News 11:00

BULLETIN 19 May 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Steenhuisen says he will focus on trade relations during the meeting with Trump
# The NPA will proceed with its appeal against Omotoso’s acquittal despite his departure from South Africa
# And Israeli prime minister Netanyahu says he will end the war if Hamas surrenders

# DA leader John Steenhuisen says the highest issues on his priority list will be securing trade relations between the US and South Africa, particularly in agriculture. Steenhuisen, in his capacity as minister of Agriculture, is part of the delegation accompanying president Cyril Ramaphosa to the US this week to engage with president Donald Trump and senior officials. He says preferential trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act contribute significantly to South Africa’s economy, and losing these benefits would be disastrous.

# The National Prosecuting Authority says it will proceed with its appeal against the acquittal of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso despite him leaving South Africa. The controversial pastor, who was acquitted on 32 serious charges, has been declared an undesirable person and banned from re-entering the country for five years. The NPA says if the appeal succeeds, they will apply for Omotoso’s extradition. It adds they will utilise all existing bilateral, regional and international cooperation treaties and mechanisms to ensure he is extradited to South Africa. 

# Employment and Labour minister, Nomakhosazana Meth, has announced the implementation of a signed agreement between the South African Post Office and the Unemployment Insurance Fund. The agreement is aimed at preserving nearly six-thousand jobs and supporting the revitalisation of the state-owned entity. The ministry’s spokesperson, Thobeka Magcai, says through the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme, the UIF will inject over 381-million-rand into the Post Office over six months:

# Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is open to striking a deal with Hamas, despite the Israeli Defence Force launching an extensive ground operation in Gaza at the weekend, killing over 100 people. Hamas and Israel began indirect talks in the Qatari capital of Doha on Saturday. Netanyahu says the negotiation team is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal, which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists, and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip.

# Cricket: England Test captain Ben Stokes says he gave up alcohol in a bid to aid his latest recovery from hamstring surgery. He is set to make his comeback in England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe, starting at Trent Bridge on Thursday, after being sidelined since December after tearing his left hamstring in New Zealand. Stokes told the Untapped podcast it is unlikely he will give up alcohol entirely, but he has learned to manage his behaviour with it:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-5-cents and the euro at 20-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 102-thousand-464-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-227-dollars-64-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-36-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….