WELLINGTON – Die Sanlam-Boland Kavaliers het hul terugkeer na die Curriebeker se Premierafdeling die afgelope Sondag (28 Julie) op die mees opwindende wyse gevier – met ’n 37-35-oorwinning teen die Toyota Cheetahs in Wellington. Dit is hul eerste verskyning op beker-vlak sedert 2016 en hul prestasie is veel meer as net ’n sportoorwinning – dis ’n gemeenskapsoomblik van trots en vasberadenheid.

Met die skare op hul voete by Boland-stadion in Wellington het Boland sy stempel vinnig afgedruk. James Tedder het twee vroeë strafdoele oorgeklits en Ashlon Davids het die eerste drie van die wedstryd aangeteken. Selfs toe die Cheetahs teenstand bied en kort voor rustyd die voortou neem, het Boland se veggees die weg gebaan vir David Brits en Davids se tweede drie, wat die Kavaliers teen rustyd 27-14 laat voorloop het.

Die tweede helfte was ‘n intense stryd tussen die twee spanne, met die Cheetahs wat die aanvoerwerk gedoen het. Die Cheetahs het met hul reserwekrag druk op die Kavas voorlangs geplaas, en ná drieë deur Carel-Jan Coetzee, Gideon Van der Merwe en Vernon Paulo, het die Kavaliers ’n 35-27-voorsprong gehad – met slegs vyf minute op die stophorlosie oor.

Die Kavas het geweier om te gaan lê en het aanhou vorentoe speel totdat Marcqiewn Titus die vonk van hoop in die 79ste minuut laat ontvlam met ’n pragtige afronding in die regterkantse hoek.

Ongelukkig was die doelskop mis, met net een minuut gewone speeltyd oor. Toe die Cheetahs inskop, het hulle nie geweet dat Boland hulle tot diep in beseringstyd gaan uittart nie. Juan Mostert het ’n presiese kruis-skoppie na Xavier Mitchell uitgevoer, wat Donovan Don aan die buitekant gevind het. Don het in die hoek oorgeduik vir die wendrie, en die Boland-stadion het met vreugde ontplof.

Die Kavaliers het nie net die wenpunte behaal nie, maar met hierdie oorwinning het hulle hul tande gewys en gewys hulle gaan hul als in vanjaar se Curriebeker-reeks gee.

Puntemkers – Sanlam- Boland Kavaliers 37 (27): Drieë: Ashlon Davids (2), David Brits, Marcqiewn Titus en Donovan Don. Doelskoppe: James Tedder (3). Strafdoele: Tedder (2).

Toyota Cheetahs 35 (14): Drieë: Marko Janse van Rensburg, Rewan Kruger, Carel-Jan Coetzee, Gideon van der Merwe en Vernon Paulo. Doelskoppe: Cohen Jasper (2), Ntokozo Makhaza (3)

The post Die Boland Kavaliers bult hul spiere met Curriebeker-sege teen die Cheetahs appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

JOHANNESBURG – On a quiet November evening in 2022, DJ Sumbody – a rising star in South Africa’s music scene – was gunned down in a hail of bullets while heading home.

Then in April 2024, engineer Armand Swart was executed in a similar shooting after his company flagged a suspicious government tender in which prices had been inflated by over 4 500 percent.

But dramatic arrests this week are tying those murders and many more together, exposing a murky underworld where criminals consort with political bigwigs for lucrative state tenders.

The arrests came after explosive allegations by a senior police chief who accused the force and South Africa’s police minister of a cover-up.

Deep-rooted procurement corruption has seeped through every level of government for decades, security researcher David Bruce told AFP.

“The whole issue of killings of whistleblowers and assassinations generally is massively interlinked with that issue,” said Bruce, a consultant with the Institute for Security Studies.

Among those arrested this week are a former Johannesburg police officer at the time of DJ Sumbody’s murder, as well as the prime suspect, a businessman named Katiso Molefe.

British media have reported that a South African man of Molefe’s same name and age was sentenced to four years in prison in the United Kingdom in 2003 for drug trafficking.

Two other men, already in custody for the 2023 attempted murder of former reality TV star turned influencer Tebogo Thobejane, are also believed to have played a role.

It doesn’t end there.

During the raid on Monday, police found prominent Johannesburg politician, Kenny Kunene, at Molefe’s home.

