As the Chinese government tries to contain the coronavirus, other cases have occurred across the globe. This raises the question: Will this spread – to me? Am I at risk? Not now, because currently every case of the novel coronavirus is linked to Wuhan. There are lots of different coronaviruses that group into three types. […]

It’s the tennis match in South Africa that everyone’s excited about. Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal in Cape Town on 7 February. It’s due to break a world record. Tickets sold out within minutes. But it looks like someone at a shopping mall in Cape Town got a little confused when creating a banner to […]

American basketball legend Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in California, USA. The sportsman – known as ‘Black Mamba’ – was 41-years-old. His 13-year-old daughter sadly also died in the crash, which reportedly killed eight people. (Updated 09h50 SA time.) The tragic news was first reported by TMZ. The helicopter crashed in the […]

As more than 500 people have been infected by a viral pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus (named by WHO as 2019-nCoV), and at least 17 people have died, WHO has issued travel advice and prevention advice for the public. The good news is that the World Health Organisation (WHO) convened an Emergency Committee which […]

Snakes – the Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra – may be the original source of the newly discovered coronavirus that has triggered an outbreak of a deadly infectious respiratory illness in China this winter. This news comes as WHO releases advice to the public on preventing the spread of coronavirus. The illness was first […]

In a video that will remind music fans of Sinead O’Connor’s legendary “Nothing Compares 2 U”, James Blunt – who is renowned for sharing his raw emotions – has exposed his heartbreak like never before, in a song where he sits side by side with his beloved dying father. The tearful British singer and songwriter […]

Prayers and Christmas wishes have been answered in Australia as rain has lashed parts of the country, helping firefighters’ efforts in dousing the flames that have raged across the land since September 2019, killing at least 29 people nationwide and approximately 1 billion animals, as well as destroying buildings and homes, and wiping out swathes […]

Koalas, which are usually native to Australia, have been spotted all over New York City in the past few days. These ones however are toy koalas and they’re on a mission to raise funds to help the the real-life arboreal herbivorous marsupials back in Australia. The toys have been photographed clinging to landmarks all over […]

Buckingham Palace says it “understands” Prince Harry and Meghan’s desire – to step down as ‘senior’ members of the royal family, and live between North America and the UK. The Palace said in a short statement on the Royal Family’s website: “Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We […]

  There was a wonderful moment at the Golden Globes ceremony at the Beverley Hills Hilton in Los Angeles last night – where Tom Hanks, recipient of the 2020 Cecil B. Demille award, and South Africa’s Charlize Theron (who presented it to him) showed off their mutual admiration… but that’s not the moment that Hanks […]

A young 22-year-old hunter is being hailed a hero for risking his own life to save nine koalas injured by the relentless fires ravaging Mallacoota in East Gippsland on the New South Wales coast of Australia. Patrick Johnson who is more accustomed to hunting animals than rescuing them, said all those he has rescued so […]

Around 480 million animals are estimated to have been killed in New South Wales (NSW) alone since the start of  bushfires which have turned parts of Australia into apocalyptic scenes with landmark buildings, schools and homes burnt to the ground, cars gutted and thousands huddled on beaches beneath blood red skies. The fires began in […]

Just like Noah’s Ark, except that was for a flood not a fire, local residents of Mallacoota in Australia have been allowed to evacuate aboard an army vessel with their pets. The first 1,000 or so people were evacuated today in an unprecedented mass relocation in Australia. Darren Chester, MP of the affected area Gippsland, […]

It’s “bedlam” in parts of Australia as fires continue to rage and officials expect conditions to worsen on Saturday. Mass evacuations are currently underway, and 17 people are already unaccounted for. On the New South Wales (NSW) South Coast, tens of thousands of tourists have been ordered to leave the area before it’s too late […]

New Year revellers sending Chinese lanterns into the sky to celebrate the New Year are suspected to be to blame for the fire at a zoo in Western Germany which killed more than 30 animals. German police say the lanterns may have triggered the fire which killed orangutans, gorillas, a chimpanzee, monkeys, bats and birds […]

About 6,500 people are taking shelter on beaches along the coast in Victoria as fires continue to rage, according to ABC News’ latest figure at 08h30 SA time. The worst hit coastal town on Tuesday morning was Mallacoota where about 4,000 people – several with lifejackets – were ready to flee into the ocean. Fortunately […]

In a historic move, Donald Trump has been impeached… although that does not mean he will stop being the President of the United States. That is a decision that can only be made by the Senate. And in an incredible outburst he appeared to attack a widow for voting to impeach him, as if she […]

Almost every South African expat in London – and friends and family who visit them – has laughed at one point or another at the ‘Mind the Gap’ warnings that are announced at many Underground stations, where there’s a space between the train and the platform. But there’s one station where the announcer’s voice is […]

The “extraordinary bravery” of ordinary Londoners who bravely took on a knife-wielding attacker on Friday afternoon and wrestled him to the ground on London Bridge, after he had fatally stabbed innocent members of the public, has been highly commended all round. The passersby – six to 10 of them – can be seen in a […]

World famous British chef Gary Rhodes died from a head injury, his family confirmed in a statement today. In their message yesterday, following the unexpected death of the Michelin-star chef at the age of 59, the family had not revealed the cause of death… which led to widespread speculation. Today the London Evening Standard published […]

Lewis, the little Koala who captured the hearts of people around the world when a Port Macquarie grandmother risked her own life to save him, after he had become badly burnt and disoriented in the terrible bushfires that swept across Australia recently, has sadly passed away. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where he was reunited […]

Well known TV chef Gary Rhodes has passed away suddenly at the age of 59, in the United Aram Emirates. Rhodes was best known for featuring on shows like MasterChef in the UK, MasterChef USA and the UK version of Hell’s Kitchen. The Michelin star chef was well known to South African expats living in […]

AUSTRALIA – The woman seen in the heartbreaking viral footage of a koala being rescued from one of the multitude of fires burning across Australia this week, has reunited with the koala. In the video the grandmother of seven can be seen running into the burning area, desperate to help the crying koala, risking her […]

VENICE, ITALY – Reeling from devastating floods this week, Venice suffered another exceptional high tide on Sunday, with the water peaking at 150 cm (4.9 feet), marking the worst week for the city since official tide statistics were produced in 1872. All photos on this page were taken today (17 Nov 2019). The city’s center […]

VENICE, Italy – Venice’s mayor declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after “apocalyptic” floods swept through the lagoon city, killing two people and flooding its historic basilica and inundating squares and centuries-old buildings. The state of emergency was declared as the city was hit by the highest tide in more than 50 years. Thoroughfares were […]