Top Stories

Top Stories
Kings or kingmakers? Villa entering decisive run
Aston Villa have won nine straight matches to emerge as title contenders despite a poor start to the season. Could 2026 be their year?

Top Stories
New Zealand openers break Test records against WI
New Zealand’s Tom Latham and Devon Conway become the first openers in Test history to score centuries in both innings as the Kiwis set the West Indies a record 462-run chase for victory.

Top Stories
Police launch manhunt for Bekkersdal tavern shooting suspects
Police have launched a manhunt for assailants who killed nine people and injured 10 others in a mass shooting at a tavern in Bekkersdal on the West Rand in the early hours of Sunday morning.

South Africa
Rand Water to conclude phase 2 of maintenance work
Rand Water says maintenance on water infrastructure will be completed on Sunday night.
South Africa
RTMC urges motorists to ensure full road traffic compliance
RTMC urges motorists to ensure full road traffic compliance
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has encouraged vehicle owners to use their end of year bonuses and payouts from savings clubs or stokvels to fix their vehicles and renew vehicle licences ahead of festive season travel.
“With the festive season fast approaching many people are finalising their travel plans....

South Africa
Movement calls for state of emergency after DJ Warras killing
The Movement says the country’s justice system has failed to protect those who are fighting crime

South Africa
Manhunt for Bekkersdal shooting suspects underway
Nine people were killed and 10 others were wounded in the incident which happened around 1am.

World
Russia says talks on US peace plan for Ukraine ‘are proceeding constructively’
A Kremlin envoy says peace talks in Florida on a U.S.-proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine are proceeding constructively, after U.S. meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin.

World
Gunmen kill nine in South Africa tavern attack
Police say another 10 people were injured in the township shooting near Johannesburg, and a manhunt is under way.

World
Neither Russia nor France: One West African country walks a diplomatic tightrope
As some West African nations choose to cement old ties with France or a new ally in Russia, Togo wants both.

World
This billionaire tested China’s limits. It cost him his freedom
Lai, who is facing life in prison, always said he owed Hong Kong, a city that had given him “everything”.

Africa
Will Afcon 2025 be a defining moment for Morocco?
Morocco has spent more than a decade reshaping its football, but will hosting Afcon 2025 allow the country to end a 50-year wait for the trophy?

Africa
Uganda prison officer sacked for ‘politicking’ on TikTok
Ugandan law requires public servants to remain politically neutral and bars them from active politics.

Africa
More British boxers will fight in Nigeria – Okolie
Former world champion and Olympian Lawrence Okolie believes his decision to fight in Lagos will inspire other big British names including Anthony Joshua.

Africa
Malawian state’s rhetoric belies reality
Communities grapple daily with failing health services, entrenched corruption and gender inequality, leaving women and girls literally walking for survival

Business
Postcode glitch freezes pensioners out of winter heating benefit
Customers living in a specific Glasgow postcode were unable to apply for the Warm Home Discount.
Business

Business
South Africa’s largest landlord building bridges to the nation’s richest shopping mall
Growthpoint Properties has built a R26 million bridge between its head office and Sandton City.

Business
Takeaway owner delivers 1,000 gifts to children
Arfan Mohammed, the owner of Sizzlers Fastfood, delivers 1,000 Christmas gifts to local children.

Politics
Joburg still a battleground for hijackers, crime syndicates: Mashaba
The City of Johannesburg is currently facing significant challenges with hijacked buildings.

Politics
Commission recommends 4.1% salary increase for Public Office Bearers
The proposed salary increases, if approved, could see the President earning R3.4 million annually.

Politics
No response yet on Batohi application to amend Nkabinde Enquiry terms
The enquiry is investigating suspended advocate Andrew Chauke’s fitness to hold office.
Politics
News24 | ANC calls on South Africans to defend democracy against AfriForum’s ‘racist disinformation’
The ANC called on South Africans to defend their democracy and to reject “AfriForum’s racist disinformation campaign”.

Sport
Slaughtneil set out to banish All-Ireland demons
Chrissy McKaigue says Slaughtneil ‘can’t look beyond’ the challenge of Galway champions Loughrea in Sunday’s All-Ireland club Hurling semi-final at Parnell Park (13:30 GMT).

Sport
Three coaches who could replace Broos as Bafana coach
Hugo Broos’ tenure with Bafana Bafana will end in June/July next year but SAFA have still not find a replacement yet.

Sport
Why is Afcon taking place in December?
Our Ask Me Anything team explore why Afcon 2025 is in December and why it is held biannually.

