Top Stories

Top Stories
Draco Malfoy becomes unlikely Lunar New Year mascot in China
This year’s trendy Lunar New Year decor comes with a stroke of wizardry.

Top Stories
Black mark against Andre de Ruyter’s name
Eskom’s latest load-shedding data shows that rolling blackouts exploded under former chief executive Andre de Ruyter and rapidly declined under the current leadership.
Top Stories
THEATRE REVIEW: Maynardville’s Twelfth Night: Shakespeare’s middle finger to romantic convention
At Maynardville in Cape Town, director Steven Stead and a formidable cast have created a Twelfth Night that’s a genuinely funny antidote to whatever it is that ails you.

South Africa
Suspects in Meyerton shooting to appear in court soon
Police say the victims and the suspects involved in the Meyerton shooting are Lesotho nationals.

South Africa
Victims in Meyerton shooting are Lesotho nationals: SAPS
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear at this stage.

South Africa
Concerned parents urge GDE to resolve scholar transport problems
Operators affiliated with the Gauteng Small Bus Operators Council have downed tools.

South Africa
Family tampered with Solomon Mdluli’s murder scene, court hears
It is alleged that his wife, Ethel Mdluli, contracted two men to kill her husband at their home.
World
News24 | US shoots down Iran drone ‘in self-defence’ as it approaches aircraft carrier
The US military shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the US military said, in an incident first reported by Reuters.

World
Why a beauty spot in South Africa could be about to run out of water
Official estimates suggest that around 55% of the town’s drinkable water is lost to leaking pipes.

World
Trial of Norway crown princess’ son hears tearful account in rape trial
The first alleged victim begins giving evidence in Marius Borg Høiby’s trial for rape and more than 30 other alleged offences.

World
Spain announces plans to ban social media for under-16s
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says the move will protect children from the “digital Wild West”.

Africa
South Sudan’s leader sacks aides after dead man appointed
The appointment of a dead opposition politician to a presidential panel caused embarrassment.

Africa
Ethiopia PM hits out at Eritrea over atrocities in Tigray
Abiy Ahmed admitted for the first time in parliament that Eritrean troops had killed people in Aksum.

Africa
Somali woman executed for murdering a child in a case that sparked outrage
Hodan Mohamud Diiriye faced a firing squad after being found guilty of beating Saabirin Saylaan to death.

Africa
South Africa’s ex-President Zuma mentioned in Epstein emails over London dinner plan
The correspondence describes arrangements for a meal and there is no indication of wrongdoing by Zuma.

Business
Money set to flood into South Africa
Money is set to flow into South Africa thanks to a combination of low inflation, improving policy credibility, and favourable global shifts.

Business
Netflix and Warner Bros struggle to defend merger
Concerns were raised by a subcommittee including potential price rises and the future of cinemas.

Business
The Chinese planemaker taking on Boeing and Airbus
Comac’s passenger jet is attracting customers in South East Asia where demand for affordable aircraft is growing.

Business
Walmart becomes first retailer to hit $1tn market value
The milestone reflects the US retail giant’s booming e-commerce business and investors’ embrace of its AI investments.

Politics
John Steenhuisen expected to address the media in Durban
SABC News has reliably learnt that he will not stand for re-election at the DA’s Federal Congress

Politics
Witness F to resume testimony at Madlanga Commission
The Madlanga inquiry is probing allegations of criminality in the justice system.

Politics
Former SAPS employee Mashale denies influencing disbanding of PKTT
Mashale says all she did was expose corruption within the SAPS since 2008.

Politics
Faction within Crime Intelligence not same as faction in administrative dept: Dotyeni
He was testifying before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee.

Sport
Liverpool to rival Man Utd for Wharton – Wednesday’s gossip
Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid eye Adam Wharton deal, Manchester United could move for Jean-Philippe Mateta and Sandro Tonali, Leeds keeper Illan Meslier looks to be heading to Turkey.

Sport
Finucane and Morris win European golds in Turkey
Great Britain’s Emma Finucane and Anna Morris win gold medals at the UEC Track Elite European Championships in Turkey.

Sport
Mofokeng brace sees Sundowns lose top position
Orlando Pirates star Relebohile Mofokeng scored a brace to secure a 2-0 Betway Premiership victory over AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Sport
Arsenal sign goalkeeper Votikova on loan
Arsenal have signed goalkeeper Barbora Votikova on loan for the rest of the 2025-26 season from Slavia Prague.
Education
Liberia: Liberia Releases First-Ever Girls’ Education Scorecard, Offering Snapshot of Progress and Gaps
[Liberian Investigator] MONROVIA — Liberia has released its first national scorecard measuring how well the country is delivering on promises made to educate and protect girls, offering a long-awaited snapshot of both progress achieved and challenges that persist.
Education
South Korea Questions Cram School Culture and Childhood Stress
Academic pressure has become so intense that even preschoolers are taking private extracurricular classes, raising worries about children’s rights.

