News 06:00

BULLETIN 10 April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Donald Trump pauses his tariffs for 90 days
# The GOOD Party slams the DA and PA’s visit to Israel
# And officials are suspended over the George building disaster

# US president Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on all the reciprocal tariffs that went into effect on Wednesday, except for China. During the pause, there will be a universal tariff of ten-percent, while levies for Beijing will increase to 125-percent. This is because China will slap and punish 84 percent tariffs on US goods from today. Speaking at a Nascar event at the White House, Trump maintains that fair deals will be made with China and every other country:

# The GOOD Party says members of Parliament from the DA and Patriotic Alliance have according to them, secretly travelled to Israel without informing the government or Parliament. The party argues the delegation, which reportedly included the DA’s Nicholas Myburgh and Bridget Masango, and PA’s Ashley Sauls, have not disclosed who funded the trip, who they met, or its purpose. GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron accuses the MPs of serving party interests over the public good during a time of global tension:

# The Minerals Council South Africa says it expects a sensible, investor-friendly change to the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act Amendment Bill. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources is yet to gazette the bill. The council says it hopes the bill will encourage and support investment, providing for a shift in sentiment that results in continuing mine development from exploration. It adds that the industry can do so much more than it is currently, and the legislative context for mining has to enable a shift.

# Officials linked to the George building collapse have been suspended by the National Home Builders Regulatory Council. This follows a forensic report into the incident. Human Settlements minister Thembi Simelane welcomed further investigations, including from the Police, and called for accountability. She emphasised the need for consequences for those implicated in the tragedy that claimed 34 lives:

# Athletics: The inaugural track and field series is expected to close spectacularly this week when the National Final is held at the University of Johannesburg Athletics Stadium today and tomorrow. The Track and Field series co-founder and former Olympic sprinter, Matthew Quinn, said the series has unearthed incredible talent around the country. The campaign saw over four-thousand-100 athletes from 240 schools across the country competing at nine provincial events over the last two months. Over 500 athletes from 17 different schools will take part in the final.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-40-cents and the euro at 21-rand-24-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-86-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-578-dollar-70-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-87-dollars-2-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-11-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A new study by Stellenbosch University on teacher preferences and job satisfaction in South Africa reveals high-stress levels due to overwork, administrative duties, and lack of mental health support. The survey supported by Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropies and the FEM Education Foundation shows that of the one-thousand-500 teachers, 50-percent plan to leave the profession within ten years. The report emphasises the need for mental health support, reduced paperwork, and incentives for rural teachers to address burnout and improve retention.

Stay tuned for more news………….