South Africa slips into recession as economy contracts

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken laid a wreath at the Hector Pieterson memorial and met young African leaders in Johannesburg Sunday.

Data suggest that Germany may be on the brink of an economic downturn that could ultimately lead some businesses to move abroad.

King Misuzulu, who ascended to the throne, will wield great symbolic power for over 11 million Zulus. They make up nearly a fifth of South Africa's population.

Southeast Asian countries, most of whom count the EU as one of their largest trading partners, are watching the bloc's economic slowdown with a mixture of trepidation and opportunity.

In a country built on its mineral wealth, South Africa's small scale artisanal miners are left digging for mere morsels of gold and diamonds. Turf wars and meagre yields mean many miners live a life of poverty.

The British pound has fallen to its lowest level in decades against the US dollar, amid fears over runaway inflation and recession. The government has announced a drastic plan to cut taxes, claiming it will boost growth.

The Bank of England has warned that the UK economy may already be in recession, as it hikes interest rates for the seventh time to combat the spiralling pace of price rises. Inflation is still hovering nearly 40-year highs at just under 10 percent.

Police in South Africa are searching for suspects wanted for the killing of a German tourist who was shot dead while traveling to the world renowned Kruger game reserve.

An award-winning charity, the Home of Hope for Girls, provides services to survivors of sexual abuse and child sex trafficking in Johannesburg. Sexual violence rates in South Africa are among the highest recorded in the world.

Economists often warn of the consequences of a recession; companies go bankrupt, and jobs are lost. But in forcing weaker firms out of business, a recession can leave more room for growth and recovery.

The warring sides in Ethiopia's two-year-long brutal conflict head to South Africa for peace negotiations, although the talks are pushed back to Tuesday. Staying in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa submits his "action plan" in response to the Zondo Commission's report into graft and fraud in the public sector under his predecessor Jacob Zuma.

Peace talks aimed at ending the two-year-old conflict in the Tigray regions of Ethiopia have begun in Pretoria. The negotiations follow a surge in violence in recent weeks.