
Top Stories
Passenger describes ‘chaos’ after head-on Machu Picchu train collision
Tourist Niels Honkoop says shattered glass littered the carriage floor and injured people were lying in the aisles.
WEDNESDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2025, 18:53

Top Stories
Tourist Niels Honkoop says shattered glass littered the carriage floor and injured people were lying in the aisles.

Top Stories
From meteor showers to supermoons, here are some of the sights that wowed stargazers this year.
Top Stories
Top Stories
Multichoice – now owned by CANAL+ – dished up good news for DStv subscribers on Wednesday: those 12 Warner Bros. Discovery channels won’t be disappearing at midnight after all.

South Africa
Head-on collisions have increased during this festive season

South Africa
Smith has warned motorist does not drink and drive

South Africa
Vehicle rolled near Wembesi outside Estcourt in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
South Africa
Government encouraged by progress as SA ushers in the New Year
As the nation welcomes the New Year, President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is encouraged by signs of progress that are laying the groundwork for even better outcomes in the year ahead.
“Yes, much more still needs to be done. We therefore enter the New Year with renewed hope, greater purpose and even greater...
World
Details remain sparse on the effectiveness of the United States’ airstrikes on Islamist militants in Nigeria last week. However, the event signals a shift in US-Nigeria cooperation on fighting terror.

World
From spectacular firework displays to chilly sea dips, nations celebrate the start of 2026.

World
Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
World
Mali and Burkina Faso have announced their plan to apply reciprocal visa bans to citizens of the United States, weeks after US President Donald Trump included the West African countries in an expanded travel ban list.

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
Forward John Mano, who lost his best friend to the civil war in Sudan, says the squad will “fight” for their country on the pitch at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Africa
“We cannot live freely. You cannot even play music” – residents tell the BBC of militants’ rule.

Business
Leroy Merlin is one of several interional companies expanding into South Africa, with the company opening a massive new development in KZN.

Business
It’s been a roller coaster year for the stock market, but the S&P 500 is set to end 2025 up about 17%, the third straight year of double-digit gains.

Business
South Africa is moving toward a fully digital identity system, signalling the end of an era for the iconic green ID book.

Business
The rand has marked one of its best years in recent memory in 2025, with economists expecting the good time to keep rolling in the new 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.

Politics
The late Brian Hlongwa has been described as a leader who served with humility.

Politics
Brian Hlongwa’s funeral is underway at Walter Sisulu Hall in Randburg.

Sport
Everton should have been awarded a penalty in their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has said.

Sport
Our Premier League fan writers give their assessment of the past 12 months.

Sport
Teenage jockey Billy Loughnane breaks the record for the most wins in a calendar year in the 21st Century.

Sport
Equatorial Guinea’s Carlos Akapo and Josete Miranda are banned for four games for abusing the referee after their defeat by Sudan at Afcon 2025.
Education
[This Day] To mark the conclusion of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, 1inclusion4all, led by British-Nigerian lawyer and global advocate Oluwaseun Ikusika, carried out an inspiring secondary school outreach tour across Kaduna State and Oyo State, reinforcing the power of education in shaping a generation that stands against violence and champions equality.
Education
[Leadership] …Students, others reject 6% funding, warn low education budget threatens development
Education
[Leadership] Federal University Dutse in Jigawa State has responded to a leaked internal memo detailing a new “Concessional Pass” policy, which has sparked significant public debate.
Education
[Leadership] To enhance learning, the Zamfara State government has procured instructional materials worth N50m for the State College of Nursing Gusau.

Lifestyle
Large numbers of dead white mussels, whelks and other shellfish have been washing ashore on the West Coast over the past 48 hours.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Lifestyle

Entertainment
From viral podcasts to jail cells, celebrity scandals dominated Mzansi headlines in 2025.

Entertainment
From artists and actors to political leaders, 2025 saw South Africa mourn influential figures who shaped culture, politics, and society.

Entertainment
A mother and teenage daughter were hospitalised after two dogs bit them in Manor Gardens, Durban.

Entertainment
Find out what the latest weather forecast from the SA Weather Service means for your region for 1 January 2026.
Science/Tech
Colossal Biosciences, the Texas-based startup now valued at more than $10 billion that has attracted investments from Paris Hilton, Peter Jackson and Tom Brady, claimed earlier this year to have resurrected the dire wolf — an animal that disappeared at the end of the last ice age — but a group of leading canid experts concluded the company had done no such thing. The scientists found that...
Science/Tech
Starting in July 2026, every public school district in California will be required to have policies on the books that restrict or prohibit students from using smartphones during the school day, thanks to Assembly Bill 3216 that Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law back in 2024. The legislation also mandates that districts update these policies every five years. Newsom had previously signed...
Science/Tech
Finnish authorities on Wednesday seized a vessel suspected of severing an undersea telecommunications cable that connects Helsinki to Tallinn by dragging its anchor across the Gulf of Finland, the latest in a string of infrastructure incidents that have put Baltic Sea nations on edge since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Police are investigating the case as aggravated criminal damage and...
Science/Tech
China’s Commerce Ministry on Wednesday demanded that the Netherlands “immediately correct its mistakes” over chipmaker Nexperia, escalating a standoff that has disrupted global semiconductor supply chains and triggered warnings from automakers about component shortages. The Dutch government in September invoked a Cold War-era law to effectively seize control of the Chinese-owned chipmaker,...

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.

Motoring
The carmaker is on course for its second consecutive decline in annual vehicle sales.

Motoring
Volvo has identified a potential issue with the high-voltage battery cells manufactured by one of its suppliers on certain vehicles.

Motoring
Chinese brands are competing amongst themselves to dominate South Africa’s fastest-growing car segment.

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.