News 08:00

BULLETIN 7 March 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa reviews the implications of the US withdrawing from the Just Energy Transition Partnership
# The FF Plus says there is no need to choose sides in international relations
# And six-million-rand of cocaine was seized at the OR Tambo International Airport

# The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says South Africa and other international partners will evaluate the implications of the US withdrawing from the Just Energy Transition Partnership. President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating its membership in the International Partners Group for JETPs South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as well as associated financial pledges. The pact is helping the countries ditch planet-polluting coal. Dirco says South Africa remains committed to implementing international agreements, including decisions taken at the historic Paris Climate Change Conference.

# The Freedom Front Plus says the government should act in the best interest of ordinary citizens when it comes to its relations and trade ties with America. On Thursday, parliamentarians debated the US Agency for International Development cutting funds to Pepfar-funded HIV/AIDS programmes to several countries. FF Plus leader, Corne Mulder, says around 7.9-billion-rand in donation from the US to help South Africa fight HIV/AIDS was earmarked for this year, but now it is off the table:

# Police officers and customs officials detected and seized a drug shipment at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng this week. The drugs have an estimated value of six-million-rand. Police spokesperson, Amanda van Wyk, says more than 20 drug traffickers have been arrested at the airport in the last six months:

# Tennis: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu have been knocked out of the Indian Wells Masters in the US. Osaka from Japan suffered a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Camila Osorio of Colombia, while Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima saw off Raducanu, 6-3, 6-2. In the men’s draw, 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils is through to the second round after defeating Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-4, 6-4. There were also wins for Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca and Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-59-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-37-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-386-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-805-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-39-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the Department of Tourism has congratulated minister Patricia de Lille for being honoured with the Tourism Minister of the Year Award – in Governance – Infrastructure Development. She received the honour from the Pacific Area Travel Writers’ Association in Berlin. The department’s spokesperson, Zara Nicholson, says tourism is one of South Africa’s most dynamic industries, contributing 8.8-percent to the country’s gross-domestic product and supporting 1.68-million jobs in 2024 alone:

Stay tuned for more news………….