News 07:00

BULLETIN 20 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA commends South Africans voting overseas
# Interviews for three vacant posts at the Appeal Court to get underway
# And a helicopter carrying Iran’s president has crashed

# The DA has thanked the tens of thousands of South Africans abroad who voted at embassies and consulates over the weekend. DA leader John Steenhuisen says their dedication, despite long journeys and hours in queues, highlights their love for South Africa and commitment to ending ANC corruption. He adds the DA appreciates their effort and sees it as a true act of democratic heroism:

# RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi says his party has a real and workable plan to make the economy work again, double childcare grants, and make the criminal justice system work. Thousands of supporters gathered at the Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort yesterday, for the party’s final rally ahead of the May 29 general elections. Zibi says they are ready to serve citizens the way the Constitution demands, not in the way that has been forgotten and disregarded by the old, tired, and corrupt leaders of the ANC:

# The Judicial Service Commission will today conduct interviews with ten candidates for three vacancies at the Supreme Court of Appeal. They include Eastern Cape High Court Judges John Smith and Nozuko Mjali, Gauteng Judges Thina Siwendu and David Unterhalter, and Western Cape Judge Elizabeth Baartman. Judges Matter says the task of selecting the very best judges for the SCA could not be more urgent, as in the last five years alone, 18 of the 25 SCA judges have been replaced.

# Public Works minister, Sihle Zikalala, has called for a thorough investigation into the Ballito construction site collapse that claimed the lives of four workers in KwaZulu-Natal. Fourteen workers were on site when a wall collapsed at the construction site on Saturday. Zikalala says he has tasked the Council for the Built Environment to work with the South African Council for the Project and Management Professions to probe this collapse.

# A search and rescue operation is underway after the helicopter carrying the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, crashed in a northern region of the country. Nine people were on board including the president, the Foreign minister, and the governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province. According to reports, the helicopter crashed after it got into difficulties in heavy fog. Iranian officials say they have located the exact crash site, but harsh weather conditions and heavy fog have made the rescue operation very difficult.

# Motorsport: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen held off a late charge from McLaren’s Lando Norris to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy. Charles Leclerc took third to seal Ferrari’s first podium at Imola since 2006. Oscar Piastri finished fourth in a solid drive for McLaren, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fifth place. This is Verstappen’s fifth victory in seven races this season. The Dutchman says this was a hard-fought victory:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-15-cents and the euro at 19-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-668-dollars-61-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-432-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-14-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….