48 hours in pictures, 27 July 2025
Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
Grace Caitlin Brammer of South Africa competes during the Women's 1m Springboard Diving preliminaries at the World Aquatics Championships Singapore 2025 in Singapore, 26 July 2025. Picture: EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
US President Donald Trump reacts as he plays golf at the Trump Turnberry Golf Courses, in Turnberry on the south west coast of Scotland on July 27, 2025, during the third day of his visit to the country, since his second tenure as President began. Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen are set to meet later on July 27, in a decisive push to resolve a months-long transatlantic trade standoff with the US leader putting the chances of a deal at one in two. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) Women sit at a makeshift camp for civilians displaced amidst clashes along the disputed Thai-Cambodian border, in the Oddar Meanchey province, northwest of Cambodia, 27 July 2025. Fighting between Thai and Cambodian forces continued on 27 July, marking the fourth consecutive day of border clashes. According to a Cambodia's Ministry of Defence spokesperson, the conflict has displaced more than 80,000 people in Cambodia, shutting down hundreds of schools across several provinces. Picture: EPA/KITH SEREY A participant wears a shirt that shows clergy licking a candle during the 'CSD Berlin 2025,' the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, Germany, 26 July 2025. The 47th Christopher Street Day takes place under the motto 'Never be silent again!'. Picture: EPA/CLEMENS BILAN Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in the northern part of the Gaza Strip near Beit Hanoun, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, 27 July 2025. Picture: EPA/ATEF SAFADI Protesters take to the Hyde Park and the CBD streets during a rally against the Israeli invasion of Gaza, in Sydney, Australia, 27 July 2025. Picture: EPA/DEAN LEWINS Demonstrators gather for an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants since the 2023 October 7 attacks, outside the US embassy branch office in Tel Aviv on July 26, 2025. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP) Sheriff Knight (C), the dancing Cowboy, leads the line dance during the International Cowboy Day at Ngong race course in Nairobi on July 26, 2025. Country music have a loyal fan base in Kenya and the popularity of the music continuing to grow, the event was celebrated by hundreds of attendees with a collective of country artists performing. The headline of the event was Sir Elvis, Kenya's biggest country star. (Photo by Fredrik Lerneryd / AFP) Parktown Girls marimba band performs at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival Jazz for Young People at the National School of Arts In Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 26 July 2025. The concert dedicated to celebrating young jazz lovers while raising funds for the National School of Arts (NSA). Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen Jonathan Roxmouth performs in his 'My Favourite Broadway' show, 25 July 2025, at The Teatro at Montecasino in Fourways.The show sees him performing some of Broadway's most compelling anthems and showstoppers. He is accompanied by the newly-formed 32-piece Egoli Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Maetsro Adam Howard. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Joburg Zoo aquarist Peter Baloi is seen scuba diving in the zoo's walk-through tunnel tank, 26 June 2025, during an event inviting youngsters to find out what a career as an aquarist would involve. The presentations hoped to inspire attendees to consider careers in marine biology, zoology and diving. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen A man stands before one of the 'water spray fans' placed along the side of a the road on al-Sinak street in central Baghdad amid rising temperatures on July 27, 2027 during a severe heatwave. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP) Vaisnava Community members celebrate the festival called Padayatra in honour of Srila Prabhupadas the 50th Anniversary in Braamfontein in Johannesburg, 26 July 2025, after his visit to South Africa. Srila Prabhupada is the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement started in New York in 1966. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen A group of DC cosplayers pose for a group photo during Day 3 of 2025 Comic-Con International on July 26, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by) Firefighters and volunteers battle a wildfire in the area of Kryoneri, in the suburbs of Athens, Greece, 26 July 2025. Firefighting forces are battling the wildfire that broke out in Kryoneri, Attica. According to the Fire Service, the fire is considered difficult as it is spreading through a mixed area of forest and residential zones. There are reports of damage to homes, and some have been engulfed in flames. Picture: EPA/YANNIS KOLESIDIS
MORE PICTURES: Decorex Joburg a feast for design and art lovers
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The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Unrest in Angolan capital after 4 killed in fuel hike protests