Education
‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?
When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degrees
The seaside city of Southend-on-Sea, on England’s east coast, looks grey on a winter afternoon in term-time. Its cobbled high street, bordering the university campus, is sparsely populated...

Education
From the archive: the free speech panic: how the right concocted a crisis – podcast
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.
This week, from 2018: snowflake students have become the target of a new rightwing crusade. But exaggerated claims of censorship reveal a deeper anxiety at the core of modern conservatism
By William Davies. Read by Lucy Scott
Continue reading…

Lifestyle
What SA’s First Safe Country principle means for refugees
SA’s new First Safe Country principle was drafted late last year by the Department of Home Affairs and it represents a big shift in policy …

Lifestyle
‘I’m not afraid of Donald Trump’: Trevor Noah quotes about POTUS
Trevor Noah has a long history of poking fun at the POTUS. Here are five unfiltered quotes about President Donald Trump…
Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Find out if you are eligible for a SRD R370 Grant
The SRD R370 grant was introduced in 2020 as a temporary emergency measure in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Entertainment
Spotlight on inmate wellbeing as half of prison deaths are suicides
Correctional Services portfolio committee members questioned whether enough was being to done to promote safety and mental health in prisons.

Entertainment
Steenhuisen is hurting the DA
Even he must acknowledge that, of late, he has become a liability for the DA and could hurt it in the local government elections this year.

Entertainment
‘Players must take accountability,’ says Lions captain Horn after Bulls bashing
The Lions will have to pick themselves up and dust themselves off after a heavy derby defeat to the Bulls.

Entertainment
‘We will bounce back in Perth,’ says Blitzboks’ Oosthuizen
The Blitzboks want to put in a much better showing at the Perth Sevens this coming weekend, after a poor effort at the Singapore Sevens.

Science/Tech
Mantashe’s petrol price lie
South Africa’s fuel price review has yet to yield any results despite promises that it would be completed “in the shortest possible time”.
Science/Tech
OpenAI’s Lead Is Contracting as AI Competition Intensifies
OpenAI’s rivals are cutting into ChatGPT’s lead. From a report: The top chatbot’s market share fell from 69.1% to 45.3% between January 2025 and January 2026 among daily U.S. users of its mobile app. Gemini, in the same time period, rose from 14.7% to 25.1% and Grok rose from 1.6% to 15.2%. The data, obtained by Big Technology from mobile insights firm Apptopia, indicates the chatbot race has...

Science/Tech
Can Digitap ($TAP) Save Your Portfolio in the Bear Market? Price Target $1.85: Best Crypto to Buy
The crypto market has been stuck in a bearish trend over the past few months. Retail investors are witnessing increasing losses in their portfolios as major altcoin prices continue to decline in the bear market. Savvy investors have already moved away from purely speculative altcoins driven solely by hype and sentiment and are carefully shifting […]
Science/Tech
Walmart Joins $1 Trillion Club
Walmart’s market cap surpassed $1 trillion on Tuesday, putting the largest U.S. retail chain in an exclusive club dominated by tech groups. Bloomberg adds: The Bentonville, Arkansas-based chain — a longtime favorite of bargain-hunting consumers — has flexed its massive scale and supplier network to keep prices low and grab market share across the income spectrum. While Walmart has maintained...

Motoring
Citroën launches new family SUV in South Africa – Pricing and features
Citroën has launched the new Aircross in South Africa, an affordable family SUV with up to seven seats.

Motoring
South Africa’s secret petrol taxes
Several domestic and international factors have a direct impact on how much South Africans pay for petrol.

Motoring
Best-selling cars in South Africa
Six of South Africa’s best-selling cars come from a single brand.
Motoring

Health
No-one knows what to expect when you’re dying – but hospices helped me
Hospices caring for people at the end of their lives are at risk because funding is “unsustainable”.
Health
Plastic Surgeons’ Group Advises Delaying Gender-Affirming Procedures Until Age 19
The organization’s latest guidance is a departure from the prevailing views of several other major medical organizations.
Health
Woman Wins Malpractice Suit Over Gender Surgery as a Minor
In a legal first, a jury in New York awarded $2 million to a patient who said that doctors had deviated from accepted medical standards.
Health
‘Biblical Diseases’ Could Resurge in Africa, Health Officials Fear
Parasites and infections that cause blindness and other disabilities were nearly eliminated in some countries, but drug distribution to prevent and treat them was derailed in many places in 2025 after the U.S. cut aid.