Oil prices tumbled Monday after US President Donald Trump said he was preparing for new talks with Iran aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, which also helped lift stocks.

Women’s Month is a timely reminder that women’s mental health matters, especially when stress, caregiving, work and expectations leave little room for rest or support.

As South African schools reopened for the third term on 21 July, online searches for “school bullying” surged 202% in a single week – a spike researchers say reflects a wave of parental anxiety as children head back into the classroom. New analysis by Teneo Online School of search-trends data shows that interest in “school bullying” stayed flat through the winter break, then climbed sharply from the weekend before the school term restarted, peaking in the days after pupils returned on Tuesday, 21 July. Searches rose 202% over the week, reaching around 1 000 for the month. Researchers note that the timing is telling: the surge lines up almost exactly with the return to school, suggesting that for many families, a new term brings the question of bullying back to the front of parents’ minds. Back to school, back to worry For a child being bullied, the report notes, the end of a school holiday isn’t simply the end of a break, it can mean the return of a daily ordeal. The sharp rise in searches as the school term begins suggests many parents are anticipating exactly that, and are looking for guidance before or as their children walk back through the school gates. The concern is well-founded. Research from the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention has found that around four in 10 South African students have experienced some form of cyberbullying during their school careers. Research by Camryn Twaddle and Daniel le Roux on the prevalence and correlates of cyberbullying among South African adolescents found that 67% of South African teenagers have witnessed cyberbullying even when they weren’t directly targeted, showing its effects reach well beyond the pupils it’s aimed at. Traditional, in-person bullying also remains widespread. A nationally representative study of more than 7 000 primary schoolchildren found that between 22% and 33% reported being physically hit by other children, while in some provinces close to four in 10 reported being deliberately excluded by peers. The problem that follows children home What has changed, according to the report, is that bullying no longer ends at the school gate. Where it was once confined to school hours, smartphones and social media now allow harassment to continue into the evening, over weekends and through school holidays, often in spaces parents can’t see. Photo: iStock That shift may help explain why the start of term is such a flashpoint: for many children, going back to school also means returning to the environment where online and offline bullying intersect. South African and international research links cyberbullying to serious harm to young people’s mental health, including anxiety, depression and, in the most severe cases, suicidal behaviour, which is why specialists increasingly stress early, open conversation over silence. What parents can do as term begins Taryn Jankes, chief marketing officer at Teneo Online School, said the timing of the search spike reflects something familiar to most parents. “The start of term can be a moment of real anxiety, not just excitement. For a child who is being bullied, the holidays end, and the dread begins again,” she said. Jankes said the most effective response is early, honest conversation. “The most powerful thing any parent or school can do at this point in the calendar is open the conversation early, ask how a child really feels about going back, and make it safe for them to be honest,” she said, adding that bullying “depends on a child’s silence”. She also noted that whatever the setting – a physical school or an online classroom – the priorities at the start of a new term remain the same: clear reporting routes children trust, adults who watch for warning signs, and a culture where speaking up is met with support rather than dismissal. If you or a young person you know is struggling with bullying or its effects, Childline South Africa can be reached toll-free on 116, and the SADAG Mental Health Line is available on 0800 456 789 or via SMS at 31393.

A French teenager was fined in Singapore on Thursday after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for a straw-licking stunt that landed him in hot water in the city state. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, was handed a Sg$600 ($465) fine after admitting to posting to social media a video of himself putting a straw he had licked back into the dispenser on an orange juice vending machine. The clip went viral on Instagram shortly after the incident on 12 March. As a result, the viral video triggered a backlash that led to his arrest in Singapore. The country is known for its strict enforcement of public order and hygiene rules. Handing down the sentence, Judge Kelly Ho said given Maximilien’s “age and nature of the offence”, alternatives like probation or a community-based sentence would not be imposed. Prosecutors agreed to the defence’s proposal for a fine, saying the offence was at the “lower end” of its seriousness. Moreover, while hygiene was compromised, no member of the public used the straw. Consequently, there “was no evidence of harm”. They added that Maximilien “pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity.” French teenager Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien arrives at the State Courts in Singapore on 30 July 2026. Picture: Suhaimi Abdullah / AFP Wearing a dark suit and white shirt without a tie, Maximilien was seen standing calmly in the dock while the judge pronounced the sentence. His parents were seated in the gallery. They left the court shortly afterwards and declined to speak to reporters. His defence counsel Kalidass Murugaiyan earlier argued for a fine in mitigation of sentence as opposed to probation. Maximilien’s family had trouble getting a guardian in Singapore. As a result, a community-based sentence was logistically not possible. He had to go back to France in September to continue his studies, the lawyer said. “He is fully sorry for having caused all this trouble,” Murugaiyan told the judge, adding that he had been counselled by his family. Singapore is known for its no-nonsense approach to public stunts. Last year it deported an Australian man at the end of a nine-day jail term for rushing film star Ariana Grande during the Asian premiere of “Wicked: For Good”.

