News 08:00

BULLETIN 13 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Tony Leon welcomes the DA’s newly elected young leadership cohort
# Unite for Change won’t be contesting the upcoming local government elections
# And, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has conceded defeat, ending 16-years in power

# Founding leader of the DA, Tony Leon, has welcomed the party’s new young leadership cohort, saying it’s a general shift. The DA now has one of the youngest cohorts of political leaders in South Africa, with newly elected leader Geordin Hill-Lewis being 39-years-old. The new leadership faces the challenge of growing the party beyond its current support base and becoming the largest party in the country by 2029. Leon told the SABC that Hill-Lewis has an inclusive and empathetic leadership style:

# Unite for Change, a political coalition consisting of Build One South Africa, RISE Mzansi and GOOD Party, says it has made significant steps in consolidating the parties under one banner, but more time is needed. Therefore, the parties have determined that the best option is to contest this year’s local government elections individually and pursue consolidation afterwards. Unite for Change says the parties will, in due course, implement an interim cooperation model that ensures that voters have access to capable and committed election candidates.

# An intelligence-driven operation led Gauteng police to uncover a suspected drug laboratory at a property in Sandton. This led to the seizure of chemicals, equipment and suspected finished drug products valued at an estimated 1.5-million-rand. Police spokesperson, Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, says a case of manufacturing of suspected drugs has been opened for further investigation:

# Veteran Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power is over, after conceding defeat to ​centre-right challenger Péter Magyar in the elections. Preliminary results, with over 98-percent of the votes counted, put Magyar’s Tisza party on course for 138 seats, with Orbán’s Fidesz on 55 and the far-right Our Homeland on six. US president Donald Trump had repeatedly endorsed Orbán, with vice-president JD Vance travelling to Budapest days before the elections to show his support. Magyar has promised better relations with the European Union and a crackdown on corruption.

# Golf: Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy has successfully defended his Masters title, becoming just the fourth player to win back-to-back at Augusta National. The 36-year-old built a historic six-stroke halfway lead but found himself two behind early in a dramatic final round. He got over the line, shooting a final-day 71 to finish on 12 under, one stroke clear of world number one American Scottie Scheffler. Four players finished tied in third. McIlroy says it is incredible what he has achieved:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-33-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-16-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-101-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-714-dollars-71-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-47-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….