News 09:00

BULLETIN 28 April 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA says it has taken deliberate steps to build an alternative to the ANC
# The parliamentary ad hoc committee will receive a draft report on its work so far
# And, King Charles will address the US Congress today

# ActionSA says after decades under the leadership of the ANC, the promise of freedom has been undermined by failing service delivery, rising unemployment, and weakening institutions. The party says it has taken deliberate steps to build a credible, structured alternative. ActionSA’s Boitumelo Molefe says over recent months, they have advanced their national expansion with the intention of announcing mayoral candidates across multiple provinces, and identifying leaders who are grounded, capable, and ready to govern:

# Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee will meet this evening to discuss housekeeping matters, including being presented with a draft report on its work thus far. The committee will also be briefed on correspondence from the Busisiwe Mkhwebane Foundation, forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan’s former assistant, Sarah-Jane Trent, and the Inspector-General of Intelligence’s report. The foundation wants former police Crime Intelligence analyst Philasande Dotyeni to testify in camera as previously promised. Trent wanted her testimony declared invalid, claiming she was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but the committee refused.

# The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department says that despite ongoing warnings and educational campaigns, the number of arrests due to drunken driving remains high. A total of 214 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol during coordinated tactical deployments and roadblocks from the 20th to the 26th of this month. JMPD’s spokesperson Xolani Fihla says many motorists continue to ignore the law and endanger lives on the roads:

# King Charles and Queen Camilla got their highly anticipated four-day state visit to the US underway on Monday, where they met president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House. They then attended a garden party at the British ambassador’s residence in Washington. Today, King Charles is set to address Congress. The UK’s ambassador to the US, Christian Turner, told CBS News that the King’s visit is an effort to renew and revitalise a unique friendship between the two allies:

# Cricket: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru recorded an emphatic nine-wicket victory against the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. Josh Hazlewood took four wickets, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar three as the Capitals were bowled out for 75 in the 17th over. In reply, Devdutt Padikkal scored an unbeaten 34 off just 13 deliveries, as RCB reached the winning target with 13 overs to spare. This is the second-fastest victory in IPL history, and also stands as one of the largest victories ever recorded in terms of balls remaining.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-38-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-723-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-672-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 102-dollars-8-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….