Kunene, former Deputy President of the Patriotic Alliance and Johannesburg city council member, has since been suspended by his party leader, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, though police have not formally implicated him.

Kunene denied any wrongdoing, saying he was merely trying to assist a journalist seeking to interview Molefe.

Tenderpreneurs

At the centre of the widening web is businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, described locally as a “tenderpreneur”, a term referring to individuals who have made fortunes through government contracts.

Also the head of a private security firm, Matlala was arrested in May in connection with the 2023 attempt on his ex-partner Thobejane’s life.

Thobejane, famous for her role in the long-running local soap opera Muvhango, earlier this month denied having “snitched” on Matlala.

“I am a victim,” she told local newspaper News24.

In 2024, Matlala secured a multi-million rand contract with the national police – now cancelled – despite being implicated in a billion rand public hospital embezzlement scandal.

The Tembisa hospital case cost whistleblower Babita Deokaran her life in 2021, when she was shot nine times outside her home. No arrests have been made in Deokaran’s killing, reflecting the impunity that reigns with only 11 percent of murders solved, according to 2024 police statistics.

“All these three cases are linked somehow,” police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said, referring to DJ Sumbody, Swart and Thobejane.

Four weapons, including the AK-47 rifle used to kill DJ Sumbody, have been linked through ballistics to at least 10 high-profile cases, she added.

Police minister accused

The implications run deep. KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi last month accused colleagues and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of burying investigations targeting Matlala.

In a bombshell televised press conference, flanked by armed security forces, Mkhwanazi alleged Mchunu had received payments from a corruption suspect and accused prosecutors of delaying justice.

“We do hope that pretty soon we might find some changes with good dedicated prosecutors and we might see arrests happening,” he said, adding that cases of murdered artists would finally “come to the fore”.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has since suspended Mchunu and announced a judicial inquiry into the allegations. But there has been no tanglible action.

South Africa faces one of the world’s highest murder rates, averaging more than 75 killings a day.

Politically motivated contract killings have surged 108 percent over the past decade, according to a 2024 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Studies show hiring a contract killer can cost as little as $145 in the country all too accustomed to violence.

“It’s easier to silence someone with a bullet than contend with an investigation,” said Chad Thomas, head of private investigation company IRS Forensic.

The post DJ Sumbody’s murder exposes nexus between crime and power appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

Budapest police have summoned Mayor Gergely Karacsony for questioning as a suspect in a criminal investigation after he helped organise the city’s 30th Pride parade in defiance of an official government ban. The Mayor’s office confirmed on Thursday that Karacsony will be questioned next week in a case that highlights growing tensions over LGBTQ rights in Hungary.

The June Pride celebration drew what organisers called a record-breaking crowd of more than 200 000 participants, despite Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling coalition having passed legislation specifically designed to prohibit the annual event. Budapest city hall’s decision to co-organise the parade was a strategic move to circumvent these new regulations.

“The mayor was summoned as a suspect by the investigating authority and will be questioned next week,” the mayor’s office told AFP. If formally charged and convicted, Karacsony could face up to a year in prison.

Mayor responds with defiance

Taking to Facebook after the summons, Karacsony remained defiant: “I became a suspect, and if that is the price we have to pay in this country for standing up for our own freedom and that of others, then I am proud of it.”

The environmentalist mayor’s stance represents a direct challenge to Orban’s government, which has implemented increasingly restrictive policies regarding LGBTQ rights over recent years, framing them as measures for “child protection.”

Prime Minister Orban had previously condemned the 30th Budapest Pride march as a “disgrace.” His government accused the opposition of staging the event “at Brussels’ command” and attempting to “force woke culture” onto Hungary.

In February, Orban declared his intention to ban this year’s celebration, which was followed by his ruling coalition codifying provisions into law and the constitution specifically designed to prohibit the parade.

Participants spared prosecution

While the mayor faces potential legal consequences, police announced earlier in July that they would not take action against parade participants, who could have faced fines up to 500 euros (approximately R11 400) for attending Pride.

The investigation against the mayor marks a significant moment in Hungary’s ongoing cultural and political conflicts over LGBTQ rights, with government authorities apparently willing to pursue criminal charges against elected officials who challenge the country’s increasingly restrictive policies.

The post Budapest police to question city’s Mayor for organising Pride march appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – A passenger aircraft carrying 49 people crashed in Russia’s remote Amur region on Thursday, with rescue teams reporting no immediate signs of survivors after locating the burning wreckage on a forested mountainside.

