Israel’s Security Cabinet is set to meet on Tuesday to discuss next steps in the nearly two-year-old war with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, including the possibility of taking full control of the Palestinian enclave and operating militarily in areas they have refrained from entering until now, the local media reported.

Israeli journalist Amit Segal, a commentator for Channel 12, the country’s highest-rated news broadcast, quoted a source from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that the “decision has been made… we are going to occupy the Gaza Strip.” 

“Hamas will not release hostages without total surrender, if we do not operate now the hostages will die of starvation and Gaza will stay under Hamas’ control,” Segal quoted the official as saying. 

HUCKABEE, WITKOFF WENT INSIDE GAZA TO ASSESS GROWING FAMINE CONCERNS

“Israel for months was at a crossroad and, let’s be honest, it was not achieving victory or the hostages. The mandate for a deal was broad, but we did not get agreement, so we will go for occupation,” he quoted.

The reports of deepening the military operation in Gaza come after months of mediated ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appeared to have collapsed this week and despite assurances by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Israel over the weekend, that he was working on a plan that would end the war. 

It also comes after Hamas, the designated terror group whose October 7, 2023, mass attack in Israel sparked the war, shocked the Israeli public with propaganda videos of emaciated hostages, including one who was forced to dig his own grave.

Additionally, international pressure on Israel to end the war has ramped up in recent weeks amid accusations that is aid policy is causing famine in Gaza and after images of severely malnourished children – some of whom were later proven to be children with pre-existing medical conditions – went viral. 

EUROPEAN LEADERS DECRY HAMAS VIDEO OF ISRAELI CAPTIVES: ‘UNLIMITED INHUMANITY’

Pressure in Israel to end the war and return home some 50 hostages, both dead and alive, who remain in Gaza has also been growing, with the country’s leadership divided over the best way to achieve this. 

Some ministers in Netanyahu’s government, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have been pushing for Israel to re-occupy Gaza and rebuild Jewish settlements that were dismantled 20 years ago. 

The Israeli military, however, has argued against that plan and, according to media reports, is expected to present some alternatives at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. 

EXCLUSIVE: Attorney General Pam Bondi directed her staff Monday to act on the criminal referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard related to the alleged conspiracy to tie President Donald Trump to Russia, and the Department of Justice is now opening a grand jury investigation into the matter, Fox News Digital has learned.

Bondi personally ordered an unnamed federal prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings and the prosecutor is expected to present department evidence to a grand jury, which would allow the department to secure a potential indictment, according to a letter from Bondi reviewed by Fox News Digital and a source familiar with the investigation.

A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the report of an investigation but said Bondi is taking the referral from Gabbard “very seriously.” The spokesperson said Bondi believed there is “clear cause for deep concern” and a need for next steps.

DNI GABBARD CLAIMS ‘DEEP STATE ACTORS’ DIDN’T WANT TRUMP-RUSSIA INFORMATION TO ‘SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY’

The DOJ confirmed two weeks ago it received a criminal referral from Gabbard. The referral included a memorandum titled “Intelligence Community suppression of intelligence showing ‘Russian and criminal actors did not impact’ the 2016 presidential election via cyber-attacks on infrastructure” and asked that the DOJ open an investigation.

No charges have been brought at this stage of the investigation against any potential defendants.

The revelation that the DOJ is moving forward with a grand jury probe comes after Gabbard declassified intelligence in July that shed new light on the Obama administration’s alleged determination that Russia sought to help Trump in the 2016 election.

DOJ RECEIVES GABBARD’S CRIMINAL REFERRAL ON BOMBSHELL CLAIMS OBAMA ADMIN ‘MANUFACTURED’ RUSSIAN COLLUSION HOAX

Former President Barack Obama and his intelligence officials allegedly promoted a “contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn’t,” Gabbard said during a press briefing of the intelligence.

Among the declassified material was a meeting record revealing how Obama allegedly requested his deputies prepare an intelligence assessment in December 2016, after Trump had won the election, that allegedly detailed the “tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.” 

That intelligence assessment stressed that Russia’s actions did not affect the outcome of the election but rather were intended to sow distrust in the democratic process.

Gabbard has alleged that Obama and his national security officials laid the “groundwork” for a narrative that then-candidate Trump and his campaign colluded to help him win the 2016 election. An FBI investigation and two special counsel investigations loomed over much of Trump’s first administration.

It is unclear whom the grand jury is expected to target and what charges could be in play given the statutes of limitations for much of the activity from nearly a decade ago have lapsed.

Former Obama intelligence officials, including John Brennan, James Clapper and James Comey, have drawn scrutiny from Trump officials for their alleged involvement in developing intelligence that undermined Trump’s 2016 victory.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A federal court fight over President Donald Trump’s authority to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court for review, legal experts told Fox News Digital, in a case that has already proved to be a pivotal test of executive branch authority.

At issue in the case is Trump’s ability to use a 1977 emergency law to unilaterally slap steep import duties on a long list of countries doing business with the U.S.

In interviews with Fox News Digital, longtime trade lawyers and lawyers who argued on behalf of plaintiffs in court last week said they expect the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a matter of “weeks,” or sometime in August or September – in line with the court’s agreement to hear the case on an “expedited” basis.

