Great start to 2026 as South Africa exits another finance high-risk list
South Africa now is set to enter a new round of FATF evaluations starting in late 2026, with a final report expected in October 2027.
Top Stories
SANDF deletes post that shows Iran participating in naval drills in South African waters
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has quietly deleted a post showing that, contrary to media reports, Iran’s Corvette Naghdi is actively participating in the sea phase of Exercise Will for Peace 2026.
The tiny islands rich South Africans are moving their money to
Wealthy South Africans are increasingly moving funds into discretionary trusts offshore to protect assets, hedge local risks, and benefit from stable, low-tax jurisdictions.
Senior South Africans suspected of benefiting from Venezuelan drug operations
United States analyst Joshua Meservey said there is increased suspicion that senior South African government officials benefited from the Venezuelan drug operations.
Trump urges Iranians to keep protesting, saying ‘help is on its way’
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and remember the names of those abusing them, saying help is on the way, as Iran’s clerical establishment pressed its crackdown against the biggest demonstrations in years.
K-Pop sensation BTS announces return with new world tour
LOS ANGELES, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Chart-topping K-pop boy band BTS announced on Tuesday it will embark on a concert tour starting in April after the release of its first new album in more than three years.
MIDDLE EAST UNREST: Trump urges Iranians to keep protesting, says ‘help is on its way’
An Iranian official said about 2,000 people had been killed in the protests, the first time authorities have given an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.
WEATHER WOES: Hoedspruit, gateway to Kruger, drenched as rivers swell, airport closes, tourists airlifted
Hoedspruit — known as South Africa’s Safari Capital — is under siege. Across the park, impacts vary — and so does uncertainty over when the storm will finally pass.
CANCELLED: Goodman Gallery drops artist Gabrielle Goliath after her Venice Biennale selection
Shortly before Minister Gayton McKenzie cancelled Gabrielle Goliath’s participation at the 2026 Venice Biennale because part of her selected artwork dealt with Gaza, the Goodman Gallery cancelled its relationship with the acclaimed artist.
LEARNING CURVEBALL: Gauteng schools face crisis with almost 5,000 grade 1 and 8 learners still unplaced
Thousands of grade 1 and 8 pupils in Gauteng remain unplaced amid online system glitches, parental despair and district overloads — echoing national strains.
PASS RATE: Why a small dip in Eastern Cape matric results may signal a bigger problem
A modest dip in the Eastern Cape’s 2025 matric results has prompted education experts to warn that underlying language barriers, declining Bachelor’s passes and weaknesses earlier in the schooling pipeline may be contributing to deeper systemic problems.
US posts record $145 billion December deficit as outlays outpace receipts
WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. government posted a $145 billion budget deficit for December, up 67% or $58 billion from a year earlier due to record outlays that were inflated by calendar shifts in benefit payments and receipts, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.
MULLIGAN : Koepka’s defection back to the PGA Tour could be a watershed moment in LIV Golf battle
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka’s defection from LIV Golf marks the first significant indication that the breakaway Saudi-backed tour might be facing its own existential crisis.
GOAL GETTERS: Afcon 2025 semifinals set for blockbusters as Golden Boot race intensifies
With the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals around the corner, the top scorers of the 2025 edition will be hoping to add to their respective goal tallies while propelling their countries to the final.
INTERNAL PROBE: DA clears Steenhuisen on credit card claims — but questions remain
Helen Zille announced on Monday that an internal DA investigation had found no evidence that party leader John Steenhuisen ‘misappropriated party funds’, but there are still unanswered questions.
Scott Adams, ‘Dilbert’ comic strip creator and Trump fan, dead at 68
WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) – “Dilbert” comic strip creator Scott Adams, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump whose career flagged after a racist rant, died on Tuesday, his former wife said. He was 68.
TROUBLED WATERS: From abundance to collapse — navigating the state of South Africa’s fishing industry
A conversation about deadly mesh nets, crazy quotas, species falling off a cliff and daring solutions.
CLASS OF 2025: Against the odds: Mfuleni, Cape Town’s class of 2025 aces matric amid crime and hardship
The matrics of 2025 in Mfuleni, Cape Town, have defied crime, fear and deep social challenges to pass their matric exams, offering fresh hope for a better future.
BRIGHT FUTURE: Pearson High Eastern Cape’s top school, Collegiate girl wins big nationally
The Nelson Mandela Bay district matric performance has improved by 0.7% to 87.4% in 2025, despite the 0.66% drop in Bachelor’s passes. With two pupils honoured for their achievements in both the national and provincial matric results announcement ceremonies, the future remains bright for the incoming matric class of 2026.
RELAUNCH: Maverick Earth — a new era for environmental journalism
Maverick Earth launches today as a renewed commitment to deep, investigative environmental journalism.