News 07:00

BULLETIN 14 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa will sign the controversial Health Insurance Bill tomorrow
# The Poultry Association calls for vaccination to prevent an avian influenza outbreak
# And Cohen says Trump wanted Daniels’s story buried until after the 2016 election

# President Cyril will publicly sign the National Health Insurance Bill into law at the Union Buildings in Pretoria tomorrow. The controversial bill sets in motion the government’s ambitious plans for universal health coverage, which is set to create a unified health system. Opposition parties, businesses, and healthcare professionals have rejected the bill, saying it’s unconstitutional. The Presidency says the signing of the bill will enable the healthcare system to overcome critical socio-economic imbalances and inequities of the past.

# The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has welcomed a progressive seven-percent wage increase in the engineering sector, surpassing inflation. NUMSA general secretary, Irvin Jim, says the three-year agreement includes six-year increases for the subsequent years. Notably, funds will be earmarked for worker housing. He lauds the union’s fight for worker welfare, emphasising their commitment to improving lives:

# The South African Poultry Association has called for immediate intervention to combat the H7N6 strain of avian influenza, following the culling of 9.5-million birds. The association has advocated for mandatory vaccination, however, stringent regulations hinder implementation. In a statement the association says without compensation mechanisms for culled birds, producers face financial strain, especially smaller operations. It calls for urgent collaboration with Agriculture minister Thoko Didiza to develop practical solutions and safeguard food security.

# RISE Mzansi in Gauteng says the ongoing collapse of the water and sewage infrastructure in vast areas of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and Johannesburg, is an indictment on the ANC. Gauteng has been experiencing a water crisis due to ailing water infrastructure and poor governance. RISE Mzansi provincial convenor, Tebogo Moalusi, says they have a series of short-term goals that could reverse the water crisis within ten years if acted upon now. He says the Water and Sanitation Plan will ensure four things:

# Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen has testified that the former US president wanted the story of Stormy Daniels buried until after the 2016 elections. Cohen paid the former adult film star money to stay quiet about claims that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006. He told the jury that Trump was behind the hush-money reimbursement scheme, even if he did not make the payments himself. Prosecutors contend that Trump’s repayment of Cohen in 2017 was criminal because he listed the reimbursements as legal expenses in financial documents.

# Motorsport: Mercedes says it will be bringing more upgrades at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy this weekend. It has been two years since Formula One raced in Imola as a result of the devastating floods that hit the area last year. Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, says they ran the first half of the upgrades in the Miami Grand Prix, which resulted in some improvements:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-36-cents and the euro at 19-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-6-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-584-dollars-72-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-343-dollars-12-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….