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South African authorities revise death toll in school bus crash to 12 as driver is arrested

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African authorities on Tuesday revised the death toll in a school bus crash to 12 children and announced the driver had been arrested and would face criminal charges.

The privately operated minibus collided head-on with a truck early Monday morning while carrying children to various schools south of Johannesburg.

Authorities initially announced that 12 children died at the scene of the crash and a 13th victim died later at the hospital.

On Tuesday, Gauteng province premier Panyaza Lesufi and the provincial health department said that 12 children had died at the scene and no deaths were reported in the hospital. Nine girls and three boys died, according to the provincial health department, while five other children, the bus driver and a passenger in the truck were hospitalized.

Police said that the 22-year-old male driver had been arrested after being discharged from the hospital and would be charged with 12 counts of culpable homicide — a charge comparable to manslaughter — and reckless and negligent driving. Witnesses said the bus had been overtaking other vehicles when it collided with the truck.

The driver’s permit to operate a minibus had also expired, Lesufi said.

Schools reopened in South Africa last week after the end-of-year holidays.

Many children in the country travel to and from school on privately-run bus services. Earlier this month, the Child Safe advocacy group urged parents to be careful about which bus services they send their children on and to look out for poorly maintained vehicles and unlicensed operators.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog has filed legal action against messaging app Telegram, saying the platform failed to remove extremist content including videos of white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and the New Zealand city of Christchurch as well as Islamic State group beheadings. The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday. The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks. Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.
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