News 07:00

BULLETIN 22 January 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The FF Plus says the inclusion of South Africa in AGOA is vital for the country’s economic recovery
# The Free Market Foundation says South Africa needs a government that respects taxpayers
# And rugby: The Springbok Women will host the USA in a historic Test series

# The Freedom Front Plus says South Africa’s continued inclusion in the African Growth and Opportunity Act is crucial for economic recovery, job creation, and growth. The party warns that the ANC’s current foreign policy, including military ties with China, Russia, and Iran, threatens access to the American market and could put thousands of jobs at risk. The FF Plus’s Jaco Mulder says the government must adopt a responsible, trade-focused foreign policy to protect exports:

# The Free Market Foundation says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s approval of salary increases for public office bearers underlines a fundamental problem with the size and cost of the executive. Members of the executive, Parliament, provincial executive councils, and provincial legislatures will receive a 3.8-percent increase. Judges, magistrates, traditional leaders, and members of independent constitutional institutions will get a 4.1-percent hike. The foundation says giving further pay increases to the political elite without meaningful performance accountability sends the wrong message about priorities.

# Standard Bank says rising rental costs pose a key risk to inflation this year, but overall price growth is expected to stay contained. Consumer inflation ended last year at 3.6-percent, with low food and fuel prices providing relief. Food inflation stayed at 4.4-percent, and fuel prices rose only 1.6-percent year on year. The bank’s Elna Moolman says recent gains in the rand should help keep overall inflation manageable, despite higher rental costs:

# The DA says nearly 27-thousand violent trauma cases over six-months are placing severe strain on hospitals in the Western Cape. Between June and November last year, more than three-thousand patients were admitted with gunshot wounds, while over 23-thousand-700 required treatment for stabbings. The DA’s Memory Booysen warns that emergency centres and trauma units are overstretched, diverting resources from other medical care:

# UK prime minister Keir Starmer says he will not yield over his support for Greenland. This comes as US president Donald Trump continues to insist on Greenland becoming part of America, saying it’s for security reasons and to counter Chinese and Russian threats in the Arctic. He has also threatened sanctions against several European countries that reject any US claim to Greenland. Starmer says respecting Greenland’s sovereignty is imperative:

# Rugby: The Springbok Women will host the USA Women’s Eagles for the first time in a historic two-match Test series in Johannesburg and Pretoria in July. The matches will open the day’s action when the Springboks kick off their Nations Championship campaign. This comes as the Bok Women will also host New Zealand’s Black Ferns in September. Springbok Women’s head coach Swys de Bruin says their objective is to play as many top-ten teams as possible in the new World Cup cycle.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-24-cents and the euro at 18-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-82-cents and Bitcoin trades at 89-thousand-952-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-800-dollars-0-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….