
US charges Cuba’s Raúl Castro with murder over 1996 downing of two planes
Castro and five others are charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals, murder, and destruction of aircraft
THURSDAY, 21 MAY 2026, 15:37

Castro and five others are charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals, murder, and destruction of aircraft

Most former PEC members retained amid ongoing court battle over elective conference
Eskom may step in and sort out Johannesburg’s electricity crisis after City Power fails to pay the national power utility a debt exceeding R5.2bn.

Sergei Krajev, 64, was taken to hospital after he was found critically injured on Monday.

Former Wigan Mayor Michael Winstanley is named as the Conservative Party’s candidate.
Nearly two full years after being elected into Parliament and becoming the official opposition to the national coalition, the MK party shows many signs that it is unable to fulfil a vitally important job.
In his final State of the City address, outgoing Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero delivered an upbeat farewell filled with cherry-picked statistics and swipes at political rivals. However, the optimistic tone was overshadowed by a crippling R5.3bn Eskom debt threat and widespread municipal collapse.
From R9,500 commercialisation conferences to millions of livestream views, school sport is increasingly being drawn into a professionalised, high-pressure economy. Coaches, psychologists and parents say its educational and developmental purpose is being displaced by performance and profit, while legal experts warn that children risk being reduced to unpaid entertainers in a rapidly expanding...

And fuel duty freeze extended to the end of the year
Salim Essa, a central figure in South Africa’s State Capture, evades justice in Dubai as prosecutors pursue his extradition for orchestrating massive corruption linked to state contracts.
South African digital insurer Naked has launched a ChatGPT app that can generate a final, binding car insurance quote inside the chatbot, in what the company says is a global first for motor insurance.
South Africa’s conservation establishment has a favourite phrase, ‘sustainable use’, presented as the pragmatic answer to balancing biodiversity protection with economic reality. But sustainable use is not a self-executing principle. It depends on science, lawful governance and meaningful enforcement. Where those conditions collapse, the framework does not conserve wildlife. It...
Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has confirmed to Parliament that the State Security Agency is conducting lifestyle audits of lieutenant generals and that more senior officers will be vetted. This is among several plans to ‘reset’ and bolster the police service.
A year ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa was ambushed in the White House. Today, Roelf Meyer will present his credentials to President Donald Trump as the new South African Ambassador to Washington. The hope is that this act will restore diplomatic channels and reset relations between the nations.

Raúl Castro was armed forces minister when Cuban military jets shot down two civilian planes operated by exiles of the communist country.

Curious about what the skies hold? Discover the latest outlook for all nine provinces across South Africa this Thursday, 20 May 2026.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would speak with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, an unprecedented move for a US leader that could roil US relations with China.
Seasoned broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer brings you The Lead, News24’s definitive podcast for in-depth reporting.

Arsenal fans young and old celebrate winning the Premier League title after three consecutive second-placed finishes.