Gwendolyn Wellmann

Sociologist, conservationist (hopefully), development professional

[Reuters @Reuters]

At least 30 people died in the Kigonze camp in Bunia, Congo since May as water shortages, poor sanitation and healthcare limitations hamper efforts to stop an Ebola outbreak https://t.co/HZSSnX4lXY

[Piers Morgan @piersmorgan]

How can anyone still support this Israeli govt when psychopathic monsters like Ben Gvir are ministers in it, advocating genocide in Lebanon? Disgusting.

[Suppressed News. @SuppressedNws1]

IRAN HAS CLOSED THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AGAIN AFTER ISRAEL BOMBED LEBANON.

The IRGC Navy warns that NO vessel should attempt to cross.

Iran says the Strait will remain CLOSED until Israel withdraws from Lebanon, the naval blockade is fully lifted, and U.S. forces leave the Persian Gulf and the region.

The IRGC is broadcasting a warning on maritime frequencies:

“The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until these conditions are met.”

“Any vessel that defies this directive will be TARGETED.”

The move comes after Israeli strikes on Southern Lebanon and Israel’s refusal to withdraw from Lebanese territory.

[New York Post @nypost]

Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz closed again after US lifts blockade https://t.co/tlT6JKehC5

[CNN International @cnni]

A deadly strain of bird flu sweeping through remote islands near Antarctica has devastated the native wildlife population, killing an estimated 13,000 seal pups, as well as penguins and seabirds, researchers say. https://t.co/QVDhXwdFsI

[Henning Melber @HenningMelber]

Who was Andimba Toivo ya Toivo? The Namibian leader who chose justice over power https://t.co/UpzzV7nK4f via @TC_Africa

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

Filipino conjoined twins Olivia and Gianna were successfully separated during a six-hour surgery in Saudi Arabia.

The operation carried out in six stages involved 22 specialised medical staff.

[IOL News @IOL]

The very waters that define Cape Town’s global beauty are masking a grim forensic crisis, as a landmark study reveals how the marine environment is actively frustrating police investigations and leaving dozens of families without closure.
Read on https://t.co/eWwY0ZC0my
#news #SouthAfrica #CapeTown #WesternCape #CrimeAndCourts #forensics

[Anonymous @YourAnonNews]

For the first time ever in the United States the national price of a pound of Ground beef is now higher than the federal hourly minimum wage.
Thank you MAGA & Trump!
https://t.co/ZEx6YxKCaO

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

Three 16-year-old Indian students turned a simple observation into a groundbreaking environmental innovation.

While visiting a rural village, Avyana Mehta, Ariana Agarwal, and Vivaan Chhawchharia noticed a young child drinking water from a communal plastic container. That moment sparked their concern about invisible microplastics contaminating drinking water.

Motivated to find a solution, the trio developed Plas Stick, a biodegradable powder made from waste tamarind seeds. When added to water, the powder causes microplastic particles to clump together, making them easier to filter out. The invention requires no electricity, no expensive equipment, and is designed to be affordable and practical for communities lacking advanced water treatment systems.

Their innovation earned them a historic achievement in 2026: they became the first Indian team to win The Earth Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious environmental awards for teenagers.

Beyond the award, the students have conducted workshops reaching over 8,000 people across India, raising awareness about microplastic pollution and sustainability.

Their story proves that meaningful change can start with curiosity, compassion, and the courage of young minds determined to solve real-world problems.

[ABC News @ABC]

Fewer than 49% of Americans can afford healthcare, the lowest rate since tracking began in 2021, according to Gallup data released Thursday. https://t.co/U0BQq4QXtA

[Dave Jones ( Mdeva) 😄 @DaveJon63336865]

Irish lads supporting SA and the world cup in USA today class 🤣

So much respect for these four lads who purchased tickets for today's World Cup in Atlanta between Czechia and South Africa before the game in Prague.

We're told the lads booked the flights when Ireland went up 2-0 against Czechia. The lads kept the tickets, bought some South Africa jerseys, a Father Ted flag and made their own memories.

The kits were reportedly bought on Ali Express for 20 quid a pop.

South Africa battled back in the end for a 1-1 draw with the support of four new fans.

