News 07:00

BULLETIN 24 January 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# AfriForum threatens legal action to protect private property rights
# Trump threatens tariffs on companies who do not manufacture in America
# And tennis: It’s Sabalenka versus Keys in the Australian Open women’s final

# AfriForum has threatened to launch a substantial legal action to protect private property rights, if the government targets property for expropriation without compensation. This comes as president Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Expropriation Bill, which outlines how state organs may expropriate land in the public interest for various reasons. AfriForum’s, Ernst van Zyl, says any law which seeks to dismantle private property is a red line for the civil rights organisation:

# Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice’s chairperson, Xola Nqola, says despite the committee closing the investigation against former Justice minister Thembi Simelane’s VBS case, it doesn’t acquit her. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, he said that other law enforcement agencies are free to continue their investigations into the matter, ensuring accountability remains a priority:

# Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has emphasised the need for cultural re-evaluation, saying culture cannot be characterised by practices that cause catastrophe. The minister met with traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape yesterday to discuss preventable measures to curb the death of initiates. A total of 371 initiates died in the province between 2016 and 2024, with dehydration, septicaemia, gangrene, and pneumonia listed as leading causes of death. Hlabisa says women’s voices need to be heard in finding a solution to this problem.

# US president Donald Trump has vowed to impose tariffs to boost US manufacturing and correct what he calls unfair trade relations with foreign countries. He delivered one of the first major speeches of his presidency to global business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday. Trump says the tariffs will be used to strengthen America’s economy and pay down debt:

# Tennis: Nineteenth-seeded American Madison Keys will try and prevent world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus from clinching her fourth Grand Slam title in the final of the Australian Open tomorrow. Sabalenka looked ominously good when she dismantled 11th-seeded Spaniard Paula Badosa in the first semifinal in Melbourne yesterday. Keys, on the other hand, had a huge battle before she was able to defeat world number two, Iga Swiatek of Poland, in the second semifinal at Rod Laver Arena.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-51-cents and the euro at 19-rand-27-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-83-cents and Bitcoin trades at 103-thousand-352-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-759-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-79-cents a barrel.

# And finally: With a total of 13 nominations, the French production of the Spanish-language film, Emilia Pérez, has become the most nominated foreign film in Oscar history. The film follows a Mexican cartel leader who enlists a lawyer to help the leader disappear by transitioning into a woman. There will be ten movies vying for the title of best picture at this year’s Academy Awards. Joining Emilia Pérez will be Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked.

Stay tuned for more news………….