Top Stories

Top Stories
‘It’s better to be comfortable with who you are’ – Super League referee Child talks about being gay
Super League referee James Child speaks publicly about being gay for the first time in an exclusive interview for the BBC’s LGBT Sport Podcast.
Top Stories
What are ‘vaccine passports’ and should we have them?
Having to prove you have been vaccinated against a disease is not new, but some oppose COVID vaccine passports.
Top Stories
Kazakh president orders ban on foreign ownership of farmland
Kazakhstan, a major producer of grains, oilseeds and meat, is seeking to end a dispute that has prompted protests.

South Africa
Eastern Cape cops arrest 3 suspects in connection with e-hailing taxi driver’s murder
Eastern Cape police have made a breakthrough in their investigation into the murder of an e-hailing taxi driver in New Brighton. Three people have been arrested.
South Africa
NSFAS finalising checks on funding applications
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, says the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is currently finalising the due diligence and quality checks of the application information received.

South Africa
Abalone worth R2.7m seized in Cape Town bust
The Cape Town bust uncovered an illegal abalone drying facility at Willow Creek in Brackenfell.

South Africa
Bookkeeper handed 10-year sentence for R12m fraud at KwaZulu-Natal hotel
The Estcourt Regional Court has sentenced the bookkeeper to 10 years’ imprisonment on more than 500 counts of fraud.

World
Myanmar minister flies to Thailand for crisis talks
Myanmar’s military-appointed foreign minister has flown into Thailand, as Myanmar’s neighbours intensified efforts to resolve the coup crisis.

World
Myanmar coup: Facebook, Instagram place immediate ban on military
Facebook said deadly violence in Myanmar had brought about the need for the ban on the military.

World
Singapore: Police officer’s wife admits to killing Myanmar maid
The domestic helper from Myanmar was reportedly tortured and starved before her death.

World
Hit TV show Frasier to be revived after 20 years
Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane, will return but it is not known if other cast members will too.

Africa
WATCH: Coughing, maskless Tanzania minister holds press briefing to prove he’s not dead
After months of claiming prayer had fended off Covid-19, Tanzanian President John Magafuli has urged citizens to follow precautions.

Africa
14 killed at religious site in CAR – Amnesty International
Video evidence showed as many as 14 bodies, some not wearing military clothes, and including a woman and a child, the group said.

Africa
Zim news outlet publishes report accusing country’s VP of soliciting sex at his office
Zimbabwe’s 71-year-old Vice President Kembo Mohadi on Wednesday refuted accusations of sexual misconduct by an online news outlet, saying he is the victim of “political machinations”.

Africa
Namaste Wahala: Does the real-life mirror the film?
Do real-life couples face the same difficulties as those depicted in the Bollywood-Nollywood crossover?

Business
Bonds slide, stocks rally on reflation buzz: markets wrap
Commodities advanced.

Business
New bill aims to make it easier to do business in South Africa
The opposition Democratic Alliance has tabled its Ease of Doing Business Bill which is aimed at cutting and reducing red tape associated with doing business in South Africa.
Business

Business
Convergence Partners acquires Ctrack Africa and Middle East business
Technology investment group, Convergence Partners, has entered into an agreement with Inseego Corp to acquire 100% of Ctrack’s operations in Africa and the Middle East.

Politics
‘Parliamentary study group system needs a re-look’
Former chairperson of the Public Enterprises Portfolio Committee Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba says the parliamentary study group system needs to be re-looked at.

Politics
Mkhize innocent until proven guilty: ANC
The African National Congress (ANC) says Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize is innocent until proven guilty. This comes after reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was probing a complaint about a multi-million-rand tender that was awarded to a communications company in KwaZulu-Natal.
Politics
Infrastructure development, sanitary towels and sin tax: 5 key quotes from Mboweni’s budget speech
The minister urged communities to avoid destroying infrastructure during protests as this sets the government back in its endeavours.
Politics
Mpumalanga cabinet reshuffle shows demise of Mabuza allies, says the DA
The DA on Wednesday said it believed the reshuffling of the Mpumalanga cabinet was a clear reflection of the political factions at play in the province.

Sport
New Zealand edge Australia in T20 run-fest
Veteran batsman Martin Guptill returned to form with a blistering 97 as New Zealand held on for a nail-biting win over Australia in the second Twenty20 international in Dunedin.

Sport
SA Rugby introduces scrum changes to help speed up the game (at last!)
Speeding up play to ensure more action on the field will be key as the 2021 season kicks off this weekend.

Sport
Kaizer Chiefs catch a fixture break after CAF Champions League congestion
Kaizer Chiefs have been handed a fixture boost after confirmation that one of their upcoming DStv Premiership fixtures has been postponed.

