Headline

Circumcision For Young Men Aged 16 To 26 Goes Awry In South Africa, 39 Dead, Dozens Organs Mutilated

Published

1 month ago

August 2, 2025

This year’s circumcision ceremony where men between the ages of 16 and 26 undergo agonising ritual ceremony has ended in South Africa, with 39 deaths recorded and dozens others had their male organs mutilated.

Among the Xhosa people of South Africa, the circumcision ceremony, known as Uwaluko, marks the transition from boyhood to manhood when the men undergo three-month seasons of initiation which always end with the circumcision.

However, according to the Daily Mail of UK, this year’s version did not go as expected as 39 young men who took part in the ceremony died due to the excruciating pains they passed through.

The circumcision for the young men is said to be compulsory among the Xhosa people. Reports said without undergoing the ceremony, they are not allowed to sit at community meetings neither are they allowed to take part in some social activities or even get married.

During the circumcision, unskilled traditional ‘surgeons’ used old spears and razor blades to perform the eye-watering rituals under the supervision of tribal leaders, causing some to suffer from gangrene, sepsis and dehydration. This ultimately led to the death of the 39 young men. Those who died as a result of dehydration were said to have been instructed not to drink water in order to prevent urination after circumcision.

According to Daily Mail, although there are calls to ban the dangerous practice, some have argued that it is an important part of Xhosa culture and every year, hundreds of young men undergo what was described as “the sacred ceremony” which dates back to generations.

Although the men in the community have a choice whether to undertake the circumcision or not, there is however huge peer pressure and those who refuse to undergo the ritual are referred to as ‘boys,’ a form of harsh insult on their manhood.

One of those who survived the harrowing exercise, Scotty Dawka, aged 19, recounted his experience to the Daily Mail.

“I was of course very scared of going. In my community, many young men went through the initiation before me and I wanted to be the same as them. I wanted to be looked up to as a man in my village by the elders. It was very painful to go through and I fell ill, but I was treated and I survived,” he said.

Headline

Charlie Kirk Shooter Arrested, Named

Published

13 hours ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

United States authorities have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 21-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah, according to NBC News, citing five senior law enforcement sources.

Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on Tuesday while speaking at a debate at Utah Valley University.

Authorities said the attacker fired a single round from a rooftop in what they described as a targeted assassination.

US President Donald Trump confirmed the arrest, telling Fox News that investigators acted “with a high degree of certainty” in taking Robinson into custody.

Trump praised the joint efforts of local police and state officials in the investigation.

Headline

FBI Releases Video Of Charlie Kirk’s Shooter, Recovers Weapons Near Scene [WATCH]

Published

22 hours ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office on Friday released video footage of the man suspected of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk fleeing a rooftop after the incident on September 10, 2025.

The bureau, in a statement accompanied by the video link shared on X on Friday, noted that the video shows the shooter climbing onto a rooftop shortly before the attack and then jumping off and fleeing the scene after firing the fatal shots.

Investigators also reportedly found the weapon and ammunition used in the shooting in a wooded area near the university.

The agency wrote, “The FBI has released a video and more photos of the shooter in the Utah Valley shooting. The subject is seen jumping from the rooftop of a building after the shooting.

“Around 12 pm Mountain Time on September 10, 2025, the subject climbed up to a rooftop; after he shot and killed Charlie Kirk, he jumped off and ran away. He left a gun and ammunition in a wooded area near the university.

“Trace evidence collected from the rooftop scene included shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm print. Anyone with information in this case should call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit fbi.gov/utahvalleyshooting.”

The bureau added that it is working closely with law enforcement partners to seek justice in the murder of Charlie Kirk.

The PUNCH reported on Thursday that the FBI released initial images of a person of interest in the fatal shooting of Kirk.

The agency also offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for his death.

Meanwhile, two people misidentified online as suspects in the fatal shooting of right-wing US activist Charlie Kirk also told AFP Thursday they were terrified by the misinformation targeting them, as the manhunt for the real killer continued.

31-year-old Kirk, a major ally of President Donald Trump and the head of the largest conservative youth movement in the United States, was shot dead while attending an event at Utah Valley University.

Watch the video below:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1966444113794109657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1966444113794109657%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-186661262228333818.ampproject.net%2F2508281901000%2Fframe.html

Headline

Russia Threatens Poland Over Belarus Border Closure

Published

1 day ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

Russia, on Thursday, urged Poland to reopen its border with Belarus, Moscow’s close ally, calling the closure “destructive” and warning of consequences.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Tuesday the closure of the border with Belarus from 0000 on September 12 (2200 GMT on September 11), in response to the upcoming joint Russian-Belarusian war games.

“We urge Warsaw to consider the consequences of such destructive steps and to review its decision as soon as possible,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

The border closure was to “justify a policy of further escalating tensions in the centre of Europe”, she added.

NATO’s eastern flank members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are on high alert due to the massive drills, which according to Tusk are designed to simulate occupation of the Suwalki corridor, a strategically important area in Poland.

Usually held every four years, the 2025 iteration of Zapad is the first during the conflict in Ukraine, and is due to run until September 16.

Belarus had said in January that 13,000 troops would be involved in the drills, but in May it said the number was to be reduced by around half.

Zakharova said Warsaw had “demonstratively” ignored the “goodwill” gestures by Moscow and Minsk to move the exercise away from the Polish border and to reduce the number of military personnel participating.