Da Cruz is under serious pressure after Amakhosi’s poor run culminated in them crashing out of the CAF Confederation Cup at the hands of Zambian side Red Arrows in the second preliminary round at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday. Arrows beat Chiefs 3-2 on penalties after the game had finished 1-all. The Zambians won the first leg 1-0 in Ndola the previous Saturday.

Many club’s fans have called for the management to fire Da Cruz as Amakhosi have gone five matches without a win in all competitions, with four draws and a defeat.

However, Motaung has emphasised that the club still has faith in Da Cruz ahead of what will be huge week for the Soweto club, starting with a Carling Knockout first round fixture against TS Galaxy at FNB Stadium on Tuesday before facing their bitter rivals Orlando Pirates at the same venue on Saturday.

“As a club, we would like to reaffirm our full support for, and confidence in, the head coach and the entire technical team. They continue to have our trust as they lead the implementation of a football philosophy and development pathway that we firmly believe will bring sustainable success,” Motaung said in a statement.

“Their professionalism, work ethic, and commitment to improving the team every day remain irreproachable. The team is fighting hard every game to uphold a high standard of performance, and yesterday, despite the result and the injuries we carry, that warrior spirit was visible on the field.”

Meanwhile, Chiefs have since been linked with Manqoba Mngqithi after he left Tanzanian club Yanga on Saturday.

Sowetan

The union was borne from protracted unity talks and the merger of five unions, all of different dispositions and traditions. This process resulted in a unique and vibrant leadership collective, which embodied a non-racial outlook that aligned with banned Congress Alliance beliefs.

We owe our existence to the words of Cosatu’s founding president, Elijah Barayi, during the federation’s first May Day gathering after its launch: “We urge all worker leaders ... and all patriots in South Africa to work together, plan and co-ordinate our actions to win our freedom and break the chains of poverty and cheap labour which bind the majority of people in South Africa today.”

Our resolve was further amplified by ANC president Oliver Tambo during his May 2 1987 address to the people of South Africa while in exile: “Let us strengthen Cosatu and act in unity in all regions and localities and at the national level to ensure that it grows in width and depth. Let all factories, mines, farms, and other enterprises become the bases of the democratic trade union movement.”

Our formation was not a coincidence of history but a weapon for the rights of workers to be organised; to bargain for better wages and improved conditions of employment, and a right to strike.

It was during the height of apartheid’s state repression and its self-manufactured state of emergency that we made ourselves invincible and known.

That is why the enemy’s response was to use repressive organs of class rule to undermine radical activism of the mid-1980s, mostly directed towards unions and their leaders with a backdrop of growing popular dissent from below, pushing for a new transition.

Delegates who had converged at the once pedestal of colonialism and an enclave of white supremacy — Cape Town — formed the largest municipal trade union, which is embedded in a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, and worker-controlled orientation and outlook.

Those leading minds behind the union formation were courageous and brave representatives drawn from racially segregated municipalities and Bantustan-divided localities at the time. They were singularly committed to a noble cause, the unity of workers, amid concerted efforts by apartheid machinery to domesticate the organs of peoples’ power.

We salute that gallant generation of workers whose sweat and blood made the formation possible.

Leading this gigantic union with such a rich history and continuously hoisting the red flag under difficult conditions as inherited from our past does not only accord one a badge of honour but also accords one the privilege to serve.

The union was not spared the effects of apartheid-sponsored black-on-black violence that ripped our country apart in the 1990s. We lost scores of shop stewards, worker leaders and members in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal as a result. Our union did not sit back, we became part of the solution through self-defence units, in street committees, and we mobilised protests to expose the underhand tactics of the previous regime.

We won the fight to end political violence. We are proud of our contribution.

A special salute goes to all workers who perished in the line of duty. Their names are etched in our hearts and memories and will be for many years to come.

We have for the past 39 years remained true to the rallying cry of workers, “An injury to one is an injury to all”.

In the early 2000s, our red union took to the streets to fight against iGoli 2002, which was a reactionary plan meant to commodify essential services, outsource key work functions and privatise strategic assets of the City of Johannesburg.

We fought shoulder-to-shoulder working with other like-minded organisations. The ANC-led city had to backtrack and shelve the plan as a result of our collective voice and power. These are gains from our past actions and decisions.

Again, we swamped the streets during the Mandela presidency to reject the growth, employment and redistribution (Gear) policy. The policy was being imposed amid an unemployment bloodbath, ailing public services and rising poverty in the country.

The imposition of Gear signalled a shift towards a neoliberal economic policy framework trajectory that favoured the interests of the governing oligarchy and white monopoly capital.

Gear mirrored a government and its leadership already captured by capital outside a shared and agreed policy framework — the reconstruction and development programme, which was formulated by the alliance. The battle nearly collapsed the alliance. But workers’ will and power prevailed.

Thus, the ANC opened itself to failure, as was in evidence by radicalised poverty, gender-income inequalities, and an escalating cost of living. We have subsequently earned an undisputed status of being the most unequal country on earth.

We took to the streets once more to reject labour brokering and e-tolls. The union embarked on these actions irrespective of the colours and logo of a party in power.

Last year we scored a massive victory at the Constitutional Court — where we successfully challenged the constitutionality of section 71B of the Municipal Systems Amendment Act limiting municipal employees’ constitutional rights to participate in political activities.

In recent times we have seen a sporadic rise of acts of vigilantism — laced with anti-migration protests — fuelled by dubious organisations and personalities. The systematic crisis of capitalism and apartheid fault lines have fuelled anger within our communities due to joblessness and a lack of opportunities. Our own movement, the ANC, is unable to provide leadership owing to its own organisational challenges and leadership lacuna.

The trade union movement, especially Samwu, has a revolutionary responsibility to provide leadership and defend our members who become victims of these protests when delivering much-needed service delivery needs in communities.

On this solemn but celebratory occasion of our 39 years of existence, we affirm our union’s mandate, guided by our successive congress resolutions, for our broad membership to overwhelmingly vote for the ANC on November 4.

Our support for the ANC is not a blank cheque. For many years, militant trade unionists and activists have built the ANC. They did so fully aware that the ANC is the correct vehicle to deliver on the popular aspirations of our people as envisaged in the Freedom Charter.

We expect the ANC and its leadership collective to detach from failed neoliberal policy choices as prescribed by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and rating agencies, to advance policies that are in line with the Freedom Charter.

Workers are losing their patience. They demand change, and change starts now.

As we celebrate our revolutionary milestone at the service of workers, we remain committed to advancing our members’ interests.

We will never abandon our members at the altar of parliamentary perks or deployments in favour of self-centred interests or upward class mobility.

We remain on the side of the working class, as a class for itself.

• Nkhetheni Muthavhi is the president of the SA Municipal Workers Union

Sowetan

At a time when public confidence in institutions is being tested by persistent allegations of corruption, criminality, abuse of power and institutional capture, whistleblowing has emerged not merely as an instrument of accountability but also as an indispensable act of ethical citizenship.

The ongoing proceedings of the Madlanga commission have inexorably thrust whistleblowing into the national consciousness. The disturbing allegations emerging from the commission have exposed the potential consequences of compromised institutions, blurred lines between criminality and law enforcement, and the corrosion of public trust.

Yet, amid these troubling revelations, one fundamental truth stands out: without individuals willing to speak out, much of what threatens our constitutional democracy would remain concealed.

Whistleblowers are often the first line of defence against corruption and institutional decay. They illuminate wrongdoing where secrecy thrives, challenge entrenched interests and compel institutions to confront uncomfortable truths.

Tragically, in South Africa, courage too often comes at an unbearable price.

Those who expose wrongdoing frequently face intimidation, victimisation, professional ruin, financial hardship and, in extreme cases, assassination.

The murder of Babita Deokaran remains a haunting indictment of our collective failure to protect those who place the public interest above personal safety.

We cannot continue to celebrate whistleblowers posthumously while failing to protect them when they are alive.

Pertinently, the Madlanga commission presents an opportunity to interrogate not only the conduct of individuals implicated in wrongdoing but also the institutional cultures that allow misconduct to flourish.

At the heart of this reckoning lie two inseparable democratic imperatives: ethical citizenship and ethical leadership.

Ethical citizenship demands that individuals recognise their responsibility to act when confronted with wrongdoing. It rejects the convenient notion that combating corruption is exclusively the responsibility of law enforcement agencies or political leaders.

Ethical leadership, conversely, requires those entrusted with authority to create environments in which integrity is rewarded, wrongdoing is confronted and speaking the truth does not amount to professional suicide.

These principles are mutually reinforcing. Citizens cannot reasonably be expected to demonstrate courage when institutions respond with indifference, hostility or retaliation. Equally, ethical leadership cannot flourish in a society that normalises silence, complicity and moral disengagement.

Whistleblowing must therefore be understood as an expression of active citizenship rather than an act of disloyalty.

Indeed, the greater betrayal occurs when those entrusted with public responsibilities remain silent in the face of wrongdoing.

From recognition to institutional protection

As Public Interest SA prepares to host the 2026 Whistleblowers Awards on October 26, followed by the Whistleblowers Summit in November, our commitment extends beyond celebrating extraordinary acts of courage.

Under the theme “Honouring Courage. Inspiring Integrity”, this year’s gathering represents an important opportunity to strengthen the institutional foundations upon which whistleblower protection and accountability depend.

Of particular significance is our determination to consolidate collaborative partnerships between criminal justice agencies, chapter 9 institutions and civil society organisations.

These institutions possess distinct constitutional and statutory mandates but share an overarching responsibility to safeguard the public interest.

Their effectiveness cannot be measured solely by the number of investigations initiated, reports published or prosecutions pursued. It must also be assessed by their collective ability to ensure that credible disclosures are investigated, wrongdoing is addressed and those who expose it are protected.

Institutional independence must never become an excuse for institutional isolation.

Nor should collaboration compromise the autonomy of oversight bodies or the impartiality of criminal investigations.

What South Africa requires is a coherent, co-ordinated and constitutionally grounded approach that bridges institutional silos, strengthens accountability and restores confidence in the rule of law.

Civil society has a particularly important role to play in this endeavour. Beyond advocacy, it can provide independent oversight, amplify marginalised voices, support vulnerable whistleblowers and insist upon transparency when institutions fall short.

The revelations before the Madlanga commission also underscore a critical distinction: accountability is neither revenge nor vengeance.

Accountability is the lawful, fair and consistent application of consequences where wrongdoing has been established, irrespective of rank, political affiliation or institutional standing.

Equally, allegations must be tested through credible processes that respect procedural fairness and the presumption of innocence.

A democracy cannot sustain public confidence when powerful individuals appear insulated from scrutiny while those who expose wrongdoing bear the consequences.

Protecting whistleblowers must therefore go hand in hand with strengthening investigative capacity, prosecutorial independence, witness protection and institutional responsiveness.

Legislative reform is necessary, but legislation alone cannot transform institutional cultures that tolerate retaliation or reward complicity.

The significance of this year’s Whistleblowers Awards lies ultimately in the partnerships, commitments and institutional reforms they can help catalyse.

For Public Interest SA, this undertaking is firmly anchored in our enduring ideal: “Let’s Make Our Democracy Work!”

That ideal cannot be realised through ceremonial commitments to integrity or rhetorical declarations of accountability.

It requires practical co-operation, courageous leadership, vigilant citizenship and institutions willing to subject themselves to the same standards they demand of others.

The Madlanga commission may well prove to be an inflection point in South Africa’s struggle against institutional corruption. Whether it becomes a catalyst for meaningful reform or another missed opportunity will depend on what follows its revelations.

History will judge us not merely by what we uncovered but also by what we chose to do with the truth.

Above all, we must build a society in which whistleblowing is no longer an extraordinary act of personal sacrifice but a protected and respected expression of democratic responsibility.

The ultimate tribute to whistleblowers is not the applause we give them but the protection we afford them, the justice we secure and the institutions we reform because they dared to speak.

That is the democracy worth defending. And that is the democracy we must make work.

• Khaas is chairperson of Public Interest SA and convenor of the Whistleblowers Awards and Summit.

Sowetan

At the Youth Leadership & Entrepreneurship Development (YLED) graduation on October 17, one learner told us the rejection had made her want to stop selling.

Then her mother said something that changed how she saw it: a customer declining a product is not a judgment of her worth.

That is enterprise education in a single sentence. Hearing “no”, working out what it means and deciding what to do next is business. It is also growing up.

Yet we ask young people to carry far more than that. More than 60% of South Africans aged 15 to 24 are unemployed, according to Stats SA.

From podiums and policy documents, we tell them to be innovative and resilient and to create jobs. We rarely ask who is giving them somewhere to practise.

As YLED, I have spent 22 years trying to build that place. This year’s three learner-run businesses show what it involves.

One team found that a product could attract interest in market research and still sell badly. Another had to answer customers’ complaints about quality. Others wrestled with excess stock, pricing, production delays and a colleague who did not deliver.

These were small enterprises, but the stakes were real. Money had to be accounted for. Customers expected value. Teammates depended on one another. A business plan meant something different when stock sat unsold.

One learner wrote in a reflection after the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge: “Before YEC I did not know how to calculate real profit.” A concept becomes useful when it is applied to money you are responsible for. So do teamwork, planning and accountability.

This matters beyond business. The learner who becomes an engineer, a teacher, an accountant or a public servant will also need to understand problems, work with others, use resources responsibly and act when the answer is uncertain.

The feedback gives encouraging signals. Of 40 learners who answered a post-programme question, 90% agreed or strongly agreed that YLED had made them better leaders. Of 40 who answered another, 95% said they were likely or very likely to start a business.