Sizekhaya are the new national lottery operators in South Africa having officially taken over from ITHUBA on 1 June 2026. The Daily Lotto draw take place every night of the week. If you are buying tickets from a lottery outlet, they close at 20:40 on draw days. HOW TO PLAY THE DAILY LOTTO The Daily Lotto costs R3 per board. Players match five numbers from a pool of 36, either self-selected or via Quick Pick. The Daily Lotto will pay out its estimated jackpot every evening – even if no one correctly matches all five numbers drawn. WHERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS Tickets are available at authorised National Lottery retailers, on the National Lottery website and app, or via USSD by dialling 1207529#. If you’re playing PowerBall through a banking app, Capitec, FNB, Absa, Nedbank, Standard Bank, TymeBank and African Bank all let you select numbers or Quick Pick directly from your phone before the cutoff. Winners of R50 000 or more receive free trauma counselling and financial advice, and all National Lottery winnings are paid tax-free directly into the winner’s account. Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. Verify all results at the National Lottery website. HAVE YOU MISSED A DRAW? Draws come thick and fast and there’s a good chance that you may have missed seeing the results of one to date. All the Daily Lotto draw results since 1 June 2026 DateNumbers2 August9, 30, 31, 34, 361 August16, 21, 23, 24, 2531 July2, 4, 10, 27, 3530 July8, 17, 20, 24, 2929 July7, 9, 15, 26, 3328 July11, 15, 28, 30, 3227 July11, 14, 27, 31, 3426 July7, 8, 10, 14, 2625 July4, 10, 26, 30, 3224 July2, 6, 9, 20, 3423 July14, 17, 22, 27, 2822 Juy3, 6, 11, 16, 2521 July3, 4, 14, 32, 3620 July3, 13, 19, 25, 3119 July2, 14, 16, 17, 2218 July22, 23, 25, 33, 3617 July6, 9, 14, 23, 2416 July3, 12, 25, 28, 3215 July9, 10, 29, 31, 3614 July3, 7, 19, 29, 3413 July12, 16, 26, 32, 3512 July1, 13, 16, 18, 3411 July3, 10, 14, 21, 2510 July10, 16, 23, 32, 349 July2, 6, 11, 16, 318 July6, 20, 21, 28, 307 July5, 16, 18, 20, 236 July10, 12, 13, 25, 305 July4, 9, 29, 30, 314 July16, 17, 25, 28, 363 July1, 7, 14, 17, 242 July2, 6, 7, 13, 271 July4, 8, 18, 25, 3030 June2, 3, 16, 21, 3629 June4, 8, 25, 30, 3128 June2, 8, 20, 28, 3427 June9, 10, 14, 25, 2826 June1, 3, 13, 20, 2525 June10, 11, 12, 17, 2224 June5, 7, 19, 24, 3523 June11, 13, 19, 25, 3322 June5, 7, 9, 31, 3221 June2, 7, 11, 14, 1620 June1, 16, 20, 21, 2219 June10, 26, 28, 32, 3418 June7, 9, 14, 18, 3617 June3, 4, 12, 16, 1716 June4, 8, 16, 29, 3115 June5, 19, 24, 26, 3014 June4, 18, 25, 30, 3613 June1, 5, 8, 15, 3612 June20, 25, 30, 32, 3411 June8, 13, 17, 29, 3110 June2, 4, 7, 15, 219 June1, 7, 9, 19, 318 June2, 6, 9, 11, 347 June4, 7, 10, 13, 176 June5, 20, 24, 27, 315 June3, 8, 9, 20, 214 June16, 18, 26, 29, 303 June15, 21, 22, 26, 362 June5, 6, 10, 24, 321 June4, 5, 23, 29, 32 Will you be South Africa’s next Daily Lotto big winner? The South African is the first to report Daily Lotto results as they happen. Bookmark this link to check the latest results.

The bodies of Bulawayo mother Nothabo Zandile Tshuma and her two daughters, Natalie and Nala, have finally arrived in Zimbabwe after a weather-related delay disrupted their journey from the United Kingdom. The bodies landed at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare on Monday before being transported by road to Bulawayo, where family, friends and the community are preparing to bid them a final farewell at Tuesday’s funeral. Their arrival comes a day later than expected after adverse weather prevented the aircraft from landing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, forcing it to divert to Djibouti and causing the bodies to miss their connecting Ethiopian Airlines flight to Zimbabwe. Bad weather delays bodies on journey from the UK Speaking to The Chronicle, family spokesperson Leon Leroy Khumalo confirmed that severe weather in Ethiopia had caused the delay. “The flight from the United Kingdom failed to land in Addis Ababa because of bad weather. It had to divert to Djibouti and because of that they missed the connecting flight from Addis Ababa to Bulawayo,” he said. Relatives had gathered in anticipation of the bodies’ arrival on Sunday, only to learn around midday that they would not be on the scheduled flight to Bulawayo. Despite the disappointment, Khumalo said the repatriation process was back on track and the family now expects the bodies to arrive in Bulawayo on Monday. Family faced another heartbreaking wait The delay added to the anguish of a family that has spent weeks navigating the complex process of repatriating Nothabo and her daughters from the United Kingdom. Mr Khumalo said the funeral programme would proceed as planned despite the delay. “They will lie in state at Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour before the burial on Tuesday,” he said. Bulawayo community prepares to receive the bodies Even as the repatriation was delayed, the spirit of solidarity in Bulawayo’s Gwabalanda suburb remained unwavering. Residents continued gathering at the Khumalo family home for evening prayer meetings, offering comfort and support to the bereaved family. The bodies are expected to briefly pass through the family home in Gwabalanda before a funeral service at the Brethren in Christ Church in Lobengula. Nothabo and her daughters will then be laid to rest side by side at Old Luveve Cemetery on Tuesday. Khumalo said bringing Nothabo and her daughters home marks an important step towards giving the family closure after weeks of mourning and logistical arrangements involving authorities in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom. Last week, the family welcomed the approval by British authorities to repatriate Natalie and Nala, who were born in the United Kingdom, allowing them to be buried alongside their mother in Zimbabwe. Nothabo, 42, and her daughters were found dead at their home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, on 3 July in a case that shocked both Zimbabweans and the wider British community. Her husband and the children’s father, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, a Zimbabwean-born British citizen, was later arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa. He remains in custody as United Kingdom authorities pursue his extradition to face three counts of murder.

The SABC's streaming platform has passed three million registered users, though hasn't said how many are active viewers.

The Post Office has received an unqualified audit opinion for the first time in six years but it's survival remains in doubt.