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South Africa Flood Disaster Leaves at Least 49 Dead, Dozens Missing

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South Africa Flood Disaster Leaves at Least 49 Dead, Dozens Missing

At least 49 people have died and many more are missing following catastrophic flooding in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, where days of relentless rainfall and snowfall triggered by an extreme cold front have devastated communities and critical infrastructure.

The deadly weather system swept across parts of southern and eastern South Africa over the weekend, inundating towns, destroying homes, and leaving hundreds stranded. Authorities say the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue across the region.

“As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered,” said Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane at a press briefing. “I have never seen something like this,” he added, expressing shock at the scale of destruction.

Among the dead are six high school students who were swept away when their school bus was caught in rising floodwaters near a river. Four other students remain missing. The bus was located on Wednesday, but it was empty. Three students were rescued the day before, found clinging to trees as waters surged around them.

The provincial government confirmed that 58 schools and 20 healthcare facilities sustained damage in the flooding. Approximately 500 people have been displaced, with many housed in temporary shelters after their homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable.

Disaster response teams have been deployed across the Eastern Cape and neighboring KwaZulu-Natal province. Efforts are ongoing to locate missing persons, deliver aid to affected areas, and assess the full extent of the damage.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the victims’ families and pledged government support. His office confirmed that the National Disaster Management Centre is coordinating with provincial authorities to assist with emergency relief and recovery operations.

The disaster has once again highlighted the vulnerability of South Africa’s infrastructure and communities to extreme weather events, which scientists warn are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

As search teams continue their work, officials urge caution, with additional rainfall forecast in some affected areas. Recovery efforts are expected to extend for weeks as families mourn, communities rebuild, and the nation grapples with the tragedy’s full impact.

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Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations

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US Congress to Review Relations with South Africa, Sudan

Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations

 

US House Democrats have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her handling of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, unless President Donald Trump removes her from office.

 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that Democrats could proceed “the easy way or the hard way,” describing the actions of Noem’s department as “disgusting.”

 

The crisis follows the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by a federal agent, which has triggered backlash in Minneapolis and led to the planned departure of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Borvino and some agents from the city.

 

Trump has deployed his “border tsar,” Tom Homan, to take charge of on-the-ground operations, while a Minnesota judge has ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to appear in court over alleged violations of court orders.

 

Trump has distanced himself from claims by senior adviser Stephen Miller that Pretti was a “would-be assassin,” saying he did not believe the victim was acting as one.

 

Video footage shows Pretti holding a phone while filming agents, not a gun, although police say he was a legal firearm owner.

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UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief

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Trafficking: Libya Deports 700 Sudanese Migrants

UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief

 

The United Nations has expressed concern after South Sudan’s Deputy Army Chief, Gen. Johnson Oluny, was heard urging troops to “spare no-one,” including children and the elderly, ahead of military operations in opposition-held areas of Jonglei State.

 

In a video posted on Facebook, Oluny, addressing members of his Agwelek militia, called for total destruction during the deployment.

 

The UN Mission in South Sudan condemned the remarks, describing them as “utterly abhorrent,” and warned that inflammatory rhetoric targeting civilians must stop immediately.

 

South Sudan’s government, however, said the statement did not amount to an official order, insisting it remains committed to protecting civilians.

 

Minister of Information Ateny Wek Ateny said civilians were being warned only to avoid being caught in crossfire.

 

The development comes amid escalating fighting in Jonglei, where forces loyal to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar have seized several areas.

 

The military has ordered civilians, UN personnel and aid workers to evacuate three counties—Nyirol, Uror and Akobo—ahead of an imminent operation.

 

The UN says more than 180,000 people have been displaced by the renewed violence.

 

Meanwhile, tensions remain high as opposition forces threaten to advance towards the capital, Juba, a claim dismissed by the army.

 

South Sudan has been unstable since a 2018 peace deal ended a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people, but lingering political rivalry and ethnic tensions continue to threaten fragile peace.

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Diplomacy

Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments

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Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments

 

The Rwandan government has initiated arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom, seeking payments it says are owed under the now-abandoned asylum partnership agreement between both countries.

 

Rwanda has filed the case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, arguing that the UK failed to honour financial commitments contained in the deal signed under the former Conservative government.

 

The agreement, designed to relocate some asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, was scrapped in 2024 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the Home Office saying about £220m in future payments would no longer be made.

 

UK authorities insist the policy was costly and ineffective, pledging to defend the case to protect taxpayers’ funds.

 

Rwanda, however, says the arbitration concerns unmet treaty obligations and is seeking a legal determination of both parties’ rights under international law.

 

The PCA lists the case as pending, with no timetable yet announced for hearings or a ruling.

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