Sport
Aussie Lleyton Hewitt admitted to Tennis Hall of Fame
Two-time Grand Slam winner Lleyton Hewitt was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame class of 2021, along with the Original 9 of the women’s professional tour.
Education
Liberia: A Beacon of Hope – Landmark Contribution From Liberian Alumni
[FrontPageAfrica] On 8 February, the World Maritime University Alumni Association of Liberia (WMUAAL) presented a donation to the WMU Endowment Fund. The virtual event was hosted in cooperation between WMUAAL and the Swedish Embassy in Monrovia and brought together the majority of Liberian graduates.
Education
Nigeria: Tech Expert Highlights Importance of Females in STEM Education
[This Day] Co-founder, Afro-Tech Girls, a non-profit organisation, Adeola Shasanya, has stressed the important roles women play in the study of Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Education
Uganda: Covid-19 Aftershocks – Schools Open With Over 100,000 Pregnant Learners
[Observer] On March 1, schools will open for the semi-candidate classes as the government eases restrictions on education institutions almost a year since President Museveni announced their closure as a measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Education
Welsh watchdog criticises lack of action since home-school scurvy death
Children’s commissioner says moves to better regulate home education have been slow and ineffective
The Welsh government is failing in its legal duty to protect the rights of home-educated children a decade after a boy who was being taught by his parents slipped under the radar of education and health officials and died of scurvy, an official report has concluded.
Eight-year-old Dylan Seabridge...

Lifestyle
‘It will end in tears’: Here’s why Lasizwe’s relationship went downhill
Just over a week after revealing his new mystery man, Lasizwe Dambuza has opened up about how the relationship went sour.
Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Why actress Zendaya wants to become a movie director
The American actress Zendaya has revealed she is keen to become a filmmaker and has been offered lessons by director Sam Levinson.
Lifestyle

Entertainment
The third ‘Spider-Man’ film finally has a title
Until Wednesday, rumors about the title of the third Spider-Man film have been a web of lies. But the truth has been revealed.

Entertainment
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle donate new roof to Texas women’s shelter damaged in storm
A Texas shelter badly damaged by last week’s winter storm is getting help from an unexpected donor.
Entertainment

Entertainment
DWI charges dropped against Bruce Springsteen, who pleads guilty to just drinking in the park
Bruce Springsteen pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges he imbibed alcohol at New Jersey’s Sandy Hook National Recreation Area, despite knowing it was prohibited.

Science/Tech
New age restrictions for Netflix shows in South Africa
Netflix has added new ratings to its online catalogue of shows that are aligned with the standards of the Films and Publications Board (FPB).

Science/Tech
It’s Gates vs Musk as world’s richest spar over bitcoin
Unless you’re the world’s richest person, you shouldn’t be buying bitcoin. That’s the message from Bill Gates – the third richest.

Science/Tech
African online retailer Jumia’s losses narrow after cost cuts
African e-commerce pioneer Jumia said on Wednesday its cost cuts helped it reduce fourth quarter losses by 47% from a year ago, even as revenues continue to slide, showing that its path to profitability was on course.
Science/Tech
Financial constraints create tech-savvy SA consumers
Retailers have long understood the need to adapt to changing shopping preferences, but the pandemic disruptions triggered a much greater sense of urgency.
Motoring

Motoring
Mercedes-Benz still supporting cabriolets and coupes but with reduced future role
“We want to really focus on a portfolio that’s more precise and consumer-oriented”.
Motoring

Motoring
V8 returns to power fastest Land Rover Defender ever made
The supercharged V8’s 386 kW is a considerable step-up from the 132 kW produced by the old 3.9 Rover V8 powered Defender.

Health
A New Coronavirus Variant Is Spreading in New York, Researchers Report
The variant contains a mutation thought to help the virus dodge the immune system, but vaccines should still be effective, scientists said.

Health
C.D.C. Traces Covid Outbreaks in Gyms, Urging Stricter Precautions
Coronavirus cases at fitness centers in Chicago and Honolulu were linked to carelessness about masks and symptoms, federal health officials found.

Health
Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine Works Well and May Curb Virus Spread
F.D.A. studies show the shot strongly protects against severe illness and may reduce spread of the virus. But the drugmaker has fallen short of initial production goals.

Health
New Findings on 2 Ways Children Become Seriously Ill from the Coronavirus
A large study found that young people hospitalized with acute Covid-19 infection have symptoms and characteristics that differ from those with a Covid-linked inflammatory syndrome.

Nature
Giant telescope to listen for ‘advanced civilisations’
Planned UK first hopes to be looking for extraterrestrial life within five years.

Nature
Attenborough gives stark warning on climate change to UN
Climate change could destroy “entire cities” in a matter of decades, says Sir David Attenborough.

Nature
Water quality and quantity the key to healthy estuaries
The health of on estuary is a description of the condition of an estuary and are driven by two key drivers, water quality and quantity. Rain falling on the land eventually makes its way to a lake, river, stream, estuary, or ocean. Some rainwater flows slowly, in a thin layer called sheet flow across the […]

Nature
Cambridge moonflower: Time-lapse video captures ‘UK first’
See the bloom of an Amazonian moonflower that captured interest from around the world.