News 08:00

BULLETIN 20 June 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Godongwana says the government has learnt valuable lessons from being greylisted
# A probe is launched after five bodies were discovered in the Eastern Cape
# And Trump opens a two-week negotiating window before deciding on striking Iran

# Finance minister Enoch Godongwana says South Africa being greylisted by the Financial Action Task Force has been a good challenge for the government. The country was greylisted in February 2023 for not complying with international standards that relate to money laundering and addressing illicit financial flows. South Africa has completed all 22 items on the action list, and the greylisting could be lifted in October. Godongwana says this process was valuable as it taught them how to operate and work as government, as a whole.

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dion George, says South Africa has played a major role in negotiating the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, known as the High Seas Treaty. This is the first legally binding instrument to protect biodiversity in areas beyond national borders. George says the country has a proud tradition of contributing to international environmental governance, and will continue to do so:

# Eastern Cape police are investigating murder cases after five bodies were discovered on the R345 near Crossroads outside Peddie. The charred remains were found in a damaged car. Police spokesperson, Nobuntu Gantana, says the victims were burnt beyond recognition, and the vehicle itself was severely damaged, rendering it unidentifiable at this stage:

# The White House says president Donald Trump will decide if the US gets directly involved in the Iran-Israel conflict within the next two weeks. This is to allow for negotiations, with the hopes that Iran will relent on its hardline position and agree to terms it had previously rejected, including abandoning its enrichment of uranium. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump’s top priority is ensuring that Iran does not successfully construct a nuclear weapon:

# Tennis: World number one and defending champion, Jannik Sinner, has been knocked out of the Halle Open in Germany. The Italian was stunned by 45th-ranked Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, his worst defeat by ranking since August 2023. German world number three Alexander Zverev defeated Italian Lorenzo Sonego, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, to reach the quarterfinals for the sixth time. Russian Andrey Rublev suffered a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 loss to Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry, while Russia’s Karen Khachanov ousted Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand and the euro at 20-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-28-cents and Bitcoin trades at 104-thousand-630-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-348-dollars-86-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-54-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….