Author: Malebogo Putu
Death Toll Rises to 70 as Spring Break Travelers Urged to Cancel Plans The killing of the nation’s most powerful drug lord by military forces has plunged parts of Mexico into a state of siege, leaving more than 70 people dead and trapping hundreds of American tourists in their hotels, officials confirmed Wednesday. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed that special forces operatives killed Cartel leader known as “El Mentoo” earlier this week in a raid in the northern state of Sinaloa. The operation, intended to decapitate the country’s most prolific criminal organization, has instead sparked a wave of retaliatory…
Two suspected armed robbers were fatally shot during a fierce gun battle with police in the early hours of Tuesday morning, just hours after they allegedly took part in a brazen cash in transit heist, authorities said. The confrontation occurred shortly after midnight in the Edendale area, near Pietermaritzburg, when a tactical police team moved in on a house where the suspects were believed to be hiding. The incident began on Monday afternoon when a gang of at least twelve assailants ambushed a cash delivery truck at the busy intersection of Jabu Ngcobo and Fairview roads in Verulam, a town…
Mamelodi Sundowns reignited the Betway Premiership title race with a hard fought 2-1 victory over league leaders Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night, snapping the Buccaneers’ 14 match unbeaten streak in the competition. Colombian forward Brayan León proved the difference, scoring twice in the first half to give the visitors a commanding lead before Pirates pulled one back early in the second period through a deflected effort from Patrick Maswanganyi. The result sees Sundowns close the gap at the top to just three points, keeping their pursuit of a potential ninth consecutive league title very much alive. Pirates,…
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered a mixed assessment of relations with the new Trump administration this week, describing the dialogue as “pragmatic” while expressing bewilderment at what Moscow perceives as contradictory signals involving ongoing sanctions and attempts to marginalize Russian economic interests. In a wide ranging interview with Al Arabiya, Mr. Lavrov revealed that Moscow and Washington have agreed to establish a bilateral economic working group alongside ongoing political talks in Geneva, aimed at resolving what he called a fundamental disconnect between diplomatic assurances and continued economic warfare. “US President Donald Trump said something that may seem elementary for…
Police in Embalenhle, Mpumalanga, have arrested four suspects in connection with a brazen overnight shooting and robbery at a local tavern, authorities said Tuesday. According to Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane of the South African Police Service, the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, February 16, at a tavern in Extension 22. It is alleged that the suspects arrived at the establishment as it was closing and confronted the owner, who was standing at the door. When the owner refused to hand over money, he was shot in the thigh. The assailants then forced him behind the counter and…
In a dramatic operation along the banks of the Limpopo River, South African authorities have retrieved a stolen Toyota Fortuner trapped in the water, highlighting ongoing efforts to dismantle cross border vehicle smuggling syndicates operating into neighboring countries. The vehicle, confirmed to have been stolen earlier this month in Witbank, Mpumalanga, was recovered on Tuesday during a joint operation in the Masisi policing area. It was found stranded mid river, a common route used by criminals to ferry stolen goods into Zimbabwe and other neighboring states. Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, praised the multidisciplinary team…
A 24-year-old woman is in custody following the discovery of a newborn baby boy abandoned near a drainage channel in the Free State province, police confirmed on Tuesday. The suspect, a resident of Mandela Park near Phuthaditjhaba, was arrested and has been charged with attempted murder. She is expected to make her first appearance before the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 19 February 2026. According to a statement released by Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Free State, the infant was found on Sunday afternoon by a local shepherd. “On Monday, 16 February…
With 1.2 billion young people in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) expected to reach working age by 2035, the World Bank has placed job creation at the center of its latest Global Economic Prospects report, warning that current growth rates are insufficient to meet this historic challenge. The report, released Tuesday, argues that without a significant acceleration in economic dynamism, many EMDEs will struggle to create enough productive employment, particularly as economies undergo rapid structural changes driven by technology and shifting trade patterns. This “jobs challenge” is most acute in the very regions where the youth population is growing…
The global trading system is navigating its most turbulent period since the Great Depression, with U.S. tariffs reaching their highest level in nearly a century, according to the World Bank’s new Global Economic Prospects report. While the global economy has so far shown surprising resilience, the report warns that the full weight of these trade barriers is yet to be felt. The analysis details how the average effective U.S. tariff rate surged to approximately 17 percent by late 2025. This followed a period of intense policy uncertainty, including the reinstatement of broad reciprocal tariffs and additional country and sector specific…
The post pandemic economic recovery, while remarkably strong in historical terms, has been profoundly uneven, creating a widening chasm between the fortunes of advanced economies and a significant portion of the developing world, the World Bank warned in its January 2026 report. The report’s analysis reveals that while global GDP per capita is 10 percent higher than on the eve of the pandemic, the strongest recovery from a global recession in over 60 years, this figure is skewed by the performance of wealthier nations. Nearly all advanced economies are now richer than they were in 2019, but a quarter of…