17 h. ago Mass shooting at a South African bar leaves 11 dead, including 3 children

A mass shooting carried out on Saturday by multiple suspects in an unlicensed bar near the South African capital left at least 11 people dead, police said. The victims included three children aged three, 12 and 16. Another 14 people were wounded and taken to the hospital, according to a statement from the South African Police Service. Police did not give details on the ages of those who were injured or their conditions. The shooting happened at a bar inside a hostel in the Saulsville township...

Events

3 d. ago Charity leader’s faith in humanity renewed as 294 pets rescued in Hong Kong fire

Almost 300 pets have been rescued from the deadly inferno that engulfed a Hong Kong housing estate last week, including fish, parrots and turtles, with a charity leader saying the rescue efforts have “strengthened her belief in humanity”. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said in a social media post that as of 8pm on Wednesday, 364 animals had been found since the fire, including 294 rescued alive and 70 discovered dead. A total of 173 pets remained missing, bringing the...

Events

4 d. ago 6 arrested over fire alarm system at Hong Kong blaze estate; death toll now 159

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 159 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters About 30 people remain unaccounted for HK$2.3 billion raised for rescue and relief efforts The eight blocks in Wang Fuk Court had been undergoing renovations since July...

Events

4 d. ago 300 Hong Kong buildings must remove scaffolding mesh by Saturday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 159 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters About 30 people remain unaccounted for HK$2.3 billion raised for rescue and relief efforts The eight blocks in Wang Fuk Court had been undergoing renovations since July...

Politics

6 d. ago South African bank becomes first African bank to plug into China’s cross

South African bank becomes first African bank to plug into China’s cross-border payment system  Business Insider Africa

Politics

6 d. ago Ramaphosa dismisses Trump’s threat to bar South Africa from 2026 G20 summit

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed on Sunday US President Donald Trump’s threat to exclude Pretoria from next year’s Group of 20 summit, reaffirming South Africa’s status as a founding member of the group. Washington boycotted the G20 meeting held under South Africa’s presidency in Johannesburg on November 22 and 23, with Trump repeating allegations, widely discredited, that the host country’s black-majority government persecutes its white minority. Trump said last Wednesday that...

Politics

7 d. ago Mourners gather at Hong Kong fire site as 1,500 residents relocated

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 150 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

7 d. ago Thousands gather to mourn at Hong Kong fire site as 1,500 residents relocated

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 150 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

8 d. ago China set to benefit as South Africa looks to diversify away from US

South Africa is looking to new export markets in Asia – particularly China – and Europe to diversify away from the United States, as its relations with Washington rapidly deteriorate. America boycotted last weekend’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg after Washington accused Pretoria of persecuting Afrikaner farmers, labelling the situation “white genocide” – a claim the South African government strongly denies. On Wednesday the situation escalated, with US President Donald Trump saying...

Politics

8 d. ago Hongkongers mourn fire victims at citywide condolence points; toll at 128

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 200 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

8 d. ago National security police arrest man over petition as Hong Kong mourns fire dead

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 150 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

8 d. ago National security police take in man over petition as Hong Kong mourns fire dead

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 150 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

8 d. ago National security police arrest man as Hong Kong mourns 128 fire dead

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 150 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

8 d. ago Filipino helper among Hong Kong fire dead as national security police arrest man

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 150 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

8 d. ago Filipino helper among victims of Hong Kong fire – as it happened

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 150 people unclear The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, covered in bamboo scaffolding and green...

Events

8 d. ago Zuma’s daughter quits South African parliament amid Russian mercenary scandal

A daughter of South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament after claims she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries in the Ukraine war, her party said on Friday. Police last week said they were investigating allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, an MP in her father’s Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, had lured 17 South African men to Russia “to fight in the Ukrainian war without their knowledge or consent”. The presidency said in early November it had...

Politics

9 d. ago At African Studies Gathering, Critiques of China Grow Louder And More African

At African Studies Gathering, Critiques of China Grow Louder And More African  The China-Global South Project

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong fire death toll hits 128, with 79 injured, status of 200 unclear

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead, with further 16 bodies still in buildings 79 injured, including 11 firefighters 25 calls for help remain unresolved Status of 200 people unclear More bodies are retrieved from fire scene wrapped in black...

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong fire death toll hits 128, status of 200 unclear; ICAC arrests 6 more

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 200 people unclear More bodies are retrieved from fire scene wrapped in black bags Rescue work is ongoing, with a woman, an elderly man and pets evacuated The...

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong begins 3 days of mourning for fire victims; death toll at 128

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 200 people unclear More bodies are retrieved from fire scene wrapped in black bags Rescue work is ongoing, with a woman, an elderly man and pets evacuated The...

Events