News 09:00

BULLETIN 15 April 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The UDM is outraged over the payment of the Post Office retrenchment benefits in instalments
# AfriForum is going to picket against the Bela Bill at the Union Buildings
# And Iran warns it will respond to any threat or aggression

# The United Democratic Movement says it is unacceptable that Post Office workers’ retrenchment benefits will be paid in instalments. UDM deputy president, Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, says six-thousand Post Office employees have already been dealt a significant blow by the loss of their jobs. It is shocking that they are now being forced to wait even longer for their rightful compensation:

# The Electricity Ministry says minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is doing well after he was involved in an accident yesterday afternoon. He was travelling from the North West to Gauteng when the car he was in along with two protectors had an accident with another vehicle. The ministry says all individuals involved in the accident received prompt medical attention, after a thorough examination, minister Ramokgopa was discharged without hospital admission.

# AfriForum will hold a picket against the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill at the Union Buildings in Pretoria today. The bill amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 to respond to administrative and governance problems in schools, and to transform the education system as a whole. AfriForum says the Bela Bill in its current form is undesirable and impracticable. The organisation has threatened to take legal action if the bill is passed into law.

# Iran’s United Nations envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, says the country was exercising its inherent right to self-defence by attacking Israel and had no choice but to act. Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory on Saturday. This was in retaliation for a deadly airstrike widely blamed on Israel that destroyed Tehran’s consular building in Syria’s capital earlier this month. Iravani says Iran is not seeking escalation or war but would respond to any threat or aggression.

# Motorsport: Spain’s Maverick Vinales of Aprilia Racing made history by winning the Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP in Texas. He dropped to eleventh from pole on the opening lap but fought his way back to become the first rider in the modern era to win with three different manufacturers. Teenage rookie Pedro Acosta of Spain finished second and Italy’s Enea Bastianini third. South Africa’s Brad Binder finished ninth. Vinales says he is happy to win a race after three years:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-83-cents and the euro at 20-rand-6-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-927-dollars-22-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-357-dollars-65-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-26-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….