News 14:00

BULLETIN 20 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The SA Zionist Federation says Hamas’ rejection of a ceasefire reveals its true terrorist agenda
# An emotional Biden passes the torch to Kamala Harris
# And the World Cricketers’ Association plans to review the unsustainable structure of the sport

# The South African Zionist Federation condemns Hamas’ ceasefire rejection, stating it exposes the group’s true nature as a supporter of terror and violence against Jews, with no interest in peace. They warn Hamas’ demand for the Israeli Defence Force’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor would allow the group to rearm, posing a greater threat to Israel. The federation’s Rolene Marks also criticises the government’s continued support for Hamas, despite the group’s ongoing attacks on civilians: 

# The India-South Africa Chamber of Commerce aims to boost bilateral trade from 338-billion-rand to 445-billion-rand. Founder member Atul Padalkar highlights that India is South Africa’s fourth-largest trade partner, exporting large quantities of goods annually. The new chamber seeks to enhance trade by raising awareness and addressing barriers. Padalkar says direct flights and stronger business ties are crucial for growth:

# Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation minister Maropene Ramokgopa, is exploring migration as a development driver in her keynote address at the migration conference in Sandton, Johannesburg. The four-day conference, in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration and United Nations Development Programme, gathers officials from the Southern African Development Community. The conference will explore migration as a development driver, focusing on collaboration and addressing migration impacts on vulnerable groups.

# An emotional US president Joe Biden passed the torch to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, saying he gave everything for his country in a farewell speech at the party’s convention in Chicago. Harris joined him on stage and the pair embraced, as the crowd gave Biden a rapturous reception following his stunning decision less than a month ago to drop out of the White House race. In a remarkable turnaround, Harris has re-energized the party and wiped out Republican rival Trump’s lead in the polls.

# Cricket: The World Cricketers’ Association has launched a review of the sport’s global structure. A six-member committee, led by former Australian Cricketers’ Association chief Paul Marsh, will conduct the review. WCA says the committee will look at three fundamental issues affecting the game globally. These are the scheduling model, the growing disparity between countries in terms of how the game is funded, and examining player employment and contracts. The association says the current structure and schedule are broken and unsustainable.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-78-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-12-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-822-dollars-7-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-522-dollars-36-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-77-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….