News 13:00

BULLETIN 27 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Oxtail prices double as Argentinian imports remain restricted
# Parliament calls for urgent intervention as the SASSA card deadline looms
# And tennis: Zverev and Sabalenka are the top seeds in the US Open

# The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters says South African consumers are paying higher prices for oxtail as restrictions on imports from Argentina continue to squeeze supply. Oxtail prices have risen from between 79- and 99-rand a kilogram earlier this year to up to 199-rand. The association says South Africa relies heavily on Argentinian imports, and has asked the Department of Agriculture to explain the scientific basis for the revised import requirements and reconsider them urgently.

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, David Maynier, has welcomed the arrest of two men at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng for alleged wildlife trafficking. A 50-year-old Thai national was found with 50 bird eggs concealed in a homemade incubator bag. A 23-year-old compatriot allegedly attempted to smuggle 418 parrot eggs concealed in two homemade incubator bags. Maynier says this highlights the growing sophistication of transnational wildlife trafficking networks:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Social Development asks the Postbank and social security agency SASSA for a clear account of the state of readiness ahead of Monday’s card deadline. The migration from SASSA’s gold cards to the Postbank’s black cards is being driven by security concerns. Chairperson Bridget Masango says she has previously raised concerns about the rollout of the black cards:

Moving abroad:

# Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, will meet with Iranian officials in Tehran today to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions and create conditions conducive to dialogue. Qatar has been an important mediator in the US-Iranian conflict. It’s Foreign Ministry says talks will cover regional security, freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the need for it to return to the status quo before the end of February. One-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through the straight before the conflict.

# Tennis: Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus are the top seeds in the US Open singles competitions, which start at Flushing Meadows in New York on Sunday. Zverev is seeded first in the men’s draw in the absence of injured world number one, Jannik Sinner of Italy. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain is seeded second, followed by Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and four-time champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina is the second-seeded woman, followed by Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-97-cents and the euro at 18-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-72-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-899-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-595-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….