I treat these as what they are: perceptions and intentions. They do not prove that businesses will be created, that jobs will follow or that the programme caused the change. Those questions need follow-up, and we are doing it.

We must take learners’ criticism just as seriously. Alongside stories of growth, some described pressure, difficulty being heard and concern about how leadership roles were allocated. Others wanted clearer financial guidance, more practical preparation and better access to support.

I regard that as a duty, not an inconvenience. We cannot ask young people to reflect honestly on their decisions while shielding our own from scrutiny. A demanding experience is not the same as one in which a learner feels unable to speak.

So what should schools, business and funders do?

• Schools: let learners test ideas on real customers, and mark the quality of their reasoning, record-keeping and teamwork, not only their sales.
• Business: give people, not only money. An accountant who sits with learners over their books, or an entrepreneur who explains a hard pricing decision, is worth more when they keep coming back all year.
• Funders: pay for the unglamorous parts: facilitators, mentors, learning materials, the cost of taking part and credible evaluation. Then ask us what changed after learners criticised us.

That last question is one every organisation serving young people should be able to answer.

The learner who hears “no” needs help deciding what happens next. Should she explain the product differently, reconsider the price, improve the offer or find another customer? Learning to make that call is where enterprise begins.

Before we ask young people to create jobs, let us give them room to practise and the humility to learn from them.

• Dr Zwane is the founder of Youth Leadership & Entrepreneurship Development (YLED) and a senior lecturer at GIBS

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The CEO of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), Sy Mamabolo, has conceded that the recent Constitutional Court judgment on candidate lists has “complicated” the logistical preparations for the November 4 municipal elections.

Mamabolo said the IEC was entering “a very big week” that could determine the success or failure of their planning in the past 24 months.

In an interview this week, Mamabolo said the IEC was now working around the clock to ensure about 27-million ballots are printed by the end of Friday, October 30, to accommodate the 32 parties excluded from electoral participation until last week’s apex court judgment.

• Click here to read the full article.

Tony Forbes, who attended this week’s proceedings at the Cape Town regional court, told reporters he had decided against having legal representation.

“I do not have resources for expensive [legal representation] to sustain such a long fight. But what I do have, and my family has, is the truth, and you guys play an important role in making sure that the truth comes out. There is nothing that can help me more than seeing the truth come out,” he said.

• Click here to read the full article.

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Eswatini’s civil service commission has found assistant regional civil registrar Nonhlanhla Malambe guilty of dishonesty and corruption in connection with a scheme to illegally grant Eswatini citizenship and national identity documents to alleged underworld kingpin Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala.

The decision follows a high-profile investigation triggered by international policing agency Interpol. Malambe faced two counts of dishonesty in contravention of the Public Service Act.

According to official commission documents seen by the Sunday Times, it was alleged that on February 12 2024 Malambe “wrongfully and with intent to mislead, registered and issued [an] Eswatini birth certificate to a foreign national Vusimusi Dlamini”.

• Click here to read the full article.

Maximilian Beier scored a superb winner as Borussia Dortmund went top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 home victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, while RB Leipzig swept aside promoted Elversberg 4-0 after a rampant second-half display.

Dortmund have 17 points from their seven matches, three points ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich, who have a game in hand and play on Sunday at Freiburg.

The home side had been frustrated until Beier picked up the ball on the edge of the box, made space for the shot and curled his effort into the far corner of the net.

The result ends a run of consecutive draws for Dortmund and is another clean sheet for a side who have conceded only four goals this season.

Cardoso double

Romulo Cardoso scored twice for RB Leipzig in their thumping win, while Tidiam Gomis and Christoph Baumgartner, in his first Bundesliga game of the season after injury, were also on target.

Elversberg have acquitted themselves well in their maiden top-flight season but were well beaten.

Werder Bremen climbed to sixth with a 3-2 victory at Mainz as a pair of Niclas Fuellkrug penalties inside the opening 25 minutes gave them the perfect start.

Mainz pulled back a goal but Ludovit Reis made it 3-1 and despite the hosts netting again, Bremen were able to hold on for the win.

Fuellkrug took his tally of goals this season to eight and leads the scorers’ charts in the Bundesliga having scored in his last six league matches.

Rayan Philippe netted a winning goal two minutes from the end as Paderborn moved out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win at home to Hamburg.

Philippe joined Paderborn on loan from Hamburg this season and came off the bench against his parent club, choosing not to celebrate despite the enormity of the goal for his side.

There was a goal and a red card each for Augsburg and Union Berlin as they drew 1-1.

Both teams were down to 10 men before the first goal was scored as Felix Uduokhai got his marching orders for Union and Juma Bah was sent off for the home side.

Han-Noah Massengo put the hosts ahead in the 71st minute but they had to settle for a point when Janik Haberer equalised for the visitors three minutes later.

Cologne and Schalke played out a 0-0 draw, a result that left Schalke in the bottom three.

Reuters

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A strange, if enterprising United Rugby Championship match at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

The Stormers won 52-40, having led 33-14 at halftime.

The hosts had the try-scoring bonus-point try by the 33^rd minute, but such was the swing in the match in the second half that with 15 minutes to play the scores were level at 40-all.

Stormers flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked six from eight conversion attempts and was a constant menace on attack, setting up scrumhalf Haashim Pead’s first-half try with a delightful back pass.

Stormers front-rowers Zachary Porthen and Ntuthuko Mchunu were devastating in their scrumming, when allowed to scrum, and equally prominent in general play.

The Stormers did not concede a penalty in the first half, were disciplined in all facets and had balance in their game, kicking 17 times to the visitors’ 10. They conceded just one penalty in 83 minutes.

They were stronger in the collisions, making 48 post-contact metres in the first half, compared with the Scarlets’ 16. The second half contrasted this, with 32 post-contact metres for the Stormers to the Scarlets’ 17.

The scrums were uncontested for the final 23 minutes and by the 65th minute Scarlets outside centre Joe Roberts had completed his hat-trick.

The Scarlets must be credited for refusing to fold at halftime, but their fight was made that much easier by a Stormers approach that was loose, inaccurate and self-destructive.

Individually, Roberts sparkled, and it took a brilliant try-saving tackle from Feinberg-Mngomezulu on left wing Macs Page to prevent a third successive Scarlets try in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

The Scarlets made 21 linebreaks to the Stormers 15 and both teams’ tackle success was less than 70%.

Few could have foreseen how the second half would play out, with the Stormers so dominant and in such control in the first half.

The Stormers scored eight tries to the Scarlets six and it was SA under-20 flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed who provided the home support relief when he scored in the 75th minute. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s sixth conversion gave the Stormers a 47-40 lead and Ahmed sealed the victory with a second try in the 79^th minute.

Crucially, the hosts scored the big points in the big moments and the positive is that they scored eight tries and 52 points.

Stormers defence coach Norman Laker will hate a match of this nature and a 68% tackle success, which included 29 missed tackles.

Ulster will be more stressful on the Stormers’ defence, so expect to see a different and more pragmatic approach when the two teams meet in Cape Town next weekend.

Stormers captain Paul de Villiers was the best of the forwards and scrumhalf Pead, in his first start, was named the Player of the Match.

For the neutral, the 14 tries on a lovely Saturday afternoon in Cape Town was bliss, but for the Stormers coaching staff there was more angst than awe when the scores were tied 40-all with 15 minutes to play.

Meanwhile, Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee scored a brace in a four-try bonus-point 34-26 win against Ulster at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The Bulls led 21-0 midway through the first half before a spirited fightback from Ulster brought them to within five points in the 80^th minute.

Handré Pollard kicked three conversions and a crucial second-half penalty and replacement flyhalf Curwin Bosch kicked an 82^nd minute penalty to deny the visitors a losing bonus point. They did get a four-try bonus point.

City had left the door open when they fell to a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa, where Nicolas Jackson struck twice to end the visitors’ perfect start to the league campaign.

Fulham beat Coventry City 1-0 for their second league victory of the season.

With the leaders beaten in Birmingham, Arsenal seized their chance to erase the three-point gap as goals from Ezri Konsa and Gabriel secured a comfortable win over Everton in soaking north London conditions.

The result moved Mikel Arteta’s side level on 21 points with City in what is already shaping into a closely fought title race after eight games, but one played under a cloud amid City’s off-field financial case.

Arsenal made their strong start count when Martin Odegaard’s corner caused chaos in the Everton box. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford kept out the initial danger after the ball was flicked on at the near post, but with Everton unable to clear, Konsa bundled home his first goal for the club from a yard out in the seventh minute.

The set-piece goal was Arsenal’s first since May, ending a run of 13 games across all competitions without one.

“I’ve come to this stadium for many seasons, I know how tough it is to play against us,” Konsa said. “It’s not surprising to me.

“We are champions and to be champions you’ve got to win games consistently. This is our home and we want to win as many games here as possible.”

Arsenal’s two milestone men combined to give the Gunners a two-goal cushion in the 68th minute, with Ben White marking his 200th appearance for the club by clipping a cross to the far post, where Gabriel headed home on his 200th Premier League appearance.

Everton are ninth in the table.

At Villa Park, Unai Emery’s team climbed to sixth on 11 points with their first home league victory this season and third successive league win over City, who are playing under the shadow of an independent commission’s findings that they committed 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules.

City have always denied any wrongdoing, and have appealed.

Jackson took advantage of two City blunders, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when defender Marc Guehi’s heavy touch allowed Villa captain John McGinn to pounce and feed the striker, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Erling Haaland equalised soon after the break when he headed home Iliman Ndiaye’s clipped cross from a free kick.

But Jackson struck the winner on the hour when Ibrahim Mbaye surged down the right before cutting the ball back for his Senegal international teammate, whose shot sneaked under the diving body of keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“It was incredible, we got the win which is the most important thing. Man City are a strong team, the league leaders,” Jackson told TNT Sports. “It’s just the beginning, we’re trying to work game by game.”

At Coventry, Fulham appeared ready to substitute Oscar Bobb before the winger produced a moment of quality in the 80th minute, collecting the ball on the right, driving into the box past Jack Rudoni and curling a superb finish into the far corner.

Fulham are 12th in the table, while Coventry are 19th.

Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s late game.

Reuters

Belgian police used tear gas and pepper spray as they clashed in Brussels on Saturday with anti-government demonstrators calling for better conditions in the education system, Reuters witnesses and Belgian media reported.

The clashes came after hundreds of mainly young protesters gathered in a continuation of rallies that have taken place in recent months, calling for more funding for education and accusing police of excessive violence.

The clashes were much smaller and less violent than those that took place last week in Belgium and — on a far larger scale — in neighbouring France.

In one incident in Brussels on Saturday, protesters ran and fell to the ground as police pursued them, with officers hitting and kicking one demonstrator, Reuters witnesses saw.

Protesters threw road signs and other items onto a pile of rental scooters and bicycles and attempted to set it on fire.

In another incident, police used tear gas to disperse a group of protesters, multiple Belgian media outlets reported.

Reuters

Demonstrators took to the streets of France on Saturday under the watch of 70,000 police officers, with unrest appearing markedly less severe than a week earlier despite scattered confrontations in several cities.

Tens of thousands of people marched peacefully through the French capital, according to police numbers, denouncing the high cost of living and accusing President Emmanuel Macron of cutting public services while failing to tackle rising inequality.

“Down with the state, the police and the fascists,” some of the flag-waving crowds chanted.

Elsewhere, police fired tear gas at people in Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille and Nice, where a water cannon was deployed after protesters refused orders to pull back.

In France’s second and third cities, Marseille and Lyon, clashes broke out between hooded youths and police.

The government deployed 10,000 more police and gendarmes than on October 17, when nationwide protests descended into some of the worst unrest in France in years.

“We have to be ultra, ultra responsive,” said interior minister Laurent Nunez, who has accused far-left groups and criminal gangs of fomenting violence.

Nunez told reporters that police had arrested 135 people nationwide by early afternoon, many following pre-emptive searches that he said had uncovered fireworks, ball bearings and other items that could be used as weapons.

Shops and museums shut

Much of central Paris took on the appearance of a city under lockdown, with shopkeepers boarding up storefronts, museums closing their doors and more than 20 metro stations shut.

Business groups urged retailers to remain closed after thousands of shops and businesses were damaged or looted across France last weekend.

“There are hardly any customers, so it’s not really worth staying open,” said Oskar, manager of a Kiton boutique in Paris.

Several of the capital’s best-known cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay and the Paris Opera, closed for the day as a precaution, leaving tourists frustrated.

“Everything’s boarded up and we’re not quite sure where we should be,” said Xavier Dolliole, a tourist from the US city of New Orleans.

The route for Paris’s main demonstration was settled only after a legal battle triggered by a last-minute police order moving organisers away from the city centre towards the southeastern fringes of the capital.

Police said the original route passed through areas with a high concentration of businesses similar to those targeted last weekend. Leftist politicians said the late change was aimed at causing confusion and keeping people away.

Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who joined the Paris rally, hailed what he called a “magnificent mass display of collective discipline and self-restraint”.

He said the protests would continue unless Macron addressed the social malaise in France, one of the world’s richest nations but with a growing debt that has alarmed investors.

“Given the current situation, I think he will come to understand that this will happen again every week. There is still time for (Macron) to give in. After that, the only thing left to him will be the exit door,” Melenchon told reporters.

Far-right party holds congress

Many demonstrators have accused the government of overreacting, as soldiers were dispatched to patrol the Champs-Elysees, a grand boulevard lined with luxury shops and restaurants.

“We shed tears for shops, not for the people who are being impoverished all year round,” said Clara Lebbadi, a 22-year-old arts student.

“My friend and I almost didn’t come because we were scared, but we came precisely because it’s important not to let repression win,” she added.