The twin-propeller Antonov-24, operated by regional carrier Angara Airlines, disappeared from radar at approximately 13:00 local time while en-route from Blagoveshchensk to the town of Tynda in Russia’s far eastern region.

A rescue helicopter later spotted the aircraft’s burning fuselage on a forested mountain slope approximately 16 km from Tynda airport. Video footage released by Russian investigators showed thick columns of smoke billowing from the wreckage amid dense forest terrain.

“Rescuers in the helicopter saw no evidence of survivors,” local emergency services reported, as the Amur region’s civil defense agency mobilized ground teams to reach the crash site.

The challenging forest terrain has complicated rescue efforts, forcing teams to conduct primary search operations from the air, according to a rescuer speaking to state news agency TASS.

“At the moment, 25 people and five units of equipment have been dispatched, and four aircraft with crews are on standby,” the civil defense agency stated.

WATCH:

The aircraft was carrying 43 passengers and six crew members, according to Amur region governor Vassily Orlov. Among the passengers were five children. However, state news agency TASS reported slightly different figures, citing emergency services as saying 40 passengers and six crew were aboard.

Russia’s Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor’s Office revealed that the plane crashed while attempting a second approach to Tynda airport.

“While approaching Tynda Airport, the aircraft went around for a second landing, after which contact was lost,” the prosecutor’s office stated. “The circumstances are being investigated.”

Officials have not yet commented on the potential cause of the crash.

The Antonov-24 involved in the crash was manufactured nearly 50 years ago, according to TASS, though its airworthiness certificate was reportedly extended until 2036 in 2021.

The Antonov-24 is a Soviet-designed twin-propeller aircraft that first entered service in 1959 and remains popular in Russia’s aviation sector.

While Russia has made efforts to modernise its fleet with contemporary jets in recent years, aging light aircraft continue to serve remote regions where accidents occur frequently. The challenging geography and weather conditions in Russia’s far eastern territories often test the limits of older aircraft and aviation infrastructure.

Angara Airlines, a small regional carrier based in Irkutsk, has not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident.

The investigation into the crash circumstances continues as rescue teams work to reach the remote crash site.

The post Passenger plane carrying 49 people crashes in remote Russian forest appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

People who walk 7 000 steps a day have a dramatically lower risk of a broad range of serious health problems, the largest review of the evidence yet said Thursday.

The most widely promoted target for people tracking their number of steps is 10 000 – but that figure reportedly originally came from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer.

To find a more scientific target, an international team of researchers sifted through 57 previous studies that covered 160 000 people.

The results published in the Lancet Public Health journal found that walking 7 000 steps a day nearly halved people’s risk of early death from all causes, compared to 2 000 steps.

The study also looked into health problems not previously covered by research into step counts.

Walking 7 000 steps a day was linked to people’s risk of dementia falling by 38 percent, depression dropping 22 percent and diabetes decreasing 14 percent.

It was also associated with lower rates of cancer and falls, though the researchers warned this was based on less evidence.

“You don’t need to hit 10 000 steps a day to get major health benefits,” Paddy Dempsey, a study co-author and medical researcher at Cambridge University, said.

“The biggest gains happen before 7 000 steps, and then benefits tend to level off,” he said.

While people’s speeds vary widely, 7 000 steps adds up to roughly an hour of walking throughout the day.

Dempsey emphasised that people already managing 10 000 or more steps should keep it up.

But he had a message for people who might find 7 000 steps daunting: “don’t be discouraged”.

“If you’re only getting 2 000–3 000 steps a day, aim to add an extra 1 000 steps. That’s just 10–15 minutes of light walking spread across the day,” he said.

Andrew Scott, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, said that “it demonstrates that overall more is always better”.

“People should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days where activity is limited,” he added.

The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity a week. Nearly a third of people worldwide do not reach this target, according to the WHO.

The post Research: Walking 7 000 steps a day a huge boost to health appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

LONDON – Tributes poured in Wednesday for hell-raiser singer Ozzy Osbourne as tearful fans laid flowers in his hometown and his Black Sabbath bandmates mourned the death of their legendary heavy metal frontman, just weeks after he played an epic farewell concert in their Birmingham hometown.

Osbourne, nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness” who famously once bit off the head of a bat while on stage, died on Tuesday at the age of 76, his family said.

