Independent Online (IOL) reported on Thursday that the four men arrived at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, where they were met by South African police before being taken into custody for processing.
According to the report, their return followed diplomatic engagements between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Feb. 10, during which the two leaders pledged support for the safe repatriation of South African citizens caught up in the conflict.
Quoting DIRCO Minister Ronald Lamola, IOL reported that the men had been contracted by private security companies in Russia rather than directly enlisted into the Russian military.
“They will be allowed to return when their contracts are cancelled,” Lamola was quoted as saying, adding that the repatriation would take place in phases.
“The Russian government is assisting with their return… What is clear is that they were lured under false pretenses, and that matter is now the subject of a police investigation in South Africa,” the minister said.
On Nov. 6, 2025, the South African Presidency announced that it had been alerted about the 17 men who were “trapped” in the war-torn Donbas region of Ukraine.
The men reportedly claimed they were lured with promises of lucrative employment, only to find themselves caught in a conflict zone.
Local reports indicate that the four men arrived at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday.
The European representatives were barred from joining the discussions and remained at a hotel, the report said.
The British delegation was seeking to learn about the outcome of the meeting, it said, noting that representatives from Germany, France and Italy were also closely following the talks.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the negotiations were difficult and full of challenges.
No documents were signed during the talks, RIA Novosti said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov disclosed that the negotiations were full of challenges.
It marks the first large-scale delivery to the area in three months, according to a joint statement by the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Development Programme.
The convoy, comprising 26 trucks, transported over 700 metric tons of food commodities and 70 metric tons of medical supplies, it said.
“After weeks of delays and a difficult detour, these life-saving supplies, including food assistance, are finally reaching Dilling and Kadugli,” said Makena Walker, acting country director for WFP in Sudan. “This shows what is possible when we can push forward with humanitarian convoys, even in extremely challenging conditions.”
The UN agencies explained that intensified hostilities along the main El Obeid-Dilling-Kadugli route forced the convoy to halt for more than 40 days. It ultimately reached Dilling by navigating a longer and more difficult off-road passage.
“These supplies will allow UNICEF and our partners to continue lifesaving treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and to restore access to safe water, healthcare, and other essential services,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative in Sudan.
The statement urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law and facilitate immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need.
The two cities — Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, and Dilling, the second-largest city in the state — had been cut off from aid for over two years, leading to severe shortages of essential humanitarian supplies.
On Jan. 26, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced it had entered Dilling. On Feb. 3, it declared it had broken the over-two-year siege of Kadugli imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.
Sudan has been engulfed in a power struggle between the SAF and RSF since mid-April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands and created the world’s largest displacement crisis.
The report said Israel is maintaining a high level of readiness amid the possibility of a near-term U.S. strike on Iran, estimating that if launched, such an operation could develop into a weeks-long campaign.
Officials said U.S. President Donald Trump appears closer to launching a large-scale confrontation in the Middle East, and that Israel is preparing for a scenario in which fighting could break out “possibly within days.”
“We are facing challenging days in relation to Iran,” Boaz Bismuth, chairman of parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said in the Knesset, adding, “The public is preparing, the authorities are preparing.”
Additionally, a pre-scheduled meeting of Israel’s security cabinet was postponed from Thursday to Sunday, a government official said, amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and a U.S. military buildup in the region.
U.S. online outlet Axios reported, citing open-source flight radar data and a U.S. official, that last week Trump sent a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East. More than 50 F-35, F-22, and F-16 fighter jets have moved to the region over the past 24 hours.
Iran and the United States concluded the second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday. The negotiations, held at Oman’s embassy in the Swiss city, were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The first round of the indirect talks took place in the Omani capital Muscat on Feb. 6.
Mozambique is among countries in the Southern African region looking to benchmark with nations like Rwanda, which has successfully rolled out an e-government portal handling over 100 government services, making service delivery to citizens easier, more convenient, and paperless.
Speaking after the First National Conference on Digital Transformation, Américo Muchanga, Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, said the government is learning from other countries’ experiences to overcome challenges and deliver high-quality digital services.
“We want to move at the same pace as those ahead, learning from those who have done it already, learning from the challenges they faced and how they overcame them to bring about the same level of services that you can find in those countries,” the minister said.
He acknowledged that the path ahead will not be easy but emphasised that Mozambique is prepared to combine political will, digital infrastructure, and private-sector involvement to make the transformation a reality.
The minister also outlined opportunities for investors and companies, saying, “Mozambique is open for business. All our tenders for digital systems and infrastructure are international. We invite companies in the technology sector to look to Mozambique as a place to invest and deliver the services we need as a nation.”
Mozambique’s digital agenda includes the creation of a Multi-Sector Technical Commission to develop a national roadmap for integrating public services. The government aims to enable citizens and businesses to access services such as identity documentation, licensing, tax payments, and business registration through interoperable platforms and a central Citizen Portal, reducing bureaucratic delays and improving transparency.
Muchanga highlighted the role of technology in disaster management, noting Mozambique’s recent floods and cyclones.
“We are using telecommunication networks to send messages to people in affected areas, and we employ drones to assess damage and locate stranded citizens. Technology has a crucial role in saving lives and building resilient communities,” he said.
As Mozambique advances its digital transformation agenda, the government hopes that partnerships with regional and international technology players will accelerate the rollout of integrated public services, strengthen resilience to natural disasters, and bring the country closer to its goal of building a seamless, citizen-centred digital state.
Mozambique’s President, Daniel Francisco Chapo, has framed digitalisation as a governance reform rather than a purely technological upgrade.
