WATCH: What South Africans should know about kidnapping, human trafficking globally
Amid the kidnapping crisis in South Africa, which has led to some communities resorting to mob justice, here’s what South Africans need to know about the kidnapping and human trafficking trend globally.
With the onset of the Covid-19 global pandemic, kidnapping and human trafficking took a hiatus as countries restricted outdoor activities and travel which meant criminal groups needed to adapt to the new conditions.
Looking further back to pre-Covid-19, statistics reported by the Global Economy, which gathered official data from 65 countries, showed that South Africa had the third-highest kidnapping rate, at 9.6 kidnappings per 100 000 people in 2017.
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Putin’s cancer rumours continue, Russia denies illness
Following reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be ill with cancer, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied the speculation, during an interview with French TV.
Last week, the New York Post as well as the Daily Mail reported that Putin could be forced to hand over power temporarily in order to undergo cancer surgery. The reports cited a Telegram channel run by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service lieutenant-general that referred to Putin's “sickly appearance and uncharacteristically fidgety behaviour in public”. However, US officials said the reports could not be verified.
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Flight with 22 people on board missing in Nepal
A passenger plane with 22 people on board went missing in Nepal early on Sunday, its airline said.
The Twin Otter aircraft took off from the western town of Pokhara at 9.55am (0410 GMT) but soon lost contact with air traffic control.
A domestic flight bound for Jomsom from Pokhara has lost contact," Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson for Tara Air, told AFP.
On Wednesday, reports said rescuers retrieved the bodies of all 22 people on board the plane that crashed in the Himalayas. The black box was recovered from the crash site.
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Russia suspends gas deliveries to Denmark, Germany
Russia has stopped the supply of gas to Danish energy group Orsted and Shell Energy Europe Limited, which supplies Germany, after they refused the new sanctions-induced payment arrangement, Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Wednesday.