News 09:00
BULLETIN 22 April 9 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# This year’s elections in the biggest democracies still have no female frontrunners
# Saftu says Cosatu is compromised in its capacity to represent workers
# And the likes of Cher and Mary J. Blige to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
# This year is being touted as a test of democracies’ strength around the world with over 50 countries holding elections, but female leadership candidates are still lacking. Analysis from The Guardian shows that elections in the world’s biggest democracies, the US, Indonesia, and India, have no female frontrunners. The same with the UK, Pakistan, and South Africa. Stanford University researchers say there is a pragmatic bias phenomenon, where voters who may prefer a female candidate still fail to vote for her because they believe it will be too difficult for her to win.
# Union federation Saftu says it continues to play a crucial role in championing the rights of workers, fighting against injustices in the workplace, and advancing the socio-economic interests of workers. Yesterday, the federation celebrated seven years since it was launched in April 2017. Saftu’s spokesperson, Trevor Shaku, says the diametric contradictions in the tripartite alliance have and continue to compromise Cosatu’s ability and capacity to legitimately represent workers:
# The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate’s draft budget for the 2024/2025 financial year is out for public comment until the end of the month. The Directorate’s draft capital budget is just under 363-million-rand. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the directorate has a good track record of expenditure, investment, and delivery, both in the enforcement and emergency services environments:
# Cricket: The Kolkata Knight Riders have moved to second place in the Indian Premier League standings following their one-run victory against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kolkata posted 222 for six with captain Shreyas Iyer scoring a half century. In reply, Bengaluru were bowled out for 221, suffering their seventh defeat in eight games. Meanwhile, in Mullanpur, Sai Kishore took four wickets to guide the Gujarat Titans to a three-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-9-cents and the euro at 20-rand-36-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-65-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-657-dollars-41-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-372-dollars-7-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-60-cents a barrel.
# And finally, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has revealed the names of 16 individuals in the music industry who will be inducted this year. They include Cher, Dionne Warwick, Ozzy Osbourne, and Mary J. Blige. Osbourne becomes a second-time inductee this year; his group Black Sabbath was inducted in 2006. Motown is also being celebrated with the induction of songwriter and producer, Norman Whitfield, whose catalogue of hits includes Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone and I Heard It Through the Grapevine.
Stay tuned for more news………….