Newspaper
The Mercury
Homes razed in Australia bushfires
BUSHFIRES have razed hundreds of buildings across southeast Australia, authorities said yesterday, as they confirmed the first death from the disaster.
1 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
AVALANCHES CLAIM THREE LIVES IN FRENCH ALPS
TWO separate avalanches claimed the lives of three off-piste skiers in the French Alps at the weekend, officials said.
1 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Municipal elections a chance to scrutinise electoral system
THIS year, South Africa is going to have local government elections.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Food trends that will define our plates in 2026
AS JANUARY rolls in, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the year ahead — sorting out cupboards, rethinking grocery lists, and making promises to our future selves.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Frank claims to have Spurs backing despite FA Cup exit
THOMAS Frank insisted he retains the support of Tottenham’s hierarchy after Saturday’s FA Cup exit against Aston Villa piled pressure on the beleaguered boss.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Funding chaos threatens KwaZulu-Natal school reopening: meals, textbooks missing
LABOUR unions are warning that many schools are not ready to reopen and might not be in a position to provide meals on the first day of school.
3 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Meta partners with US nuclear companies to power AI data centers
TECH giant Meta has announced major agreements with three US nuclear energy companies that it says will add up to 6.6 gigawatts of clean power by 2035.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Crime ‘drives desperate residents from their homes’ in Inanda
THE township of Inanda continues to grapple with a spiralling crime wave that is compelling residents to abandon their homes.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS JOBS, NOT JUST REGRET
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa's recent admission that unemployment keeps him awake at night is a sentiment millions of South Africans know intimately.
1 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
How Africa can turn fragmented mineral belts into coherent regional value chains
In 2023, a mine operating along the Central African Copperbelt moved its first test consignment through the Lobito Corridor, using the refurbished rail spine that links the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola's Atlantic coast.
4 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
AFCON set to crown familiar kings
THE AFCON 2025 champions are set to be crowned on Sunday, and such has been the quality of the tournament that the new kings of African football will be reclaiming the crown for yet another term.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Copper lure drives Rio Tinto into R3.4trln merger talks with Glencore
Shares in Glencore surge 10% on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, closing at over R100-per-share
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
The new pirates of the Caribbean keel-hauling international law
CENTURIES after the golden age of piracy on the high seas — the glamorous days when names like Blackbeard, Sea Hawk, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn... have come and gone after stretching our imaginations to depths even greater than 2000 fathoms, and when everyone felt it was again safe to take a sea cruise — a cartoon by the internationally — recognised and iconic Jock Leyden, appeared in the Daily News, in 1961, depicting a
1 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Pietersen proud of fight shown by youngsters against Sale
SOCIAL media suggests that Sharks fans are growing impatient with their team losing, but it is not all doom and gloom after the weekend’s 26-10 Champions Cup defeat to Sale.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
The Real Prince crowned King
“In racing there is the saying, “It takes just one horse” and the one horse in the ownership career of owner/ breeder Lady Christine Laidlaw is the current Equus Champion Broodmare mare Real Princess, who on Saturday became the mother of two multiple Gr1winnerswhentheDeanKannemeyertrained Gimmethegreenlight gelding, The Real Prince won the country’s
3 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Navigating the challenges of buying property from abroad
I'M very aware the problems I have had to confront since early October 2025 are so-called “first world problems”.
1 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Sabaleka fires Australian Open warning with Brisbane domination
WORLD number one Aryna Sabalenka warmed up for a tilt at a third Australian open title in four years in ominous fashion by winning her second successive Brisbane International crown yesterday.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Rome's new Colosseum station reveals ancient treasures
BEYOND the entrance of Rome’ newest metro station under the Colosseum, there are display cases filled with hundreds of ancient artefacts found during a decade-long construction project.
1 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Ugandan party turns flag into protest symbol
HUNDREDS screamed with excitement as Uganda's opposition leader passed by a recent rally, with the crowd waving a sea of national flags - a dangerously politicised symbol in the run-up to this week’s election.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
TIPS TO OVERCOME THE STRESS OF MAKING NEW FRIENDS THIS SCHOOL YEAR
GOING back to school doesn’t look the same for everyone.
4 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Whatever the format, matric results invoke pride, dignity
Must tradition always lose to privacy or can we design smarter solutions?
4 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Justice for Renee Nicole Good – and all facing injustice
IT IS glaringly clear how American leaders speak passionately about defending democracy and protecting protesters abroad, condemning state violence in countries like Iran, yet American federal law enforcement officers continue to use lethal force against civilians.
1 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
'Solutions for Bafana lie at home, not Europe'
FORMER Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town Spurs coach Ernst Middendorp has weighed in on the debate sparked by Hugo Broos' comments following Bafana Bafana's exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Can SA reject new US ambassador's past?
Experts weigh in on diplomatic implications of rejecting the new US ambassador's credentials
3 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Discovery Health must pay for its mistakes as administrator, says MISA
DISCOVERY
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Rickelton 'chilled' over Proteas' World Cup omission
RYAN Rickelton is “chilled” with missing out Proteas’ T20 World Cup selection and is focusing squarely on helping MI Cape Town defend their Betway SA20 crown.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
DA leader Steenhuisen faces allegations of cadre deployment
FORMER DA Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Dr Dion George, has accused the party's leader, John Steenhuisen, of actions “tantamount to cadre deployment” after he removed him from his position and appointed the current minister, Willie Aucamp.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Super Giants hold their nerve to edge out Sunrisers in thriller
DURBAN Super Giants breathed fresh life into their Betway SA20 campaign with a thrilling two-wicket victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape at St George's Park yesterday.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Neglect highlighted at Mountain Rise Cemetery
A PIETERMARITZBURG woman, Hlengiwe Khumalo, 43, who works in Johannesburg, expressed shame and felt the state of Mountain Rise Cemetery was disrespectful to the deceased after visiting her father’s grave in July and December 2025.
2 min |
January 12, 2026
The Mercury
Treasury releases withheld funds to 75 municipalities, urges tighter fiscal discipline
THE National Treasury and the South African Local Government Association (Salga) have confirmed that the December tranche of the Local Government Equitable Share (LGES) was disbursed over the festive period to 75 municipalities whose funds had been withheld due to financial mismanagement.
1 min |