The fast-track timeline reflects the important question before the court: whether Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) when he launched his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs.

FEDERAL JUDGES GRILL TRUMP LAWYERS OVER ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS ON EVE OF ENFORCEMENT
 

Importantly, that timing would still allow the Supreme Court to add the case to their docket for the 2025-2026 term, which begins in early October. That could allow them to rule on the matter as early as the end of the year. 

Both Trump administration officials and lawyers for the plaintiffs said they plan to appeal the case to the Supreme Court if the lower court does not rule in their favor. And given the questions at the heart of the case, it is widely expected that the high court will take up the case for review.

In the meantime, the impact of Trump’s tariffs remains to be seen. 

Legal experts and trade analysts alike said last week’s hearing is unlikely to forestall the broader market uncertainty created by Trump’s tariffs, which remain in force after the appeals court agreed to stay a lower court decision from the U.S. Court of International Trade. 

Judges on the three-judge CIT panel in May blocked Trump’s use of IEEPA to stand up his tariffs, ruling unanimously that he did not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs under that law. 

Thursday’s argument gave little indication as to how the appeals court would rule, plaintiffs and longtime trade attorneys told Fox News Digital, citing the tough questions that the 11 judges on the panel posed for both parties.

TARIFF FIGHT ESCALATES AS TRUMP APPEALS SECOND COURT LOSS

Dan Pickard, an attorney specializing in international trade and national security issues at the firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, said the oral arguments Thursday did not seem indicative of how the 11-judge panel might rule.

“I don’t know if I walked out of that hearing thinking that either the government is going to prevail, or that this is dead on arrival,” Pickard told Fox News Digital. “I think it was more mixed.”

Lawyers for the plaintiffs echoed that assessment – a reflection of the 11 judges on the appeals bench, who had fewer chances to speak up or question the government or plaintiffs during the 45 minutes each had to present their case. 

“I want to be very clear that I’m not in any way, shape or form, predicting what the Federal Circuit will do – I leave that for them,” one lawyer for the plaintiffs told reporters after court, adding that the judges, in his view, posed “really tough questions” for both parties.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who helped represent the 12 states suing over the plan, told Fox News Digital they are “optimistic” that, based on the oral arguments, they would see at least a partial win in the case, though he also stressed the ruling and the time frame is fraught with uncertainty.

In the interim, the White House forged ahead with enacting Trump’s tariffs as planned.

Pickard, who has argued many cases before the Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, noted that the oral arguments are not necessarily the best barometer for gauging the court’s next steps – something lawyers for the plaintiffs also stressed after the hearing.

JUDGES V. TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

Even if the high court blocks the Trump administration from using IEEPA, they have a range of other trade tools at their disposal, trade lawyers told Fox News. 

The Trump administration “has had more of a focus on trade issues than pretty much any other administration in my professional life,” Pickard said. 

“And let’s assume, even for the sake of the argument, just hypothetically, that the Supreme Court says this use of IEEPA exceeded your statutory authority. The Trump administration is not going to say, like, ‘All right, well, we’re done. I guess we’re just going to abandon any trade policy.’

“There are going to be additional [trade] tools that had been in the toolbox for long that can be taken out and dusted off,” he said. “There are plenty of other legal authorities for the president. 

“I don’t think we’re seeing an end to these issues anytime soon – this is going to continue to be battled out in the courts for a while.”

Both Pickard and Rayfield told Fox News Digital in separate interviews that they expect the appeals court to rule within weeks, not days. 

The hearing came after Trump on April 2 announced a 10% baseline tariff on all countries, along with higher, reciprocal tariffs targeting select nations, including China. The measures, he said, were aimed at addressing trade imbalances, reducing deficits with key trading partners, and boosting domestic manufacturing and production.

Ahead of last week’s oral arguments, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said lawyers for the administration would continue to defend the president’s trade agenda in court.

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Justice Department attorneys “are going to court to defend [Trump’s] tariffs,” she said, describing them as “transforming the global economy, protecting our national security and addressing the consequences of our exploding trade deficit.”

“We will continue to defend the president,” she vowed. 

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is on the rise in some parts of the U.S., public health departments have reported.

The highly contagious viral illness is most prevalent among children under 5, but people of all ages can become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In Virginia, the Fairfax County Health District has published an alert of six HFMD outbreaks earlier this year, mainly affecting children 4 and younger.

RARE TICK-BORNE VIRUS CAUSING NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS DIAGNOSED IN NORTHEASTERN STATE

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health has confirmed 189 cases of the disease in St. Thomas, including a possible fatal case involving a toddler.

In March, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert urging member states to “strengthen the prevention and control of hand, foot and mouth disease, especially in children, due to their high vulnerability and the risk of serious complications in the central nervous system.”

Tina Q. Tan, M.D., an attending physician at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said that HFMD most commonly occurs during the summer and early fall when the weather is warmer. 

“We are seeing more cases at this time,” she told Fox News Digital. “It is a very common infection that is usually mild.”

THE GROSS REASON AIRPLANE PASSENGERS MIGHT WANT TO AVOID USING THE WATER ON FLIGHTS

The viruses that most commonly cause the illness are the Coxsackie and Enteroviruses, the doctor said.

HFMD can be transmitted through viral particles while sneezing, coughing or talking, the CDC says.