Sport
Kyrgios set to make ATP Tour return at Brisbane
Nick Kyrgios is in line to play his first ATP Tour match in 10 months after being given a wildcard entry for next month’s Brisbane International.
Education
A Lifeline for New York’s Working Families
Children’s Aid provides free after-school programs for low-income New Yorkers that students love and parents see as a solution.
Education
A ‘Timeout Box’ in an Elementary School Draws Outrage: ‘This is Not OK’
An upstate New York district, where most students are Native American, placed its superintendent on leave after images of a wooden box in a classroom spread on social media.
Education
Scott C. Beardsley Named University of Virginia’s New President
The selection of Scott Beardsley by the G.O.P.-appointed board comes after the previous president resigned under pressure from the Trump administration. A new Democratic-appointed board could try to overturn the choice.
Education
People Who Achieve the Most Later in Life Typically Start Off Dabbling in Disciplines, Study Shows
A new study suggests that the people who reach the pinnacle of their fields typically dabbled in multiple disciplines when they were young.

Lifestyle
NEW arrests made in Joburg City Power electricity extortion ring
Suspects arrested in latest Joburg City Power electricity extortion clampdown were posing as fake managers and meter men …

Lifestyle
Heinz Brunner: The Chef who shaped South African cuisine
Veteran chef Heinz Brunner reflects on mentorship, sustainability and how South African cuisine earned its place on the global stage.

Lifestyle
A South African Christmas of sun, sand, and seven colours
Discover what makes a South African Christmas unique. From ‘Dezemba mode’ to beach trips to braais and seven colour lunches.

Lifestyle
YouTuber robbed in Cape Town- tracks stolen goods to ‘township’
US YouTuber and TikTok star Salah Brooks has revealed how she was robbed in Cape Town for valuables over R160 000…

Entertainment
Pressure on Morocco to deliver as Africa Cup of Nations kicks off
‘I have always said the objective is to win this AFCON at home in front of our fans,’ Morocco coach Walid Regragui insisted on Saturday.

Entertainment
Gyokeres ends drought to gift Arsenal top spot for Christmas
Erling Haaland was City’s inspiration once more in a 3-0 win over West Ham

Entertainment
NPA reaches ‘confidential’ settlement with former KZN Hawks boss
The wrongful prosecution matter between the NPA and Booysen was set down for trial in the first week of November.

Entertainment
Griquas’ diamonds soar in value
“There is definitely more demand for our players now. Before, there might have been one or two requests.“

Science/Tech
8 Best Planners of 2026: Roterunner, Hobonichi, Kokuyo
Digital tools are not always superior. Here are some WIRED-tested paper agendas and notebooks to keep you on track.
Science/Tech
When Something Goes Wrong With Your Flight, These People Take Charge
Inside a tornado-hardened office in Texas, 1,700 American Airlines employees manage the carrier’s operations, responding to bad weather, plane trouble and ailing passengers.

Science/Tech
Time running out for 12 DStv channels
With less than two weeks to go before their current content deal lapses, MultiChoice and Warner Bros. Discovery have not yet signed a new agreement on the distribution of a dozen of the US media giant’s channels on DStv.

Science/Tech
Goodbye TV licence — big-screen monitors to replace your TV
South Africans can get a big-screen monitor to replace their TV without needing a valid TV licence, and some models go up to 86 inches in size.

Motoring
All reported potholes in South Africa are fixed within 2 weeks – according to the transport department
The Department of Transport told parliament that it repaired 100% of potholes within 14 days of being reported.

Motoring
How to avoid car sale scams in South Africa
The first red flag you should look out for is a car sale that seems too good to be true.

Motoring
Best Android Auto car apps you can download in South Africa
These apps can go a long way towards making your car journeys easier and more fun.
Motoring
Health
What Is ‘Functional Freeze’?
The term has been popularized on social media to describe numbness and low motivation. Experts offer ways to break out of these feelings.
Health
R.F.K. Jr. Likely to Swap U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule for Denmark’s
The shift would mean fewer shots recommended for children. But a Danish health official found the idea baffling, saying the United States was getting “crazier and crazier in public health.”
Health
Trump Announces Pricing Deals With Nine Drugmakers
The companies agreed to sell most of their drugs to Medicaid at the prices they charge in European countries and to sell drugs directly to consumers through a planned TrumpRx website.

Health
Resident doctors in Scotland to go on strike for first time
Their union BMA Scotland has accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels.