News 06:00

BULLETIN 11 March 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The government welcomes continued growth with the GDP rising by 1.1-percent
# The DA calls for a parliamentary hearing on sanitary product safety
# And, Iran urges the UN to condemn the US and Israel for violating environmental agreements

# The government welcomes Statistics South Africa’s latest data showing that the economy grew by 1.1-percent in 2025, with gross domestic product rising 0.4-percent between October and December. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of growth. Key sectors driving the expansion included finance, trade, personal services, agriculture, and government services, supported by higher household spending and investment. Acting government spokesperson Nomonde Mnukwa says ongoing reforms support a stronger economy:

Meanwhile, ActionSA says the latest economic growth figures show the economy is stagnant under the government of national unity. The party says the economy grew by only 0.4-percent, between October and December and 1.1-percent for the year, which is below population growth and means living standards are declining. ActionSA’s Alan Beesley has also raised concern about the growth of the illicit economy and the decline in sectors such as manufacturing and construction:

# Acting deputy national commissioner for crime detection Hilda Senthumule has told Parliament’s ad hoc committee that she was not informed about the disbandment of the political killings task team. Senthumule says she only learned of Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s December 2024 directive in February, more than a month after it was issued, and via correspondence from suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya:

# The DA says full parliamentary scrutiny is needed to protect women and girls after a University of the Free State study found small amounts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in 16 sanitary product brands. The party argues that, despite Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s assurance that the products are safe, the findings require a detailed review of regulatory processes and safety measures. The DA’s Angel Khanyile urges the government to safeguard public health.

# The Iranian government has urged the United Nations to condemn the US and Israel for what it says are environmentally destructive acts in the country. Since the US and Israel began attacking Tehran on February 28, at least one-thousand-245 civilians have been killed. Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir-Saeed Iravani, says the bombing of fuel storage facilities has released large quantities of hazardous compounds, including hydrocarbons and sulphur, creating severe air pollution and serious health risks. He says these attacks constitute a clear violation of international obligations arising under multilateral environmental agreements.

# Rugby: England coach Steve Borthwick has made one change to their starting line-up to face France in the final round of the Six Nations in Paris on Saturday. Ollie Chessum will start at blindside flanker as Sam Underhill, who is set to make his 50th England appearance, drops to the bench. Borthwick’s side will be looking to avoid a fourth successive Six Nations defeat against title-hopefuls France, following losses to Scotland, Ireland, and Italy.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-27-cents and the euro at 18-rand-90-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-539-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-190-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-87-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….