People can also spread the virus after touching contaminated objects and surfaces. In the case of blistering rashes, the fluid from the blisters can also spread the virus.

“The illness is very contagious, so it can spread quickly in daycare and school settings,” Tan said. “Persons are most contagious during the first few days of the illness, but it can also be spread through stool for several weeks.”

Infants and children can continue to go to daycare and school as long as they have no fever, are feeling well enough to drink and participate in activities, and have no open lesions or copious drooling when they have the mouth sores, according to Tan.

The primary symptoms of HFMD include fever, skin rash and painful, blistering mouth sores, per the CDC. 

“The rash is most commonly found on hands and feet, appearing as raised or flat red spots that can turn into blisters,” Tan told Fox News Digital.

“The painful mouth sores, blisters or ulcers can occur on the tongue, gums and mucous membranes,” she added.

Most people only experience mild illness and get better without treatment within seven to 10 days.

People can manage pain and fever with over-the-counter medications. They should also drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, the CDC recommends.

While complications are rare, the CDC advises that pregnant women see a doctor if they contract HFMD.

“Patients or parents should seek medical care if they feel they are uncomfortable with the symptoms that they or their child are having and the symptoms are worsening; if they are unable to take adequate fluid and there is a decrease in urine output; or anytime they feel that there is a change in mental status,” Tan said.

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The most common complication of HFMD is dehydration due to painful mouth lesions that prevent adequate fluid intake, according to the doctor.  

“It can also cause nail loss in those individuals who had involvement of fingers,” she said. “Very rarely, it can cause serious complications like viral meningitis, encephalitis and paralysis.”

To prevent the highly contagious virus, the CDC recommends washing hands frequently with soap and water.

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People should also clean and disinfect common surfaces and shared items, such as doorknobs and toys, Tan advised.

There is not currently a vaccine for HFMD in the U.S.

Though Loni Anderson’s talent on screen earned her mega success, her life behind the scenes got just as much — if not more — attention. 

Dubbed a “sex symbol” for decades, Anderson, who died on Sunday after battling a prolonged illness, embraced her sexuality and public romances, including her relationship with the late Burt Reynolds. 

The former couple first met on a talk show and co-starred in “Stroker Ace” in 1982. 

LONI ANDERSON, ‘WKRP IN CINCINNATI’ STAR, DEAD AT 79

“Whether this relationship will go any further than it has right now, I have no idea,” Reynolds told People that same year. Loni and I are both trying very hard to get acquainted and to like each other without too many explosions and broadsides from the press.”

The pair, who adopted their son Quinton Anderson Reynolds in August 1988, tied the knot that same year, but surprisingly divorced in 1995. 

In 2015, Reynolds told People that it was a “really dumb move” to marry Anderson. 

“I should have known that you don’t marry an actress,” he said at the time. “It wasn’t lollipops and roses.”

LONI ANDERSON SAYS SHE MADE PEACE WITH BURT REYNOLDS BEFORE HIS DEATH: ‘THERE ARE LOTS OF MEMORIES THERE’

In 1995, Anderson told the Associated Press that the marriage was far from perfect. 

“There was pain,” she said at the time. “There was some abuse. There was drug addiction, on his part. There was always me trying to save it and feeling very empowered that I thought I could. And there was great love on my part.”

After announcing their divorce, Reynolds alluded to a lack of sexual chemistry as a catalyst. 

“I don’t see how she can be in total shock when you have not … if your husband has not touched you in the biblical sense … in almost three years,” he said during an appearance “Good Morning America: Evening Edition” at the time. “How can you be surprised?”

Reynolds also alluded to infidelity. 

“I caught her cheating on me,” he said. “And so I just … I made the decision to call it off,” he claimed.

At the time, Anderson replied, “I do not intend to engage in a media war. I have to consider the welfare and best interests of my little boy.”

Anderson admitted the public breakup was a daunting experience.

“I used to say to him, ‘Why did you say that?’” she said in a 2018 interview with Closer Weekly about Reynolds’ comments about their relationship to the press. “People don’t realize that [in the worst times] we always kept in contact.”

In 2019, Anderson said she and Reynolds – who died in 2018 from a heart attack – made peace before his death with the help of their son.

“We were friends first and friends last,” Anderson told Closer Weekly in 2018. “It’s time to move on.”

The “WKRP in Cincinnati” actress insisted she and Reynolds put aside the hostility they endured when the marriage came to an end for the sake of Quinton.

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“We have this wonderful child together,” she said. “Having a son was a big event in our lives and so everything revolved around him.”

According to Closer Weekly, it was Quinton who served as a peacemaker and even brought his parents together one last time before Reynolds passed away.

“We went out to dinner and [Burt] brought me flowers,” recalled Anderson. “Burt could be quiet, shy and self-deprecating. He was a bookworm and loved to read mysteries aloud to one another so that we could share them.”

Anderson added that together, they’d spend many hours guessing about the ending of those stories.

“He was a voracious reader,” she said.

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Reynolds spent the final years of his life in Florida, where he first returned in 1968 after several years in California.

At the time of Reynolds’ death, Anderson and Quinton said they would “miss” the late actor and “his great laugh.”

“Quinton and I are extremely touched by the tremendous outpouring of love and support from friends and family throughout the world,” Anderson said in a statement to Fox News hours after Reynolds died.

