Top Stories

Top Stories
Watch: Eyewitnesses recount deadly ICE shooting
Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in the Central neighbourhood of Minneapolis.
Top Stories
FACTORY SWOON: Carnage: Absa PMI falls in December to lowest level since pandemic
Absa’s Purchasing Managers’ Index just slipped 1.5 points, but the landing spot is the real headline: 40.5, the weakest since April 2020 for the second straight month. Inventories and jobs fell hard, hinting at a manufacturing sector running on fumes.
Top Stories
News24 | Friday’s weather: Hot, humid in Eastern Cape, KZN; thunderstorms in 5 provinces
Hot and humid conditions are expected in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, while severe thunderstorms with heavy rain are forecast in five other provinces, according to the South African Weather Service.

South Africa
17 Bryanston properties under probe for possible hijacking
City of Johannesburg officials raided a property in Bryanston believed to have been hijacked.

South Africa
Four dead, two others injured in Mpumalanga head-on crash
All the deceased were occupants of a sedan and the injured were traveling in a light delivery car.

South Africa
SAWS says viral ‘Storm Baron’ alert a hoax
SAWS confirms no tropical cyclones or official storm named Baron in the south-western Indian Ocean.

South Africa
Witbank Victim Support Centre urges protection of young girls
This follows the arrest of two suspects for statutory rape involving minors in Emalahleni.

World
Lebanese army says it has taken over security in Hezbollah-dominated south
The army says it has met its goal of clearing the area of non-state weapons but Israel calls the move “insufficient”.

World
Spain’s Catholic Church signs deal on sexual abuse compensation
The accord follows complaints that religious leaders had failed to tackle the issue adequately.

World
Saudi-led coalition says UAE helped smuggle separatist leader out of Yemen
Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, fled to Somaliland by boat before flying to Abu Dhabi, according to the coalition.

World
Influential China church reports arrests as crackdown on Christians intensifies
Leaders of Early Rain Covenant Church have been arrested and Yayang Church is being torn down, groups say.

Africa
Kenya tournament chiefs admit errors over viral tennis wildcard
The organisers of a professional women’s tournament which has gone viral because of a wildcard player’s poor performance acknowledge she should not have been allowed to play.

Africa
Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ‘devastated’ by death of young son
The Half of a Yellow Sun and We Should All Be Feminists writer’s twin boys were born in 2024.

Africa
Ex-Ghana minister detained by US immigration
Ken Ofori-Atta’s lawyers say he is co-operating and is in the process of changing his US visa status.

Africa
US halts assistance to Somalia over claims food aid was illegally seized
Donald Trump’s administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, a US official tweeted.

Business
Weight loss jabs affecting Greggs, boss says
The Greggs boss says there is “no doubt” weight loss jabs have led it to having a healthier menu.

Business
Homeless charity concerned over energy costs
An increasing number of people cannot afford to heat their homes in winter, says a charity boss.

Business
End of the road for TV Licences in South Africa
Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi says that South Africa’s TV Licence regime has all but collapsed, and details on a new scheme will be presented to the department next month.
Business

Politics
ANC remains a special organisation despite challenges: Ramaphosa
The African National Congress turned 114 years on Thursday

Politics
KwaZulu-Natal ANC requests meeting with NFP following GPU withdrawal
The NFP announced its withdrawal from the coalition government in KwaZulu-Natal.

Politics
DA says NFP exit will not sink KZN Government of Provincial Unity
The DA says the NFP’s withdrawal from the GPU does not signal a new government.

Politics
US actions violate international law, Venezuela’s sovereignty: Cosatu
Organisations including Cosatu will picket outside the American Embassy in Pretoria .

Sport
South Africa WILL send a team to Winter Olympics 2026
The countdown to the 2026 Winter Olympics has passed the one-month mark, with preparations continuing ahead of the event in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Sport
Former coach warns Kaizer Chiefs boss on January signings
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral has warned Kaizer Motaung Jr against making January signings.

Sport
Bradley Grobler reacts to Bafana Bafana’s AFCON exit
Sekhukhune United striker Bradley Grobler has shared his thoughts on Bafana Bafana’s AFCON match against Cameroon.