The first authorised march on Saturday passed off peacefully in Orléans, around 120km south of Paris, where demonstrators rallied against Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally as it held a party congress in the city.

A shooting west of Paris on Friday heightened tensions. A gunman suspected of acting out of Islamophobic hatred killed one person and wounded four others, including a 12-year-old girl.

“We have come to tell the far right, face-to-face, that we are not afraid,” said Bally Bagayoko, the mayor of Saint-Denis and a member of Melenchon’s France Unbowed party.

Reuters

Former Pakistan Twenty20 captain Salman Ali Agha, who was among seven players released mid-series after the side lost two Tests to England in August, has returned to the Test squad for next month’s two-match series with Sri Lanka at home, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Saturday.

Agha was removed as Pakistan’s T20 captain and left out of this month’s T20 series against Sri Lanka but the 32-year-old impressed in the One-Day Internationals, scoring a century against Sri Lanka last Sunday.

Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who was also among the players released during the England tour, has been named in the 14-man squad as well, with the first test set to begin on November 9 at Rawalpindi.

Babar Azam will continue to lead Pakistan as they look to bounce back from a 3-0 series loss in England.

However, the hosts have shaken up their batting line-up, calling up Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman for the first time. Shan Masood, who scored a fighting 95 against England in the third test last month, has been dropped.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saud Shakeel.

Reuters

Paula Moltzan started the World Cup Alpine ski season with a first career victory at the age of 32 on Saturday after US teammate Mikaela Shiffrin blew a giant slalom first-leg lead and finished seventh in the Austrian resort of Soelden.

The 2026 Olympic team combined bronze medallist beat Italian-born Lara Colturi, who skis for Albania, by the slimmest of margins — 0.01 of a second after two runs down the Rettenbach glacier slope — with Germany’s Emma Aicher third.

The victory from fifth after the first run also made Moltzan the first woman to win with Van Deer skis, the brand founded by Austria’s retired eight-time overall World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher.

“It feels like a fairytale right now,” said the Minnesota-born skier.

“It doesn’t really feel real but we’ve put in a lot of hard work this summer developing the ski and it feels like this is kind of a pinnacle, that it’s paying off and we did all the right things. I can’t imagine a better start.”

The podium was the 11th of Moltzan’s career, six of them second places including one in Soelden a year ago when Austrian Julia Scheib was a first-time winner.

Scheib did not finish the first run this time.

World Cup overall champion Shiffrin led by 0.14 seconds after the first run, with Sweden’s Sara Hector second and Switzerland’s Camille Rast third, but conditions changed for the later starters in the second leg with falling snow, flat light and grey skies.

The 31-year-old US great, chasing a record-extending 111th World Cup win, has not won a giant slalom since December 2023 but has shifted her focus this season towards that discipline and super-G, and will race fewer slaloms.

Saturday’s race also marked the World Cup return of Slovakian Petra Vlhova, who had been out injured since January 2024. The 2022 Olympic slalom champion and 2021 overall World Cup winner finished 23rd.

Italian Federica Brignone, the Olympic champion in giant slalom and super-G on home snow in Cortina in February, was absent as she continues her recovery from surgery in August.

Reuters

Ukraine said on Saturday that the Starlink satellite system and its military version Starshield were now fully functional after over a week of restrictions that disrupted military operations and intensified tensions with the US.

Problems with Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned systems came after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel while pressing Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries.

Ukrainian officials said the restrictions, which capped operations at speeds of 160km/h, hampered the military’s ability to intercept Russian attack drones and forced the cancellation of some operations.

“The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds. The speeds are now at the level we need,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the Telegram app.

According to Zelensky, the speeds started returning to normal overnight. Ukraine’s defence ministry said on Saturday the connection remained stable at over 400km/h.

Ukraine does not rely on the systems for long-range drone operations on Russian territory, including attacks on refineries.

But Starlink remains vital for front-line communications, and the deployment of Starshield-enabled medium-range attack drones has helped Ukraine gain the upper hand in several areas of the battlefield this year.

Limitations order

The restrictions sparked outrage in Ukraine, particularly as they coincided with disruptions to allied warnings about incoming Russian missile attacks. Kyiv later said it continued to receive US intelligence.

Neither Musk nor the US government has acknowledged responsibility for restricting Starlink or Starshield in Ukraine. Both have said publicly that any such decision could only have been taken by the other.

Reuters has reported that the order to throttle Starshield came from inside the White House. Previously, US administrations had several times asked SpaceX to turn Starlink on or off in various countries, sources said.

On Friday, contradicting his previous statement that the services had been fully restored, Trump said that if problems persisted, he would “get it straightened out”.

Reuters

Aston Villa snapped Manchester City’s perfect Premier League run with a 2-1 home victory on Saturday as Nicolas Jackson struck in each half to hand Enzo Maresca’s men a damaging defeat amid the turmoil surrounding the club’s off-field financial case.

City remain top with 21 points, but the setback opens the door for Arsenal to draw level later on Saturday when they host Everton with the chance to erase the three-point gap.

Unai Emery’s team climbed to sixth on 11 points with their first league victory at Villa Park this season and third successive league win over City, who are playing under the shadow of a guilty verdict on 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules. City have always denied any wrongdoing.

Jackson took advantage of two City blunders, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when defender Marc Guehi’s heavy touch allowed Villa captain John McGinn to pounce and feed the striker who slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Erling Haaland equalised soon after the break when he headed home Iliman Ndiaye’s clipped cross from a free kick. But Jackson struck the winner on the hour when Ibrahim Mbaye surged down the right before cutting the ball back for his Senegal teammate, whose shot sneaked under Gianluigi Donnarumma’s dive.

A string of brilliant saves from Villa keeper Zion Suzuki helped seal the home side’s victory.

Reuters

“When we came, we thought there could be a problem but not that the museum would be closed,” Italian social educator Selena Bertoni, 31, said in front of the Musée d’Orsay.

On a four-day trip to Paris, she had paid €50 (R927) for two tickets to see its Impressionist paintings and other masterpieces. “Bad timing,” she said, with a shrug.

The closures came one week after nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living and deteriorating public services descended into some of the worst street violence that France has seen in years.

The violence and damage prompted the government to impose localised curfews and close many public venues before demonstrations planned on Saturday.

Top tourist destination

The shutdown extended across much of the capital’s cultural sector, including the Orangerie, Jeu de Paume and Picasso museums, while the entire Tuileries Gardens complex that leads out of the Louvre was sealed off.

“This is the third museum we have come to that is closed. They should’ve warned us,” French visitor Heidi Rosar, 21, said.

At the Louvre, the locked black iron gates blocked access to the entire site and the garden.

“We wanted to at least see the pyramid,” 67-year-old Canadian Don Nowschuk said, referring to the museum’s landmark glass entrance.

On a two-night stay in the City of Light, Nowschuk suggested the local authorities might be overreacting.

“There is so much security that you would think it would be enough to secure the museum,” he said. “It’s a bit weird to see so many cops with guns around Paris. We are used to guns but not like this.”

The disruption extended to the performing arts sector. The Paris Opera shuttered the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, citing safety concerns for staff and audiences.

Organisers of the prestigious Art Basel Paris fair also cancelled its weekend programme.

The cultural centres posted warnings about the closures on Friday, but some people never thought to check.

“How could we have known? We didn’t think a museum could be closed. We are a bit naive,” 59-year-old Frenchwoman Catherine Sebbagh said.

Reuters

The Israeli military forced about 1,200 Palestinians to leave their homes in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official said on Saturday, a day after a Palestinian attack killed two Israeli soldiers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday had said the military would launch a large-scale operation after the soldiers were killed when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a military checkpoint near the city. The Israeli military said the gunmen were shot dead.

They also said the operation in the Al-Jaladah and Ein Deir Baha neighbourhoods near the military checkpoint at the entrance of Hebron was to search for militants and weapons. In a statement, it also said the military would carry out demolitions.

The Palestinian Authority criticised the operation as a “collective punishment”.

Yousef Zouhair Al-Jabari, the head of Hebron’s municipality, said about 1,300 faced losing their homes in addition to the 1,200 already displaced.

He also said the Israeli operations were motivated by parliamentary elections on Tuesday when Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition may lose his majority, opinion polls show.

“Netanyahu and the radical ministers in his government are trying to win as many votes as possible from the settlers,” Al-Jabari said.

The non-governmental organisation the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said Israeli forces had arrested about 70 Palestinians on Friday and Saturday. Israeli officials have not commented on any arrests.

Netanyahu’s government has presided over expansion of settlements

Al-Jabari said the military had demolished shops, factories, homes, and roads in Hebron and that the response was disproportionate and unjustified.

Residents in Hebron told Reuters that the military expelled many people with no connection to the Palestinian attackers.

“We are calling on officials to stand by us because we are not involved in any of this. There are children. We are isolated; we don’t do anything. This is all arbitrary,” said Majdi Nasser, one of those driven from his home.

Residents told Reuters they saw Israeli soldiers marking homes with a black X after their Palestinian occupants had been forced to leave. It was not immediately clear what the X mark meant.

Netanyahu’s government has presided over a rapid expansion of settlements, deemed illegal by UN bodies and ​most countries, though Israel disputes this.

Across the West Bank, Israel has blocked the entrances to most Palestinian cities and towns, severely curtailing Palestinians’ freedom of movement.

Yousef Mur, a resident of the Palestinian town of Yatta, said the closures meant he was unable to reach Jerusalem with his daughter for her cancer treatment.

“The situation is bad, and we are suffering. When we tried to cross, they fired stun grenades towards us, and my girl got scared on the way. They fired stun grenades towards people. The situation is very difficult,” Mur said.

Reuters

Five Italian activists who were detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank this week were released and repatriated on Saturday morning, Italy’s foreign ministry said.

The women were detained on Thursday by Israeli police in Kiryat Arba along with other international activists, while seeking to protect Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest in the Israel-occupied territory.

Officials from the Italian embassy in Tel Aviv visited them at the airport on Friday evening and said the activists appeared to be in good physical condition.

Settlers have intimidated Palestinians harvesting their olives in the occupied West Bank for decades, but violence has increased sharply this year, according to Palestinians, activists and the UN.

Israeli rights group Yesh Din said it had recorded more than 330 incidents of settler violence linked to this year’s olive harvest, which started in late September, including attacks, theft and damage to trees.

Israeli security services have said they take acts of violence and criminal activity very seriously.

Olives are the backbone of Palestinian agriculture, a sector that accounts for around 8% of GDP and more than 60,000 jobs, according to the Palestinian Authority’s agriculture ministry.

Reuters

Fifa president Gianni Infantino laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning in the wake of the failed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, pointing to overwhelming support from member associations around the globe.

Three months after facing calls to resign after he abandoned the proposal that sought private investment in a new entity controlling commercial rights linked to major Fifa competitions, Infantino now finds himself in a position of strength.

His prospects for re-election strengthened on Friday after the head of Asian football endorsed him for a fourth term, with Asian Football confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa saying Asia was united behind Infantino.

“I was elected by 211 member associations from all over the world. I think what is important is that in an organisation like Fifa, there can be different views, different points of view,” Infantino told the BBC as he laughed off a question about whether he had considered stepping down.

“But if we are serious about democracy, about the democratic process, about believing that everyone has the same vote and the same voice all over the world, that football belongs to everyone ... then we need to respect as well the views of the vast, vast majority.

“I’m just coming back off Tokyo where the Asian Football Confederation has fully endorsed me. I was in Cape Verde where all African countries have endorsed me. I’m speaking to all associations everywhere in the world.”

The AFC had previously joined European body Uefa and Concacaf, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean, in criticising the FFE proposal.

But a divided Concacaf and the AFC’s U-turn have left Europe increasingly isolated while exposing the lack of a viable alternative candidate for the Fifa presidency.

Infantino is seeking a fourth term until 2031 and potential candidates must submit their nominations by November 18.

He apologised at a Fifa Council meeting in Zurich last week over the way the FFE proposal was handled but that did not sway European football associations such as Germany and England.

However, the 56-year-old Swiss-Italian administrator added: “It’s OK to disagree ... but then we need to be able to move on.

“There are different points of view. It’s not always easy to bring them all under one roof, but we need to respect and I do respect all opinions all views,” Infantino added.

“Then it will be up to the Fifa member associations to decide who they want as a president and how they want Fifa to be run.”

Reuters

Togliatti mayor Ilya Sukhikh said preliminary reports indicated no fatalities or injuries. He did not specify which facilities had been hit.

Ukraine’s general staff said it had struck the Togliattikauchuk petrochemical plant, one of Russia’s largest producers of synthetic rubber.

The general staff also reported a strike on the Proton electronics plant in Russia’s Oryol region, which Kyiv says manufactures components for cruise and ballistic missiles.

Oryol regional governor Andrei Klychkov said three people were killed on Friday in a Ukrainian missile strike on an unspecified civilian facility in the region.

Ukraine’s military also reported hitting an aircraft at the Yeysk airfield in southern Russia. Local authorities confirmed an attack in the area but said it caused only minor damage to two apartment buildings.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday air defences had destroyed 1,297 drones, one French-made SCALP cruise missile and four Ukrainian Neptune missiles over the previous 24 hours.

Reuters

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany remains in hospital in a stable condition after collapsing during reserve-team training on Friday but will be sidelined for weeks, the club’s sporting director Max Eberl said on Saturday.

The 40-year-old Belgian coach had been battling a virus in recent days and missed some training sessions.

Eberl said Bayern would prioritise his recovery and wait for a diagnosis before discussing any potential return.