The statement continued: “Burt was a wonderful director and actor. He was a big part of my life for 12 years and Quinton’s father for 30 years. We will miss him and his great laugh.”

In 2021, Anderson reflected on her life and revealed the advice she’d give her younger self. 

“I would tell her, ‘Don’t keep looking forward to what’s coming, enjoy the climb.’ There’s nothing more wonderful than the climb, you know? The looking forward to each day and creating something new, getting that job, going on an audition, putting yourself out there – that’s all great. But you can’t forget to enjoy the climb. I guess that’s the best thing you could do when it comes to your life. Don’t forget to enjoy the day while you’re looking forward to what’s going to happen next week.”

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report. 

South Africa is preparing to diversify its export markets in response to the looming 30% tariff imposed by the US, which government officials say will cost jobs and shave 0.2% off economic growth.

The country is one of several facing punitive tariffs from the US as it moves to protect its own manufacturers and labour force. President Donald Trump announced the tariffs in April but delayed them for 90 days to allow countries to negotiate better deals. In July, he confirmed that they would take effect on 1 August. This has now been pushed back seven days.

“The 30% tariff set by the US is unfortunate and presents a setback in resetting bilateral trade,” International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola told a media briefing on Monday.

“We have been strengthening trade and investment partnerships with various trade partners. These efforts are bearing fruit, targeting markets across Africa, as well as in Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Americas.”

Affected sectors include agriculture, automotive and textile — all of which have benefited from duty-free access under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). The government has said it will not retaliate against the US but has acknowledged the urgent need for the country to diversify its export market. 

“South Africa seeks to conclude deals that promote value addition and industrialisation rather than mimic extractive colonial-era trade patterns,” Lamola said, adding that talks with Washington were ongoing, with the government applying a principled approach through diplomatic channels.

He said the 30% tariff had been factored into economic projections, with economists estimating a 0.2% reduction in growth. “This depends on our ability to find alternative markets. Notably, 35% of exports remain exempted from the tariffs.”

The director general in the trade department, Simphiwe Hamilton, said approximately 30 000 jobs would be at risk once the tariffs kick in.

Lamola said value addition and beneficiation have been the government’s priorities in its proposed trade framework, adding that its relationship with the US must be “mutually beneficial and respectful”.

The country is also pursuing other options including a clean energy trade and investment partnership with the EU, which has unlocked a R90 billion investment package for the export of sustainable aviation fuel by Sasol and of hybrid and electric vehicles.

“We’ve made significant progress in opening up vast new markets, like China and Thailand, securing vital protocols for products like citrus and others. With China alone being a $200 billion market, we are confidently expanding our reach and creating new opportunities for our agricultural producers,” Lamola said.

“Our government has not been idle; we are proactively and collaboratively diversifying our trade portfolio.”

He said under the coordinated leadership of the presidency, the department of international relations and cooperation and that of trade, industry and competition, South Africa was “making significant inroads into new, high-growth markets across Asia and the Middle East, including the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia”.

Trade minister Parks Tau told the same briefing that calls from some South Africans urging the country not to negotiate with Washington were irresponsible, while conceding that the US had not responded to the country’s proposals.

“We can only make an offer, sit and wait, and hope. That is the reality,” Tau said.

Asked about the potential for increased trade with China, Tau said negotiations were ongoing through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China has offered a memorandum of understanding on green energy and industrialisation.

Lamola said diversification efforts would include exporters collaborating to develop infrastructure, share market intelligence and coordinate activities to improve competitiveness.

“These efforts can help achieve economies of scale and efficiencies that enable them to be competitive,” he said.

The department of trade, industry and competition has set up an export support desk as part of a diversification strategy “to create resilience” in the economy. The desk is collaborating with export councils, industry associations and major exporters to the US to assist in accessing alternative markets.

On Monday, acting deputy director for export in the trade department, Willem van der Spuy, said producers, mostly from the Western Cape, had been requesting clarity on when the tariffs would take effect and what support measures were in place.

“The issue is to create resilience in our international trade environment. And through this support desk, we will add practical areas of cooperation. We will link them up with embassies, we will link them up with potential buyers, we will take the journey with them in terms of the trade barriers,” Van der Spuy said.

Lamola said the desk would “provide updates, advisory services, guidance on market entry and linkages to South African embassies and high commissions”.

According to Tau, the tariffs also presented an opportunity to accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, a pact which aims to create a single market for goods and services across the continent. It seeks to boost intra-African trade, reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers.

Lamola echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s view that South African exports are not a threat to US industry: “Our exports are crucial inputs that support America’s industrial base. Our agricultural exports are counter-seasonal — they fill gaps, not compete.”

In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa stressed that the US tariffs underscore the urgency of diversifying South Africa’s exports and reducing reliance on select markets. He said the two countries had historically maintained complementary trade relations, adding: “Our exports are inputs into US industries.They support the US industrial base.”

He cited citrus exports as an example: “They are counter-seasonal and don’t threaten US production. The US sector has been in decline due to factors unrelated to imports — such as disease and low yields. Our citrus fills that gap.”

South African firms also invest heavily in the US, including in mining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food, said Ramaphosa, adding that this makes the country the largest African investor in the US.

