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8 hours ago
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(Graphic by Sharlene Rood/News24)
News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature.
Some tears and lots of excitement as Cape Town Grade 1s head to 'big school'
-Over 107 000 Grade 1 pupils started school in the Western Cape, with nine new schools being built to accommodate the influx.
-Placement is still in progress for 2 478 Grade 1 and 8 pupils, but 98% of applicants have been allocated places.
-Premier Alan Winde emphasised the importance of investing in education despite budget constraints and the challenges of a growing province.
Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge is facing sexual harassment allegations. (Nelius Radema/Gallo Images/Foto24)
Mbenenge sexual harassment accuser says he sent her 'private part' images – but he denies it
-Andiswa Mengo, secretary at the High Court, has accused Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge of sending her sexually explicit WhatsApp messages, including images of male genitalia.
-Mengo claims the images showed hair matching Mbenenge's, alongside a message referencing a sex act, but he denies any connection to the images.
-The Judicial Service Commission tribunal hearing the case has ruled that the images will not be released until a verdict is reached.
Ziyadh Hoorzook, 35, is accused of directly funding a terrorist organisation. (Tankiso Makhetha/News24)
Sandton man charged with terror financing donated bitcoin to group that 'funded al-Qaeda'
-Ziyadh Hoorzook, a 35-year-old from Sandton is facing terrorism financing charges for allegedly donating R11 500 in Bitcoin to Al-Sadaqah in 2017.
-US authorities have linked Al-Sadaqah to a network of cryptocurrency accounts used to finance al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist organisations.
-Police claim to have found extremist material, including content related to Osama bin Laden and ISIS, on Hoorzook's electronic devices.
Two Stilfontein men at forefront of rescuing miners, retrieving dead bodies from mine
-Two volunteers in Stilfontein, Mandla Charles and Mzwandile Mkwayi, are risking their lives daily by going underground to retrieve trapped and deceased illegal miners.
-The volunteers prepare the bodies of the deceased and prioritise rescuing the weakest miners first, loading them into a cage to be brought to the surface.
-As of Wednesday, the rescue mission has retrieved 78 bodies and over 120 illegal miners, with many more still believed to be trapped underground.
A number of factors could derail South Africa's progress in 2025. (Elif Bayraktar/ Getty Images)
SA's biggest economic risks in 2025, from Trump to the ANC succession battle
-South Africa enters 2025 with a mix of hope and uncertainty, facing potential challenges like the impact of global events and government inertia.
-The global economy, particularly the US under President Trump's policies, poses risks to South Africa's economic progress, including currency fluctuations and trade protectionism.
-Domestically, government inertia, fiscal risks, and the ANC's succession battle present significant challenges, while local political volatility and potential health reform issues add further complexity.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius of Paarl Royals hits over the top for six. (Sportzpics for SA20)
SA20 sensation Pretorius is something of a cricket tragic, according to his SA Under-19 coach
-Lhuan-dre Pretorius, an 18-year-old South African cricketer, has impressed with his batting performances in the SA20 tournament.
-Former coaches and teammates praise Pretorius's talent, maturity, and ability to handle pressure at a young age.
-Pretorius's recent success suggests a bright future for the young cricketer.
When choosing a domestic airline in South Africa, it's essential to consider seat pitch, width, and recline for comfort, with SAA, CemAir, and Airlink offering the most space according to third-party sources. (GKV via Getty Images)
Extra legroom without extra cost? Here's how much seat space each domestic airline offers in economy
-For passengers focused on legroom, South African Airways, CemAir, and Airlink offer the most seat pitch on domestic flights.
-LIFT provides the widest economy class seats, followed by South African Airways and some Airlink flights.
-While most airlines don't readily disclose seat specifications, third-party websites like SeatGuru and SeatMaps offer reliable information on seat pitch, width, and other comfort metrics.
*These summaries were written with the support of Gemini Pro AI.
