News 06:00

BULLETIN 24 March 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ebrahim Rasool is back in South Africa and says he has no regrets
# Pope Francis is discharged from the hospital
# And athletics: Prudence Sekgodiso wins gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships

# Former South African ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, says he has no regrets after he was declared persona non grata and expelled from Washington. He and his wife Rosieda arrived Sunday morning at the Cape Town International Airport. He was expelled from the US over his comments on president Donald Trump’s administration. Rasool says South Africa will always practice the diplomacy of ubuntu, mutuality, and inter-dependence, based on values and interests:

Meanwhile, Rasool says government must continue to pursue dialogue and engagement with America, even in the face of misguided and damaging executive orders. He was declared persona non grata and expelled from Washington for comments he made related to president Donald Trump’s administration. He says he hopes his replacement will be someone who does not sacrifice the country’s values:

# Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber and Special Investigating Unit Head Andy Mothibi will launch the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum on Tuesday in Pretoria. Following a similar forum on 8 April 2024, this initiative aims to strengthen efforts against corruption in the sector. The forum aligns with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, bringing together stakeholders to prevent and combat corruption in border management and immigration.

# The DA in Tshwane will outline solutions to the city’s budget crisis amid growing concerns over skyrocketing property valuations. Many residents have seen their valuations double, increasing rates and taxes. The DA, led by Cilliers Brink, says the City’s financial struggles under the ANC-ActionSA-EFF government should not burden residents. The DA’s Jacqui Uys says the Tshwane Caucus will propose tax and tariff adjustments for the 2025/2026 financial year:

# Pope Francis has returned to the Vatican after being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday. The 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to hospital on the 14th of February, and subsequently diagnosed with a respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia. He made his first public appearance shortly before being discharged, addressing a crowd of people gathered outside the hospital. Pope Francis’ doctors say he will need to recuperate for at least two months to allow his body time to fully heal.

# Athletics: Twenty-three-year-old Prudence Sekgodiso claimed South Africa’s first gold medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China. She won the women’s 800 metres in a world-leading time of one-minute-58.40-seconds, with Ethiopia’s Nigist Getachew finishing second and Portugal’s Patricia Silva in third. Sekgodiso’s gold was the country’s second competition medal, adding to Akani Simbine’s bronze in the 60-metres, lifting South Africa to eleventh on the medals table. This is also the first-ever medal for a South African woman in the competition.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-19-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-773-dollar-20-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-25-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-18-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….