The star, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, passed away just over a fortnight after playing a final gig before a sold-out crowd in his home city of Birmingham, England.

Fans in the central city laid floral tributes in memory of the singer at a mural honouring the band.

“There are no words, truly. Thank you for everything, for all the music,” read one.

“Even recently at your last gig you brought us so much happiness, it’s unreal,” added another.

Original bandmates led the tributes on social media, with guitarist Tony Iommi saying, “there won’t be another like him”, and bassist Geezer Butler adding “so glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”

Drummer Bill Ward said Osbourne would forever be in his heart and signed off his post with “Never goodbye. Thank you forever”.

Band co-founder Iommi said Osbourne’s death so soon after the well-received musical reunion – their first in 20 years – had been a “terrible shock”.

The concert had been “brilliant for Ozzy because he really wanted to do that, you know, he felt at home there (in Birmingham) and it was really good for him”, he told BBC radio.

“It was good for all of us…  we didn’t realise it was going to be this final,” he added.

So much more than metal

US rocker Alice Cooper hailed Osbourne on Instagram as “an unmatched showman and cultural icon”.

Music icon Elton John praised him as “a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods – a true legend”.

“He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. I will miss him dearly,” John wrote on Instagram.

Rock musician Rick Wakeman, best known as a member of the band Yes, said Osbourne was “a lot cleverer musically than people ever gave him credit for”.

“There was so much more to him musically than just being the front man in a heavy metal band,” he said.

Osbourne was instrumental in pioneering heavy metal – an offshoot of hard rock – as Black Sabbath enjoyed huge commercial success in the 1970s and 80s after forming in Birmingham in 1968.

Black Sabbath’s eponymous 1970 debut album made the UK top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit records, including their most famous song “Paranoid”.

Black Sabbath went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Osbourne was added for a second time last year as a solo artist.

WATCH – Video may offend sensitive viewers

Rabies shots

Osbourn gained huge notoriety along the way for his outlandish stunts, many of them fuelled by his  lifestyle involving the lavish use of drugs and alcohol.

His live performances at the height of his hedonism have gone down in rock folklore, particularly a 1982 gig in Des Moines, Iowa, when he bit the head off a bat on stage.

Osbourne said he thought a fan had thrown a fake rubber bat onstage, and it was not until he took a bite that he realised it was real.

“I can assure you the rabies shots I went through afterwards aren’t fun,” he told US TV host David Letterman in 1982.

Osbourne is also rumoured to have snorted a line of ants up his nose and once urinated on a cenotaph commemorating war dead.

His public persona took a new turn with the reality television series “The Osbournes” in the 2000s, which followed the ups and downs of his family life alongside wife Sharon, whom he married in 1982, and their three children.

Osbourne suffered a fall at home in 2019, which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. He paused touring in 2023 after extensive spinal surgery.

Osbourne brought the curtain down on a wild career on 5 July, when Black Sabbath rattled through their most iconic songs in front of 40 000 adoring fans at Villa Park, home of Premier League football club Aston Villa.

Osbourne – stylish to the very end – held court from a giant leather throne, topped with a bat.

The post Tributes flood in for Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

LOS ANGELES – US actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played the son in the smash-hit sitcom “The Cosby Show,” has drowned in Costa Rica, authorities in the country said on Monday. He was 54.

Warner played the loveable Theo Huxtable for all eight seasons of the show, helmed by disgraced comic actor Bill Cosby.

“We received a report of an adult male who died of drowning asphyxiation at Cocles Beach in Cahuita” on Sunday afternoon, said a statement from investigating police.

“When the victim entered the sea he was apparently pulled out by a current. The man was assisted by bystanders on the beach, but was pronounced dead by Red Cross lifeguards.”

Local authorities identified him as the actor, and said his body had been transferred to a morgue for further analysis.

Warner, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work on “The Cosby Show,” also appeared in sitcoms “Malcolm & Eddie” and “Reed Between the Lines.”

“The Cosby Show,” which ran from 1984 to 1992, was one of the biggest TV hits of its time, detailing the lives of a middle-class Black family in New York.

The show was inspired by the stand-up routines of Bill Cosby, who played the family’s patriarch, a successful doctor.

The show was a commercial and critical hit, and was seen as groundbreaking for its depiction of a loving, happy Black family.

