News 11:00

BULLETIN 26 March 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The FF Plus says the government of national unity must be consulted on the next ambassador to the US
# RISE Mzansi urges government to take the gambling crisis in the country seriously
# And cricket: South Africa’s Allahuddien Paleker is included in the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires

# The Freedom Front Plus says president Cyril Ramaphosa has resorted to the letter of the Constitution in a bid to appoint a new ambassador to the US, in the process turning his back on the spirit of cooperation in the government of national unity. The president has stated that there was no need to consult partners in government on Ebrahim Rasool’s replacement. FF Plus leader, Corné Mulder, says Ramaphosa is free to appoint whomever he wants within the agreed framework of the government of national unity:

# Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment minister, Dion George, has outlined a bold G20 plan to protect oceans and combat marine pollution. Delegates will meet in person in the Kruger National Park and in Cape Town later this year. Speaking at the first virtual meeting of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group, George said urgent action is needed to safeguard marine ecosystems, protect coastal communities, and strengthen resilience against climate change:

# RISE Mzansi says it remains committed to advancing gambling reforms in the country. The National Gambling Board has seen an almost eight-fold increase in the number of people seeking assistance. RISE Mzansi’s Makashule Gana says since 2021, there has been an increase in problem gambling among young people aged 25 and 35, who also face a disproportionate rate of unemployment. He adds that it is worth reiterating that in 2023/’24, South Africans spent one-trillion-rand on gambling activities:

# The world’s longest-serving death row inmate, former Japanese professional boxer Iwao Hakamata, will receive a record compensation payout of 26-million-rand. The 89-year-old, who spent more than 40 years on death row, was acquitted last year. He was sentenced to death in 1968 for a quadruple murder, but new evidence led to his release in 2014 pending a retrial, which acquitted him. The compensation is the highest ever handed out for wrongful conviction in Japan, but Hakamata’s legal team says it can never make up for his suffering.

# Cricket: South Africa’s Allahuddien Paleker and England’s Alex Wharf have been included in the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires for 2025-’26. Paleker, who is the seventh South African umpire to feature on the panel, has been an on-field umpire in four Tests, 23 ODIs and 67 T20s in men’s international cricket, and 17 women’s international games. Last year, he officiated the men’s T20 World Cup and the Under-19 men’s World Cup. Paleker says being named in the elite panel brings both pride and responsibility.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-26-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-62-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-772-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-25-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….