1. Stephen McGowan was released last week after being held hostage in Mali for more than five years. He spoke to the press on Thursday, appearing gracious and with his sense of humour intact amid some heart-wrenching moments.
2. The five-year anniversary of the Marikana massacre is coming up on August 16. Living conditions for mineworkers are still dire and Marikana housing activist Napolean Webster is asking why nothing is happening to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, Lonmin and the police while 17 miners are on trial.
3. Not only is depression among South African men at its highest, it's also causing under-performance in the bedroom.
4. Muslim model Muna Jama refused to wear a bikini for the swimsuit round of the Miss Universe Great Britain pageant, garnering praise on social media for what has been seen as a gain for Muslim women in the fashion and beauty industry.
5. Parliament is in desperate need of a spring clean. Well, more of a cleansing, really.
6. The Ministry of Police said there were valid reasons why it did not arrest Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mduduzi Manana after charges of assault were laid against him, and that he was not being given special treatment. His court appearance on Thursday seemed to indicate otherwise.
7. Manana is not the only high-profile individual to receive special treatment, though. Here are three others whose arrests and detainments didn't follow normal procedure.
8. Scrolling through picture-perfect Instagram feeds is feeding a comparative culture that, instead of inspiring creativity, is feeding our insecurities.
9. North Korea dismissed warnings by United States President Donald Trump that it would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the US and outlined detailed plans on Thursday for a missile strike near the US Pacific territory of Guam.