About 45 shops were vandalised, while 25 private vehicles and 20 public buses were damaged in Angola's capital, Luanda. A woman carries a mannequin as looting erupted in the Kalemba 2 district of Luanda on July 28, 2025 during a general strike in the taxi sector declared for three days to protest against the rising prices of fuel. Picture: AFP Shots rang out as Angola's capital was gripped by a second day of looting Tuesday, after at least four people were killed and scores arrested when violence erupted during a strike against a fuel price hike. Transport in Luanda remained suspended and shops closed after massive looting on Monday, the first day of the taxi drivers' strike to condemn the July 1 price rise, which had already led to several protests. Gunfire could be heard in central Luanda's Cazenga area, where people were seen taking food and other items from shops, an AFP reporter said. Security forces deployed as looting spreads Images shared on social media showed clashes in the Rocha Pinto suburb near the airport and security forces deploying to a street where burning rubbish bins barricaded a road in the Prenda area. The government's decision to raise heavily subsidised fuel prices from 300 to 400 kwanzas ($0.33 to $0.43) a litre in July has caused anger in Angola, one of Africa's top oil producers where many people live in poverty. 'We are tired … they must announce something for things to change … for us to live in better conditions,' a protester told Angola's TV Nzinga. 'Why do you make us suffer like this? How will we feed our children? The prices have to go down,' a woman said, addressing President Joao Lourenco. Police confirm deaths and mass arrests Police reported 'a few isolated incidents of disorder' early Tuesday and said people involved 'were repelled and continue to be repelled'. ALSO READ: Kenyan cop faces possible murder charge for rally bystander's death 'We currently report four deaths,' Deputy Commissioner Mateus Rodrigues told reporters in a briefing about Monday's violence. He did not specify how they occurred. Police rounded up 400 people overnight for suspected involvement in the unrest after arresting 100 on Monday, he said. About 45 shops were vandalised, while 25 private vehicles and 20 public buses were damaged, he said. Banks were also targeted. 'We continue to stress that our forces are on the streets, equipped with the necessary resources based on the threat level, responding where order has been restored to maintain it, and intervening where there are still disturbances to reestablish public order and peace,' he said. Looting AFP photographs on Monday showed people running off with items looted from shops, while images posted on social media showed large crowds of protesters and, separately, police pushing back groups of people. Local media reports said security forces had used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. A journalist in the city of Huambo, around 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Luanda, said there had also been looting and rioting there. The New Alliance of Taxi Drivers Association (ANATA) distanced itself from Monday's violence but said the three-day strike would continue. ALSO READ: FlySafair pilots and management meet to table new proposal It 'has become clear that the voice of the taxi drivers reflects the outcry of the Angolan people', the association said in a statement Tuesday. Around 2,000 people demonstrated against the fuel hike on Saturday, with protests also held the previous two weekends. Human Rights Watch said police had used excessive force in the July 12 protest, including firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Civic groups condemn repression, warn of social collapse In a joint statement on Monday, civil society groups condemned the July 19 arrest of one of the organisers of the protests, Osvaldo Sergio Correia Caholo. He was a 'victim of the oppression in Angola, where freedoms and fundamental guarantees are constantly being trampled upon', they said. The protests were a 'direct consequence' of the government's failure to address unemployment, high living costs and a decline in public services, the Uyele civic group said. It is 'urgent to understand that we are facing a serious symptom: the social exhaustion of a youth with no alternatives', it said in a statement. Lourenco's MPLA party has ruled Angola, which has a population of around 33 million, since its independence from Portugal in 1975. NOW READ: Kenya's president warns against bid to 'overthrow' govt by protests
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Sudan's war is an economic disaster: here's how bad it could get
People walk past destroyed vehicles on the grounds of a hospital in Sudan's capital Khartoum in April 2025. Image: AFP In the two years of civil war in Sudan the country has lost more than 50% of it's economy. Image: AFP Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading My research applies economy-wide models to understand how conflict affects national development. In a recent study, my colleagues and I used this approach to answer the question: what will happen to Sudan's economy and poverty levels if the war continues through 2025? To assess the economic impact of the conflict, we used a Social Accounting Matrix multiplier model. This is a tool that captures how shocks affect different sectors and other agents of the economy, such as firms, government and households. Based on our modelling, the answer is devastating: the conflict could shrink the size of Sudan's economy by over 40% from 2022 levels, plunging millions more into poverty. We modelled two scenarios to capture the potential trajectories of Sudan's economy. The extreme scenario assumes a sharp initial collapse, with a 29.5% contraction in the size of the economy in 2023 and 12.2% in 2024, followed by a 7% decline in 2025, reflecting some stabilisation over time. The moderate scenario, based on World Bank projections, applies a 20.1% contraction in 2023 and a 15.1% drop in 2024, also followed by a 7% reduction in 2025, indicating a slower but more prolonged deterioration. We estimated the annual figures and report only the aggregate impacts through 2025 for clarity. We found that if the conflict endures, the value of Sudan's economy will contract by up to 42% from US$56.3 billion in 2022 (pre-conflict) to US$32.4 billion by the end of 2025. The backbone of livelihoods – agriculture – will be crippled. And the social fabric of the country will continue to fray. How we did it Our Social Accounting Matrix multiplier model used data from various national and international sources to show the impact of conflict on the value of the economy, its sectors and household welfare. We connected this to government and World Bank data to reflect Sudan's current conditions. This allowed us to simulate how conflict-driven disruptions affect the