“We need to firstly figure out what it is and then we’ll discuss calmly what the recovery time is to be,” Eberl told reporters in Munich. “We’re not talking about days, but weeks. We all need to be clear on that.”

Bayern postponed their reserve side’s match following Kompany’s collapse but never considered seeking a delay to Sunday’s Bundesliga trip to Freiburg, Eberl said.

“I think the greatest joy for Vinnie would be for us to play well tomorrow and, ideally, get a positive result,” he added.

“That would probably be one of the best things we could do to help him recover.”

Assistant coach Aaron Danks will take charge of the team against Freiburg and said he had spoken to Kompany solely to check on his well-being.

“I explained to him that we wouldn’t be having any football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he’s OK,” Danks said.

“All the football operations are in our hands and we’ll work together as a team to keep the club moving forward.”

Bayern lead the Bundesliga with 14 points from six matches, ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference, while third-placed Freiburg are one point behind.

Reuters

The biggest chunk of funding will go to a new biosecurity initiative, including £100m (R2.22bn) for a laboratory using AI to detect biological threats and £65m (R1.44bn) to develop countermeasures against pathogens.

AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the aim was for the AI Biosecurity Lab to become a major global institution “bringing together world-leading scientific expertise to protect people from emerging biological threats”.

Tech companies OpenAI and Anthropic will offer up to £200m (R4.44bn) of model credits to the biosecurity initiative.

Google DeepMind and a London-based AI life sciences startup Basecamp Research will offer other assistance.

Britain’s government will give its existing AI Security Institute an extra £120m (R2.66bn).

• £130m (R2.88bn) will go towards new projects to improve cyber defences for critical infrastructure and the wider economy, known as the National Cyber Shield and the National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability Centre.
• £60m (R1.33bn) will go towards a fund that will invest in British companies using AI to advance robotics, autonomous systems and manufacturing.
• £60m will be used for AI research and procurement contracts.
• An extra £23m (R510.5m) will go to research on the economic impact of AI.
• £18m (R399.6m) will go to a new chip design academy.
• £15m (R333m) will fund a prize for AI solutions to public policy problems, initially focused on health care.
• £30m (R666m) will go to regional mayors to support local AI work.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre will receive an unspecified sum to expand in Manchester.

Anthropic alone racked up more than $12bn (R199.1bn) in operating expenses last year.

Reuters

The FBI arrested Ian Brinksman, 42, on Friday after a search of his Washington home, the department said. Prosecutors charged him with unlawfully transmitting national defence information.

A federal public defender representing Brinksman declined to comment.

“As alleged, Brinksman reached far outside his own duties to obtain some of our nation’s most closely held secrets and handed them to a romantic partner he knew intended to publish them,” John Eisenberg, assistant attorney-general for national security, said.

“That is not carelessness. It is a betrayal of his oath and the American people who entrusted him to fulfil his duties honourably,” Eisenberg said.

Brinksman held a top-secret security clearance while working as an employee of a US government agency and later as a developer for systems integration for a private contractor working for the same agency, prosecutors said.

According to the sworn affidavit of an FBI agent investigating the case, Brinksman repeatedly accessed classified intelligence reports and then communicated with the journalist. The affidavit also cites phone records, database access logs, badge swipe records, emails and other evidence.

The affidavit only identifies the journalist as “Individual 1”, but it cites excerpts from articles she published.

“A fundraising article reportedly published by Individual 1 in September 2026 stated, ‘Over the past year [Individual 1 has] published reporting based on classified [relevant US government agency] assessments that I believe the public deserves to know about,’” the affidavit reads.

That quote appears in a September 28 piece published on the Capital & Empire online newsletter authored by Aída Chávez.

“Over the past year, I’ve published reporting based on classified CIA assessments that I believe the public deserves to know about,” wrote Chávez, whose profile on the site notes that she worked for The Nation and other outlets before she launched the newsletter.

Chávez did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.

Investigators allege that on at least five occasions in 2026, Individual 1 published Substack articles containing information that mirrored the classified reports, some at the top-secret level. On some of those dates, Chávez published articles that cite classified reports, some of them attributed to the CIA.

According to a LinkedIn profile bearing Brinksman’s name, he worked for Deloitte as a manager and as a senior strategy security consultant after having worked as a US state department foreign service officer at dates corresponding to those outlined by the justice department.

Deloitte did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The state department said it needed more time to respond before commenting.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

The partially decomposed body of a 25-year-old man was found trapped between the ceiling and roof tiles of a house in Kwa-Thema, Springs, on Friday.

The City of Ekurhuleni’s Disaster and Emergency Management Services (Dems) recovered the body from the house in Moeketsane Street after neighbours raised the alarm over a foul smell.

Dems spokesperson William Ntladi said rescue teams from Brakpan and Kwa-Thema fire stations were activated after paramedics approached the Brakpan fire station for assistance.

On arrival, the teams followed the smell and discovered the body wedged between the ceiling and metal roof tiles. The man’s body was brought to the ground using a specialised stretcher and ropes.

It is alleged the man was electrocuted, as side-cutting pliers and a snapped electrical cable were found next to him.

The occupant of the house reportedly told the teams he was unaware of the situation.

The scene was handed over to the South African Police Service. Forensic Pathology Services was called to remove the body to a facility in Springs.

TimesLIVE

J&J had gained access to the drug through its $3.05bn (R50.6bn) deal to buy Halda Therapeutics last year.

The company was testing JNJ-6143 in patients with advanced prostate cancer who had received multiple treatments.

Its novel approach selectively kills cancer cells by interfering with a protein they need to survive.

In the trial, 77% of 31 evaluable patients receiving the 50mg dose saw their PSA levels, a blood marker used to monitor prostate cancer, fall by at least 50%; in 48% of patients, PSA levels fell by at least 90%.

Among patients whose tumours could be measured using imaging, 69% had a confirmed complete or partial response.

“It adds a new mechanism of action to J&J’s prostate cancer portfolio,” a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson said.

Common side effects were nausea and elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels. One patient discontinued treatment due to adverse effects.

The data were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress.

Reuters

The accident on Friday involved two SF-260 aircraft during a training flight at the Fernando Airbase in Batangas province, the Philippines Air Force said.

Local media reported the two aeroplanes collided in midair.

The aircraft crashed within the grounds of the airbase, but there were no other casualties.

The air force has temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 trainer aeroplanes pending an investigation into the cause of the crash.

In May, two pilots were killed when an SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in northern Philippines, while another SF-260 TP Marchetti crashed during a 2023 training flight, also killing two pilots.

The military used SF-260 aircraft during months of air strikes on southern Marawi City after militants loyal to Islamic State seized the area in 2017.

Reuters

The Nairobi County governor’s office said there were reports people may be trapped beneath the rubble.

It was not immediately clear what caused the building to collapse.

Governor Johnson Sakaja’s office said the ground floor of the collapsed building in the Eastleigh neighbourhood was occupied.

A Reuters video showed a crowd had gathered at the scene while an excavator moved rubble.

Reuters

Seven people were killed and 40 were wounded when gunmen opened fire continuously for several minutes ​during a funeral at the Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate, the head of Jordan’s public security directorate said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Such attacks are rare in Jordan, though authorities in the US ally say that in recent years they have repeatedly foiled attempted attacks by Islamist militants.

Authorities said they are still searching for the attackers, adding it was too early to determine whether they had links to known groups inside or outside Jordan.

Reuters video footage showed police patrolling on Saturday outside the Hamoud church, southwest of the capital Amman.

“This is a result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism, and we will not allow society to go down this path,” Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said in a post on X.

Jordan’s King Abdullah, a major US partner in the fight against militant Islamist groups, visited Karak hours after the attack and said the perpetrators would be punished “with an iron fist”.

Christians make up a minority of Jordan’s population. The country is home to several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world.

Jordan has been among US allies in the region to be hit by Iranian attacks this year after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso said they must take collective responsibility for failure to progress to the group stages of the Caf Champions League.

At the same time, he vowed the Brazilians will come back stronger after this massive setback because there is still a lot to play for this season.

Sundowns suffered the embarrassment of being eliminated at the preliminary stage as defending champions by Angolan side Wiliete SC, who came from a goal down to cause one of the tournament’s biggest shocks.

Sundowns took the lead through attacker Tashreeq Matthews after 11 minutes, but Wiliete SC equalised through veteran striker Cristóvão “Mabululu” Paciência and went through 1-1 on away goals rule.

Sundowns went into this match with an impressive record of having qualified for the group stages since 2016, when they won it, but they paid a heavy price for failing to score in both legs.

'It's a failure,' - Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso after they were knocked out of the Champions League.

WATCH press conference on #PrimeSportsWithMahlatseTV ➡️➡️➡️https://t.co/pQ2PhkjW22 pic.twitter.com/Z1DgwEF4pl

— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) October 23, 2026

“Of course it is a failure,” admitted Cardoso.

“It’s a failure from everybody, and we should embrace it from the coaches and everybody. I want to state how it is a failure because I don’t want to give you the opportunity just to say that.

“We controlled the match, but we just failed to score. If you count all the opportunities that we had in the box, we should have converted to influence the result.

“When you don’t finish the situations that you create, you stay exposed to anything.”

Sundowns did not have influential Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena, but Cardoso said they had enough quality on the field to progress to the next stage.

“Regarding what we missed or did not miss, there are many things that we missed. If you see this team and compare it with the one that finished the Champions League last year, one has nothing to do with the other.

“That is not an excuse at all; the team that played today [Friday] should have won the match. We should have won the match today with the players that we had on the pitch and the ones that entered later.

“We created enough chances to win the match; we did not lose but drew two matches. But we also progressed on away goals in the past, and we can’t complain about that now.

“That is why when you are in the game, you have to finish it so that you are not exposed to a random goal.”

Orlando Pirates will be South Africa’s only representatives in the Champions League this season after they thrashed African Stars of Namibia 5-0 on aggregate.

There will also be no Confederation Cup football for Kaizer Chiefs this season after losing 3-2 on penalties to the Zambian side Red Arrows in Durban.

Sundowns’ players don’t have time to dwell on this disappointment as they turn their attention to the Carling Knockout Cup, where they host Marumo Gallants on Tuesday night.

TimesLIVE

Hunter Foster, the officer who shot the child, resigned from the Senatobia police department, mayor Greg Graves said on Friday, without specifying whether he was asked to resign or did so on his own. Angelica Maze, who was the interim chief for the department, also stepped down, according to a resignation letter reported by local media.

Foster had fired his gun at a moving vehicle in response to a shoplifting call in Senatobia in June, killing one-year-old Kohen Wiley. The fatal shooting of the child sparked calls from civil rights advocates for accountability.

The child’s family has said the shooting was not justified, but Mississippi attorney-general Lynn Fitch said this week that “the use of force was justified” and cleared the officer of criminal wrongdoing.

Though Foster was cleared, his lawyer, Martin Zummach, told NBC News that his client “resigned for the good of the city and the police department and to permit the process of healing”.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the child’s family, said they were calling for a department of justice investigation and that accountability cannot end at the resignation of the officer.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said after the shooting in mid-June that law enforcement officers responded to a shoplifting call at Walmart and encountered two adults and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in their direction, the bureau added, saying that an officer “then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene”.

Footage released from the incident showed Foster running out of Walmart with other officers after an employee said suspected shoplifters were attempting to flee. While officials have alleged the child’s mother and her friend stole nappies, the two women have not been charged.

“No mother should have to bury her baby over an allegation of shoplifting nappies,” Crump said on Friday.

Former Senatobia police chief Harold Vanderford was fired in September after media outlets reported he used racist slurs against black people in text messages.

Reuters

Goals by Thapelo Mokobodi, Evidence Makgopa (two) and Mpho Phadime were added to the one of Tshepang Moremi, netted when Pirates won 1-0 in the first leg played in Gaborone, Botswana, last Saturday.

With the Buccaneers backed by their faithful in Orlando, they wasted no time in stamping their authority in this match with two goals by Mokobodi and Makgopa taking them to the interval, leading 2-0.

Within a minute of the second period, Pirates extended their lead when substitute youngster Phadime scored with his first touch after coming on for Moremi. Deon Hotto was the supplier when Makgopa completed his return from injury with a brace, scoring the second one 12 minutes from time.

This will be a second successive season for Pirates to reach the group stages of the money-spinning Champions League after being eliminated in the semifinals of this competition, which was won by Mamelodi Sundowns last season.

The Buccaneers will now shift their focus to the last 16 of the Carling Knockout Cup on Tuesday to host PSL newcomers Milford FC in Orlando before their blockbuster league fixture against Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on October 31.

TimesLIVE

Behind every report of a woman killed, assaulted, raped, stalked or threatened is a human being whose safety, dignity and right to live free from fear have been violated. Yet many acts of gender-based violence (GBV) do not begin with a fatal attack. They can begin with:

• control disguised as concern;
• humiliation dismissed as a joke;
• financial dependence presented as love; or
• persistent monitoring framed as jealousy.

Recognising these behaviours early matters because violence is not always sudden. Often it is preceded by a pattern.

South Africa’s first national Gender-Based Violence Prevalence Study found 35.5% of women aged 18 and older had experienced physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime. That translates to an estimated 7.85-million women.

The study also found significant levels of intimate partner violence and psychological abuse, demonstrating GBV extends far beyond the physical injuries that make the news.

The seriousness of the crisis was formally recognised in November 2025 when gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) was classified as a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act.

Being married, dating someone or having previously consented to sex does not mean that consent exists for every subsequent sexual encounter

This was not simply a change in terminology. It acknowledged the scale and urgency of the crisis and placed greater emphasis on co-ordinated national action.

But legislation and government interventions alone cannot end GBV. Prevention also depends on communities, families, workplaces, schools, universities and individuals being able to recognise abuse before it escalates.