Sport
LIVE | Arsenal vs Liverpool – Thursday, 8 January 2026
Premier League leaders Arsenal will look to reinforce their title credentials when they host Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.
Education
Ghana: Return Mission Schools to Free Your Hands for Development – Anagbo
[Ghanaian Times] An octogenarian and retired business executive, Mr Godwin Kwashie Anagbo, has appealed to the government to totally, or at least partially, wash its hands off mission schools to save money for national development.
Education
Nigeria: Nigerian Government Denies Abandoning Students On Morocco Scholarship
[Premium Times] The Minister said no beneficiary on a valid federal government scholarship has been abandoned.
Education
Kenya: President Ruto Holds High-Level Talks On Education Reforms
[Capital FM] Nairobi — President William Ruto on Wednesday convened Education Ministry stakeholders at State House, Nairobi, in a high-level meeting aimed at addressing key challenges in Kenya’s education sector, including school funding, reforms, and policy implementation.
Education
University of California Reports Record Enrollment Despite Trump Pressure
Enrollment increased to more than 301,000 as the system prepared for a budget debate in Sacramento.

Lifestyle
SANParks saddened by death of BASE jumper in Table Mountain National Park
SANParks has expressed its sadness following the death of a BASE jumper at Platteklip Gorge in Table Mountain National Park.
Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recap holidays with snaps
Candid family pictures recap singer Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s holidays.
Lifestyle

Entertainment
24 hours in pictures, 8 January 2026
Through the lens: The Citizen’s Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.

Entertainment
Economic trends expected in 2026: Less cooperation, more distrust?
After an economic year that few could have predicted, we asked two economists to look into their crystal ball to see the economic trends we can expect this year.

Entertainment
Suspects arrested in Bryanston building hijacking case [PICS]
Police arrest a suspect after a City of Johannesburg operation uncovered illegal rentals, weapons and utility connections.

Entertainment
Most streamed artist in South Africa CIZA on new music and ‘Isaka’ getting international nods
CIZA has stepped out of a legendary shadow to claim his own global music throne
Science/Tech
Apple’s John Ternus Could Be Tim Cook’s Successor as CEO
John Ternus, a low-profile but influential executive at Apple, could be next in line to replace the company’s longtime chief executive, Tim Cook, if he steps aside.

Science/Tech
People Are Using AI to Falsely Identify the Federal Agent Who Shot Renee Good
Online detectives are inaccurately claiming to have identified the federal agent who shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in Minnesota based on AI-manipulated images.
Science/Tech
China Hacked Email Systems of US Congressional Committee Staff
China has hacked the emails used by congressional staff on powerful committees in the US House of Representatives, as part of a massive cyber espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon. An anonymous reader shares a report: Chinese intelligence accessed email systems used by some staffers [non-paywalled source] on the House China committee in addition to aides on the foreign affairs committee,...
Science/Tech
How Did TVs Get So Cheap?
A 50-inch TV that would have set you back $1,100 at Best Buy during Black Friday 2001 now costs less than $200, and the price per area-pixel — a metric accounting for both screen size and resolution — has dropped by more than 90% over the past 25 years. The story behind this decline is largely one of liquid crystal display technology maturing from a niche product to a mass-manufactured...

Motoring
The 4th best-selling car brand in South Africa is Chinese
This Chinese carmaker is rapidly expanding in South Africa with considerable sales figures across its various brands.
Motoring
Motoring

Motoring
Good news for anyone applying for a new driver’s licence card in South Africa
South Africa’s considerable driving licence card backlog has finally been resolved.
Health
NASA May Return Early From International Space Station After Medical Issue
NASA said it canceled a spacewalk planned for Thursday after an astronaut had an undisclosed medical issue on the International Space Station.

Health
Five tips to stay warm when it’s cold
Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh and Chemmy Alcott share advice on how to keep safe and warm.
Health
Does ‘Closure’ Really Exist?
And what exactly does it mean, anyway?

Health
Three NHS trusts still using fax machines, Streeting confesses
The health secretary had made it his personal mission to banish the fax machine from the NHS.