News 08:00

BULLETIN 29 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The parliamentary ad hoc committee is seeking another extension
# The Editor’s Forum appoints a legal team to probe the allegations against its chairperson
# And, King Charles delivers a historic speech to the US Congress

# Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations raised by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is seeking another extension. It has already received four extensions and was due to complete its work by Thursday. The committee met yesterday to discuss housekeeping matters, including receiving a draft report on its work thus far. However, evidence leader Norman Arendse told the committee that there have been delays in getting transcripts of the evidence presented, which is delaying the completion of the draft report:

# The South African National Editors’ Forum says it has decided to appoint an independent legal team to evaluate the evidence against its chairperson and Sunday Times editor, Makhudu Sefara. This follows a Special Investigating Unit report implicating him in alleged wrongdoing related to the National Lotteries Commission. Todi Media Development received 1.5-million-rand for a project intended to cover journalists’ accommodation, car rentals, and marketing. Sefara allegedly received 550-thousand-rand of that amount. SANEF says Sefara has stepped aside as chairperson pending an investigation.

# ANC-affiliate and businessman Suleiman Carrim is unlikely to appear before the Madlanga Commission due to ill health. Carrim, who was scheduled to testify today, was recently hospitalised following a suspected heart attack. As a result, this raises the possibility of further delays in proceedings. The commission’s chief evidence leader, Matthew Chaskalson, says the hearing date remains subject to change depending on his recovery:

# King Charles the Third delivered a historic speech to the US Congress on Tuesday, highlighting the importance of the UK-US relationship, championing diversity and peace, and praising multilateral institutions. This was the first royal address to Congress since Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1991. The British monarch told lawmakers that the UK-US alliance must continue to defend their shared values, with partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and must ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking:

# Tennis: American Hailey Baptiste produced a career-defining moment at the Madrid Open, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka to reach the semifinals for the first time. The 24-year-old beat the Belarusian, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6. Baptiste will face ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who defeated Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 7-6, 6-3, to reach her first Madrid semifinal. In the men’s draw, Germany’s Alexander Zverev battled past Czech Jakub Mensik, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals, while Italian Flavio Cobolli knocked out Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-37-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-35-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-792-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-601-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 103-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….