Tau said Wednesday’s cabinet meeting would finalise the export support package.

The Embassy of Nicaragua in South Africa hosted a vibrant commemoration of the 46th anniversary of the Sandinista Popular Revolution at its Waterkloof premises. 

The event, attended by dignitaries including ambassadors and diplomats from Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, Iran, Sahrawi Republic and Vietnam, as well as representatives from the ANC, SACP, and South African youth organisations, marked a historic reflection on Nicaragua’s transformative journey since 19 July 1979.

H.E. Ambassador Danilo Chang Cash opened the event with a stirring address, emphasising the revolution’s enduring legacy of justice, freedom, and dignity. He highlighted Nicaragua’s strides in social equity, noting the revolution’s role in fostering hope and self-determination. “The Sandinista Revolution reshaped Nicaragua, empowering communities and affirming our commitment to inclusive progress,” he stated.

The keynote address by H.E. John Hodgson Deerings, Presidential Advisor for Nicaragua’s Southern Caribbean Coast and parliamentarian, provided a detailed recounting of the revolution’s history and its profound impact. He underscored the autonomy granted to the Caribbean Coast’s Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, including the Miskitu, Mayagna, Rama, Ulwa, Garífuna, and Creole peoples. “The Statute of Autonomy has preserved ancestral cultures and empowered these communities to shape their future,” Deerings said. He cited significant achievements: over 30% of Nicaragua’s territory is now legally recognized as communal property, ensuring sustainable resource use and cultural preservation.

Deerings also detailed Nicaragua’s developmental strides under the National Plan to Fight Poverty. Primary education coverage exceeds 97%, illiteracy has dropped to 4.5%, and life expectancy has risen to 75 years. Maternal mortality has decreased by 58% since 2006, and 99% of the population enjoys electricity access, with 80% from renewable sources. Women’s leadership thrives, with over 50% parliamentary representation, ranking Nicaragua fourth globally.

The event concluded with refreshments and renewed calls for solidarity with South Africa, Cuba, Venezuela, Palestine, and Iran, reinforcing Nicaragua’s commitment to global justice and cooperation.

Peru celebrated its 204th anniversary of Independence as proclaimed by General Jose de San Martin in 1821, marking the end of the more than 300 years of colonial rule.This important milestone reminds Peruvian’s of their commitment to freedom, sovereignty and democracy. 

Ambassador Mr Jose Javier Augusto Shaw thanked the Minister of Correctional Services Dr Pieter Groenewald for representing the government of South Africa and addressing the guests. 

Peru’s history spans more than 5000 years, shaped by advanced pre-Incan cultures, the Inca Empire, and a rich blend of African, Spanish and Asian influences. The economy remains amongst the most dynamic in the region, with growth projections close to 4%. Peru continues advancing towards sustainable development, while addressing enduring challenges such as poverty, inequality, corruption and insecurity. 

Peru’s foreign policy is rooted in dialogue, cooperation, and a rules-based international order. The country is committed to the 2030 Agenda and to policies that place people at the centre. 

“ In 2024, Peru held the presidency of APEC under the theme , ‘ Empower. Include. Grow’ reaffirming our role as a reliable partner in the Asia-Pacific and our dedication to inclusive economic growth “ said H.E Mr Augusto Shaw

Bilateral relations between Peru and South Africa are grounded in shared values of democracy, human rights and international cooperation. In 2023 the first round of political consultations were held in Pretoria and there is hope to host the second round this year in Lima, with the objective of broadening collaboration in trade, investment, tourism and education. 

‘ by expanding our economic ties we can build a more robust partnership that can elevate and consolidate our bilateral relations in other areas of cooperation “ said Minister Groenewald.

Guests raised glasses with pisco sours to toast to enduring friendship between South Africa and Peru.

More than two weeks ago, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced that the treasury has given R622 million of emergency funding to his department to prop up South Africa’s HIV treatment programme.

About R590 million is for provinces’ HIV budgets and R32 million for the chronic medicine distribution system, which allows people to fetch their antiretroviral treatment from pick-up points other than clinics, closer to their homes. 

This extra budget is just over a fifth of the roughly R2.8 billion funding gap that the health department says the country needed after the Trump administration pulled the plug on financial support for HIV in February. (The Pepfar budget for this financial year was just under R8 billion, but the health department calculated that it could fill the void with R2.8 billion if it trimmed extras and ruled out duplicate positions.)

So, how to get the best bang for these limited bucks — especially with the health department wanting to get 1.1 million people with HIV on treatment before the end of the year and so reach the United Nations targets for ending Aids as a public health threat by 2030? 

By getting really serious about giving people more than one way of getting their repeat prescriptions for antiretroviral (ARV) medicine (so-called differentiated service delivery), said Kate Rees, co-chair of the 12th South African Aids Conference to be held later this year, from Kigali last week, where she attended the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science. 

At another Kigali session, Lynne Wilkinson, a public health expert working with the health department on public health approaches to help people to stay on treatment, said: “People who interrupt their antiretroviral treatment are increasingly common, but so are people who re-engage, in other words start their treatment again after having stopped for a short period.” 

A big part of South Africa’s problem in getting 95% of people who know they have HIV on ARVs (the second target of the UN’s 95-95-95 set of cascading goals) is that people — sometimes repeatedly — stop and restart treatment. 

