Corrupt officials charged for visas, residence permits for years, probe reveals
Investigators appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to examine corruption in the issuing of visas from 2004 to just before the GNU was created in 2024 found that the immigration administration at the Department of Home Affairs had been “treated as a marketplace” by a small group of officials. The Special Investigating Unit said four unnamed officials received direct deposits totalling more than R16 million. The unit said it had made 275 criminal referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said migrating processes to digitised systems was one the reforms aimed at stopping fraud.
Australia launches landmark royal commission into antisemitism
Public hearings have begun in the royal commission into antisemitism, established in response to the Bondi Beach shootings that killed 15 people and injured 40 in December last year. The federal commission – Australia’s most powerful form of public inquiry – will investigate the prevalence and key drivers of antisemitism and make recommendations to government. It is headed by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell. Security agencies and intelligence services, as well as families of victims and survivors of the attack will likely feature prominently in the hearings. Just last week, Naveed Akram – the second of the two gunmen (the first, his father, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene) appeared in court for the first time, facing 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist attack.
Mandelson released on bail after early-hours arrest
Former British ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson was arrested in the early hours by detectives investigating claims that he committed misconduct in public office during his friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Just after 2am, the Metropolitan police said Mandelson had been released on bail pending further investigation. This comes only days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor became the first member of the royal family to be taken into police custody in modern times, with emails appearing to show he had shared confidential information with Epstein while working as a British trade envoy.
Virus kills 72 tigers in Thai park, highlighting concerns about captive animals’ wellbeing
Canine distemper virus has caused the deaths of 72 tigers in two weeks across two facilities of the Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai, a popular tourist attraction in northern Thailand. Reports say authorities have not confirmed how the outbreak occurred among the park’s 240-strong tiger population. Canine distemper virus is a highly contagious disease that attacks the host’s respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems. It is typical among dogs, but can also infect big cats, and often fatally. Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand said in a statement that the tigers’ deaths exposed the “extreme vulnerability of captive wildlife facilities to infectious disease”.
Sources: The Guardian, Reuters, BBC