News 17:00

BULLETIN 4 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Austrian president applauds South Africa’s peaceful transition to democracy
# The DA calls for an urgent retraction of the Defence Department’s reckless moratorium blocking energy investment
# And Rugby: High-stakes as the Junior Boks clash with England in the U20 Championship

# Austrian president Alexander van der Bellen says South Africa’s peaceful and inclusive transition to democracy is a global example of stability and progress. Speaking during his state visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, he highlighted the strong ties between the two countries, not only in business but also in science, education, and culture. Van der Bellen called for deeper cooperation in areas such as recycling, music, and youth development:

# The DA says in a single, ill-considered move, the Department of Defence has jeopardised the future of every Independent Power Producer project in South Africa, undermining both energy security and investment prospects. The DA’s Nico Pienaar says the department placed a moratorium on issuing no-objection letters, an essential requirement for all IPP applications to connect to the national energy grid. He says the party demands immediate intervention:

# ActionSA has begun its Senate Strategic Planning Meeting to prepare for next year’s local government elections. The party’s highest decision-making body will spend three days mapping out its strategy to deliver electoral success. Discussions will focus on guiding ActionSA’s national efforts, aiming to provide hope amid what it calls the failures of established parties. Key outcomes and the party’s future direction will be revealed on Monday.

# US President Donald Trump says he plans to start sending letters informing trading partners of their tariff rates as soon as today, as negotiations to avoid higher US levies enter the final stretch. Countries will start paying the tariffs from 1 August. Trump says they’ll range in value from 60 or 70 percent tariffs to 10 and 20 percent tariffs. His comments come days before steeper duties are set to take effect on dozens of economies, customized to each of them, ranging from Taiwan to the European Union.

# Rugby: The Junior Springboks are set for a blockbuster showdown with defending champions England in a vital Pool A clash at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Rovigo, Italy, this evening. Fresh off a commanding 73-17 win over Australia, the Junior Boks aim to build momentum. Coach Kevin Foote praised England’s pedigree and expects a thrilling battle. He expressed confidence in his squad, stating that they are well prepared to execute the tough battle ahead:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-61-cents and the euro at 20-rand-73-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 108-thousand-690-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-333-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-90-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….