PRETORIA – President Jacob Zuma has wished all South Africans a happy, successful, productive and prosperous New Year, 2017. He said South Africa has come to the conclusion of a fruitful and productive 2016 “We moved a step further this year in fighting poverty, inequality and unemployment, as we continued working hard together, to reverse the […]

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A gunman opened fire on New Year revellers at a packed nightclub on the shores of Istanbul’s Bosphorus waterway on Sunday killing at least 39 people, including many foreigners, then fled the scene. (Updated 01 January 2017, 14h00 SA time.) Some people jumped into the Bosphorus waters to save themselves after the […]

Happy New Year! Here are just some of the fireworks celebrations around the world: New Zealand ✨❤️✨🌟💖✨❤️✨🌟💖 H-A-P-P-Y ✨❤️✨🌟💖New Year ✨❤️✨🌟💖Auckland, New Zealand ✨❤️✨🌟💖 pic.twitter.com/ZoFaX3RmQW — The Cult Cat (@Elverojaguar) December 31, 2016 Sydney, Australia https://twitter.com/ABCNews24/status/815339327320272896 Welcome to 2017! #SydNYE pic.twitter.com/Q8RvTQkfXr — City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) December 31, 2016 Hong Kong Hong Kong celebrates the start […]

BEIJING, CHINA –  WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and TRAFFIC welcomed today’s historic announcement that China will close down its domestic ivory trade by the end of 2017.   In a news release, WWF said this signals an end to the world’s primary legal ivory market and is a major boost to international efforts to tackle […]

Kyle Abbott struck the decisive early blows as South Africa’s Proteas needed just 40 minutes to take the remaining five Sri Lankan wickets and claim victory by 206 runs in the first Sunfoil Test match which finished at St. George’s Park today. Abbott dismissed Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews in the third over of the day […]

Arafat Gatabazi, a youngster who fled the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo – on foot – to find freedom in South Africa, has completed a charity swim around Robben Island to raise funds for South African charity, LifeLine Western Cape. It’s an amazing and selfless achievement for someone who couldn’t even swim when he first […]

South African comedian and TV presenter Trevor Noah shared a fantastic video late Thursday of an American grandmother, Estelle, who is clearly one of his biggest fans. She says she watches him every night and that he’s just as good as his Daily Show predecessor, Jon Stewart. But it’s her message to Trevor at the […]

Following the loss of his mother, Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds (84), who passed away within 24 hours of his 60-year-old sister Carrie Fisher’s passing, Todd Fisher has paid tribute to their close relationship with a touching post on Twitter. He uploaded an illustration of mother and daughter, with Debbie dressed as her character from her […]

A pregnant South African expat unexpectedly and tragically died on Christmas Eve in Bolton in the UK; and her baby – delivered at just 25 weeks – is now fighting for her life. Phumeza Gogela – who had celebrated her 35th birthday just nine days beforehand – suffered a fatal heart attack.  Her baby – baptised and […]

South African Police Services (SAPS) have intercepted goods being smuggled – in a donkey cart – from Limpopo, South Africa into Zimbabwe. A week ago a bakkie – allegedly being towed by donkeys – was also intercepted by police as the thieves crossed the Limpopo River. The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, again led an […]

The road ahead looks emptier with the announcements today that over 5,000 vehicles have been suspended and over 2,000 impounded during December; and that the first in a series of fuel price hikes is expected in early January 2017. The Automobile Association (AA) said in a press release Thursday that unaudited month-end fuel price data […]

After suffering from severe drought conditions, things are looking rosier – or rather greener – in the Kruger National Park, with a few rainfalls since November… although the region needs ongoing good rains before the drought could be officially declared over. SA Weather Service issued a watch for heavy rains today and tonight over Mpumalanga, […]

(Reuters) – – Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds, who sang and danced her way into the hearts of millions of moviegoers around the world in musicals like “Singin’ in the Rain,” died on Wednesday at age 84, her son said. Reynolds, one of the most enduring and endearing Hollywood actresses, died hours after being rushed to […]

DURBAN – A fire broke out earlier this evening at Durban’s iconic 320 West Street building. According to Arrive Alive, Rescue Care Paramedics as well as the Durban Fire Department and Metro Police are currently on the scene in Durban Central at the location in West Street, now known as Dr Pixley KaSeme Street. Operations Director Garrith Jamieson […]

PRETORIA – South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has reiterated that religious leaders – in his opinion – should “avoid becoming embroiled in divisive party political squabbles”. The Presidency said President Zuma has noted the ongoing commentary on statements he made during the annual Twelve Apostles’ Church in Christ (TACC) International Thanksgiving Day celebrations held in Durban, […]

Here’s a unique take on the year 2016 from a young South African – LEGH WILKINSON – hoping to encourage others to make a difference… To warn you, this is a long post but one I felt is worthwhile sharing. Essentially, it summarises a few of the life lessons I’ve learned and the personal transformation […]

The news that one of South Africa’s most notorious criminals – Ananias Mathe – has passed away in prison has been met with relief, and even humour, by many in the country. Mathe was a serial rapist, robber and murderer and was serving a life sentence in the Kokstad C Max prison. He died in […]

A doctor at a hospital in Johannesburg had an awakening on Christmas Day that’s worth sharing with everyone… The young male doctor, originally from the Western Cape, wrote: “I was on call this Xmas. I don’t celebrate this holiday but this turned out to be an extremely meaningful time for me. “I was called to […]

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Carrie Fisher’s unexpected death on Tuesday did not just leave “Star Wars” fans heartbroken. It thrust movie studio Walt Disney Co into a dilemma over the fate of her iconic character, Princess Leia, as it moves forward with the blockbuster film franchise. Fisher, 60, enjoyed a new round of fame […]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Carrie Fisher, who rose to fame as Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” films and later endured drug addiction before going on to tell her story as a best-selling author, died on Tuesday aged 60, her family said. Fisher, a mental health advocate who spoke about her own struggles with bipolar […]

If you’re contemplating 2017 and feeling depressed that the planet has never been in a worse condition… this good news should bring back your smile. Our World in Data (OWID) – an online publication that presents the empirical evidence on the development of human living conditions – has published charts (see below) showing just how much […]

HERTZOGVILLE – Calls for crime to fall in South Africa were repeated today as news came that a couple was seriously assaulted on their farm in Hertzogville, in the Free State, late on Christmas evening. Some reports claimed that the attacks were solely to “terrorize” the farmers and that nothing was stolen. However, according to OFM News, […]

LONDON (Reuters) – Madonna, Elton John and Paul McCartney paid tribute on Monday to British pop idol George Michael, who has died age 53 after a career of soulful ballads and dance songs that provided a soundtrack to much of the 1980s and 1990s. (Scroll to bottom for stories of George Michael’s incredible generosity and […]

LONDON (Reuters) – Singer George Michael, who became one of the pop idols of the 1980s with Wham! and then forged a career as a successful solo artist with sometimes sexually provocative lyrics, died at his home in England on Sunday. He was 53. In the mid-1980s, Wham! was one of the most successful pop […]

BEIJING (Reuters) – It was strangely muted when George Michael, as part of the British pop duo Wham!, took the stage at the Workers Gymnasium in Beijing in April 1985, recalled one of those who attended that now legendary first Western pop act in Communist China. Around 15,000 concert-goers watched Michael and bandmate Andrew Ridgeley […]