News 07:00

BULLETIN 13 September 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Government notes Fitch’s decision to affirm South Africa’s debt
# North Korea executes more people for watching foreign films and television
# And rugby: The Currie Cup competition reaches its penultimate round

# Government has noted Fitch’s decision to affirm South Africa’s long-term foreign and local currency debt ratings at BB- and maintain the stable outlook. Country Risk Senior Analyst, Benni Mphaphuli, says according to Fitch, South Africa’s credit rating is constrained by several factors, including low real GDP growth, high poverty and inequality levels, a high and rising government debt-to-GDP ratio, as well as a rigid fiscal structure that hampers budget deficit reduction:

# ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula urged the party’s youth league to remain militant and politically conscious and committed to shaping South Africa’s future. Speaking at the league’s second national general council, in Kimberley, Northern Cape, Mbalula warned against factionalism and unproductive disputes. Mbalula encouraged the youth league to defend the revolution, uphold discipline, and lead efforts in service delivery while preparing for the upcoming local government elections:

# The Congress of South African Trade Unions has welcomed Trade, Industry and Competition minister Parks Tau’s decision to withdraw draft National Credit Act regulations. COSATU says the regulations risked blacklisting student debt, threatening graduates’ job prospects. The federation commended Tau’s swift response and political maturity, adding that broader debate. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks emphasised education access, strengthening NSFAS, and aligning skills with economic needs to tackle unemployment, poverty, and inequality:

# The North Korean government is increasingly implementing the death penalty, including for people caught watching and sharing foreign films and TV dramas. The dictatorship is also subjecting its people to more forced labour while further restricting their freedoms. The UN Human Rights Office found that the North Korean state had tightened control over “all aspects of citizens’ lives”. At least six new laws have been introduced since 2015 that allow for the death penalty. Escapees told UN researchers that executions are carried out by firing squads in public to discourage people from breaking the law.

# Rugby: The Currie Cup Premier League has reached the penultimate round, with just four teams left in the running. The table-topping Lions will host fourth-placed Boland Kavaliers in today’s first semifinal in Johannesburg, with kick-off at five this afternoon. Two hours later, it will be the turn of second- and third-placed Griquas and Cheetahs in Kimberley to fight it out for a place in next weekend’s final. A new champion will be crowned after last year’s winner, the Sharks, were eliminated in the group phase.

# And finally: The late Giorgio Armani’s will could reshape the future of his iconic fashion house. Heirs are instructed to sell a 15-percent stake within 18 months, with the option to divest up to 54.9-percent more, leaving the Giorgio Armani Foundation with at least 30-percent. The Italian designer, who died last week preferred buyers including Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, L’Oréal, and EssilorLuxottica, while an Initial Public Offering also remains possible. The foundation will appoint a new CEO to oversee the transition and safeguard Armani’s legacy.

Stay tuned for more news………….