Iranians “willing to suffer to have their freedom”, Trump says
In his fifth deadline since 21 March, US President Donald Trump warned in an expletive-laden post on Sunday that “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day”, later giving the specific deadline as “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” He has said he wants a deal that’s “acceptable”, including “free traffic of oil”. Failure would mean “[t]hey’re going to have no bridges [and] no power plants”. Trump said: “The entire country can be taken out in one night – and that night might be tomorrow [Tuesday] night.” Trump also expressed optimism that “reasonable” leaders in Iran were negotiating in “good faith”, even if the outcome remained uncertain, and, on the question of targeting civilian infrastructure, that Iranians would be “willing to suffer to have their freedom”. The United States Central Command (Centcom) says it has struck more than 13,000 targets since the war began on 28 February, including Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, air defence systems, ballistic missile sites, and Iranian navy ships and submarines.
Ramaphosa to receive credentials of US ambassador-designate Bozell
US Ambassador-designate Brent Bozell is to present his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa this week in what is being regarded as heralding a tentative easing of strained relations between the two countries. This follows months of friction between Pretoria and Washington, including the expulsion last year of South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, by President Donald Trump’s administration. Rasool had angered Washington for suggesting that Trump supporters were part of a “supremacist movement”. Tensions have been exacerbated by Trump’s repeated suggestions of a genocide against white farmers. South Africa has yet to name a successor to Rasool.
Artemis II crew sets space-travel record
The crew of Nasa’s Artemis II mission have broken the record for the furthest humans have travelled from Earth, reaching a distance of 406,771km. The previous record of 400,171km was set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970.
Reserve Bank casts doubt on scale of gambling spend
The South African Reserve bank says in its latest quarterly bulletin that increased betting has not significantly affected household spending, noting that the claim that “annual household spending on gambling exceeded R1.5-trillion in the financial year ending March 2025 … is misleading, as the R1.5-trillion refers to gambling turnover, which is often mistakenly interpreted as expenditure on gambling”. Drawing on data from Stats SA and the National Gambling Board, the bulletin says betting constitutes the largest share of gross gambling revenue (GGR), having risen from 12.4% in the 2012/13 financial year to 69.8% in 2024/35, with online betting revenue accounting for 85.5% of total betting revenue in 2024/25.
Kanye West reaches out to UK Jewish community
Rapper Kanye West has said he “would be grateful” to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK to address concerns over his headline booking at Britain’s Wireless Festival in July. He said: “My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through my music.” Ye offered to meet members of the community in person “to listen”, adding: “I know words aren’t enough – I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.” The controversial rapper has caused outrage for almost half a decade for making anti-semitic and pro-Nazi comments. He apologised in a lengthy statement in the Wall Street Journal in January, blaming his bipolar disorder for manic episodes. Ye has been striving since to return to the mainstream. He played two sold-out concerts at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium last week, with guest appearances by Travis Scott and Lauryn Hill.
Sources: Bloomberg, BBC, Business Day, News24, Reuters