Italians unanimously burst into song in Siena, finding a way to connect with each other… even during isolation and quarantine. But they weren’t the only ones. All over Italy – from the north down to Naples, there were similar scenes filmed this week, of the Europeans joined in unison – singing ballads, singing the national […]

US President Donald Trump officially declared a National Emergency (“two very big words”) on Friday, 13 March 2020, as the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus rose above 2,000 in the USA, with the death toll reaching 41. To unleash the full power of the Federal Government in this effort, today I am officially declaring […]

South Africa’s Health Department has confirmed eight new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of cases to 24. “At this point, I wish to also bring it to your attention that there are more positive results that have come out. “The NICD [National Institute for Communicable Diseases] and NHLS [National Health Laboratory Service] […]

South Africa’s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed that the Ranch Resort in Polokwane will host the 122 repatriated South Africans from Wuhan, Hubei Province, in China. On Trip Advisor the resort is rated as ‘Excellent’. “Three sites were identified. Of the three sites that were shortlisted, The Ranch Resort was selected. An agreement has […]

Eskom claims that the water pump at Koeberg nuclear power station which tripped on Tuesday, plunging South Africa into Stage 4 Loadshedding, did so because it became clogged with jellyfish and fish. The bad news is that Stage 4 loadshedding is likely to continue till late into Friday night. The good news is that the […]

Could COVID-19 cause a global economic meltdown? That’s the burning question asked by South African current affairs show Carte Blanche, this Sunday 15 March 2020 at 19:00. You can watch the show on Sunday in SA on DStv Now OR – if you live abroad (in most countries), you can stream it overseas from Tuesday. […]

South Africa on Thursday confirmed its first local transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Free State. UPDATE: The man in the Free State has been tested against and although he initially tested positive has subsequently been found to be negative. According to the Department of Health, a 32-year-old male came into contact with a […]

Hollywood stars Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the Corona virus, whilst Tom is filming in Australia. Both are doing just fine, says their son Earlier on Thursday, Tom Hanks (63) – who has 7 million followers on Instagram – posted a message saying: Hello, folks. Rita and I are […]

WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Wednesday evening, 11 March 2020, that as the number of cases of COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus) have increased by 13 times in the past fortnight, the situation is now officially a pandemic. “In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of COVID-19 cases, the […]

Fiumicino International Airport in Rome, Italy – known as ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Airport – is usually one of the busiest airports in Europe with an estimated 43 million passengers passing through the airport in 2018. But today – Wednesday 11 March 2020 – parts of the airport looked like a ghost town. As Italians go […]

South Africa’s popular Ndlovu Youth Choir – who shot to fame internationally when they made it through to the finals of America’s Got Talent last year – have posted a video with tips on avoiding getting the novel Coronavirus. The choir said on social media: ” There are already many dangerous myths and misunderstandings about the […]

Thirteen positive cases of Coronavirus in South Africa have now been confirmed, the Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize announced on Wednesday morning. The Health Department said: “The Minister of Health wishes to inform the public that six new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed. This takes the total number of coronavirus positive patients in […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa last night hailed the South African team travelling to Wuhan, China, on a repatriation mission, as heroes who carry the pride and hope of the nation. The team comprising members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and a medical team from the Department of Health left for Wuhan, the epicenter […]

There were a lot of grumpy South Africans today as Koeberg Unit 1 tripped and pushed Loadshedding up to a Stage 4 shocker… and it’s not over yet! Eskom said in a statement early Tuesday evening that Stage 4 will continue until 23h00, and then resume again at 09h00 tomorrow (Wed 11 March)… in what […]

This weekend only, DStv customers on any package will be able to livestream all the DStv channels using the DStv Now app.  Don’t make plans for the weekend of 14-15 March. Stay in and watch DStv Premium using the DStv Now app. It doesn’t matter which DStv package you’re on, as long as you’re an […]

The business rescue practitioners (BRPs) of South African Airways (SAA) have issued a notice advising employees of the intention to begin retrenchment consultations. In a statement, the BRPs said they have been engaging with SAA unions in relation to the process and the intention to begin the consultation process. “Our intention has always been to […]

Cindy Engelbrecht (30) from Centurion, South Africa has never let her Down syndrome diagnosis hold her back from achieving her dreams. Cindy Engelbrecht has always exceeded expectations Despite the limitations placed on her at birth and doctors saying that she would never be able to do anything by herself, Cindy has in five years become […]

Grayston Preparatory School in Gauteng, South Africa, will today undergo a “deep-cleaning process” in preparation for re-opening its doors to learners on Wednesday. On Monday, the school closed its doors after it emerged that a staff member came into contact with one of the people who tested positive for Coronavirus last week. “As the department, […]

Just 3,500 people – 0.01% of the population – own 15% of total wealth in South Africa, according to a new study. And, there has been no decrease in wealth inequality in the 26 years since democracy. South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world in terms of wealth, according to […]

China, home of kung fu, kung pao chicken and the coronavirus… writes South African teacher in China Michael Herbstein. As a Saffer living in China during these exciting times, and having a mother that some would politely describe as neurotic, I’m constantly shared an endless stream of news surrounding COVID-19 from back home. Some of […]

South Africans around the country have been graced with a fantastic view of tonight’s full moon – Monday 9 March 2020 – which happens to be the year’s first supermoon AND is known as the Worm Moon. UPDATE: See April’s Supermoon ‘Pink Moon’ over South Africa. The name was coined in North America by Native […]

The number of novel Coronavirus cases in South Africa has risen to seven, after four more patients – all from the same group who recently returned from a ski holiday to Italy – were confirmed to be positive for the virus on Monday. (Ski slopes in the northern region of Italy have now been closed […]

Watch the Service of Celebration for Commonwealth Day live right now, on a stream from the BBC below. The BBC says: “In the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and other senior members of the royal family, Petroc Trelawny introduces live coverage from Westminster Abbey in London for a Service of Celebration for Commonwealth Day. […]

Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan was the most watched rugby event ever with more than 857 million people around the world watching the action via World Rugby’s network of rights-holding broadcast partners, an increase of 26 per cent from the previous tournament in England. With World Rugby producing the pictures for the first time, […]

In another step up for womens’ rugby in South Africa, the Springbok Women celebrated International Women’s Day on Sunday with the news that they will defend their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title between May and July, with the tournament featuring a historic first Test match in Madagascar. This year’s Rugby Africa Women’s Cup marks the […]