Injury-plagued utility back Francois Steyn was the big-name omission from the 40-man Springbok training squad named on Saturday for next month’s Rugby Championship. Steyn, now 36, was a key figure in the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph in Japan as well as the 2007 victory in France. His chances of becoming a champion for a third time appear to […]

The US halts food aid to Ethiopia, citing “a widespread and coordinated campaign” to divert donated supplies from the needy. USAID halted food aid to Ethiopia Thursday 8th June, 2023, citing “a widespread and coordinated campaign” to divert donated supplies from the needy as Addis Ababa vowed to hold perpetrators to account. “We made the […]

A top United Nations official said Wednesday 7th June, 2023, during a visit to DR Congo, that peacekeepers should withdraw from the conflict-torn central African country “as quickly as possible” yet responsibly. Addressing reporters in the capital Kinshasa, UN Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, also warned that the Congolese state had to step up […]

New Zealand announced a ban on disposable vapes Tuesday, tightening the nation’s chokehold on smoking as it also phases in a near-total prohibition on tobacco sales. Disposable vapes — defined as those without removable or replaceable batteries — will be banned from August, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said. “Too many young people are vaping, which is why […]

German police said they smashed a human trafficking network Wednesday accused of smuggling hundreds of people in “inhumane” conditions. German police said they smashed a human trafficking network Wednesday accused of smuggling hundreds of people in “inhumane” conditions, with six suspects arrested in raids across Germany, Romania and Bulgaria. The suspects are believed to have trafficked […]