For the UN goals to be reached, South Africa needs to have 95% of people diagnosed with HIV, on treatment. Right now, the health department says, we stand at 79%. 

But the way many health facilities are run makes the system too rigid to accommodate real-life stop and start behaviour, says Rees. This not only means that extra time and money are spent every time someone seemingly drops out of line and then comes back in, but also makes people unwilling to get back on board because the process is so inconvenient and unwelcoming, she says. 

Rees and Wilkinson were co-authors of a study published in the Journal of the International Aids Society in 2024, of which the results helped the health department to update the steps health workers should follow when someone has missed an appointment for picking up their medicine or getting a health check-up — and could possibly have stopped treatment.  

“We often have excellent guidelines in place, built on solid scientific evidence,” says Rees, “but they’re not necessarily implemented well on the ground.” 

To make sure we track the second 95 of the UN goals accurately, we need a health system that acknowledges people will come late to collect their treatment and sometimes miss appointments. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve stopped their treatment; rather that how they take and collect their treatment changes over time.

The standard ways in which the public health system works mostly doesn’t provide the type of support these patients need, as the resources required to provide such support is not available,” explains Yogan Pillay, the health department’s former deputy director general for HIV and now the head of HIV delivery at the Gates Foundation. 

“But with AI-supported digital health solutions and the high penetration of mobile phones, such support can now — and should be — be provided at low cost and without the need to hire additional human resources.”

We dive into the numbers to see what the study showed — and what they can teach us about making the system for HIV treatment more flexible.  

Does late = stopped?

Not necessarily. Data from three health facilities in Johannesburg that the researchers tracked, showed that of the 2 342 people who came back to care after missing a clinic appointment for collection medication or a health check, 72% — almost three-quarters — showed up within 28 days of the planned date. In fact, most (65%) weren’t more than two weeks late.

Of those who showed up at their clinic more than four weeks after they were due, 13% made it within 90 days (12 weeks). Only one in 14 people in the study came back later than this, a period by which the health department would have recorded them as having fallen out of care. (Some incomplete records meant the researchers could not work out by how much 8% of the sample had missed their appointment date.) 

The data for the study was collected in the second half of 2022, and at the time national guidelines said that a medicine parcel not collected within two weeks of the scheduled appointment has to be sent back to the depot.

“But it’s important to distinguish between showing up late and interrupting treatment,” notes Rees. Just because someone was late for their appointment doesn’t necessarily mean they stopped taking their medication. Many people in the study said they either still had pills on hand or managed to get some, despite not showing up for their schedule collection.

Pepfar definitions say that a window of up to 28 days (that is, four weeks) can be tolerated for late ARV pick-ups. Pepfar is the United States HIV programme, which funds projects in countries such as South Africa, but most of them were cut in February.

Research has also shown that for many people who have been on treatment for a long time already, viral loads (how much HIV they have in their blood) start to pass 1 000 copies/mL — the point at which someone could start being infectious again — about 28 days after treatment has truly stopped.

Sending back a parcel of uncollected medicine after just two weeks — as was the case at the time of the study — would therefore add an unnecessary admin load and cost into the system. (Current health department guidelines, updated since the study and in part because of the results, say that a medicine pick-up point can hold on to someone’s medicine for four weeks after their scheduled appointment.)

Does late = unwell?

Not always. In fact, seven out of 10 people who collected their next batch of medication four weeks or more late had no worrying signs, such as possible symptoms of tuberculosis, high blood pressure, weight loss or a low CD4 cell count, when checked by a health worker. (A low CD4 count means that someone’s immune system has become weaker, which is usually a sign of the virus replicating in their body.) 

Moreover, given the large number of people without worrying health signs in the group for whom data was available, it’s possible that many of those in the group with incomplete data were well too.

When the researchers looked at the patients’ last viral load results on file (some more than 12 months ago at the time of returning to the clinic), 71% had fewer than 1 000 copies/mL in their blood. 

A viral count of <1 000 copies/mL tells a health worker that the medicine is keeping most of the virus from replicating. It is usually a sign of someone being diligent about taking their pills and managing their condition well.

Yet clinic staff often assume that people who collect their medicine late are not good at taking their pills regularly, and so they get routed to extra counselling about staying on the programme.

“Most people don’t need more adherence counselling; they need more convenience,” says Rees. Offering services that aren’t necessary because of an inflexible process wastes resources, she explains — something a system under pressure can ill afford.

Says Rees: “With funding in crisis, we really have to prioritise [where money is spent].”

Does late = indifferent?

Rarely. Close to three-quarters of people who turned up four weeks or more after their scheduled medicine collection date said they had missed their appointment because of travelling, work commitments or family obligations. Only about a quarter of the sample missed their appointment because they forgot, misplaced their clinic card or for some other reason that would suggest they weren’t managing their condition well.

Part of making cost-effective decisions about how to use budgets best is to offer differentiated care”, meaning that “not every patient coming back after a missed appointment is treated the same way”, says Rees. Health workers should look at how much the appointment date was missed as well as a patient’s health status to decide what service they need, she explains. 

