News 16:00

BULLETIN 6 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Solidarity unveils a five-point plan to tackle the US trade tariff fallout
# Putin meets Trump’s envoy as the deadline for ceasefire in Ukraine looms
# And athletics: The US tightens visa rules for transgender athletes in the name of fairness

# Trade union Solidarity has announced a five-point plan to deal with the impact of the 30-percent US import tariff on South African goods. The plan includes talks with the administrations of presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump, support for affected workers, protection of affected industries and efforts to rebuild SA-US trade ties. The union’s Jaco Kleynhans warns the import tariff will lead to job losses and business closures, especially in the automotive and agricultural sectors.

Meanwhile, Merlog Foods is urging the Border Management Authority to adopt online verification for veterinary health certificates to ease poultry import delays. Manager Georg Southey says outdated paper checks cause week-long hold-ups, inflating protein prices and threatening food security. Despite both the authority and Agriculture Department having access to Brazil’s secure online system, physical documents remain mandatory. Southey says digital checks would speed up inspections and secure affordable protein supply chains:

# The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says it has registered its strong objection regarding circumstances around the recent visit of former president and leader of the MK Party, Jacob Zuma, to Morocco. The ministry’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, says Zuma held a meeting in Rabat with minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, last month. He says the department strongly protests the use of South Africa’s national symbols:

# Russian president Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today, two days ahead of a deadline imposed by US president Trump on Moscow to halt its Ukrainian offensive or face fresh sanctions. Trump has given Russia until Friday to make progress towards peace or face new penalties. Three rounds of Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a ceasefire. Russia has escalated drone and missile attacks against its pro-Western neighbour to a record high and accelerated its advance on the ground.

# Athletics: The US has introduced stricter visa regulations barring entry to transgender female athletes, citing fairness in women’s sports. The executive order has drawn criticism from human rights groups, calling it discriminatory. Supporters argue the move protects the integrity of women’s competitions. The new policy marks a significant shift in US immigration and sports law, sparking global debate on inclusion, fairness, and gender identity in international athletics.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-81-cents and the euro at 20-rand-67-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-71-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-116-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-361-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-1-cent a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….