News 14:00

BULLETIN 26 April 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Elections 2024: The DA outlines bold solutions for economic reform
# The Chinese president says China and the US should be partners, not rivals
# And swimming: WADA is to launch an independent review into China’s handling of a doping case

# The DA has launched a new economic policy to tackle South Africa’s severe unemployment crisis. The policy, which aims to create between two- and three-million new jobs, focuses on improving the ease of doing business, making better fiscal choices, and reforming labour policies. In a media briefing, DA leader John Steenhuisen described the high levels of unemployment, affecting over 70-percent of young people, as a man-made disaster caused by the ANC. Steenhuisen urged voters to support the DA’s plan:

Meanwhile, Statistics South Africa has reported a promising trend in business recovery amidst economic challenges. Liquidation cases decreased by 30 to 138 in March, marking a 17.9-percent year-on-year decline. The closure rate for close corporations and companies does however remain elevated. Stats SA’s Onica Mushwana notes 138 liquidations in March, comprising 13 compulsory and 125 voluntary closures. Among them, 66 companies and 72 close corporations ceased operations:

# Chinese president Xi Jinping told top US diplomat Antony Blinken the world’s two biggest economies should be partners, not rivals. Blinken, in China for the second time in less than a year, met leading Chinese politicians in the capital Beijing. US officials said he would directly raise crucial areas of difference including Russia, Taiwan and trade. Meeting Blinken in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Xi said the two countries had made some positive progress since he met with US president Joe Biden last year.

# Swimming: The World Anti-Doping Agency says it will launch an independent review in the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who were cleared of doping. The swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine in 2021 but were exonerated by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency. The global anti-doping body says it accepted the argument of Chinese authorities that the case was caused by food contamination. WADA says it has been unfairly accused of bias in favour of China by not appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-99-cents and the euro at 20-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-78-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-365-dollars-77-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-348-dollars-7-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-13-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A group of young South African scientists have been selected to participate in the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany. The meeting is an opportunity for young scientists from around the world to engage in-depth with Nobel Laureates on research and overall career management aspects. One of the individuals selected to attend is Unisa graduate, doctor Bambesiwe May, who last year won the esteemed South African Women in Science Awards. May says this is a fantastic opportunity for her career.

Stay tuned for more news………….