While Twitter have dropped blue marks from ‘legacy’ verified accounts, there is a new colour scheme to their verification system, according to the BBC website. So what do they mean? Blue: The traditional mark of verification now means the account is subscripted to Twitter Blue (from $8 / R145 a month) and completed some verification […]

Government says it has noted with concern the Israeli force’s attack and firing of stun grenades and arrest of Palestinian worshippers at the al-Aqsa mosque. According to CNN: “Police stormed the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, one of Islam’s holiest sites, for the second time on Wednesday, hours after they first raided the compound and arrested […]

Barbados superstar Rihanna put on a powerful performance during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night in the USA… as well as revealing she is pregnant. Rihanna is now trending at number one on Twitter worldwide, including in South Africa. It was officially confirmed after the performance in Glendale, Arizona, that Rihanna is pregnant […]

A major 7.8 magnitude tremor in southern Turkey and northern Syria has killed at least 660 people, and devastated the region. The death toll from the quake in the area is expected to rise. UPDATE 15h00 SA time: The latest death toll is reportedly at least 1,400 and rising. South Africa’s Gift of the Givers […]

American actress Kirstie Alley – who was popular in South Africa (and the rest of the world) with her roles in hit TV show Cheers and the three Look Who’s Talking movies with John Travolta – has sadly passed away at the age of 71. Her children, True and Lillie Parker, said in a statement: […]

Statistically – and for many Lionel Messi fans, emotionally – Saudi Arabia’s win today over Argentina in Qatar is the most unexpected and biggest World Cup shock ever. Data company Nielsen Gracenot has rated Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 victory in Al Rayyan, Qatar, as statistically the biggest shock in World Cup history since the United States […]

Irish double murder suspect Ruth Lawrence appeared before magistrates in South Africa yesterday and heard it could take up to three months to formally extradite her back to Dublin. Blonde-haired Ruth, 42, sat quietly in the dock for the 5-minute hearing, reading a book, before her case was adjourned and she was remanded in custody […]

REUTERS: Russia has notified the United States about its plans to carry out exercises of its nuclear forces, the Pentagon said on Tuesday (October 25), declining to offer further details about drills expected to include test launches of ballistic missiles. “The U.S. was notified and, as we’ve highlighted before, this is a routine annual exercise […]

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Many Indians are delighted at the prospect of Rishi Sunak becoming the first person of Indian origin to become British prime minister, just as Hindus across the world celebrate Diwali. By Krishna N. Das Sunak was set to take the top job after his rivals Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt withdrew […]

British Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned just six weeks after she was appointed. The 47-year-old was brought down by her controversial economic programme which sent shockwaves through the markets and divided her Conservative Party. Within minutes of her announcement, in Downing Street, the pound had rallied. According to Reuters, “the pound was last up […]

Reuters – Robbie Coltrane, the larger-than-life Scottish actor who played Hagrid, Hogwarts’ giant caretaker, in the Harry Potter films, died on Friday (October 14) at the age of 72, his agent said. His agent Belinda Wright announced in a statement: “My client and friend Robbie Coltrane OBE passed away on Friday October 14. Robbie was […]

REUTERS – Thirty-four people were killed in Thailand on Thursday (October 6) in a gun and knife attack at a daycare center by a former policeman who killed his wife and child before turning his weapon on himself, police said. The gunman was identified by police as 34-year-old Panya Kamrab who killed himself and his […]

Grand Final day is huge in Australia. Ask any South African expat. But this year the AFL (Australian Football League) has attracted worldwide attention, with a sweet moment between the winning captain and a beautiful fan captured on film, after the Geelong Cats were crowned premiership winners. Watch below as the team’s captain, Joel Selwood […]

On Thursday, well known outdoor apparel brand Patagonia announced: “Hey, friends, we just gave our company to planet Earth. OK, it’s more nuanced than that, but we’re closed today to celebrate this new plan to save our one and only home.” Yvon Chouinard, the billionaire founder of the company said he’s giving Patagonia to a […]

American actress Anne Heche has sadly been declared legally dead today, following the tragic car crash she had last week in which she suffered severe burns and other injuries, including smoke inhalation. Anne’s family and friends issued the following statement on Friday: “Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a […]

The sails of the Sydney Opera House in New South Wales (NSW), Australia were glowing pink on Wednesday night in honour of British-Australian legend, Dame Olivia Newton-John who sadly passed away this week, after a long battle with breast cancer. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the iconic landmark was being lit up to honour Olivia’s […]

Dame Olivia Newton-John has sadly passed away at the age of 73. According to her official fan page on Facebook, she died peacefully at her ranch in Southern California on Monday morning, surrounded by family and friends. The page published a statement from her husband, John Easterling, in which he said: « Olivia has been […]

Former US President Donald Trump’s ex-wife Ivana Trump has died suddenly. The Czech-American businesswoman passed away at her home in New York City on Thursday, 14 July 2022. She was 73. “Our mother was an incredible woman – a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend,” a representative […]

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died in hospital after being shot during a political event in Japan – where he was giving a speech – on Friday morning, 8 July 2022. Bodyguards managed to wrestle the suspected shooter to the ground, and police have confirmed he has been arrested. The 67-year-old politician, who […]

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as Tory party leader, but says he will remain in his position as PM until the Autumn by which time a new Conservative leader will have been elected. Johnson delivered a statement to the nation at 12:30 UK time. The resignation comes as no shock after the exodus […]

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a new photo yesterday (Monday 6 June) of their daughter Lilibet as they celebrated her first birthday on Saturday 4 June. This was Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor’s first visit to England, as she was born in California. During the short visit, Lilibet also met her namesake, great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, […]

(Reuters) – A Virginia jury on Wednesday ruled that actor Amber Heard defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp in a widely watched six-week trial that featured graphic testimony detailing the former Hollywood couple’s soured relationship. By Lisa Richwine. (Watch videos at bottom of page.) While the seven-person jury also ruled in favour of Heard on one count […]

An 18-year-old Texas gunman, Salvador Ramos, on Tuesday (24 May) shot his grandmother in the face (she survived), and then – armed and dangerous – evaded a school security officer to kill 21 people at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, rural USA, the worst school massacre in the US in almost 10 years. The fatalities […]

LONDON (Reuters) – Boris Becker’s thunderous delivery earned him the nickname ‘Boom Boom’ as a 17-year-old Wimbledon winner in 1985 – when he defeated South African-turned American Kevin Curren in four sets – but on Friday, aged 54 and bust, the German great was told he must serve time in prison. By Alan Baldwin. Three […]

A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 tragically crashed earlier today (Monday 21 March) into mountains in the Guangxi region of southern China, with authorities reporting there are likely no survivors. The plane – which had been carrying 132 people on board – was seen plummeting vertically from the clouds, on video shared on social media. […]