News 13:00

BULLETIN 4th May 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SANDF withdrawal from DRC marks shift to diplomacy
# Buffett to step down as Berkshire CEO after 60 years at helm
# And, Motorsport: Max Verstappen takes pole position at Miami GP

# Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, says the withdrawal of South African troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo signals a new chapter in regional peacekeeping. Addressing media today, she confirmed that forces, including those from Tanzania and Malawi, have begun exiting the mission area. She emphasised that the move aims at allowing political and diplomatic solutions to address eastern DRC’s ongoing security crisis:

# Parliament’s Communications Portfolio Committee chairperson Khusela Diko says South Africa must update outdated media laws to better monitor digital platforms like podcasts. Diko believes there’s an urgent need to establish formal institutions to address online hate speech and defamation. Diko says victims often lack affordable avenues to lodge complaints. She suggests expanding podcast regulation under the country’s broadcasting laws to offer better legal recourse for affected individuals and improve content accountability.

# Cape Town has received a credit rating upgrade from Moody’s Investors Service, reflecting the city’s strong financial management and governance. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis welcomed the news, stating that the upgrade affirms Cape Town as a premier investment destination. Moody’s highlighted the city’s efforts in infrastructure development, and is expected to lower borrowing costs and attract further investment:

# Warren Buffett is ending his career as perhaps the world’s most famous and revered investor. He announced he will step down as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, at the end of this year, and hand over the reins to Vice Chairman Greg Abel. The move caps an era for Berkshire after Buffett’s extraordinary 60 years at the helm, which made him a household name, a multi-billionaire and an American success story.  Buffett transformed Berkshire-Hathaway from a failing textile company into a 1.16 trillion-dollar conglomerate with businesses across the U.S. economy.

# Motorsport:  Red Bull’s Verstappen surged to pole position ahead of Norris and Antonelli at  the Miami Grand Prix qualifying rounds yesterday. The reigning World Champion went fastest to beat the McLaren team’s Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes despite a slight error on his final run. The big shock from the 2nd qualifying round was the exit of Lewis Hamilton, with the Ferrari driver ending the session in Practice Run 12 after being unable to improve on his lap. This put the seven-time World Champion behind Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar in P11.

# And finally, Rugby: England winger Tommy Freeman’s  hat trick helped the Northhampton Saints to beat Leinster as they reached their first Champion Cup final in 14 years. In a thrilling encounter yesterday in Dublin, Northhampton  beat Leinster by 37-34. The visitors took control of the game just before half-time with three tries in eight minutes, for a 27-15 lead at half-time. Northhampton will face either Bordeaux-Belges or Toulouse, who are meeting today in the other semi-final.

Stay tuned for more news………….