Abuse does not always look like violence

One of the most dangerous misconceptions about GBV is that it is always obvious. Physical assault is violence, but so too can be behaviour designed to control another person’s freedom, finances, movements, relationships or choices.

A partner who repeatedly checks someone’s phone, dictates who they may see, prevents them from maintaining relationships with family and friends, controls their finances or constantly threatens them may be exercising coercive or controlling behaviour.

These behaviours matter because South African law increasingly recognises domestic violence is not limited to physical assault. The Domestic Violence Amendment Act expanded the recognised forms of domestic violence to include, among others:

• economic abuse;
• coercive behaviour;
• controlling behaviour;
• harassment;
• stalking;
• intimidation;
• spiritual abuse;
• elder abuse; and
• exposing a child to domestic violence.

This is an important legal and social shift. It means the absence of a bruise does not mean the absence of abuse. Economic abuse, for example, may involve:

• controlling a partner’s access to money;
• depriving them of financial resources; or
• deliberately creating financial dependence.

Controlling behaviour may involve isolating a person from sources of support or regulating their everyday movements. These behaviours can gradually erode a person’s independence and make it more difficult to leave an abusive relationship or seek help.

The danger of normalising warning signs

South Africans have become accustomed to explanations for abusive behaviour:

• “He was jealous”;
• “She was angry”;
• “They were having relationship problems”;
• “It was just an argument”; or
• “He couldn’t accept she had left.”

These explanations can inadvertently shift attention away from the central issue: the person who chooses to abuse is responsible for that abuse.

Jealousy is not an excuse for stalking. Anger is not an excuse for assault. Marriage is not consent. Financial dependence does not give one partner ownership over another. A previous relationship does not create a permanent entitlement to someone’s attention, body or whereabouts.

This is particularly important when considering sexual violence. Consent must be voluntary and freely given. Being married, dating someone or having previously consented to sex does not mean that consent exists for every subsequent sexual encounter.

Similarly, persistent unwanted contact should not automatically be dismissed as romantic persistence. Repeatedly following someone, appearing at their workplace or home, contacting them from multiple numbers after they have asked for no contact, monitoring their movements or using friends and family to locate them can be warning signs that require intervention.

Men can also experience abuse

A serious conversation about GBV must acknowledge men can also experience domestic and gender-based violence. Recognising male victims does not diminish the disproportionate impact of violence against women and girls. Instead it reinforces a fundamental principle: violence and abuse should be identified and addressed wherever they occur.

A man who is isolated from his family, subjected to threats, financially controlled, humiliated or monitored by a partner may also need protection and support.

For this reason, conversations about GBV should focus on behaviours and patterns of abuse rather than relying solely on assumptions about what a victim or perpetrator “looks like”.

From awareness to intervention

Awareness is valuable, but awareness without action can become another form of inaction. Friends, colleagues, neighbours, educators and family members may sometimes notice warning signs before a victim is ready to speak about them. The response should not be judgment, blame or pressure. It should begin with listening, taking the person’s concerns seriously and helping them access appropriate support.

This is particularly important where someone may be at immediate risk. Confronting an alleged perpetrator without considering the victim’s safety can potentially increase the danger. Support should therefore be informed by the circumstances and, where appropriate, involve professional, legal, policing, shelter or psychosocial services.

If control, intimidation, stalking, economic abuse and escalating threats are recognised as warning signs, intervention can potentially happen before violence becomes more severe

The law provides mechanisms for protection. A person experiencing domestic violence may apply for a protection order, while conduct that amounts to a criminal offence can also be reported to the South African Police Service.

The message is therefore not simply “report abuse”. It is:

• know what abuse looks like;
• understand your rights;
• seek appropriate support; and
• take threats to safety seriously.

We cannot wait for another headline

The classification of GBVF as a national disaster should challenge South Africans to think differently about prevention. A disaster response cannot begin only after lives have been lost.

If control, intimidation, stalking, economic abuse and escalating threats are recognised as warning signs, intervention can potentially happen before violence becomes more severe.

Universities and other educational institutions have a particularly important role to play in this conversation. They are spaces where young adults develop relationships, negotiate independence and form attitudes about equality, consent and respect. Legal education therefore cannot exist only in lecture rooms. It must also help communities understand their rights and responsibilities in everyday life.

The fight against GBV will require effective laws, accountable institutions and accessible support services. But it also requires a cultural shift in which abusive behaviour is no longer normalised, excused or hidden behind the idea that what happens in a relationship is nobody else’s business.

GBV is not a private family matter. It is a societal crisis, a legal issue and a human rights concern. The question is no longer whether we recognise that GBV exists. South Africa has known this for years. The more urgent question is whether we will recognise the warning signs early enough to intervene.

Know the signs. Know your rights. Take threats seriously. Support survivors. Speak up. And where it is safe to do so, act before another warning sign becomes another headline.

• Shezi is deputy dean at the faculty of law at Rosebank International.

Sowetan

There was hope Amakhosi could repeat what they did in this competition last season when they reached the group stages, but despite Bradley Cross cancelling Arrows’ solitary goal, they won 1-0 in Ndola last Saturday, three penalty misses by Lebohang Maboe, Reeve Frosler and Ethan Chislett saw Fernando da Cruz’s team bow out.

After a blunt first half in which Chiefs created no clear-cut chances, once Mfundo Vilakazi entered the fray in the second half, Chiefs managed to find a late equaliser through Cross’s header off Vilakazi’s free kick. But two crucial misses by striker Mduduzi Shabalala ruined Chiefs’ chances of winning this match.

The defeat will pile more pressure on Da Cruz before two crucial domestic fixtures in the coming week in which the Frenchman will have to guide Amakhosi in the last 16 of the Carling Knockout Cup at home against TS Galaxy on Tuesday before facing Soweto arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in a Betway Premiership tie at FNB Stadium on October 31.

TimesLIVE

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The SA National Blood Service is appealing to eligible South Africans to donate blood as national stocks fall to only 3.9 days’ cover, below its minimum target of five days.

The service needs about 3,500 units of blood daily to meet patient demand, but current donations are falling short, raising concerns about the availability of blood as the festive season approaches.

The organisation said some regions were under greater pressure, with stocks below three days’ cover.

Blood donations are essential for patients undergoing life-saving surgery, women experiencing childbirth complications, people receiving cancer treatment and those needing emergency care.

Group O blood is particularly important in emergencies when there is limited time to establish a patient’s blood group before a transfusion is needed.

Monique Schreiner, senior manager for donor relations, said the public’s support was needed to replenish stocks ahead of the festive season.

“The current blood supply is under significant pressure, and we need the public’s support to rebuild stocks ahead of the festive season,” she said.

Schreiner appealed to regular donors, those who had stopped donating and eligible people who had never donated blood to come forward.

“Every donation counts and can help save lives,” she said.

Eligible donors have been urged not to postpone donating until later in the year, saying consistent donations were necessary to ensure blood remained available for patients who needed it.

TimesLIVE

In his 38-man squad, Mosimane has recalled Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Thalente Mbatha, Lebohang Maboe and Luke le Roux who missed the last camp due to various reasons.

He has also rewarded good form by including Thalasani Mbanjwa, Aiden Mcacarthy, Nkosikhona Radebe, Devin Titus, Boitumelo Radiopane and Nxaba Xulu.

There is still no place for Evidence Makgopa but Mosimane has dropped Yanela Mbuthuma after he was part of the last camp for matches against Guinea, Eritrea and Egypt.

The return of Mbokazi is welcome but it is going to provide Mosimane with a healthy headache when it comes to balancing central defence as he also has Ime Okon and Olwethu Makhanya.

Maboe, who was withdrawn from the last camp due to injury, returns to offer competition with Teboho Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole, Bathusi Aubaas and Brooklyn Poggenpoel.

Preliminary Squad

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Sundowns), Sipho Chaine (Pirates), Ricardo Goss (Sundowns), Thakasani Mbanjwa (Arrows)

Defenders: Aubrey Modiba (Sundowns), Samukele Kabini (FC Molde, Norway), Fawaaz Basadien (Sundowns), Nkosingiphile Radebe (AmaZulu), Thapelo Morena ,Thabang Matuludi, Khulumani Ndamane (all Sundowns), Olwethu Makhanya (Rangers FC, Scotland), Ime Okon(Hannover 96, Germany), Lebone Seema, Nkosinathi Sibisi (all Pirates), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire, USA), Aden McCarthy (Sabah FK)

Midfielders: Sphephelo Sithole (Tondela CD, Portugal), Bathusi Aubaas (Sundowns), Brooklyn Poggenpoel (Durban City), Thalente Mbatha (Pirates), Luke Le Roux (Cercle Brugge, Belgium), Thapelo Maseko (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Teboho Mokoena (Sundowns), Lebohang Maboe (Chiefs), Themba Zwane (Sundowns)

Forwards: Iqraam Rayners, Cassius Mailula, Tashreeq Matthews (Sundowns), Oswin Appollis (Pirates) Relebohile Mofokeng (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgium), Luther Singh (AEL Limassol, Cyprus), Devin Titus (Maghreb Fès, Morocco), Lyle Foster (Houston Dynamo, USA), Boitumelo Radiopane (Pirates), Nqaba Xulu (Richards Bay), Tshepang Moremi (Pirates), Puso Dithejane (Chicago Fire, USA)

Residents of the southern Ukrainian town, occupied by Russian forces since February 2022, have reported a deepening food crisis.

“Both nations agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway,” a White House statement said.

The development comes as Melania Trump’s husband, President Donald Trump, pressures Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Melania Trump has been active in trying to get Ukrainian children seized by Russia during the war returned to their families.

“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water,” Melania Trump said in the statement.

The ceasefire will allow non-military teams from both countries to visit residents in their homes and co-ordinate transportation for those wishing to evacuate to either Russia or Ukraine, with an unnamed American media organisation accompanying the teams to document the process, the first lady said.

Newsmax, a right-leaning news outlet, said in a report that its cameras would be granted “exclusive access to document the effort”.

Oleshky, located across the Dnipro River from Kherson, has a remaining population of 1,700 to 2,000 people — primarily elderly residents, along with about 50 children — down from roughly 24,000 before the war, the White House said. About 90% of the city was flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, according to the White House.

The statement said Melania Trump and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the localised ceasefire.

“Residents who wish to evacuate will receive co-ordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,” Melania Trump said.

Reuters

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The City of Tshwane was hauled before parliament’s portfolio committee on health on Friday to account for the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis.

The department of water and sanitation earlier revealed that the city had supplied Bronkhorstspruit residents water without chlorination for weeks, exposing them to microbiological risks.

The department reported 595 cases of gastrointestinal illness in Tshwane’s Subdistrict 7 by October 19.

Of these, 269 patients were attended to at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital, while 18 were admitted.

Here are five things to know about what happened when Tshwane appeared before parliament over the matter:

• Department of water and sanitation chief director Anet Muir told the portfolio committee that a city corrective action plan, submitted after a non-compliance letter in February 2026, had not been implemented on time. The plan included securing chemicals, refurbishing filtration equipment and recruiting critical staff. “None of these commitments were implemented in the time frames that were provided,” Muir said.
• Muir said chlorination stopped because the water treatment plant ran out of chlorine supplies. “The major cause of the cases we are seeing is due to the lack of chlorination.” Records showed chlorine was last dosed on September 23, with the plant operating for another 21 days before shutting down.
• Water testing found high levels of E. coli throughout the supply system. Muir said the city’s warning to residents focused on turbidity, but did not communicate the microbiological risk. “Handwashing with contaminated water defeats the purpose of handwashing, and bathing in contaminated water will also make people ill, especially children and babies,” she said.
• The department opened a criminal case against Tshwane on October 18 under the Water Services Act, citing alleged failures to provide information, or providing misleading information. “When they detect non-compliance, or suspect the system has been compromised, they must inform the affected community. And we believe that the city at that stage failed to do so.”
• Tshwane appointed Rand Water to manage the plant and consolidate maintenance and refurbishment projects. The city has allocated R86m for the upgrade. Rand Water said it was confident compliant water could be restored within a week. “The system itself is robust enough to be able to improve impurities that we find in the catchment.”

Sowetan

Five Ukrainian officials familiar with the matter said that restrictions on Starlink that disrupt connections for drones flying faster than 160km/h persisted.

Trump said on Thursday that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s Starlink access.

The caps have been in place since October 13 as relations between Kyiv and Washington deteriorated.

“We are currently not observing any lifting of speed limits on Starlink,” Serhiy Beskrestnov, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on the Telegram app.

“There are isolated instances where Starlink may travel slightly faster than the speed limit, but this is likely due to the SpaceX algorithm or specific usage conditions.”

Our people are waiting for positive news, hoping that the restrictions will be lifted and our defenders will have the capabilities they need to protect lives

Denys Sienik from the Ukrainian embassy in the United States

A source from the defence ministry and two other Ukrainian officials familiar with the matter also confirmed the restrictions.

Ukraine’s problems with Starlink came after Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel and waived new sanctions on Moscow. Trump also told Ukraine to stop its attacks on Russian oil refineries and said that Zelensky should be replaced.

Zelenskiy said that the restrictions complicated Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russian jet drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. They also hampered Kyiv’s military efforts along the front line, where Starlink terminals were used to fly drones into occupied Ukrainian territory.

“Our people are waiting for positive news, hoping that the restrictions will be lifted and our defenders will have the capabilities they need to protect lives,” said Denys Sienik from the Ukrainian embassy in the US in a post on X.

“Unfortunately, as of today, nothing has changed. We continue to wait.”

Reuters

Nine civilians were among those Kyiv was bringing back, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X. Most of the servicemen have been held since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion, he added.