value of the economy, its sectors and household welfare. What we found Under the extreme scenario, we found: Gross domestic product collapse : Gross domestic product (GDP) measures the total value of all goods and services produced in a country within a year. It's a key indicator of economic health. We found that the value of Sudan's economy could contract by up to 42%. This means the country would be producing less than 60% of what it did before the conflict. This would affect incomes, jobs, government revenues and public services. The industrial sector – heavily concentrated in Khartoum – would be hardest hit, with output shrinking by over 50%. The value of services like education, health, transport and trade would fall by 40%, and agriculture by more than 35%. Job losses : nearly 4.6 million jobs – about half of all employment – could disappear. Urban areas and non-farm sectors would be worst affected, with over 700,000 farming jobs at risk. Incomes plummet : household incomes would decline across all groups – rich and poor, rural and urban – by up to 42%. Rural and less-educated households suffer the most. Poverty spikes : up to 7.5 million more people could fall into poverty, adding to the 61.1% poverty level in 2022. In rural areas, the poverty rate could jump by 32.5 percentage points from the already high rural poverty rate pre-conflict (67.6% of the rural population). Women, especially in rural communities, are hit particularly hard. Urban poverty, which was at 48.8% pre-conflict, increases by 11.6 percentage points. The agrifood system – which includes farming, food processing, trade and food services – would lose a third of its value under the extreme scenario. Why these findings matter Sudan was already in a fragile state before the war. It was reeling from decades of underinvestment, international sanctions and institutional breakdown. The war has reversed hard-won gains in poverty reduction. It is also dismantling key productive sectors – from agriculture to manufacturing – which will be essential for recovery once the conflict ends. Every month of continued fighting adds to the damage and raises the cost of rebuilding. Our projections already show major economic collapse, yet they don't include the full extent of the damage. This includes losses in the informal economy or the strain on household coping strategies. The real situation could be even worse than what the data suggests. What needs to be done First and foremost, peace is essential. Without an end to the fighting, recovery will be impossible. Second, even as conflict continues, urgent action is needed to stabilise livelihoods. This means: supporting agriculture in areas that remain relatively safe. Food production must be sustained to prevent famine. restoring critical services where possible – particularly transport, trade and retail – to keep local economies functioning protecting the most vulnerable, such as women in rural areas and the elderly, through expanded social protection and targeted cash assistance. Third, prepare for recovery. The international community – donors, development banks and NGOs – must begin laying the groundwork for post-conflict reconstruction now. This includes investment in public infrastructure, rebuilding institutions and re-integrating displaced populations. The bottom line Sudan's war is more than a political crisis. It is an economic catastrophe unfolding in real time. One that is deepening poverty, destroying livelihoods and erasing years of progress. Our research provides hard numbers to describe what Sudanese families are already experiencing every day. The country's economy is bleeding. Without a shift in the trajectory of the conflict, recovery could take decades – if it happens at all. | The Conversation Khalid Siddig is Senior Research Fellow and Program Leader for the Sudan Strategy Support Program, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Hamas delegation travels to Turkey as Gaza ceasefire talks falter
The United States and Israel have withdrawn from the negotiations, blaming Hamas for the impasse. Hamas's negotiating team left the Qatari capital Doha for Turkey on Tuesday to discuss the 'latest developments' in the stalled Gaza ceasefire talks, a Hamas official told AFP. 'A high-level leadership delegation from Hamas, headed by Mohammed Darwish, president of the movement's leadership council, and including the negotiation team and its head, Khalil al-Hayya, is departing Doha heading to Istanbul', the source told AFP. 'The delegation will hold several meetings with Turkish officials regarding the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations, which stalled last week', the source added. US and Israel exit the negotiation process For over two weeks, mediators in Qatar had been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations in a bid to secure a breakthrough in indirect talks for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza, nearly two years into the war. ALSO READ: Trump contradicts Netanyahu, Palestinians in Gaza facing 'real starvation' [VIDEO] The United States joined Israel last week in pulling its negotiators from the negotiations, with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff blaming the Palestinian militant group for the failure to reach a deal and saying Washington would 'consider alternative options'. Hamas politburo member Bassem Naim told AFP on Friday that the latest discussions focused on details of an Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Israel defiant amid famine warnings Israel has resisted international calls to agree a ceasefire in Gaza, with UN-backed experts warning on Tuesday that the Palestinian territory was slipping into famine. Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar called the ceasefire demands 'a distorted campaign of international pressure against Israel' that would leave Hamas in power in Gaza. 'It ain't gonna happen, no matter how much pressure is put on Israel', he said at a press conference Tuesday. NOW READ: Food arrives in Gaza after Israel pauses some fighting