But its legacy has been overshadowed in recent years by dozens of complaints of sexual assault against Cosby, a man once known as “America’s Dad.”

The post Cosby Show actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies in drowning in Costa Rica appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

As global trade tensions escalate, particularly with the looming imposition of a 30% tariff on South African exports to the United States, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) finds its monetary policy options constrained. While inflation figures may appear benign – remaining within or below target levels – economic realities suggest that increasing interest rates in response to rising inflation could be both ineffective and damaging.

In recent months, South Africa has experienced a modest trade surplus with the US, totalling R37 billion, thanks largely to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Nonetheless, the country endures a significant R253 billion deficit within the broader BRICS trade sphere. The proposed US tariffs threaten to create a cascade of economic adversities, especially given South Africa’s dependence on exports, notably in manufacturing sectors such as automotive, which employs over 100,000 workers nationwide.

Trade disruptions and economic growth risks

The US’s threat to impose a 30% tariff on South African goods initially announced amidst ongoing trade tensions between the US and China poses a clear risk to economic stability. As detailed in recent trade briefs, the automotive sector has already suffered an 82% decline in exports to the US in the first half of 2025 due to existing tariffs. A further escalation, especially with a potential additional 10% tariff targeting BRICS countries opposing US policies, could plunge this vital industry into deeper crisis, leading to factory closures and significant job losses.

South Africa’s prominent export markets, such as automotive and mineral commodities, are particularly vulnerable. With these sectors already under stress, additional tariffs threaten to hinder economic growth, exacerbate unemployment, and diminish investor confidence. The decline in export volumes, particularly in premium vehicle exports, hampers job creation and economic dynamism crucial factors for a nation grappling with historically high unemployment rates exceeding 30%.

The limitations of the SARB’s policy tools

In this context, the SARB faces a constrained path. Conventional wisdom suggests that raising interest rates can curb inflation, yet in the current environment, where inflation remains subdued but economic growth is threatened, tightening monetary policy may exact an economic toll without addressing the underlying trade issues. As SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago has noted, inflation is expected to stay within the target range, but global trade war uncertainties loom large.

Increasing interest rates in such a fragile environment risk stifling growth further, especially as global economic slowdown cues stemming from China’s potential slowdown and trade tensions compound the problem. Given that South Africa’s economy is highly reliant on exports and sensitive to external shocks, the restrictive monetary stance could deepen recessionary pressures without equipping the economy to withstand the imminent trade disruptions.

Trade tensions and socioeconomic impact

The potential for escalating tariffs and retaliatory measures primarily threaten to slow South Africa’s economic recovery. A decline in exports, especially in key sectors like mining and manufacturing, risks reducing employment and income levels, thereby amplifying the already severe unemployment crisis.
The socio-economic repercussions are profound. Job losses in manufacturing sectors, declining foreign direct investment, and suppressed growth could perpetuate inequality and social instability. The government’s fiscal space remains limited, and an over-reliance on monetary policy to counteract trade barriers is neither prudent nor effective.

A conservative position on policy response

From a conservative perspective, the focus should plausibly remain on defending economic stability through fiscal prudence and resistance to over-tightening monetary policy in reaction to inflation. South Africa’s policymakers should prioritise diplomatic engagement and trade negotiations over transient interest rate hikes, which may do more harm than good in an already strained economy.
In conclusion, while efforts to curb inflation are vital, the scope for interest rate hikes in response to global trade tensions and tariffs is limited. Such measures risk further slowing economic growth, increasing unemployment, and undermining investor confidence.

A prudent approach would involve safeguarding industry competitiveness and fostering diplomatic solutions, recognising that the health of South Africa’s economy hinges on resilient trade relations and sound fiscal management rather than aggressive rate hikes amid uncertain international conditions.

• Frederick Mitchell is a Chief Economist at Aluma Capital.

The post South Africa’s interest rate dilemma amidst global trade winds appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

LONDON – Snoop Dogg has become co-owner of Championship football club Swansea City, in an unlikely alliance between the world of rap and football, the Welsh club announced.

The 53-year-old American star joins former Real Madrid stalwart and Croatia World Cup finalist Luka Modric in the club’s ownership structure.

Snoop Dogg made a surprise appearance on the club’s social media channels last week modelling their new home jersey for the 2025-26 season and the club announced on Thursday that he has become an investor.

