LONDON (Reuters) – A shortage of carbon dioxide has hit Britain’s biggest brewers and soft drink makers, disrupting production just as drinkers’ thirst peaks due to a heatwave and a World Cup soccer tournament in which England is doing unusually well. Hot weather and a build-up of beer stocks ahead of the World Cup lifted […]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prince William began the first official visit by a British royal to Israel and the Palestinian Territories on Monday, facing the challenge of navigating deep political and religious divides in a Holy Land once ruled by Britain. William, a 36-year-old grandson of Queen Elizabeth and second in line to the throne, will […]

ATHENS (Reuters) – A 5.5 magnitude earthquake shook the southwestern area of the Peloponnese in Greece in the early hours of Monday. Its epicenter was offshore, 26 km (16 miles) west of the town of Methoni at a depth of 30.4 km, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no early reports of serious damage or injuries, […]

James Corden’s latest Carpool Karaoke – featuring Paul McCartney – has gone totally viral, clocking up 2.7 million views on YouTube in 24 hours, and over 18 million on Facebook in 12 hours! Watch below as McCartney takes a trip down memory lane – and Penny Lane – revealing the moving story of how he […]

YULIN, China (Reuters) – Residents of China’s southern city of Yulin defended eating dog meat to celebrate the summer solstice on Thursday, as animal rights activists seek new ways to pressure organizers to cancel the annual festival. (Please note: the photos are distressing, so we have not included them in the article, however there are […]

A strong earthquake hit Osaka, on the western side of Japan, on Monday morning leaving three people dead and 150 injuried. The fatalities included two men in their 80s (of whom one was killed by a falling bookcase) and a nine-year-old girl who was knocked down by a brick wall at her primary school. The […]

The United States president, Donald Trump has arrived in Singapore on Sunday Morning prior to the summit with North Korean leader  Kim Jong Un. Kim landed a few hours before Trump made his arrival in the city. The aim of the summit is to discuss the nuclear deal with North Korea. The two leaders are […]

(Reuters) – U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, host of CNN’s food-and-travel-focused “Parts Unknown” television series, killed himself in a French hotel room, CNN said on Friday, in the second high-profile suicide of a U.S. celebrity this week. He was 61. Bourdain, whose career catapulted him from cooking at New York’s top restaurants to dining in […]

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the ‘Spiderman hero’ from Africa, Mamoudou Gassama – who scaled a building in Paris to save a young boy, hanging precariously from a fourth-floor balcony – will be given residence papers for his selfless, heroic deed. Gassama, an illegal immigrant from West African country Mali, climbed the facade […]

LONDON (Reuters) – Soccer’s World Cup organizers divided fans by releasing the tournament’s official song on Friday – a fast-paced dance tune titled “Live It Up” featuring American actor and rapper Will Smith. Some on social media asked how the tune’s Latin American feel fitted in with the tournament’s host country Russia – and compared […]

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Film mogul Harvey Weinstein appeared in handcuffs in a New York court on Friday to face charges of rape and other sex crimes against two of the scores of women who have accused him of misconduct, ending his reign as a Hollywood kingpin. Weinstein, the 66-year-old co-founder of the Miramax film […]

Meghan Markle’s dog has become one of the unexpected feelgood stories of the Meghan and Prince Harry’s Royal Wedding. Thousands of people shared a photo over the weekend, which showed Meghan’s Beagle – named Guy – spotted sitting in the car next to the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II! The picture was reportedly taken […]

British Airways is adding some extra sparkle to customers’ journeys ahead of Prince Harry’s marriage to American TV star Meghan Markle. To celebrate the Royal wedding this Saturday, 19 May 2018, the BA93 to Toronto – the city where their relationship took off – will be operated by an all-star crew of only Meghan and Harry’s. The […]

South Africa has recalled its ambassador to Israel, following an attack on the Gaza border which left 55 Palestinians dead and 2,700 wounded… on a day in which the United States opened a controversial embassy in Jerusalem. South Africa condemned “the indiscriminate and grave manner of the latest Israeli attack”. Turkey also recalled its ambassador from […]

The South African Cabinet has extended well wishes to the Muslim community as they begin fasting for the holy month of Ramadan next week. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, as they spend time deepening their spirituality. Ramadan in 2018 will begin on the evening of May 15 and will end on the […]

The Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate Middleton, has safely delivered a baby boy… and her husband Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, was present for the birth. The couple’s second son was born at 11h01 on Monday 23 April 2018. According to Buckingham Palace, the newborn baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. “The Queen, The Duke of […]

China’s decision to suspend presidential term limits is still reverberating around the world. The announcement, made after a vote by China’s parliament in March, prompted some commentators to draw comparisons with “third termism” in Africa, when leaders flout democratic conventions to stay in power as long as possible. These concerns certainly resonate on a continent where leaders […]

Showing humour in the face of adversity isn’t restricted to South Africans, check out this hilarious video by Australia’s TripleJ radio station – ‘We Cheat at Cricket’. The video by Ben and Liam makes fun of the Land Down Under’s national cricket team, which were caught cheating – tampering with the ball – during a […]

American Oscar-winner and singer Jennifer Hudson delivered an emotionally-charged rendition of Bob Dylan‘s “The Times They Are A-Changing” at an anti-gun violence march in Washington DC on Saturday. Her performance, with a church choir, was made all the more powerful by her tragic personal connection with gun violence – in 2008, Jennifer lost her mother, […]

Following the outcry on Monday 8 January 2018 – mainly in the USA – over an H&M advert for a sweater which was deemed racist, the company initially issued a short apology for “offending people” with the picture which showed a young black boy modelling the hooded top. The top was emblazoned with the words […]

US President Donald Trump apparently believes most countries in Africa are “shithole countries”. He appears to think the same of Haiti and El Salvador. According to reports in US media, Trump made the comment during a meeting with a group of senators at the White House. They were discussing immigration and changes to the visa […]

A heartbreaking – but inspiring – letter from a dying 27-year-old Australian woman has gone viral around the world. Holly Butcher’s letter, which serves as a brilliant guide on how to live your best life, has been shared over 25,000 times since her family posted it on Thursday… after she passed away in the early […]

Kensington Palace has announced that Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle will marry on 19 May 2018. The Palace said in a tweet at lunchtime on Friday: “His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle will marry on 19th May 2018.” (Please Note: Henry is the Prince’s birth name, used by […]

Heartbreaking footage of a starving polar bear, captured by National Geographic (NG) photographer Paul Nicklen and filmmakers from a conservation group called Sea Legacy, provides proof of climate change, says NG. The team was on Baffin Island, Canada, when they saw the bear which probably had just hours to live. It is illegal to feed […]

While Cape Town in South Africa is still struggling through a devastating drought, Melbourne in Australia has reportedly received a summer’s worth of  rain in just 24 hours (watch below). Heavy rain and flooding hit Melbourne and other parts of the state of Victoria over the weekend. According to local reports, over 43mm of rain […]