This week's biggest stories from the Global South: Mother given life sentence for trafficking daughter, mistrial in Maradona's suit, quarry collapse kills 19

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama speaks with Reuters in Accra

FILE PHOTO: Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, 66, speaks with Reuters journalists in his office after general elections, in Accra, Ghana, December 13, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

We present you with a roundup of the most impactful stories from this week, covering diverse topics from across the Global South.

Africa

South African mother given life sentence for trafficking 6-year-old daughter

A South African mother and two accomplices were sentenced to life on Thursday for trafficking her 6-year-old daughter, in a case that gripped the nation. Kelly Smith, her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and friend Steveno Van Rhyn were convicted of kidnapping and trafficking Joshlin Smith, who vanished from a small Western Cape town last year. Read more here.

Zimbabwe starts charging car owners for radio licenses

FILE PHOTO: Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa attends a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 7, 2024. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/Pool/File Photo

Zimbabwe has enacted a law requiring all car owners to pay an annual US$92 radio licence fee, signed by President Mnangagwa on 23 May 2025, according to local reports. Read more here.

Trump disrespected Africans, says Ghana’s president in scathing commentary

Ghana's NDC party presidential candidate Mahama gives interview to Reuters, in Accra — FILE PHOTO: Ghana's former president and current main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama, 65, speaks with Reuters in his office ahead of the launch of his political campaign, in Accra, Ghana, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo

Ghana’s President Mahama has condemned Donald Trump for distorting African history after Trump’s controversial meeting with South African President Ramaphosa. In The Guardian, Mahama called Trump’s “white genocide” claim a dangerous misuse of language that fuels historical injustices. Read more here.

Asia

Indonesia quarry collapse kills 19, search continues for victims trapped under rubble

A rock collapse at a quarry in Cirebon, West Java, killed 19, injured 8, and left 6 missing, local police said Sunday. Authorities continued searching for survivors in the rubble following Friday’s (May 30) collapse. Read more here.

Chinese students face anxious wait for visas under US crackdown

An interview with a Chinese postgraduate student who is waiting to resume visa process to study a PhD in the U.S., in Beijing — Postgraduate student Lainey, who is waiting to resume visa process to study a PhD in the U.S., walks out of her university campus, during an interview with Reuters, in Beijing, China May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Amid Washington’s renewed visa crackdown on Chinese students, Lainey, a 24-year-old sociology postgraduate, is anxiously waiting to resume her PhD application at the University of California. “We feel helpless,” she said, declining to give her surname. Read more here.

Opal Suchata Chuangsri becomes Thailand’s first Miss World

Thailand's Opal Suchata Chuangsri reacts after being crowned Miss World by last year's Miss World winner, Czech Republic's Krystyna Pyszkova, at the 72nd Miss World finale in Hyderabad, India, May 31, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Opal Suchata Chuangsri, 22, made history on May 31 by becoming the first Thai woman crowned Miss World at the 72nd pageant in Hyderabad, India. She dedicated her win to inspiring young girls to make a difference. Read more here.

Latin America

Mistrial ruled in case against Diego Maradona's medical team, lawyers say

Hearing to determine the future of soccer legend Diego Maradona's trial in Argentina, in San Isidro — Gianinna and Dalma Maradona, daughters of late Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, arrive at the San Isidro court before a hearing to determine the future of soccer legend Diego Maradona's trial, after one of the three presiding judges stood down from the case amid accusations of ethical breaches, in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

The homicide case against Diego Maradona's medical team was declared a mistrial, their lawyers said Thursday. Seven medics faced negligent homicide charges after Maradona died in 2020. The soccer legend led Argentina to a 1986 World Cup victory and won two Serie A titles with Napoli. Read more here.

Brazil declared free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination

FILE PHOTO: A herd of cattle is seen at the Marupiara ranch in the city of Tailandia in the state of Para — FILE PHOTO: A herd of cattle is seen in the city of Tailandia in the state of Para, Brazil March 17, 2020. Reuters/Pilar Olivares/File Photo

The World Organisation for Animal Health has declared Brazil, the world’s top beef exporter, free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination. This milestone could open new markets for Brazil’s major meatpackers, including JBS, Minerva, and Marfrig. Read more here.

World’s First: Mexico lets voters pick all judges

A general view of the Supreme Court of Justice in downtown Mexico City, Mexico May 27, 2025. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

Mexico, on June 1, allowed citizens to choose all judges and magistrates, including Supreme Court justices — a global first. The government-backed reform aims to curb corruption and restore trust in the justice system. Read more here.

Abigail Johnson Boakye