This week's biggest stories from the Global South: South Africa coalition dispute, Malaysia's first COVID-19 death, Brazil's controversial tax-hike reversal

Anti-government protest against Thailand's PM Shinawatra in Bangkok

Anti-government protesters gather at the Victory Monument during a protest calling for Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign after her leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, in Bangkok, Thailand, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Source: REUTERS

Here’s a roundup of this week’s top stories from across the Global South.

Africa

South Africa's DA party withdraws from national dialogue amid coalition dispute

State Of The Nation adddress in Cape Town, South Africa — FILE PHOTO: John Steenhuisen, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and Minister of Agriculture of South Africa, arrives at the Cape Town City Hall ahead of the State Of The Nation (SONA) address by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town, South Africa February 6, 2025. REUTERS/Nic Bothma/File Photo

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance has pulled out of national dialogue but remains in the coalition government after President Ramaphosa dismissed one of its deputy ministers, DA leader John Steenhuisen said Saturday. Read more here.

The schoolboy fighting his parents for the right to leave Ghana

Global South World spoke with the boy’s solicitor, James Netto of The International Family Law Group, about the extent of the rights of children under the full custody of their parents.

Since September 2024, a 14-year-old London boy of Ghanaian descent has stirred legal debate after his parents sent him to a Ghanaian boarding school under pretences to shield him from crime in London, court records show. Read more here.

The Mozambican student creating a visual world for the blind with tech

Mozambican inventor Joao Antonio Rego

After seeing a blind woman fall in traffic, Joao Antonio Rego, 24, was inspired to create smart glasses that help the visually impaired navigate safely and independently. Read more here.

Asia

Thousands demand Thai prime minister quit over border dispute

Anti-government protest against Thailand's PM Shinawatra in Bangkok — Anti-government protesters gather at the Victory Monument during a protest calling Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign after her leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, in Bangkok, Thailand, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Thousands rallied in Bangkok on Saturday, June 28, demanding that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign, amid a border dispute with Cambodia and economic woes. Braving heavy rain, it was the largest protest since her Pheu Thai party took power in 2023, as she faces a fragile coalition and a possible no-confidence vote next month. Read more here.

Driverless bus services suspended at Hong Kong International Airport after crashes

Hongkong driverless buses crash

Hong Kong Airport suspended all driverless bus services after two collided near Terminal 1 on June 22, when one failed to yield at a taxiway intersection. Read more here.

What to know about Malaysia’s COVID-19 situation after the first death in 2025

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows a test tube labelled "COVID-19 Test positive" and a vial labelled "VACCINE Coronavirus COVID-19\ — FILE PHOTO: A test tube labelled "COVID-19 Test Positive" and a vial labelled "VACCINE Coronavirus COVID-19" are seen in this illustration taken December 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Malaysia reported its first COVID-19 death of 2025 amid rising cases. The patient, unboosted and with preexisting conditions, died in mid-June—the first such fatality since May 2024. Read more here.

Latin America

Colombia's constitutional court halts electoral court's investigation into President Petro

FILE PHOTO: Colombian President Gustavo Petro is shown in Bogota — FILE PHOTO: Colombian President Gustavo Petro reacts during the troop recognition ceremony for the newly appointed Minister of Defense, Pedro Sanchez, at the Jose Maria Cordova Military Cadet School in Bogota, Colombia, March 11, 2025. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo

Colombia’s Constitutional Court halted an electoral probe into President Gustavo Petro, ruling that only the House of Representatives can investigate his 2022 campaign financing. Read more here.

Brazil government begins legal analysis to challenge tax-hike reversal

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the plenary chamber of deputies during a session at the National Congress in Brasilia — FILE PHOTO: A general view of the plenary chamber of deputies during a session at the National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo

Brazil's solicitor general is reviewing Congress's reversal of a tax hike on financial transactions, potentially leading to legal action. The review began at President Lula's request, with input from the finance ministry. Read more here.

Chile observatory captures the universe with 3,200-megapixel camera

Chile observatory captures the universe with 3,200-megapixel camera — The Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae are seen in an image produced by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, on Pachon Hill, Coquimbo Region, Chile June 12, 2025. RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/Handout via REUTERS

Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory, home to the world’s largest digital camera, has released its first cosmic images. The 8.4-meter telescope on Pachon Hill aims to help astronomers study solar system formation and detect asteroid threats. Read more here.

This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.

Abigail Johnson Boakye [email protected]

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