BN Daybreak - Mon 9 March: Oil Surges past $100; ANC under fire as US targets allies; SA factory chaos

Crude oil prices have jumped above $100 as the US and Israel intensify military operations in Iran, effectively halting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. While President Trump touts military successes, he faces a growing "philosophical break" with a MAGA base wary of new "forever wars". Oracle and OpenAI have scrapped plans for a flagship AI data center expansion in Texas as financing negotiations stalled. Tensions rise as Colonel Chris Wyatt argues President Trump’s "3D chess" is isolating the ANC by removing its international allies. Meanwhile, back home, MP Juliet Basson details a "hostile" oversight visit to Normandien Farms that saw a factory shuttered over a dust mask dispute.