Cape Verde captain getting to grips with World Cup qualification

IGDIR, TURKEY – Ryan Mendes is not even a household name in Turkey, where he plays for second division Igdir, but next summer, football fans around the world will be well aware of both him and his team. The 35-year-old is captain of the Cape Verde...

Five countries flagged for holding up Comesa-EAC-SADC mega trade bloc

Five members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) are holding back the full rollout of a mega free-trade area (FTA) stretching across 26 African countries from Cape Town to Cairo, it has been revealed. The mega trade bloc...

Syria’s Hidden Fleet: How Assad’s Regime Sold State Ships for One Dollar

In early January, under a pale winter sun over the Black Sea, satellites spotted a red-hulled cargo ship moored near a grain silo in Russian-occupied Crimea. The vessel was one of three Syrian cargo ships—Phoenicia, Laodicea, and Syria—accused by...

Over 46 Girls Sexually Violated in 3 Months

Reading Time: 2 minutesOver 46 young girls aged between zero and 17 years have been sexually violated in Eswatini in the past three months. This was revealed by Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) Executive Director Nonhlanhla Dlamini, who...

MTN Bushfire trader applications now open

Reading Time: 2 minutesMTN Bushfire calls for experienced vendors specialising in high quality food, craft and experiential services to apply for the opportunity to trade at the 19th edition of the MTN Bushfire international festival of music and...

Which teams can qualify for the World Cup in Africa?

- Advertisement - Ghana Ghana can seal qualification if it avoids defeat against Comoros irrespective of Madagascar’s result against Mali. Cape Verde/ Cameroon A win over Eswatini will take Cape Verde to its maiden World Cup finals. A draw will...

World Cup qualifying update: Where teams stand as 2026 draw closes in

Willy Semedo’s 82nd-minute equalizer meant Cape Verde (6-1-2, 20 points) remained atop CAF Group D and kept Libya (4-2-3, 15 points) in third place. Victory over last-place Eswatini (0-6-3) in Praia on Monday clinched Cape Verde’s first World Cup...

Trump administration scrambles to find country to take Abrego Garcia before judge orders release

The Trump administration is struggling to find a foreign country willing to accept Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national with a checkered legal history, as a federal judge in Maryland weighs ordering his release from immigration...

Crime rate drops by 3.8%

Reading Time: 2 minutesOver the past three months, the crime rate has decreased by 3.8% compared to the same period last year. This period covers July to September. According to statistics released by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) in...

7 years of strong, inclusive growth

Prosper Ndlovu, National Editor CONSISTENT implementation of comprehensive macro-economic and sectoral reforms has set the economy on accelerated, strong and inclusive growth driven by higher productivity in major sectors, which has leapfrogged...

7 years of strong, inclusive growth . . . as Zim economy defies global headwinds

Prosper Ndlovu Bulawayo Bureau CONSISTENT implementation of macro-economic and sectoral reforms has set the economy on accelerated and inclusive growth driven by higher productivity in major sectors, leapfrogging Zimbabwe above several regional...

WACC presents Jimmy Story

Ambassador Jimmy Story is the World Affairs Council Charleston's next speaker on Oct. 18, from 6 to 7 p.m., at Charleston Library Society on 164 King St. This timely talk will explore whether promoting democracy should remain a cornerstone of US...

‘Cat’ still caged: Judge reserves ruling in Vusimuzi Matlala’s high-stakes bail battle

Cape Town – Judgment has been reserved in the bail appeal of businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who faces multiple criminal charges including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud, and money laundering. According to IOL, the...

Madagascar soldiers urge other members of the military and the police not to take “shoot to kill” orders from their superiors, unite with protesters and oust President Andry Rajoelina.

By Musa Mdluli MBABANE:Some groups of Madagascan soldiers have defied orders and joined thousands of antigovernment protesters assembled in the capital-Antananarivo, as demonstrations against President Andry Rajoelina’s rule gain momentum,...

ACC Faces Pressure Over ‘Bobhabuli’

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has once again found itself under public scrutiny over the continued absence of arrests involving high-profile individuals, commonly referred to as ‘bobhabuli’. This concern was raised...

'Cat' Matlala wants to be released for R100,000

CONTROVERSIAL businessman and alleged mastermind behind a series of contract killings, Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala has not provided any evidence of having suffered any medical condition after spending more than five months in custody. That was the...

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina appeals for urgent help, confirms moves to remove him from power amid deadly protests.

By Bongiwe Dlamini MBABANE:The Office of Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina says an attempt to seize power illegally and by force is under way in the country amid deadly protests, the British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) reported on Sunday....

Cape Verde’s historic leap – from archipelagic underdogs to World Cup debutants

In a nation of only 525,000 people scattered across 10 volcanic islands off Africa’s west coast, football has long been more than just a game in Cape Verde – it is a symbol of unity and aspiration. The national team – nicknamed the “Blue Sharks” –...

Regional airlines association has elected its next chairperson, deputy chairperson

The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) has elected its incoming chairperson and deputy chairperson, at its fifty-fifth Annual General Assembly (AGA), which was held in Lusaka, Zambia, and hosted by Proflight Zambia (which was Zambia’s...

Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala awaits high court decision after bail appeal hearing

Businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s fight for freedom continued in the Johannesburg high court on Monday where he appealed against the Alexandra magistrate’s court decision to deny him bail last month. Matlala, who faces multiple charges...