“We remember one and all and continue searching for everyone,” Zelensky said.

“Among those returning are five people who survived the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka in July 2022.”

Ukraine accused Russia of committing a war crime with a strike on Olenivka that killed dozens of prisoners. Russia said Ukraine had fired at the camp.

Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, said Ukraine had handed Russia seven of its civilians who could now be reunited with their families.

“Some people were unable to return to their loved ones for a long time due to problems with their documents. Others found themselves far from their families, without support or any money to get by,” Lantratova said in a statement, thanking her Ukrainian counterpart and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their help.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Telegram that its freed servicemen were in Belarus and would be transported to Russia once they had received psychological and medical assistance.

It released a video of the freed Russian soldiers smiling and boarding a bus before clapping and shouting, “hurrah”.

Thousands of prisoners have been exchanged since the start of the full-scale war, one of the few areas where Moscow and Kyiv have maintained on-off contacts despite the conflict.

The last large-scale swap took place on August 19, when 103 Ukrainians were returned from Russian captivity, and another 10 people were brought back later that month.

Reuters

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The City of Tshwane is facing a criminal case over its handling of the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, where the department of health reported 595 cases of gastrointestinal illness in Tshwane’s Subdistrict 7 by October 19.

Of these, 269 patients were attended to at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital, while 18 were admitted.

Anet Muir, the department of water and sanitation’s (DWS) chief director for water use compliance and enforcement, told the portfolio committee on health in parliament on Friday that the crisis was not an isolated incident, but the culmination of persistent non-compliance.

It was revealed that commitments to address longstanding water-quality failures were not implemented within agreed timeframes, while the treatment works continued supplying water without chlorination.

“None of these commitments were implemented in the time frames that were provided,” Muir told the committe, referring to the city’s corrective action plan submitted after a non-compliance letter was issued in February 2026.

The plan included commitments to secure treatment chemicals, refurbish filtration equipment, address raw-water pumping problems, commission high-lift pumps and recruit critical staff responsible for operating the treatment works.

During an inspection on October 14, DWS officials discovered that chlorination had stopped because the plant had run out of chlorine supplies.

Operational records showed that chlorine was last used on September 23, with the system continuing to operate for another 21 days before shutting down.

Subsequent water testing detected high levels of E. coli throughout the supply system, confirming the microbiological risk facing residents.

Muir said the city’s initial warning to residents on October 13 focused on high turbidity but did not explicitly communicate the danger associated with the absence of chlorination.

“They did not mention the microbiological risk due to the absence of chlorination and the need for boiling or disinfection,” the official said.

“Handwashing and bathing in contaminated water will make people ill, especially children and babies.”

The department opened a criminal case against Tshwane on October 18 under the Water Services Act, citing alleged failures to provide information, or the provision of misleading information, when required.

“Municipalities, or anybody treating water in terms of the standard, require hourly monitoring, weekly monitoring, daily monitoring — depending on their systems.

“When they detect non-compliance, or suspect the system has been compromised, they must inform the affected community. And we believe that the city at that stage failed to do so,” said Muir.

Billy Sepuru, acting group head of the water and sanitation business unit in Tshwane, told the committee the Bronkhorstspruit treatment works had not consistently produced water compliant with drinking-water standards since October 2025.

He acknowledged that the plant had not been operating at design capacity, citing poor raw-water quality and limited plant availability.

Sepuru said the city had communicated with affected communities about the water being unsuitable for drinking, although much of the previous communication had focused on high turbidity.

The municipality cited difficulties securing chlorine supplies, saying disagreements with its existing supplier had slowed deliveries. “We are sitting with about a six-week coverage of chlorine provision,” he said, acknowledging that this was insufficient to guarantee uninterrupted plant operations.

Tshwane has since appointed Rand Water to take over the management of the treatment works and consolidate outstanding maintenance and refurbishment projects.

The city has reported an allocation of R86m for the plant’s upgrade, comprising R57m in the 2026/27 financial year and R29m in a subsequent financial year.

It also revealed that two previous tender processes had failed to attract competent bidders for the full refurbishment.

“Unfortunately, we went out on tender twice as the city to find an appropriate service provider to undertake the full upgrade of the Bronkhorstspruit treatment plant. In both instances, we were unable to attract competent bidders.

“This work will now be under the guidance of Rand Water as the project manager. A significant amount of money has been appropriated for the full refurbishment of the Bronkhorstspruit plant,” said Sepuru.

“In the medium to long term, we have also begun the specification process for a completely new tender, as our current tender expires at the end of December. The process of replacing the current tender is ongoing.”

Rand Water said it was confident that compliant water could be restored to the system within a week, with a broader programme to optimise the plant’s full capacity expected to take 14 to 16 weeks.

“The system itself is robust enough to be able to improve impurities that we find in the catchment,” the utility told the committee, “despite concerns about pollution entering the river from dysfunctional wastewater infrastructure.”

Sowetan

The government should refine policies including those related to marriage, childbirth, child-rearing and education, and optimise taxation, social security and housing to build a “fertility-friendly society”, the state council, or cabinet, said at a meeting, according to a readout aired by state television.

China’s population fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, and experts have warned that it could decline further. The number of marriage registrations also dropped by about 7.5% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to official data.

The state council’s pledges are a sign that policymakers are concerned about the strain a shrinking and ageing population could put on the country’s social insurance system and overall economic growth, which has been weighed down by weak domestic consumer demand.

“Population is the foundational condition for economic and social development,” officials said in the meeting, calling for efforts so that “high-quality population development” could better support “high-quality economic and social development”.

Authorities have in recent years stepped up fiscal support for boosting births, including rolling out a nationwide childcare subsidy programme and waiving or cutting pre-school tuition fees. They have also vowed to foster “positive attitudes towards marriage and childbearing”.

The cabinet meeting also called for making basic public services more equal, echoing the government’s moves to reform a decades-long household registration system so that workers who migrated from rural farms to cities can access more urban public services, including enrolling their children in public schools in the city.

Reuters

The footballer was fatally shot during a home invasion in October 2014.

Stream courtesy of SABC.

TimesLIVE

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The man with the fastest time heading into Sunday’s Absa Mangaung 10km race has thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the field, promising to deliver a personal best (PB) in the inaugural event.

Kenyan Felix Masai’s name was displayed first along other contenders on a huge screen at the hotel venue hosting the pre-race media engagement in Bloemfontein on Friday.

While the other elite runners who shared the podium with him, Kabelo Mulaudzi and Stephen Mokoka, have dipped under 28 minutes in the 10km, Masai didn’t beat about the bush. “PB … I will run a PB on Sunday,” he said confidently.

Masai’s current PB is 27:24, and chances of him bettering that on Sunday are said to be high due to what’s expected to be a fast, flat route as Bloemfontein concludes the six-race 10km series.

Despite coming into the race on the back of a half marathon two weeks ago, the soft-spoken Masai doesn’t fear he may be fatigued, and reiterated: “Sunday, (I will) run PB.”

Mulaudzi and Mokoka, who will be leading the SA elites’ attempt to halt Masai, were not as bold as the Kenyan in predicting how the race would pan out.

“These races are always special to me. Every time I’m here, I want to do well, even when at times my body doesn’t respond,” said Mulaudzi. “These events have changed my life, now people know me. The competition is tough and I will try my best on Sunday.”

The women’s field will equally be strong, with Glenrose Xaba the favourite ahead of Neheng Khatala, of Lesotho, and Jackline Rotich from Kenya.

“It’s exciting to be in this city to give support to Mangaung and I hope the event will grow from here,” Xaba said. “This race can help develop a lot of young girls; it’s massive for the kids. Just by running alongside us, it can bring the belief that they too can be professional and go to the world champs. I’m happy to be an inspiration to them.”

More than 10,000 people are expected to grace Sunday’s sold-out race, which will start at Grey College in the city centre, as Mangaung joins five other SA cities in hosting the 10km event.

Sowetan

This is according to a political analyst who argued that the party’s electoral performance may defy expectations about its internal instability.

Sibonelo Nomvalo, the party’s seventh secretary-general since its establishment in December 2023, was removed from the position on Thursday amid reported tensions over councillor selection, delays in distributing campaign materials and the establishment of a high-level deployment committee allegedly without the knowledge of party leadership.

Nomvalo had held the position since March 2026, replacing Dr Bongani Mncwango, who was relieved of his duties on March 12 after a seven-month tenure.

Nomvalo also attracted public attention through his work on parliament’s ad hoc committee that is investigating alleged criminality in the criminal justice system.

His removal adds to a pattern of leadership changes that has raised questions about the party’s internal stability and the potential consequences for its supporters as election day approaches.

Voters care less about what is happening now. I don’t think there is anything that can happen that can sway them; they have already made up their minds

Prof Lesiba Teffo, political analyst

However, political analyst Prof Lesiba Teffo said the timing of the decision meant it was unlikely to significantly influence voters who had already decided which party to support.

“Voters care less about what is happening now. I don’t think there is anything that can happen that can sway them; they have already made up their minds,” Teffo said.

He argued that if the party’s internal turmoil were damaging its electoral prospects, the consequences would likely have become apparent by now. “But if anything, statistically, now the party seems to be on the rise. Indications are that they are doing well; they are gaining numbers. And that says to us: you, the educated class, rethink your assumptions,” he said.

Teffo said the party’s apparent electoral performance challenged expectations that repeated leadership changes would necessarily weaken its support. He said even though numerically the number of SGs they have had seems to be the issue in the polls they are doing well nationwide.

“What we would have expected is that it’s not even among the top 10 given what has been ongoing in the last 12 months,” he said.

The party has experienced significant internal upheaval over the past year, including disciplinary action against prominent members and changes to its leadership structures.

Party president Jacob Zuma has overseen several high-profile expulsions, including those of MPs Pumlani Kubukeli and Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, as well as his daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. National spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela has also been among the prominent figures affected by leadership changes.

In August Zuma appointed his son Duduzane Zuma as the party’s deputy president, further drawing attention to changes within its leadership.

Sowetan

The German brand touted the creation of a new genre it dubbed the “Sports Activity Vehicle” and aimed to offer the dynamics of a sedan, versatility of a wagon and a convincing degree of competence when the asphalt made way for dirt.

Not a pukka off-roader to rival proper ladder-frame 4x4 models but a vehicle with sufficient ground clearance to tackle terrains that a 5-Series saloon typically would not.

It was a crucial model for the Munich firm’s ambitions in the US market particularly — being built at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina — but went on to garner universal appeal, with over 3.1-million units sold over 27 years and four generations.

At the time, the sizable premium sport-utility vehicle market was a niche. Fellow Teutonic brand Mercedes-Benz had the ML-Class. Audi was yet to conceive the Q7, while the likes of the Volvo XC90 and Range Rover Sport did not yet exist.

Now the fifth-generation car is here and we secured a first drive at the international media launch in Los Angeles. We drove the car from Newport to San Diego, a distance of about 215km — and back. It is being launched in South Africa in 2027.

First we should weigh in on the aesthetics. Last month the brand launched the new iX3 in South Africa, the first of the Neue Klasse family, an archetype for future BMW models. It arrived on the back of a noteworthy plaudit, crowned 2026 World Car of the Year.

The new X5 closely resembles the iX3, just larger, retaining cues like the slim kidney grilles, narrowed headlamps (replete with “X” motifs); wrap-around rear light clusters and a silhouette that echoes hints of the controversial iX. Conventional door handles are replaced with touch-sensitive fins integrated into the pillars.

Some may admire the progressive shift, resulting in a vehicle that appears a tad friendlier, softer than the severe character of the former G05 version. Others may yearn for the more muscular appearance of the predecessor.

It is bigger in certain dimensions. The wheelbase is now 3,035mm from 2,975mm previously. It measures a length of 4,994mm versus 4,935mm. But width is trimmed by 4mm and it is 7mm shorter in height. Boot space is 655l. Our US-market test car had a space-saver spare wheel under the luggage compartment cover. Hopefully South African models are equipped with the same.

Hopping inside the front quarters, it feels cosier than before, with the futuristic new fascia concept and seating designs feeding spaceship illusions.

Like the new iX3, it deploys a radical four-spoke steering wheel design, large rhombus-shaped central interface (the co-pilot can have an optional compact display); complemented by the Panoramic Vision projection across the lower extent of the windscreen.

Initially, you may be overwhelmed by the gratuity of screens. But the Panoramic Vision setup is especially brilliant, with its configurable displays and layout that is less distracting than focusing on the main interface. Only a matter of time before other brands begin adopting a similar way.

The central infotainment system needs time to get used to. We fumbled trying to find the driving modes selection menu, for instance. It is also unfortunate that the air vents are now adjustable through the screen, rather than with physical toggles. But thankfully tactile controls for volume, mirror and steering adjustments are retained.

Although some premium carmakers have taken a myopic approach with regard to electrification, BMW said it remains committed to offering a diversity of powertrains.

The new X5 is a good example of that, as there are five different propulsion choices: plug-in hybrid, full-electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric, petrol and diesel. Of course, we are yet to receive final confirmation on which derivatives will be offered in our market. Prices are also to be finalised.

Sticking with conventional technology, it would be safe to predict the six-cylinder petrol 40 xDrive model we spent the day with is a certainty for the South African line-up.

The familiar 2,998cc turbocharged-petrol unit fires up with a bellow and is aided by a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Total output is 294kW/540Nm. Acceleration is fair, dispatching the 0-100km/h run in a claimed 5.3 seconds. The muscular acoustics and smooth delivery make a stronger impression than the perception of outright speed off the line.

