News 15:00

BULLETIN 22 May 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The GOOD Party says Ramaphosa demonstrated commendable maturity in the US
# The Israeli prime minister orders stepped-up security after embassy staff were killed in Washington
# And rugby: Damian Willemse will miss the Stormers’ next two matches after his red card

# The GOOD Party says president Cyril Ramaphosa demonstrated commendable maturity and statesmanship in the face of what was clearly a choreographed fake news ambush by US president Donald Trump and his team. Secretary-general Brett Herron says what began as a routine photo opportunity quickly descended into political theatre:

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has outlined South Africa’s roadmap to digital transformation. He addressed the South Africa-France Investment Conference in Paris, emphasising the growing importance of digital technologies for economic growth. Mashatile says South Africa will focus on developing key digital skills such as artificial intelligence, data science, and cybersecurity:

# Water from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is flowing again after months of maintenance. The refill process began this week, with water reaching the Little Caledon tunnel yesterday and expected at the Ash River outfall in Clarens in the Free State by today. The tunnel system, closed since 1 October, saw delays on Lesotho’s side, while South Africa completed its work on time. Officials are closely monitoring the water flow to ensure smooth delivery.

# Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered stepped-up security measures at Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide after a gunman who shouted “free Palestine” shot dead two embassy staff members outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Foreign minister Gideon Saar attributed the killings to a wave of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel incitement, saying European governments were also to blame. Netanyahu issued instructions to enhance security arrangements at Israeli missions around the world and to increase protection for state representatives.

 # Rugby: Springbok Damian Willemse will miss the Stormers’ next two United Rugby Championship matches following his red card against Cardiff last week. His six-match ban was halved and he will also receive a one-match discount if he attends World Rugby’s coaching intervention programme. This means Willemse won’t be available for the Stormers’ quarterfinal against Glasgow and a potential semifinal. The team is reportedly not happy with his decision to plead guilty, believing they could have convinced the disciplinary panel to rescind his red card.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-2-cents and the euro at 20-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-693-dollars-14-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-292-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-19-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….