East. The Aussie dollar also slumped, falling from US64.94 cents to US64.48 as the tension escalates. Investors are worried about two major potential escalations in the conflict, with either the closure of the Strait of Hormuz or an all-out regional war negatively impacting the price of oil. Cutting off the Strait of Hormuz could send the price of oil above $US100 a barrel, as the 32km mile stretch is the primary route of exports from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait. Nervous investors are selling down the ASX on fears of Iran-Israel conflict. Picture NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard. senior financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said traders would be looking to gauge risks of energy shocks and the potential impact of the broader conflict. 'The markets are confronting a very nervous start to the week where the only thing that will matter is the fallout from the US missile strike on Iranian nuclear assets over the weekend,' Mr Rodda said. 'There's already some talk of (closing the Strait of Hormuz) from the Iranians, with the instability in the region and risks to critical infrastructure alone enough to worry energy markets.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said closing the crucial Strait of Hormuz would be a 'suicidal' move to the Iranian regime. Mr Rubio said closing the strait would affect the US, but it would have 'a lot more impact on the rest of the world', particularly on China. 'That would be a suicidal move on (Iran's) part because I think the whole world would come against them if they did that,' Mr Rubio said. On Saturday (Sunday AEST), US forces confirmed strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in the latest flair up between Israel and Iran. US President Donald Trump said the three nuclear sites in Iran – Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz – were 'completely obliterated' but this is yet to be independently verified. The ASX has fallen on Iran-Israel tensions. Picture NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard. The armed conflict sent the price of Brent crude oil surging to above $US80 a barrel after it was about $US65 a barrel. Mr Rodda said the first move by markets would be a possible kneejerk, with traders taking a shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach. 'But as the dust settles and more of the facts become known – especially the extent of the damage achieved by the US – the markets will turn to gaming out the likely course of events from here and quantifying the risks to asset prices,' he said. Originally published as ASX falls on 'very nervous start' to Monday's trading after US strikes Iran
Mercury
23-06-2025
- Business
- Mercury
US strikes on Iran spook ASX as crude oil price soars
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Oil prices have surged as the rest of the market wobbled on Monday morning, with the ASX 200 suffering a 'very nervous start' to the trading week. The ASX 200 fell 44.30 points or 0.52 per cent to 8461.20 on the opening bells as investors weighed up the risks in the Middle East. The Aussie dollar also slumped, falling from US64.94 cents to US64.48 as the tension escalates. Investors are worried about two major potential escalations in the conflict, with either the closure of the Strait of Hormuz or an all-out regional war negatively impacting the price of oil. Cutting off the Strait of Hormuz could send the price of oil above $US100 a barrel, as the 32km mile stretch is the primary route of exports from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait. Nervous investors are selling down the ASX on fears of Iran-Israel conflict. Picture NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard. senior financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said traders would be looking to gauge risks of energy shocks and the potential impact of the broader conflict. 'The markets are confronting a very nervous start to the week where the only thing that will matter is the fallout from the US missile strike on Iranian nuclear assets over the weekend,' Mr Rodda said. 'There's already some talk of (closing the Strait of Hormuz) from the Iranians, with the instability in the region and risks to critical infrastructure alone enough to worry energy markets.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said closing the crucial Strait of Hormuz would be a 'suicidal' move to the Iranian regime. Mr Rubio said closing the strait would affect the US, but it would have 'a lot more impact on the rest of the world', particularly on China. 'That would be a suicidal move on (Iran's) part because I think the whole world would come against them if they did that,' Mr Rubio said. On Saturday (Sunday AEST), US forces confirmed strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in the latest flair up between Israel and Iran. US President Donald Trump said the three nuclear sites in Iran – Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz – were 'completely obliterated' but this is yet to be independently verified. The ASX has fallen on Iran-Israel tensions. Picture NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard. The armed conflict sent the price of Brent crude oil surging to above $US80 a barrel after it was about $US65 a barrel. Mr Rodda said the first move by markets would be a possible kneejerk, with traders taking a shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach. 'But as the dust settles and more of the facts become known – especially the extent of the damage achieved by the US – the markets will turn to gaming out the likely course of events from here and quantifying the risks to asset prices,' he said. Originally published as ASX falls on 'very nervous start' to Monday's trading after US strikes Iran
