
Top Stories
‘I hid from a wall of heat’: Eyewitnesses describe escape from bar inferno
One young man told the BBC he went into the bar to look for his little brother, who he thought was inside.
THURSDAY, 01 JANUARY 2026, 19:32

Top Stories
One young man told the BBC he went into the bar to look for his little brother, who he thought was inside.

Top Stories
BBC’s Silvia Costeloe says the fire happened in the beating heart of lively Crans-Montana.

Top Stories
Ryan Searle and two-time champion Gary Anderson win their respective quarter-finals at the PDC World Championship.
Top Stories
The South African Weather Service has warned of showers and thundershowers in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow, while other provinces can expect cloudy, fine and warm to hot conditions.

South Africa
Lucky Tshilimandila says the Makhadzi’s condition has improved compared to Wednesday.

South Africa
Most people blame the problem on the water supplied by the Polokwane Municipality.

South Africa
Letsoha Mathae has stressed the critical role of fathers in the upbringing of their children.

South Africa
During the commotion, the victim was stabbed with a sharp object and died on the scene.

World
Dr Dirk Brandherm and his colleagues have identified more than 600 suspected house platforms in the Brusselstown Ring.

World
Swiss authorities say “several dozen” were killed in an overnight fire at the Le Constellation bar at the Crans-Montana ski resort.

World
Reports of fireworks and other explosives being thrown are widespread across the country.

World
Around 100 are also injured in fire at Crans-Montana Swiss ski resort bar Le Constellation.

Africa
The two states say they are taking reciprocal measures after the US announced full-entry restrictions on their citizens.

Africa
TikTok, YouTube and Facebook are down, as the nation awaits the final result from the presidential poll.

Africa
Somaliland wants international recognition – here’s why, and what could have driven Israel to recognise it now.

Africa
Overfishing and illegal fishing are contributing to the loss of sharks, including great whites.

Business
Homeowners in South Africa could get more financial relief next year, with three interest rate cuts on the cards for 2026.

Business
Japan, and its biggest city, Tokyo, offers South African travellers a relatively affordable holiday with complete safety, great restaurants, honest people, and no tipping.

Business
The move is designed to ensure people pay all relevant tax on buying and selling crypto.

Business
Blu Label is presenting an attractive investment case despite the dissapointing Cell C IPO, with Anchor Capital’s Mike Gresty adopting a contrarian position.

Politics
Nyhontso says the PAC is ready to contest fully in the upcoming elections.

Politics
Political parties will head to the polls in the municipal elections, expected later this year.

Politics
President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke during his New Year’s message earlier Wednesday afternoon.

Politics
The President also highlighted the importance of respecting women and young girls.

Sport
Dragons run four tries past Scarlets in 28-5 at Rodney Parade to climb to 10th in the United Rugby Championship.

Sport
Tributes have been paid to Belfast boxer Paul McCullagh Jr, who has passed away aged 25 after a short illness.

Sport
Ulster captain Iain Henderson returns from a back injury against heavily-changed inter-provincial rivals Munster in Belfast on Friday.

Sport
Louis Rees-Zammit says he is “incredibly happy” to have signed a long-term deal with Bristol Bears.
Education
Zohran Mamdani has stocked his administration with seasoned officials, in part to allay concerns about his inexperience and left-wing stances.
Education
At a moment when Americans are distrusting and fearful, we examine the psychology of hope.
Education
Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect, announced several key appointments who could help implement central promises of his agenda, including universal child care.
Education
[ENA] Addis Ababa — Addis Ababa University (AAU) has reaffirmed its commitment to attaining international competitiveness while serving as a central driver of Ethiopia’s national development.
Lifestyle

Lifestyle
72-year-old media mogul Oprah Winfrey opens up about her weight loss journey on GLP-1 medication.

Lifestyle
Popular YouTube star iShowSpeed rang in the New Year in South Africa, sharing his celebrations with millions of fans across social media.

Lifestyle
Learn what life has in store in 2026 from the world’s leading psychics.

Entertainment
Everybody loves public holidays, but there is a catch in 2026.

Entertainment
Through the lens: The Citizen’s Picture Editors select the best photographs from South Africa and around the world.

Entertainment
Imagine building a designer baby like a plushie toy in a mall. Genetic editing may offer parents this, soon. But is it okay? We ask experts.
Entertainment
Science/Tech
As the calendar flips to January 1, 2026, thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 are entering the US public domain alongside sound recordings from 1925, making them free to copy, share, remix and build upon without permission or licensing fees. The literary haul includes William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, Dashiell Hammett’s full novel The Maltese Falcon, Agatha Christie’s first Miss Marple...

Science/Tech
Peter Foreshaw Brookes says worry about falling sperm counts is misplaced
The Italian “demographic winter” has a number of causes, but rising male biological infertility is not one (A child is born: Italians celebrate village’s first baby in 30 years, 26 December).
A lot of worry about falling sperm counts has been generated by some studies, but a more recent meta‑analysis found, through...
Science/Tech
The European Space Agency has acknowledged yet another security incident after a cybercriminal posted an offer on BreachForums the day after Christmas claiming to have stolen over 20GB of data including source code, confidential documents, API tokens and credentials. The attacker claims they gained access to ESA-linked external servers on December 18 and remained connected for about a week,...
Science/Tech
Mark Thomson, a professor of experimental particle physics at the University of Cambridge, takes over as CERN’s director general this week, and one of his first major decisions during his five-year tenure will be shutting down the Large Hadron Collider for an extended upgrade. The shutdown starts in June to make way for the high-luminosity LHC — a major overhaul involving powerful new...

Motoring
These are the must-have items every bakkie enthusiast needs on their car in South Africa.

Motoring
The average price of cars in South Africa has seen considerable increases over the last few years, though even the most notable of these is far from the price tag for the country’s most expensive cars.

Motoring
Flying cars have been a matter of fiction for many years, but some companies are attempting to make them a reality.

Motoring
South Africa has a secret test track that has been kept under wraps for nearly two decades, located near a nearby highway where cars can travel at speeds of up to 250km/h.

Health
Emma Giannuzzi used sunbeds throughout her late teens and was twice diagnosed with melanoma.

Health
The Food Chain’s Ruth Alexander on what helps – and what doesn’t – if you’ve overindulged.

Health
The weather alert service warns the public when high or low temperatures could damage their health.
Health
Now that the condition is known to spread sexually, there are steps you and your partner can take to prevent it.