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12 books you need to read in 2026
Fictional gems, debut thillers, cracking biographies and everything in between.
THURSDAY, 25 DECEMBER 2025, 03:48

Top Stories
Fictional gems, debut thillers, cracking biographies and everything in between.

Top Stories
A chef for Premier League footballers reveals how he keeps them fit and healthy around Christmas.

Top Stories
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for parts of California, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego.

Top Stories
The White Settlement Police Department is searching for two suspects.

South Africa
Makgoba was delivering the Christmas Eve midnight mass at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town.

South Africa
IEC is sharpening its tools to improve the voting experience ahead of next year’s elections.

South Africa
Foot and Mouth Disease was confirmed in the Amahlathi Local Municipality.

South Africa
Eastern Cape Transport says it is hopeful it will keep the downward trajectory of road fatalities.

World
An American doctor journals her daily life as a volunteer in al-Shifa hospital, which was once Gaza’s largest medical facility.

World
Ukraine’s president says he open to pulling troops back from parts of the east if Russia also pulls back its forces.

World
It is not clear if Asfura’s opponents will accept the result after saying the vote count was manipulated.
World
Scouts marched under a clear blue sky in Bethlehem on Wednesday, as the Palestinian city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza to celebrate its first festive Christmas in more than two years.

Africa
A drought has led to water being rationed in Dar es Salaam, with taps sometimes dry for weeks.

Africa
As he competes at Afcon 2025 with Burkina Faso, Dango Ouattara says Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa inspired him to become the latest African to star for Brentford.

Africa
Jane Ansah is going in a private capacity but reports about the cost and entourage have riled people up.

Africa
Those particularly affected are children and pregnant women – some going without food for days.

Business
Passengers travelling on Christmas Eve are forecast to be the highest on record.

Business
French magazine Jeune Afrique has ranked four South African cities among the top 30 most attractive destinations on the continent for quality of life and investment.

Business
Data from the Department of Public Service and Administration show that over 37,800 government employees are millionaires.

Business
BP has sold a 65% stake in its motor lubricant arm Castrol to US-based investment firm Stonepeak.

Politics
Hlongwa died in hospital on Tuesday following an illness.

Politics
Mashatile called on South Africans to continue embracing the values of Ubuntu.
Politics
A week after she fulfilled her lifelong dream of obtaining a PhD, activist and researcher Dr Reneè Thompson died.

Politics
The Bitou Deputy Mayor was seen in a widely circulated video at the weekend, firing a gun.

Sport
They are all elite Welsh sports stars and they all hit the headlines in 2025 – but with festive baubles in the way, how many of our Christmas dozen can you spot?

Sport
We’ve built five quizzes to celebrate five BBC shows – but only those with the biggest football trivia brains can beat them all.

Sport
Steven Finn looks back on a career of touring with England, including the low of being dropped on Christmas Day and the high of taking down South Africa.

Sport
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has invited the public to join him on a Christmas morning walk. Here are all the details …
Education
The decision seemed likely to provoke a court battle in a state where Republican politicians have sought to influence public universities.
Education
It is the latest twist in the marquee battle of the administration’s campaign to rein in colleges and universities it views as too liberal.
Education
Readers offer personal stories in response to a guest essay critical of home-schooling.
Education
[Nile Post] Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has warned heads of examination centres and the general public to beware of fraudsters posing as members of the UNEB Security Committee.

Lifestyle
It seems Siya Kolisi may have confirmed rumours that he is dating 24-year-old influencer Rachel John, a year after split from Rachel Kolisi.

Lifestyle
Take a look inside Handre and Marise Pollard’s ‘bush’ getaway with their son Hunter and newborn baby girl Isabella.

Lifestyle
Pavel Durov already has over 100 children, but he wants to do more to populate the world with heirs to his billions.

Lifestyle
Venus Williams and Andrea Preti are a picture of wedded bliss after becoming husband and wife.

Entertainment
Ivory Coast are aiming to become the first nation since Egypt in 2010 to successfully defend the premier African football title.

Entertainment
‘As a team we want to get to the final. We have not come here to make up the numbers,’ said Mahrez.

Entertainment
A total of R73 million in jackpots is up for grabs tonight. Here are your Lotto and Lotto Plus results for 24 December 2025.

Entertainment
Catch up on the biggest stories of Wednesday, 25 December 2025 that you may have missed, in our simple daily news update.
Science/Tech
“In the age of Spotify and AI slop, tapes remind us what we’re missing when we stop taking risks,” writes author Janus Rose in an article for 404 Media. Here’s an excerpt: There are lots of advantages to the cassette lifestyle. Unlike vinyl records, tapes are compact and super-portable, and unlike streaming, you never have to worry about a giant company suddenly taking them away from you. They...
Science/Tech
Apple will allow alternative iOS app stores and external payment systems in Brazil after settling an antitrust case with the country’s competition authority, following a lawsuit brought by MercadoLibre back in 2022. Thurrott reports: Yesterday, Brazil’s Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica (CADE) explained in its press release that it has approved a Term of Commitment to Cease (TCC)...
Science/Tech
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: Two years ago, Lizmary Fernandez took a detour from studying to be an immigration attorney to join a free Apple course for making iPhone apps. The Apple Developer Academy in Detroit launched as part of the company’s $200 million response to the Black Lives Matter protests and aims to expand opportunities for people of color in the country’s...
Science/Tech
Adult children across the United States are increasingly reporting that their aging parents have developed what looks remarkably like the smartphone addiction [non-paywalled source] typically associated with teenagers, a phenomenon The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel has dubbed “phone-based retirement.” A 2019 Pew Research Center study found people 60 and older spend more than half their daily...
Motoring

Motoring
South Africa received 15 new bakkies this year, including two double cabs with first-of-their-kind powertrains.

Motoring
WeBuyCars has agreed to pay a fine of R2.5 million to the state, and R3.4 million to refund consumers.

Motoring
South African buyers can access the Honda Elevate SUV for less this festive season thanks to strong finance offers and cash rebates.
Health
Sudden surges of anguish can accompany intense mourning. That’s not unusual, experts say, and sometimes even helpful.
Health
The measles outbreak in the United States is now in its 11th month, with almost 2,000 cases. The Timmons family were some of the first people to get sick.

Health
Bertie Melly was in hospital for 18 months after his premature birth in May 2024.

Health
The shortage is due to a major supplier stopping manufacturing epidural bags, the government says.