Giving people who’ve been managing their condition well enough medicine to last them six months at a time can go a long way, Wilkinson told Bhekisisa’s Health Beat team in July. “Getting 180 pills in one go reduces the number of clinic visits [only twice a year], which eases the workload on staff. But it also helps patients to stay on their treatment by cutting down on their transport costs in their own time off work,” Wilkinson said.

Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Namibia have all rolled out six-month dispensing — and have already reached the UN’s target of having 95% of people on medicine at a virally suppressed level.  

According to the health department South Africa will start rolling out six-month dispensing in August. 

“But not everyone wants this,” explained Wilkinson, pointing out that experiences from other countries show that 50% to 60% of people choose six-monthly pick-ups. 

It speaks to tailoring service delivery to patients’ needs, says Rees, rather than enforcing a one-size-fits-all system when more than one size is needed.

Says Rees: “Facing funding constraints, we really need tailored service delivery to keep the [HIV treatment] programme where it is.”

This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Sign up for the newsletter.

Patrick Bam is an executive member of a township cooperative in the Eastern Cape that is generating, managing and benefiting from its own sun-powered energy project. He says it has transformed life in his community.

“We were losing a lot as a community, especially as our food and appliances were being damaged due to load shedding,” he said. “But with this project, we’ve been able to generate our own electricity and even sell it to the municipality.”

Called the SalTuba Cooperative, the project is one of South Africa’s leading examples of socially owned renewable energy in action, and a model for energy democracy. Its cooperative model has inspired other townships to take on similar initiatives, and civil society groups and researchers use it as evidence that community-led renewable energy is possible, even in urban, low-income contexts.

Owned and managed by residents in KwaZakhele township in Gqeberha through a democratic cooperative structure, the project is built on public municipal land and governed collectively. Each household holds a stake and a vote, and members decide together how to reinvest revenue from electricity generation, whether into food gardening, maintenance, or other community priorities.

Socially owned energy

Unlike traditional energy projects, where private individuals, corporations, or government agencies own the means of production, participants in socially owned renewable energy (SORE) projects take charge of their own power supply. While there is no official registry of SORE projects in South Africa, #PowerTracker research has identified more than 20 operating initiatives across the country.

One example is the Ekhenana Solar Commune, based in the Abahlali baseMjondolo settlement, in Durban. The community-run solar project powers a library, study hall and phone-charging station.

Others are two local NGO-led projects, one based in Durban’s Austerville and the other in Emalahleni in Mpumalanga. In Austerville, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance’s office has a grid-tied solar PV system and serves as a community charging hub. In Emalahleni, Vukani Environmental Movement members have installed an off-grid rooftop PV system.

On a larger scale, the Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape is cited as one of the earliest and most prominent examples of community ownership in renewable energy, making it a landmark case for socially owned renewables in the country.

A trust representing the local AmaMfengu people owns 9% of the wind farm, which began operating in 2016 and supplies electricity to Eskom under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Cooperative born from crisis

#PowerTracker recently visited the SalTuba project, named after two long streets in KwaZakhele — Sali and Tubali — where most of the cooperative’s members live. The names were combined to create “SalTuba”, reflecting the project’s deep community roots.

Run by a cooperative of 36 households, the project emerged in 2019 as a direct response to rising electricity tariffs, relentless load shedding, and the powerlessness township residents felt over their energy supply. It was formally registered in 2021 as a primary cooperative.

Initially focused on food gardening and local business development, it worked with the KwaZakhele Development Agency and Nelson Mandela University to explore renewable energy solutions in response to the community’s struggles with load shedding and rising electricity tariffs.

What began as a modest grassroots initiative soon evolved into a pioneering solar energy project. In 2019 it installed its first solar panels and began generating power for local benefit.

Since then SalTuba has delivered measurable benefits to its members. Over the first 20 months, the project generated approximately 8,800 kWh of electricity, equivalent to R19,300 in value, or about R966 a month based on municipal tariffs.

The solar array is strategically mounted on a carport structure and a community-built waste recycling facility, maximising the use of available space. Over the years the energy system has been upgraded from 5 kW to 25 kW of capacity.

Beyond power generation, the cooperative has expanded its food gardening initiative, supplying fresh produce to the community and even offering vegetables on credit.

Crucially, the project has empowered women and youth: women lead the soup kitchen and gardening efforts, while younger members like Lubabalo Mkhiva have acquired technical skills in solar installation and energy management.

“I joined this project because I saw the impact it brought to the community,” said Mkhiva. “It encouraged me to be part of it, seeing the unemployment rate and poverty affecting our small communities.”

Bureaucratic barriers

But while SalTuba has demonstrated the potential of community-led energy, navigating municipal systems has proven anything but straightforward. According to Khaled El-Jabi, director at Energyworx, the engineering firm that helped design the system and structure of its power purchase agreement (PPA), the project faced serious bureaucratic hurdles from the start.

“There was no mechanism within the municipality to allow this type of connection to the grid,” he explained. Because the land is municipally owned, SalTuba first had to obtain permission to receive a municipal account number. Only then could a smart meter be installed to monitor and credit the electricity they produced.

The PPA, signed with PowerX, an independent energy trader, spans 10 years and is structured to optimise returns using a time-of-use tariff model. According to El-Jabi, this tariff is “split between peak, standard and off-peak sections – peak being most expensive, then standard and off-peak being the cheapest.”

