News 11:00

BULLETIN 4 April 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A US Congressman wants South Africa to be held accountable
# The DA says the proposed security laws will make schools and hospitals more vulnerable
# And the Israeli military defends the bombing of a shelter in Gaza

# Republican congressman, Ronny Jackson, has reintroduced the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Act, which would mandate a full review of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. He says South Africa has brazenly abandoned its relationship with the US to align with China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist organisations, a betrayal that demands serious consequences. Jackson says the review will help advance president Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda. He adds that the era of governments undermining American interests without repercussions ends now.

# Union federation Saftu has condemned the new US tariffs imposed by president Donald Trump, including a 30-percent tariff on South African exports. They warn this move threatens jobs in key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, and mining, potentially reducing economic growth. The federation’s Newton Masuku urges the government to strengthen economic ties with BRICS nations and reduce reliance on US trade, and invest in local industries to protect workers:

# The DA urges the government to withdraw proposed amendments to the Private Security Industry Regulations Act. The party warns the changes will severely restrict armed security officers, making it harder for them to operate in public spaces like malls, schools, and hospitals, leaving them more vulnerable. The DA’s Ian Cameron called on the public to submit objections before the 25 April deadline:

# The Israeli military has defended the bombing of a school turned shelter in Gaza on Thursday, saying it was used by Hamas to plan attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. The air strike killed 27 Palestinians including children, while over 100 were wounded. The military says it had taken precautions to avoid civilian casualties. Israel renewed its aerial bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza last month after the first phase of a ceasefire deal agreed with Hamas in January came to an end.

# Soccer: FIFA president Gianni Infantino says the United States and the United Kingdom are poised to be named as hosts of the Women’s World Cup in 2031 and 2035, respectively. The US put forward the only bid for the 2031 edition, while the joint bid from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was the only valid bid of interest for the 2035 tournament after Monday’s deadline. Infantino says they intend to expand the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams from 2031:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-93-cents and the euro at 20-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-281-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-100-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-65-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….