News 07:00

BULLETIN 16 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Build One South Africa urges the minister of Finance to focus on township economies in his budget speech
# Donald Trump’s trial date in his bribery case is set
# And in Rugby: The Springbok lock RG Snyman is back at Munster after his injury

# Build One South Africa calls on Finance minister Enoch Godongwana to address township economic growth in his budget speech. BOSA advocates for a comprehensive plan to uplift the economy, create jobs, and improve living standards. Party leader Mmusi Maimane this week met Soweto entrepreneurs to discuss their needs, culminating in recommendations for Godongwana. Proposals include infrastructure improvements, township special economic zones, and mentorship programmes. Maimane envisions townships as economic hubs with the right environment for economic growth:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the story of Tintswalo is far from over, as it symbolises significant democratic progress. According to the president, Tintswalo, introduced as a child of democracy, resonated deeply with millions across the nation. In his response to the State of the Nation address debate, Ramaphosa applauded the hashtag I am Tintswalo movement on social media, showcasing young people’s successes in overcoming poverty. He criticises detractors driven by what he calls, narrow political interests, that disregard the achievements of democracy:

# A mega hybrid power plant spanning more than 400 hectares between the towns of Ceres and Sutherland has reached financial close. The power plant is one of eleven selected by government in its emergency power procurement round of 2021 and consists of a mix of solar photovoltaic power, wind power, and battery energy storage technologies. One of the project developers, G7 Renewable Energies, says, with a combined capacity of almost 335 megawatts, the Oya Energy Hybrid project is the first and largest renewable energy project of its kind in the world in terms of technology mix, size, and price.

# A trial date has been set in Donald Trump’s hush-money case. Prosecutors claim he paid off porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, as well as a Trump Tower doorman, who claimed to have a story about Trump having a child outside of marriage. A judge turned down requests for a delay from Trump’s lawyers and ruled that jury selection will begin on Monday 25 March.  This means Trump will become the first former US president to stand trial on a criminal charge. Trump denies having any of the sexual encounters.

# Rugby: Springbok lock RG Snyman will start for Irish team Munster in tonight’s United Rugby Championship clash against Scarlets in Llanelli, Wales, following his return from injury. Munster has confirmed he has fully recovered from a chest injury sustained during the World Cup final in October. He was initially expected to only return next month. Snyman is set to leave Munster at the end of the season to join Leinster and reunite with former Bok head coach Jacques Nienaber, who is now the team’s senior coach.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-96-cents and the euro at 20-rand-42-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 52-thousand-87-dollars-9-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-4-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-77-cents a barrel.

# And, finally: The Department of Health is urging healthcare workers to identify early signs of childhood cancer to ensure successful management. With an estimated one-thousand new cases annually in South Africa, early detection is crucial. Common childhood cancers include leukemia, lymphoma, and brain, eye, and kidney tumors. The department says community engagement is vital in addressing the complexities of childhood and adolescent cancer. The World Health Organisation’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer aims to achieve a 60-percent global survival rate by 2030.

Stay tuned for more news………….