His involvement comes after American businessmen Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen took over the club last November.

Swansea will hope that Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, can use his 100 million-plus social media followers to boost the club’s profile as they seek to return to the Premier League for the first time since they were relegated in 2018.

Swansea’s owners have said they want to generate greater revenue, which would allow them to invest more in new players under the profit and sustainability rules in British football.

The 53-year-old rapper said on the club’s website: “My love of football is well known, but it feels special to me that I make my move into club ownership with Swansea City.

“The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working class city and club. An underdog that bites back, just like me.

“I’m proud to be part of Swansea City.”

Swansea announced in April that Modric, who this week joined AC Milan at the age of 39 after leaving Real Madrid, had acquired a stake in the club.

“To borrow a phrase from Snoop’s back catalogue, this announcement is the next episode for Swansea City as we seek to create new opportunities to boost the club’s reach and profile,” Swansea’s owners said in a statement.

“Snoop’s colossal global fanbase and audience will certainly help us do that, and he has made clear to us throughout this process just how excited he is at the prospect of joining the club.

“Snoop has openly shared his love of football and his desire to be involved in the game and we expect his involvement to support us putting as competitive a team as possible out on the field.”

Swansea’s Welsh rivals Wrexham have achieved a meteoric rise to the Championship – the second-tier of English football – since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the club in 2020.

The post American rap icon Snoop Dogg invests in Welsh football club appeared first on Weskus Nuus.

The US Congress has approved President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to slash $9 billion in federal funding, targeting foreign aid programs and public broadcasting in a dramatic late-night vote that signals broader budget battles ahead.

House Republicans secured a narrow 216-213 victory just after midnight Friday, fulfilling Trump’s campaign pledge to reduce government spending despite Democratic warnings that the cuts could jeopardize future budget negotiations and lead to a potential government shutdown later this year.

The legislation, which now heads to the White House for Trump’s signature, represents the most significant federal spending reduction since his return to office, though it achieves only a fraction of the $1 trillion in annual savings initially promised by the now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency initiative.

Major cuts target international aid and public media

The approved budget cuts primarily impact programs supporting countries facing health crises, armed conflicts, and natural disasters. However, the legislation also eliminates $1.1 billion in funding previously allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over the next two years.

This reduction affects more than 1 500 local public radio and television stations nationwide, along with national broadcasters NPR and PBS. Conservative lawmakers have long argued that public broadcasting funding is unnecessary and promotes biased coverage, making it a prime target for elimination.

Originally, the bill included $400 million in cuts to a global AIDS program credited with saving 26 million lives worldwide. However, this funding was preserved following opposition from moderate Republicans who broke ranks with party leadership.

Political reactions highlight deep partisan divide

Trump celebrated the victory on Truth Social, declaring: “REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED… BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!” House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed the president’s enthusiasm, stating that Republicans had delivered on their promise of “fiscal responsibility and government efficiency.”

Democratic leaders responded with sharp criticism, framing the cuts as a betrayal of bipartisan budget processes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, joined by fellow Democratic leadership, accused Republicans of “rubber stamping Donald Trump’s extreme, reckless rescissions legislation” instead of protecting American welfare.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the vote “a dark day for any American who relies on public broadcasting during floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters,” highlighting the potential impact on emergency communications during natural disasters.

Budget battle sets stage for September showdown

The successful vote represents more than immediate spending cuts – it establishes a precedent for future “rescissions packages” that could cancel previously approved government expenditures. White House budget director Russell Vought has already indicated that additional spending reduction proposals are likely forthcoming.

Democrats now face a strategic dilemma as they threaten to withdraw cooperation on future budget negotiations. Since Republicans need Democratic support to maintain government funding beyond September, this political standoff could precipitate a government shutdown if both parties cannot reach compromise.

The budget dynamics remain complex, as Republicans recently passed domestic policy legislation expected to add more than $3 trillion to the national debt, creating apparent contradictions in their fiscal responsibility messaging.

With Republicans controlling only 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, they require at least seven Democratic votes to pass future budget measures, giving the minority party significant leverage in upcoming negotiations. The success of these initial cuts may depend heavily on whether Democrats follow through on their threats to abandon bipartisan cooperation in response to what they view as unilateral Republican budget actions.

The post Congress passes Trump’s $9 billion foreign aid and public broadcasting cuts in late-night vote appeared first on Weskus Nuus.