[Anderson Cooper 360° @AC360]

A source told the Washington Post that millions of dollars allocated for the Secret Service was redirected for ballroom project construction, despite Pres. Trump's claims the ballroom won't include taxpayer money. Jonathan O'Connell of The Washington Post reports.

[Wandile Sihlobo @WandileSihlobo]

Close observers of South Africa’s agriculture sector are aware that, for some time, I have been writing about South Africa’s ample maize harvest. Maize is prominent in agricultural discussions not only as a staple grain but also as an indicator of field-crop conditions.

If we have an ample maize crop, it is usually fair to assume that other crops are also in good condition. For the 2025–26 season, the maize crop planted in October 2025, now coming into harvest, is set to reach a record 17.1 million tonnes. We see larger harvests of other grains, vegetable oils, fruits and vegetables.

The primary catalysts are the favourable La Niña rains and farmers’ determination to plant on a slightly larger area.

But the harvest of the 2025–26 maize crop is a bit delayed compared to the usual pace. In the week of 5 June 2026, farmers had delivered to commercial silos about 2.1 million tonnes of maize (white and yellow maize). This is 17% behind last year’s pace.

But remember, last year was generally behind the typical harvest time. Also because of the late start of the season; this year is even more delayed. It is June, but the maize harvest is not yet in full swing across the country.

The main reason for the delayed harvest is the prolonged summer rains, which continued through to May 2026. In addition, there are various regions of the country where the maize planting season was also late by more than a month.

The reason for the late plantings in such areas was the excessive soil moisture earlier in the year.

Fortunately, with all these delays, the recent assessment suggests that South Africa is still in for an ample maize harvest.

In my recent drive across Free State and North West, I observed, from a distance, that in many parts, the maize crop is looking favourable, and that aligns with what we had already heard from farmers and the Crop Estimates Committee, which provides the crop forecast for the country.

Importantly, the fact that the season is more than a month late and the rains were far more prolonged than usual also doesn’t raise much concern for now about crop quality.

Typically, in wet years, maize or crop quality is a challenge. But this year, we are not hearing much of that. In fact, of the 2.1 million tonnes that farmers have delivered to commercial silos, about 94% is first grade or excellent quality.

If the remaining major area yet to be harvested shows similar quality, then South Africa will be in a far better place than in the previous 2024–25 season where, although we had an ample maize crop, there were quality challenges because of excessive moisture.

The slightly poor quality, although it generally has minimal impact on the ultimate maize availability and food prices in the country, does weigh on farmers’ incomes, as they receive a slightly lower price for their products.

--read my full article here: https://t.co/u2LaA7IQ8b

[AFP News Agency @AFP]

Why are Kenyan kids burning schools and killing their classmates?

Almost 50 fires have ripped through Kenyan schools this year, 16 schoolgirls have died, and more than 100 schools have temporarily closed. Everyone knows there is a crisis, but few have solutions

https://t.co/SQatHdu61J

[Trita Parsi @tparsi]

Holy smokes!! 🔥🔥🔥

JD Vance to Israel opposing the MOU

"My response to them would be: What is your exact proposal? You’re a country of 9 million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have."

[Acyn @Acyn]

PabloReports: What do you think about the Iran deal?

Booker: Trump said his goal was unconditional surrender. I just didn’t realize that the unconditional surrender he was talking about was America’s. He’s betrayed the United States. We don’t get a $300 billion reconstruction fund. This is an unmitigated disaster.

[Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump]

What a rotten deal we made with Iran. We get nothing (except laughter at our stupidity). They get everything, including delay and big cash!

[The New Yorker @NewYorker]

The three and a half months since the start of the Iran war have brought economic disaster. But whatever hardships Americans may have endured—including higher gas prices and creeping inflation—far greater ones have been felt elsewhere, Ishaan Tharoor writes.
https://t.co/5uqTcofaiL

[Nicholas Kristof @NickKristof]

A woman dies every two hours of cervical cancer in the US -- and these deaths are utterly unnecessary. HPV vaccines prevent it, and screenings catch it early when it's treatable. But we're dismantling federal support for reproductive health care programs like Title X.