“It is also split on seasons, with summer from September to May and winter being June, July and August. The PPA will pay based on the electricity generated during those times. For example, electricity generation during summer standard time will be allocated that particular tariff amount.”

El-Jabi believes this model is scalable: “There are 120 such ‘gap taps’ in KwaZakhele alone, with potential for three to four megawatts of community-owned solar. Communities can become prosumers, not just consumers,” he said.

Still, he cautions that developers need to be “extremely patient. Changing the system requires persistence, political navigation, and detailed planning.”

Municipal constraints

Although SalTuba has made strides in generating electricity, connecting that power to the grid and earning revenue from it has proved complicated. David Breitfeld, development adviser in the Nelson Mandela Bay electricity department, said the municipality supports the project in principle but is constrained by outdated policies and procurement rules.

“We’re happy to connect community generators,” he said, “but legally we can’t just buy electricity from anyone. If we buy from SalTuba, then why not the next household? We’d need to run 10,000 tenders. That’s not practical.”

Instead, the municipality enables net billing, which allows the project to reduce its municipal electricity bill to zero but not earn cash. A smart meter currently being installed will record exactly when electricity is generated and at what tariff value (peak, standard, off-peak). These meters are crucial, Breitfeld explained, because the value of electricity varies across time and season.

“If you export power during peak winter hours, that’s worth far more than during off-peak times,” he said.

Wheeling deal

SalTuba’s turning point came in 2022 with its PPA with licensed energy trader PowerX. The municipality enabled wheeling, a system which allows SalTuba to sell electricity through the municipal grid to PowerX, who pays the cooperative while covering wheeling charges.

“This model is finally allowing us to move forward,” Brietfeld said, confirming installation of the smart meter by the municipality is imminent.

Still, he noted structural problems in the system: since SalTuba’s solar installation is not physically linked to residents’ homes, community members don’t see reduced household energy bills directly. “If they had installed the system in front of their home meters, they could have consumed the power directly before it entered the grid — that would have saved them money immediately.”

Instead, power goes straight into the broader grid, making it difficult to attribute usage to individuals without more complex metering and agreements. “You don’t want to spend R100 to earn R10 worth of power,” he added.

Transition townships

Despite the bureaucratic hurdles, SalTuba proves that communities can successfully manage renewable energy projects, said Mareka Mokwatlo, manager of Transition Township pilot projects based in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.

Mokwatlo joined the Transition Township Project, an action research initiative focused on developing sustainable local economies, in 2016 and works with SalTuba from a research perspective. In 2024 the project was awarded a three-year research grant by the National Research Foundation to scale up the SalTuba pilot and to implement additional pilot projects.

“Communities are capable of implementing such projects, and acquiring such assets. But they do face numerous challenges, and those challenges can include the regulations that they have to work within. Having strong community support helps, and that comes with resilience,” she said.

For communities considering similar projects, Mokwatlo offers practical advice: “Start engaging the community early. Tap into your existing assets first, like skills that are already there. We don’t have to go outside to hire people in our working-class communities. We know we have artisanal skills, and we have stokvels that can be used towards funding our operations.”

Land access remains crucial in the South African context, she said. “Access to land is necessary to generate and improve our livelihoods. We need to use land strategically and understand local regulations, which can be complex.”

Mokwatlo emphasised starting small and building trust: “Partner with local businesses before you go outside. Work with what you have. Building strong partnerships requires commitment, and people need to trust you.”

“For this type of project, start small, pilot, and design to scale. We started with 15 panels on a carport, and now there’s a structure and 40 panels.”

Broader vision

Professor Janet Cherry, head of the department of development studies at Nelson Mandela University, sees SalTuba as part of a broader vision for a just energy transition. Her work focuses on how community-owned energy projects can fundamentally reshape South Africa’s economy.

“Some critics think that this model is only going to meet a small part of the country’s energy needs. Our research shows otherwise: in theory household production could meet 83% of the whole country’s planned energy needs,” she said.

Community-owned energy projects can be a game-changer for local communities, Cherry emphasised. “By producing electricity locally, communities can create new jobs and economic opportunities. It’s not just about generating electricity, but about empowering communities to take control of their energy future.”

“You don’t have to have a big solar plant in the middle of the desert, you can actually do it on every single roof or every open space. The biggest opportunity is the inclusion of community-owned energy systems that can alleviate the electricity constraints experienced in South Africa.”

But realising this vision requires fundamental policy reform, she added: “Municipalities need to be able to buy electricity from community cooperatives like SalTuba, but the current regulations and administrative capacity are not supportive. We need policy changes to make it easier for community cooperatives to participate economically in the energy transition process.”

Cherry’s concept of a just transition goes beyond simply replacing coal jobs. “Just transition is not about people being laid off from the coal mines and then unemployment goes up, it’s about completely restructuring the economy to be owned and controlled by ordinary people,” she said.

“It’s about creating a more just and equitable society, where people have control over their own lives and livelihood.”

You can watch our recent webinar titled, Whose Land, Whose Power? The Nexus of Renewable Energy, Land Rights and Social Ownership to learn more about community-owned renewables – and find details of SalTuba and similar projects on our #PowerTracker tool here.

This investigation by Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism was supported by the African Climate Foundation’s New Economy Hub.