News 07:00

BULLETIN 22 January 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Paul Mashatile says South Africa is cautious about a BRICS currency
# Parliament’s Correctional Services committee is concerned by the overcrowding of prisons
# And the World Health Organisation urges Trump to reconsider withdrawal

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile says South Africa cannot yet determine its stance on a common BRICS currency. Highlighting the country’s reliance on the US dollar, Mashatile emphasised the need for caution in trade decisions. He noted that while discussions continue, South Africa must prioritise its economic stability before committing to such significant shifts:

# The Public Servants Association says it has commenced with a mandating process of its members on the government’s new wage offer, and improvement of conditions of service for public servants. The government has tabled a new wage offer of 5.5-percent for public sector workers after they rejected a proposed five-percent salary increase. The PSA, which represents more than 250-thousand public-sector employees, says it has encouraged its members to participate actively in the balloting process to accept or reject the offer.

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Correctional Services has expressed concern at the continued overcrowding in prisons, saying the number of foreigners outnumbered South African inmates. During the 2023/2024 financial year, the Department of Correctional Services housed 156-thousand inmates, while there were only over 105-thousand approved bed spaces in correctional facilities nationwide. Committee chairperson, Anthea Ramolobeng, says as of March 2024, the department had incarcerated 22-thousand-612 foreigners with 690 serving life sentences:

# The World Health Organisation is urging president Donald Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw the US from the organisation. Trump signed an executive order on Monday for the withdrawal, citing the organisation’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of member states. WHO’s, Tarik Jasarevic, says they look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and the organisation:

# Rugby: Wales’s head coach, Warren Gatland, realises everyone is writing the struggling team off before this year’s Six Nations. The country last won a Test in the pool stage of 2023’s World Cup, where they went down to Argentina in the quarterfinal. Wales ended in last place in last year’s Six Nations. Gatland says they have to create confidence and belief when seeking a first victory at the Stade de France in six years against France in the first round in Paris next weekend.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-50-cents and the euro at 19-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-82-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-887-dollar-70-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-748-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

# And finally: University Cape Town scientists, using South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope, have discovered a rare giant radio galaxy named Inkathazo, meaning trouble in Zulu and Xhosa. Spanning 3.3 million light years, its bent plasma jets challenge existing physics models. Researchers emphasise this milestone as a leap in understanding cosmic phenomena ahead of the Square Kilometre Array’s launch.

Stay tuned for more news………….