The 50e and 60e xDrive models (both plug-in hybrids) offer stronger performance, with the 60e-badged model quoting a rest to 100km/h time of 4.2 seconds. Later on there will be a V8 derivative and an M Performance electric model.

The all-electric iX50 xDrive model has an output of 425kW/805Nm, a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds and a maximum quoted range of 845km. We had been due to sample this but launch logistics on the day of our drive dictated that we stayed with the petrol-powered 40 xDrive.

Over the straight, monotonous interstate freeways, we had time to appreciate the quiet, relaxed cruising abilities of the new X5. The intuitive navigation system made driving in foreign territory less stressful, showing the driver on-screen which lane to move towards well ahead of the next manoeuvre.

The desert location of Borrego Springs in San Diego is connected by twisty mountain roads, across landscape that resembles the arid environment of the Karoo.

We hustled the X5 through these sections at a fair lick and found it to be a well-composed, confident performer under the demands of spirited driving. From the shape of the steering wheel, with its defined thumb rests, to the chunky side bolsters of the front seats, it encourages a dynamic approach.

It is a heavy car (2,365kg EU) but the heft is sufficiently disguised, feeling nimbler than expected through quick successions of left-right curves. What helps its cause is extensive use of aluminium in the suspension, air-sprung at both axles.

In the mountainous driving settings, the eight-speed Steptronic was kept in lower ratios via the steering-mounted paddles. But on the open road, best leave it to its own devices.

Some premium firms have struggled to reinvent themselves in changing times, as the shift towards electrification and increased digitisation intensifies.

The new X5 supports the view that BMW is managing to embrace a future-forward way without completely relinquishing its brand hallmarks.

The populist government, led by billionaire Andrej Babis and backed by a pro-Russian far-right party, has frequently attacked public and private media critical of its policies.

The proposal, which had been flagged previously but was unexpectedly brought to a first parliamentary reading on Friday, would cut funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio by about 15%, possibly during next year.

It would also scrap the licence fee system under which households pay 205 crowns (R157) a month, and instead finance the broadcasters through the state budget.

Critics say the changes would weaken the broadcasters and leave them more vulnerable to political influence. Czech Television is the country’s most-watched broadcaster across the main age groups.

In another unusual move, the lower house voted to extend debate, the first of three required readings, into Saturday in a bid to overcome opposition obstruction.

We are seeing here that Andrej Babis and his entourage ... have embarked on the trajectory of installing an authoritarian regime

Zdenek Hrib, leader of opposition Pirate Party

Zdenek Hrib, leader of the opposition Pirate Party, likened the government’s behaviour to Hungary under former prime minister Viktor Orban, whose rule was marked by disputes over media freedom and the rule of law.

“We are seeing here that Andrej Babis and his entourage ... have embarked on the trajectory of installing an authoritarian regime,” Hrib said in the opening debate in parliament.

The leading party in the coalition, ANO, pledged before last year’s election to abolish licence fees so households would no longer pay directly for public broadcasting.

“The government is led to this change by a European trend where ever more European countries depart from the fee-funded principle,” the proposal submitted to parliament said.

The government has argued that savings are needed at the broadcasters and that the changes would not affect editorial coverage.

The move sits uneasily with the government’s efforts to curb budget deficits. The 2027 budget projects a wider deficit but makes no provision for public media funding.

Journalists and media organisations see the changes as an attempt to increase political control over coverage. They say the proposals have not been subjected to sufficient public debate, lack safeguards against political interference and would make funding more dependent on politicians.

Reporters Without Borders, the International Press Institute and the European Broadcasting Union are among the organisations that have criticised the plan.

Reuters

The Swiss government said on Friday the patient in Nigeria, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, had not travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the outbreak was first detected in mid-May before spreading to Uganda, Kenya and now Nigeria.

The Swiss federal department of foreign affairs said the woman was believed to have contracted Ebola while travelling with her husband in Uganda, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Ebola-free in August.

The outbreak has now been reported in four countries across eastern, central and western Africa, giving it the widest geographic spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent to date.

The possibility that the Nigerian patient became infected in Uganda, where officials say she spent a two-week holiday before returning to Abuja, has fuelled concerns about undetected transmission in a country where the outbreak had appeared to be under control.

Ugandan authorities have said the woman had been in eastern DRC before transiting through Uganda, but both the WHO and Africa’s top health body say that information had yet to be confirmed.

The WHO said investigations were continuing to establish the source of the infection. Nigerian authorities tested the woman for Ebola 13 days after she fell ill in Abuja.

One theory under investigation is that the Nigerian patient may have contracted the virus from Kenya’s first confirmed Ebola patient, who also flew from Uganda’s Entebbe airport on the same day in early October.

The Kenyan patient died two days later in a Nairobi hospital.

Experts have cautioned against drawing firm conclusions, saying that Ebola is spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated objects.

“I think that is very speculative unless there is evidence of sharing the same space in a manner that could explain that,” said Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virologist and member of the WHO’s Ebola emergency committee.

“Random presence at the same location, a large airport, is not a supported epidemiological link by any standard of what we currently know.”

The WHO’s Kenya representative, Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, said it could be coincidental that the two patients left Entebbe airport on October 3.

“Among the contacts that we even have here in country, even all those who are on the plane with this (Kenyan) patient and all airport staff, we have not had any infections in that group,” said Kimambo.

Uganda reported 20 Ebola cases in May and June, most of them imported from Congo, but has not detected a case since June.

Ugandan government spokesperson Alan Kasujja said on Thursday that Uganda had no Ebola cases and would make any such information public. He could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Ebola has infected nearly 10,000 people and killed more than 4,600 in Congo. The disease can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. Only people with symptoms can transmit the virus.

The rare Ebola species behind the current outbreak has no approved treatment or vaccine.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

There can be no doubt about it: Kagiso Rabada loves facing Australia.

His rapid recovery from a hamstring injury — which initial reports stated might prevent him from bowling until December — was fuelled by a desire to take on his favourite foe.

After the Proteas’ medical team showed caution, by giving him an extra week to recover and thus miss the Durban Test, he returned in Gqeberha and produced the type of main character performance that galvanises teammates.

From bowling 154km/h rockets to delivering jaffas such as the one to Matt Renshaw that trapped the left-hander lbw and bowled him or gesticulating to the Australians that they’d better go and bat again when South Africa enforced the follow-on, St George’s Park was a full “alpha male” showing from Rabada.

Play this on repeat 😂😂

Rabada ain't here to f**k spiders pic.twitter.com/Ql2cJxZVkq

— Georgie Heath🎙️ (@GeorgieHeath27) October 22, 2026

It was almost weird to hear him say in an interview on SuperSport that there were moments of self-doubt before the match. “I was quite nervous. I wasn’t sure where the ball was going to go,” said Rabada.

With his fourth delivery, he found the edge of Australian opener Nic Maddinson’s bat, giving Simon Harmer a comfortable catch at third slip. “Luckily it found the edge in that first over. Those early wickets [in both innings] were important.”

Ten minutes after Rabada had pointed out to the Australians that they would have to bat again, he got Maddinson out for a second time, similarly to the first — though rather than third slip, this time the catch went to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton.

He finished the match with 6/110 from 35 overs, a lot of labour in his first game back after a hamstring injury.

“First game back, lack of match fitness. I don’t think I’ve ever been that stiff in my life. I was struggling to get to the crease,” he smiled. “Importantly, the hamstring is good.”

A few days to put his feet up, along with time on the massage table, should have him ready for the series decider at Newlands that starts on Tuesday.

🔥 Rabada cleans up Renshaw! 🎯🇿🇦 Raw pace, pure aggression! 💥 #AUSvSA #TestCricket pic.twitter.com/1WSc3p6bXT

— Md Haqbaaz (@mdhaqbaaz) October 21, 2026

Rabada is just four wickets shy of becoming the fourth South African to take 350 Test wickets.

He has 64 wickets against Australia in only 12 tests at an average of 21.1. Dale Steyn, with 70, is the highest South African wicket-taker against the Australians.

Steyn is unequivocal about his support for the man who is following in his footsteps. “KG is the Proteas team. The impact he brings just through his sheer presence, let alone his personal performance, is colossal,” he posted on x.com.

Temba Bavuma and Marco Jansen said the same at St George’s Park. Jansen spoke of how he relied on Rabada for advice and support.

Bavuma echoed Steyn’s sentiments about Rabada’s mere presence affecting the Proteas’ changeroom. “When he’s on the field, he assumes that responsibility and pressure of leading the attack,” said the captain.

“I believe it allows everyone else to go out and do what they need to do: a guy such as Marco in the first innings, him taking a fiver, and then in the second innings, all the other guys coming in, like Wiaan Mulder with crucial wickets there. That’s what a leader does, right?

“KG’s not a big guy in terms of speeches; he’ll speak whenever he sees fit. But I think with the figure that he is, he is inspiring in a lot of ways.”

TimesLIVE

The government is seeking to prevent a repeat of last week’s demonstrations that descended into riots, looting and arson in several cities, triggering widespread criticism of authorities for not preventing the mayhem.

“We will be uncompromising with rioters, looters and all those who commit acts of violence,” Nunez told reporters on Friday after meetings involving President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and senior security officials.

Nunez said authorities had identified numerous online calls from hard-left groups encouraging attacks and urging activists to target public buildings.

“We are not talking about a nice, friendly demonstration,” Nunez said, adding: “We are ready for tomorrow. We will be extremely vigilant, extremely firm, and we will let absolutely nothing pass.”

Anger over living costs and strained public services has drawn students, workers and unions on to the streets of France in recent weeks, but authorities say radical militants and bands of young looters have taken advantage of the dispute to sow chaos.

Police have authorised only a union demonstration in Paris on Saturday, rejecting requests for rallies lodged by France’s main student union, UNEF, and the Yellow Vest movement, an anti-establishment force that first emerged in 2018.

Many French cities beyond Paris have also banned protests, including France’s second and third largest cities, Marseille and Lyon.

The student union said its rallies, which grew from high school protests last month against teacher shortages and shabby facilities, would go ahead regardless.

Fears of renewed turmoil prompted several of Paris’ best-known cultural institutions, including the Louvre, to close on Saturday, while the city’s normally bustling Art Basel fair will remain shut throughout the weekend.

Business groups also urged shops to stay shut after about 3,000 stores and businesses were ransacked last weekend.

Nunez said 10,000 more police would be on the streets than a week ago, while the specialist Raid and Gign units, mounted police, helicopters, drones and anti-drone systems would be deployed across the country.

Armoured vehicles and water cannon vehicles would also be available, while curfews imposed in some sensitive areas this past week would remain in force.

Authorities are also concerned that the annual congress of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in Orleans this weekend could become a flashpoint, with left-wing and anti-racist groups announcing counter-demonstrations.

The upsurge of violence has boosted poll ratings for Le Pen, who is the frontrunner for next year’s presidential election. She has portrayed the unrest as evidence of a collapse in state authority.

Adding to tensions, one person was killed and four injured in a shooting west of Paris on Friday in an attack that police said could be racially motivated.

Macron is due to meet student representatives later on Friday for the first time, seeking to de-escalate a crisis that has exposed deep social and political tensions.

Marylise Leon, the general secretary of the CFDT, one of the nation’s largest trade unions, criticised him on Friday for refusing to grant permission to more rallies on Saturday.

“It’s counterproductive because there is a lot of anger, a lot of anger and a demand to be considered and to be listened to,” she told French broadcaster TF1. “It’s not for the president to decide who can legitimately request to protest.”

The social turbulence has intensified scrutiny of France’s economic outlook and ratings agency Moody’s was widely expected to cut the French credit rating on Friday, underscoring concern that the government had not reined in public spending.

Reuters

The 30-year-old Cameroon international, who is on loan from Manchester United, was driving home with his family after the 2-0 victory over Scottish side Hearts when the accident occurred in the Yomra district of Trabzon, local news outlet 61Saat said.

Another vehicle struck Onana’s car from behind, pushing it into a vehicle ahead, the report said.

Onana and his family escaped unharmed, while club officials went to the scene to check on his condition.

Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan confirmed that Onana was in good condition following the accident, according to media reports. The goalkeeper joined the Turkish club on loan from Manchester United in 2025.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

KwaZulu-Natal organised crime unit technical detective, Sgt Rajen Sanders, has identified accused number five, Lindokuhle Ndimande, as the man who monitored rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his crew at Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban on the day he was murdered in 2023.

Sanders told the Durban high court on Friday that he watched video footage multiple times after downloading it and concluded that the man seen wearing shorts and a white T-shirt is accused number five.

Ndimande, 26, as well as Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, 30, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, 35, Mziwathemba Gwabeni, 36, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, 23, Malusi Dave, 30, and Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande, 31, pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.

Ndimande is seen in the footage moving in and out of Wish while talking on his phone.

He is also seen entering AuthentiQ bar and restaurant, where AKA’s friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane was seated with friends.

Ndimande was seated alone at a table just opposite AKA and his crew, and was constantly on his phone.

At the time of the shooting, Ndimande was still inside the restaurant.

Shortly after the shots were fired, he stood up while still on the phone, settled his bill by swiping his card, and left the restaurant.

In his bail application, Ndimande admitted that he was at Wish on the day AKA was killed, but said he had gone there for a date with his girlfriend, who never showed up.

The matter was adjourned until Monday. Sanders will continue giving evidence relating to the video footage.

TimesLIVE

Story audio is generated using AI

South Africa’s libraries for blind readers hold about 40,000 titles, compared with the 1.3-million accessible books available through one online library in the US.

For blind and print-disabled South Africans, however, the difference is more than a question of choice; it is a barrier to education, information and independence.

