News 06:00

BULLETIN 26 March 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says it is not necessary to consult the government of national unity on Ebrahim Rasool’s replacement
# President Trump nominates Leo Brent Bozell the Third as ambassador to South Africa
# And seven journalists are remanded in custody for covering the protests in Turkey

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says he does not need input from his government of national unity partners to appoint the country’s next ambassador to the US. This follows the expulsion of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool from America over his comments on president Donald Trump’s administration. DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille has called for consultations on Rasool’s replacement. Ramaphosa says appointing the new ambassador remains his sole responsibility:

Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump has nominated conservative activist, author, and media commentator, Leo Brent Bozell the Third, as ambassador to South Africa. He founded the Media Research Centre, a conservative watchdog group that critiques perceived liberal bias in mainstream media. This comes amid strained ties between the two countries. Trump has been about South Africa’s expropriation policies, and its case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. The Senate must still confirm Bozell’s appointment.

# The DA says converting the social relief of distress grant into a job seekers allowance and reforming collective bargaining are crucial steps to promote job creation. Following the release of the latest quarterly employment figures, which show 91-thousand fewer jobs, the party calls for urgent pro-growth reforms, including liberalising the energy market, supporting small businesses, and improving logistics. The DA’s Michael Bagraim believes these changes will help reduce the nearly 42-percent unemployment rate.

# The Portfolio Committee on Police has voiced disappointment over the Eastern Cape police’s approach to tackling extortion. During an oversight visit to Mthatha, committee chairperson Ian Cameron stated that reported cases would be formally followed up to ensure accountability. He says that the committee remains concerned about the effectiveness of police strategies in addressing the growing extortion crisis affecting businesses and residents in the region:

# A Turkish court has remanded in custody seven journalists for covering the mass protests that erupted following the arrest of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, in a crackdown that has now seen more than one-thousand-400 people arrested. Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders denounced the move as “scandalous”. Vast crowds have hit the streets daily since the March 19 move against Istanbul’s popular opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, prompting nightly clashes with riot police that have spread across the country.

# Cricket: Brisbane’s iconic Gabba stadium will be demolished after the Olympic Games in the Australian city in 2032. This was announced as part of the plans for the event, which include three new stadiums in the inner city. The main venue that will host the athletics programme and the opening and closing ceremonies, will replace the Gabba. Queensland premier David Crisafulli says the aging stadium had been a wonderful venue for cricket since it opened in 1895, but now faces a string of challenges.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-26-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-420-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-20-dollars-81-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-29-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….