Delivering the verdict on Thursday, Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon said, “The declaration of martial law resulted in enormous social costs, and it is difficult to find any indication that the defendant has expressed remorse for that.”
“As to defendant Yoon Suk Yeol, the crime of insurrection leadership is established,” the judge said. “We sentence Yoon to life imprisonment.”
The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court concluded that Yoon led the events of December 3, 2024. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for the impeached leader, who was removed from office after declaring martial law.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the court determined that a central element of the case was Yoon’s deployment of military forces to the National Assembly of South Korea in December 2024.
Judges found he intended to disrupt and paralyze parliamentary operations for a significant period, though they rejected claims that he sought to establish a long-term dictatorship.
Throughout the trial, Yoon, 65, denied wrongdoing, insisting he had constitutional authority to impose martial law and that the move was meant to counter obstruction by opposition parties.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaking at a past event before his arrest.
“Following its annual review of restrictive measures in relation to Zimbabwe, the EU has lifted all provisions concerning individuals and entities while extending the arms embargo,” the delegation said in a statement.
According to the European Council, the embargo will remain in force until Feb. 20, 2027.
The bloc imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002, citing “serious concern” about the situation in the country.
Speaking at the country’s First National Conference on Digital Transformation in Maputo last week, President Daniel Francisco Chapo framed digitalisation as a governance reform rather than a purely technological upgrade.
“Countries are not transformed only with physical infrastructure. They are also transformed through digital infrastructure that connects citizens to the State and to opportunity,” he said.
At the heart of the initiative is the creation of a Multi-Sector Technical Commission on Digital Services, tasked with delivering a national roadmap for integrating public digital systems by mid-2026. The Commission will map existing platforms, promote interoperability, eliminate duplication, and define a strategy for a fully connected government.
President Chapo acknowledged that fragmentation across government institutions—such as separate databases and non-communicating systems—creates inefficiencies and administrative burdens.
“There must be no technological islands within the State,” he said.
The reform aims to enable citizens and businesses to access services such as identity documentation, licensing, tax payments, and business registration remotely through interoperable platforms and a central Citizen Portal.
Officials say digital integration could reduce bureaucratic delays, improve transparency, and strengthen Mozambique’s investment climate, a key priority as the country seeks to expand private-sector participation and align with regional digital trade frameworks under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Mozambique has already established a dedicated Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation, consolidating institutional leadership of the digital agenda. The initiative comes amid recent floods affecting several provinces, with President Chapo noting that digital platforms are vital for disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and secure preservation of administrative records.
“Yesterday, independence was measured by control of territory. Today, it is also measured by the ability to govern the digital space,” President Chapo said, framing digital transformation as a pillar of national sovereignty.
The conference also saw the unveiling of a new electronic visa (e-Visa) platform, which allows remote applications and faster processing to streamline entry, boost tourism, and improve the ease of doing business.
Mozambique’s “one-click” ambition reflects a broader effort to learn from successful ICT integration models in Africa, including Rwanda’s Irembo platform and Kenya’s M-Pesa system, which Mozambique has recently adopted to expand access to mobile money.
Last August, President Chapo visited Rwanda, including the Kigali Special Economic Zone, where he explored the country’s industrial, manufacturing, and business infrastructure and held discussions with President Paul Kagame on economic and technological cooperation.
“We want to move at the same pace as those ahead, learning from those who have done it already, understanding the challenges they faced and how they overcame them to bring about the same level of services that can be found in those countries,” said Mozambique’s Américo Muchanga, Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, adding that tech companies from the region can compete for tenders to help transform the country.
While the digital reform signals strong political commitment, implementation will depend on institutional coordination, infrastructure expansion, digital literacy, and sustained financing. Mozambique’s internet penetration, rural connectivity gaps, and cybersecurity capacity remain structural factors that will influence the pace of transformation.
President Daniel Francisco Chapo framed digitalisation as a governance reform rather than a purely technological upgrade.Mozambique’s First National Conference on Digital Transformation was held in Maputo last weekMozambique’s ICT Minister Américo Muchanga addresses the conference.
The operation was launched on the reported presence of militants in the area, during which an exchange of fire took place, resulting in the killing of eight terrorists, the CTD said in a statement.
During the confrontation, three CTD personnel were injured and shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, the statement said.
Authorities said a large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the scene.
Security forces cordoned off the area and carried out a search operation to ensure the situation was under control, the statement added.
Initial reports suggested that the slain militants were affiliated with a banned organization. However, investigations are ongoing to ascertain their identities and possible network, the CTD said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cited government figures showing that at least 52 people were killed, over 800 others injured, and nine remain missing after Tropical Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Feb. 10 on Madagascar’s eastern coast.
Earlier, Tropical Cyclone Fytia made landfall on Jan. 31.
Preliminary reports indicate that over 470,000 people have been affected by Cyclone Gezani and more than 35,000 have been displaced, including 3,200 people sheltering in 19 temporary sites, OCHA said.
“The UN and its partners are providing lifesaving food, water and sanitation, health care, protection, nutrition and shelter, among other essential services,” OCHA said, adding that humanitarian partners estimate that 49 million U.S. dollars is urgently required to support 382,000 people over the next two and a half months.
The office said the target amount is part of the Malagasy government’s Feb. 14 appeal for 142 million dollars to address urgent humanitarian, recovery and reconstruction needs.
“In a positive forecast, Cyclone Gezani is expected to gradually weaken over the coming days,” the office added.
The UN Children’s Fund said at least 6,000 of the displaced by Gezani are children and nearly 29,000 are unable to attend school.
The fund said it is working with the government to restore services as quickly as possible to reduce further risks for children in the weeks ahead.