This is part of the reason Blind SA is taking the government to court over a delay it says is shutting visually impaired readers out of hundreds of thousands of books available elsewhere.

Blind SA president Christoffel “Christo” de Klerk said the organisation’s members can access only a portion of the US-based Bookshare library because South Africa has not adopted the Marrakesh Treaty, an international agreement intended to make published works more accessible to people with print disabilities.

“Learners and students are particularly hard hit as they thus do not have access to much educational material,” De Klerk said.

The treaty allows countries to create copyright exceptions under specified conditions so accessible versions of books can be produced and exchanged across borders without having to seek permission for every work.

This means South African readers could access a book already available in braille, audio or large print in another country, instead of having it converted from scratch.

Blind SA has approached the courts to challenge trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau’s decision to delay South Africa’s adoption of the treaty until the Copyright Amendment Bill becomes law.

The organisation argues that the delay has gone on for too long. The treaty was adopted on June 27 2013, and about 130 countries have acceded to it, including several African countries.

De Klerk described the government’s reasons for the delay as “frivolous”, saying the situation showed that the rights of blind and partially sighted people were not being taken seriously.

According to Blind SA, converting an average novel into braille costs about R30,000 and takes roughly a month.

“With access to accessible publications already produced elsewhere, local braille publishers could redirect that time and money towards making more books available rather than duplicating work done internationally.

“Adopting the treaty could immediately widen access to hundreds of thousands of publications across genres, benefiting students, professionals and people who read for leisure.”

De Klerk says the issue extends beyond the number of books on library shelves.

“Access to educational resources can affect whether learners study independently, while access to professional literature can help people develop skills and pursue opportunities.”

For Blind SA, the court challenge is about removing a barrier that other countries have already begun addressing.

“South Africans with visual impairments should not continue missing out on reading material simply because accessible copies are available elsewhere but remain difficult to obtain locally,” he said.

Sowetan

The gold, two-seaters, which come with butterfly doors and drive themselves without any steering wheel, pedals and mirrors, are one of the key bets CEO Elon Musk has made in his ambition of turning the EV maker into an AI and robotics company.

“As Tesla grows, we’ll mainly deliver fully designed autonomous vehicles to our customers and Cybercabs will be the first,” Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice-president of vehicle engineering, told analysts after reporting third-quarter results.

“We’re trying to get Cybercabs to customers by the end of this year, 2026,” he said. “As we start small this year, and we learn about delivery and ownership and fleet management of autonomous vehicles in customer hands, we’ll continue to scale that.”

After years of missed promises by Musk, Tesla started offering paid rides on a small fleet of Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, early last month amid a frenzy of fans and social ​media influencers.

Hours later, the ‌National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it opened an investigation into Cybercabs to assess how Tesla determined the cars comply with federal vehicle safety regulations.

The regulations, written decades ago for human-driven vehicles, require manual controls and limit commercial deployment of vehicles that are designed without them.

Unlike most other countries, where new vehicle models and technology need regulatory clearance ahead of launch, carmakers in the US can deploy them on the public roads by self-certifying ​that they meet federal standards.

The NHTSA declined to comment.

The agency last month said it was looking into the basis of Tesla’s certification of the Cybercab and the extent to which the company determined some standards were not applicable to the vehicle. Tesla has until October 30 to respond to the agency.

The NHTSA has proposed changes to federal safety standards to allow AVs that are designed without human controls. Until those changes are complete, existing standards remain in force, ​the NHTSA has said.

Scaling the Cybercab

“I think the key thing which we are trying to ensure is that we have all the regulatory approvals where we can start deploying the Cybercabs as fast as we can produce them,” Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of AI, ‌said on the call.

That aside, “scaling would not be that much of a challenge”, he said, adding the Cybercab was “one of the easiest products” to scale in terms of manufacturing.

The Cybercab is part of Tesla’s robotaxi network that includes autonomous Model Ys, some with human safety monitors. Over time, Tesla intends to make the Cybercab the main driverless vehicle model operating within a larger robotaxi network.

Tesla plans to expand the Cybercab service to Dallas next month, Elluswamy said.

The vehicle, however, will mainly be Tesla owned and used for its ride-hailing service, Musk said.

Reuters

Trump announced the deal this month as part of his efforts to bring down soaring diesel prices before November 3 US mid-term elections.

Trump also waived parts of a new US sanctions law against Russia and threatened Europe with a US diesel export ban unless countries released more from their emergency reserves to help ease prices.

The Malta-flagged medium-sized tanker Agioi Fanendes was loaded with 40,000 tonnes of ultra-low sulphur diesel in Russia’s Baltic port of Primorsk on October 22, according to LSEG shipping data. It is expected to arrive in the US on November 7.

The identity of the buyer and seller were not immediately known. The cargo will be the first imported by the US since former president Joe Biden announced a ban on US imports of Russian oil and petroleum products in 2022.

There have already been reports from the ministry of energy that the first tanker has set sail for its recipients, its buyers. Further shipments will continue at a steady pace from here on

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson

Trump announced on October 9 that Russia would immediately export 300,000 tonnes, or 2.25-million barrels, to the US and global markets, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and 1-million tonnes “immediately thereafter”.

A Kremlin spokesperson on Friday confirmed a first ship under the deal had departed, but did not specify whether it was bound for the US market or elsewhere.

“As far as I’m aware, there have already been reports from the ministry of energy that the first tanker has, in fact, set sail for its recipients, its buyers. Further shipments will continue at a steady pace from here on,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on a daily conference call.

The deal with the US involved Russia lifting a self-imposed ban on diesel exports.

Russia resuming global exports

Since the EU imposed a full embargo on imports of Russian oil products in February 2023 over the war in Ukraine, Russia has exported diesel mainly to Turkey and Brazil, as well as to African countries.

It also supplies Central Asia by rail.

Shipping data from LSEG and Kpler published this week showed Russian diesel cargoes resuming voyages to their traditional destinations after Moscow lifted its own ban, with at least two tankers signalling trips to Turkey and Brazil.

It was unclear where other tankers were destined for, with cargoes loaded in Primorsk signalling Gibraltar, the Atlantic Coast or Port-Said, LSEG data showed.

Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak has said additional US shipments would follow as companies from the two countries work out the necessary contracts.

Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who also heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, said last week that the US treasury had asked the fund to help sort out tricky payment issues relating to the agreement.

Novak has said that Russia would be able to increase its diesel exports to its usual levels of 3-million tonnes to 3.5-million tonnes per month by year-end.

Reuters

The two allies agreed in July 2025 to reinforce co-operation over their nuclear arsenals in response to growing threats to Europe and uncertainty over their US ally.

“Having independent nuclear forces does not preclude co-ordination,” said French armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin.

“Our nuclear co-operation with the UK continues to deepen: on Tuesday evening, British Typhoons took part for the very first time in a French nuclear exercise alongside Rafales (warplanes).”

After taking off from the Saint-Dizier air base in northeastern France, the French jets were escorted by British RAF Typhoon fighters, simulating a nuclear strike in an exercise called “Rummy”, France’s armed forces ministry said.

“In an increasingly dangerous world, our adversaries should be in no doubt: the UK and France stand together in their commitment to European security and to maintaining the deterrence that has helped preserve peace for generations,” added British defence secretary Wes Streeting.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron said in March that Paris would expand its nuclear arsenal and launched an initiative offering European partners joint exercises and possible short-term deployment of French nuclear-capable assets on their territory.

France spends roughly €5.6bn (R105bn) a year to maintain its stockpile of 290 submarine — and air-launched weapons — the world’s fourth-largest arsenal.

Britain has 225 nuclear warheads.

In comparison, Russia and the US have more than 5,000 each.

Reuters

“Based on findings by the Austrian security authorities, the Austrian foreign ministry has taken measures against four Russian diplomats in Vienna,” it said, adding that they had been declared personae non gratae and ordered to leave the country.

Three of them worked at Russia’s embassy to Austria and one at the Russian delegation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on military security and arms control, the ministry said.

Russian news agencies cited a foreign ministry official as saying Russia will respond to the expulsions, soon after Friday’s announcement, without elaborating.

The move brings to 18 the number of Russian diplomats Austria has expelled since 2020. While Austria is a neutral country, politically its governments have sided with Ukraine since Russia launched its all-out invasion in 2022.

While Austria does not usually comment on the specifics of such expulsions, during the last round in May, when it expelled three Russian diplomats, it said it was because of an “antenna forest” on the roofs of Russian diplomatic buildings that could be used for spying.

Vienna is a major diplomatic centre, hosting the OSCE and UN organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Larger countries such as Russia and the US often have separate ambassadors to Austria, the OSCE and UN organisations, each running an embassy or mission.

Vienna, which was divided into Allied sectors after World War 2, has long had a reputation as a den of spies. The large diplomatic presence offers the opportunity to station intelligence agents there under cover of diplomatic immunity.

Reuters

Video released by Romanian authorities showed only a small part of the hull of the capsized tanker still visible above the waves as it sank. Emergency vessels were searching the surrounding waters for survivors in choppy seas and high wind.

Romania’s naval authority said the Comoros-flagged Khoryv, with a crew of 13 Ukrainian and Azeri sailors, had sent a distress signal 13 nautical miles off Romania’s port of Constanta, just beyond Romanian territorial waters. Nine sailors were rescued from the water, three were missing and one body was recovered.

The past two weeks have seen a sudden surge in deadly attacks on commercial ships off the coasts of Nato members Romania and Bulgaria, with at least seven cargo ships hit and about 30 sailors reported dead or missing.

“It is part of Russia’s escalation process in its war in Ukraine,” President Dan told reporters, later saying the ship had been hit by a drone.

Nato said on Tuesday it would send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea. The alliance has not specified what capabilities would be sent. On Saturday, Romanian jets shot down two of the latest generation of Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters.

The vessels that have been struck lately have either been anchored near or headed towards the Sulina Canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea.

The canal has become the primary export route for Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest grain and food oil exporters, which has relied on Danube River ports and Romanian territorial waters as Russia has attacked Ukraine’s own Black Sea ports.

Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have called on Nato to do more to protect commercial shipping in the Black Sea.

Reuters

AI helped drive a doubling of the number of digital flaws discovered year-on-year, according to research due to be published in the coming days by VulnCheck, a Massachusetts, US-based threat intelligence firm.

Matthew Prince, the CEO of the digital infrastructure firm Cloudflare, said he was aware of “a bunch of additional severe vulnerabilities that are present in other pieces of critical software” and predicted busy months ahead as AI surfaced long-hidden weaknesses in the fabric of the internet.

“I think we’re going to have a couple of years where every single week it’s going to feel like the sky is falling,” Prince said in an interview on Thursday.

The outages that spread across government sites in Europe and elsewhere beginning on Wednesday happened after the discovery of weaknesses in PHP, a venerable programming language that powers a huge swath of the internet.

Operators have been rushing to fix their software in anticipation of mass exploitation and, because some felt they could not patch before hackers jumped in, a subset simply yanked their sites offline until they could make them safe.

VulnCheck researcher Patrick Garrity said the scramble to fix PHP came during an already busy week in cybersecurity. The week also brought disclosures of vulnerabilities in PHP alternative Node.js and streaming program Plex, breaches tied to AI gateway LiteLLM and development platform Railway, and the revelation that the Indian certificate authority eMudhra had used an extraordinarily flimsy cryptographic key that potentially put users across the internet at risk.

“If we just saw four or five things like this, this week, I would expect we’re going to see a lot more,” Garrity said. “I think there’s going to be a lot more fire drills for anything that’s internet exposed.”

Timelines shortening

The codebases that run modern programs are sprawling and mistakes, or “bugs”, that open up potential avenues for exploitation often crop up in unexpected places.

Previously, finding bugs required a baseline level of skill, and taking advantage of those bugs to build digital lockpicks — called “exploits” — could be expected to take weeks or months of work by an experienced professional.

That would, in the past, have provided defenders a little breathing room to fix bugs and gently roll out software updates.

AI has effectively thrown those assumptions out the window. Models can find one bug after another by subjecting codebases to round-the-clock scrutiny, and can turn around exploits in hours. Shane Fry, the chief technology officer of Virginia-based RunSafe Security, said the demonstrated performance of AI models over the past few months had effectively laid to rest any doubts over whether they would change the industry.

“What’s fundamentally, and unquestionably, changing is the timescale for not only finding vulnerabilities, but how quickly adversaries can weaponise them,” Fry said.

Scary monsters

While all the experts spoken to agreed that defenders’ timelines were getting shorter, they were split on whether AI would lead to a hacker free-for-all.

Daniel Stenberg, the lead developer of the file transfer tool curl, argued the vulnerabilities found by AI models tended to be exotic bugs that were difficult for rogue actors to take advantage of. Ramy Rahman, a senior principal solutions engineer at cybersecurity company ArmorCode, said, “More disclosed vulnerabilities do not automatically mean more successful attacks.”

There was tentative evidence of that around the PHP vulnerability that drew worldwide concern this week. Threat intelligence firm Hunt.io said that — like Amazon and Cloudflare — it had seen aggressive attempts to take advantage of the bug. But the firm’s head of research, Esteban Borges, said that, as of 2pm Eastern Time on Thursday (6pm GMT), the cybercriminals he tracked appeared to have failed to cobble together a working tool to take advantage of it.

Prince, of Cloudflare, said he had seen anecdotal evidence of compromises linked to the PHP vulnerability.

The deluge of AI-driven discoveries might rattle the industry, but would be a net positive in the end, he said, comparing it to slaying the monsters in a haunted house.

The confrontation might be scary, he said, but leaving the monsters to lurk quietly behind closed doors was far worse.

“The reality is, we’re going to get a lot of this stuff cleaned up,” he said.

Reuters