News 08:00

BULLETIN 20 February 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IMF says South Africa has demonstrated remarkable economic resilience
# The EFF is calling for the establishment of an Oversight Committee on the Presidency
# And, the Blood Service launches a national campaign to rebuild the blood supply ahead of Easter

# The International Monetary Fund says South Africa demonstrated remarkable economic resilience in the face of global turbulence in 2025, successfully maintaining macroeconomic stability and keeping inflation under control. It says the country’s new three-percent inflation target is a key policy milestone. The IMF says that to keep the economy stable and resilient, it is important to follow prudent fiscal policies that reduce public debt without hurting growth. It adds that establishing a clear fiscal rule that is based on a prudent debt target can help encourage discipline and build trust in policies.

# The EFF has called on the National Assembly speaker, Thoko Didiza, to fast-track the full establishment of the Oversight Committee on the Presidency. Last year, Parliament gave the green light to the establishment of the committee, which will see the National Assembly, for the first time, have a dedicated, rule-based structure for scrutinising the Presidency’s operations and budget. The EFF’s Natasha Ntlangwini says the committee is important in ensuring that the Presidency does not operate outside the bounds of parliamentary scrutiny:

# The South African National Blood Service has launched a national campaign urging South Africans to donate blood after supplies dropped following the festive season. The “Answer the Call” campaign aims to rebuild blood stocks ahead of the busy Easter period. The blood service says one donation can save up to three lives, encouraging eligible donors to visit donation centres and help ensure hospitals have enough blood for emergencies and medical treatments.

# US president Donald Trump has renewed his threats against Iran, suggesting that Tehran has about ten days to reach a deal with Washington or face further military strikes. In recent days, the US has surged military forces to the Middle East, with reports claiming that America is prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace, Trump said if Iran does not make a deal over its nuclear programme, further steps will be taken:

# Tennis: Twenty-year-old Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic stunned world number two Jannik Sinner of Italy in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open in Doha. Mensik defeated Sinner, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, to secure the biggest win of his career by ranking. He has set up a semifinal clash with unseeded Frenchman Arthur Fils, who beat Mensik’s compatriot Jiri Lehecka, 6-3, 6-3. World number one Carlos Alcaraz beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. The Spaniard will face defending champion Andrey Rublev, after the Russian beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-3, 7-6.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-16-cents and the euro at 19-rand. One British pound costs 21-rand-73-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-377-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-996-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-35-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….