News 11:00

BULLETIN 9 February 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mixed Martial Arts: Dricus delivers a masterclass defending his UFC title
# The EFF urges revoking the citizenship of South Africans seeking US refugee status under Trump’s executive order
# And DIRCO is to engage with America to clarify misinformation on the land policy

# We start with mixed martial arts news: Dricus du Plessis delivered a masterclass when he beat Sean Strickland after five clinical rounds in Sydney this morning to retain his UFC middleweight title. The South African walked out to Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika in what turned out to be a one-sided affair from start to finish. He broke the American’s nose in the fourth round and left him a bloody mess the rest of the fight. The champion has now won nine straight fights in the middleweight division.

# In other news the EFF has called for the revoking of the citizenship for South Africans seeking US refugee status under American president Donald Trump’s executive order. It has criticised the halting aid while offering refugee resettlement for Afrikaners. EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo called the move irrational, citing Trump’s recent freeze on refugee admissions. He claims the order is retribution for South Africa’s stance against Israel:

In another development, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation says it plans to engage with the US government to clarify the misinformation regarding the Expropriation Act. DIRCO says Trump’s executive order is dismissive of South Africa’s colonial and apartheid history. DIRCO director-general, Zane Dangor, reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to diplomacy:

Meanwhile, the Congress of the People has condemned Trump’s divisive executive order, calling it racist and irrational. COPE urges the South African government to remain steadfast in pursuing sovereignty and international law. COPE acting national chairperson, Pake Dikgetsi, has emphasised national resilience, rejecting fear and chaos, and support of president Cyril Ramaphosa’s stance against bullying:

# And finally, a couple have been reunited with their dog who was stolen from their garden more than seven years ago. Rita and Philip Potter said it was a “dream come true” to see their Labrador Daisy after the RSPCA traced her back to them via her microchip. The 13-year-old Daisy seems to have been used for backyard breeding and suffers from a number of health issues. However, the Potters say they will make sure that she is surrounded by lots of love and attention for the rest of her life.

Stay tuned for more news………….