South Africa’s 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations began on Tuesday, with the Department of Basic Education reporting no adverse incidents during the first day.

#UniteBehind has submitted financial records linked to the controversial PRASA-Swifambo locomotive contract to the NPA, while Scopa plans to investigate delays in unresolved corruption cases.

British comedian and actor Russell Brand arrived at a London court on Monday for the start of his trial on multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. Once a left-wing personality and comedian who shot to fame as a television and radio presenter, he has rebranded himself as a conservative guru for millions of social media followers. Brand, 51, arrived at Southwark Crown Court in the British capital with his wife, Laura, wearing a grey suit and sunglasses. He faces seven sexual offence charges about six women, between 1999 and 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges: three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one charge of indecent assault. Brand sat in the dock at the central London court, where the press benches were packed, an AFP journalist saw. He did not speak during the hearing. Jury selection began on Monday with the judge, Joel Bennathan, eliminating some potential jurors who said they had watched a 2023 documentary or read an article that were part of a joint investigation into Brand by Britain’s Channel Four television and The Times newspaper. The judge told jurors he expected they would have heard of Brand from television but asked them not to conduct any online searches. The trial is expected to last around six weeks, with the first full hearing on Wednesday, but could stretch into December. Born in 1975 to working-class parents in Essex, east of London, Brand began his stand-up career as a teenager, eventually working as an MTV presenter and host of a reality TV series. He presented a show on the BBC’s Radio 2 station between 2006 and 2008 but quit after a lewd, on-air prank when he left a sexually explicit voicemail for Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs about his granddaughter. Brand then made a foray into Hollywood and was in a brief but high-profile marriage to US pop star Katy Perry.

The top diplomats of Britain and Germany pressed on Tuesday for more sanctions on Moscow over its war in Ukraine, after President Donald Trump announced an easing of US sanctions on Russian diesel. “I would say this is not the time to lower the sanctions regime but to strengthen this,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said during an event at the Warsaw Security Forum (WSF). Ukraine and its European backers have been left reeling by Trump’s decision last week to lift sanctions on Russian diesel as part of a deal to supply the United States. EU expands sanctions against Moscow The European Union on Monday formally added nearly 1 600 new Russian individuals and entities to its sanctions blacklist, with the aim of keeping pressure on Moscow. “We are keeping our course,” Wadephul insisted, stressing that Europe was asking Washington to do the same. Trump’s decision enables Russia to release large amounts of diesel onto global energy markets. Western allies question Trump’s diesel decision UK Foreign Minister Ed Miliband hailed the latest EU move and insisted on the need to “ratchet up the sanctions” further. “We need to send the right message,” he told the WSF. While criticising Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel, Ukraine’s Western allies have all backed his unilateral declaration of a pause in attacks targeting the energy sector. Russia has launched waves of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since invading in February 2022, knocking out power and heating to millions during winter months. Kyiv has, in turn, targeted Russian oil refineries. “Let us take seriously this issue of the energy ceasefire that President Trump has talked about,” Miliband said. Britain calls for a broader energy ceasefire He insisted, though, that it should not just be about oil refineries but “a broad energy ceasefire”. Ukraine has only one oil refinery, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. “Last week alone we’ve seen 200 Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” Miliband continued. “Let us seek with President Trump to hold (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to this full energy ceasefire because that is what we need,” he said, highlighting that Zelensky had agreed to the idea. Wadephul also urged support for a full energy ceasefire, suggesting it should be broadened to cover attacks in the Black Sea. Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II is nearing its fifth anniversary.

South Africa says it is “very concerned” by new International Criminal Court (ICC) sanctions imposed by the United States. And it’s making it clear where it stands. On Monday, 12 October, Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel said South Africa remained committed to the court. He said South Africa, as a founding member of the ICC, reaffirmed its support for the institution. “South Africa is very concerned by the sanctions imposed by the United States on the International Criminal Court and its officials,” Nel said. He also warned against political pressure on judges and prosecutors. WHAT THE ICC SANCTIONS MEAN The US announced the sanctions on Friday, 9 October, hours after South African judge Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge, won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The timing raised eyebrows. But according to AP, via Euronews, the decision to impose the sanctions had been made well before the Nobel announcement. For the first time, the US targeted the court as an entire institution, rather than individual officials. The sanctions freeze any ICC assets held in the US. They also give US companies and individuals six months to end their business dealings with the court. The US also issued licences allowing some activities to continue. According to The Tribune, these include a 180-day licence covering activities needed to keep the court running, along with authorisations for IT services, the ICC pension plan and activities related to detainees. WHY THE US SAYS IT ACTED US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move on X. Today, the Trump Administration is sanctioning the ICC.This action should encourage our Allies within the Court to work for solutions to end this threat to U.S. sovereignty forever. pic.twitter.com/D86dCqLUaZ— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 9, 2026 The Trump administration has accused the court of political bias and of unfairly targeting Americans and Israelis over alleged war crimes. Washington also cited concerns over American sovereignty. Rubio said the action was intended to encourage American allies within the court to work towards addressing those concerns. The US is not a member of the ICC. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the sanctions. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for him over alleged crimes committed in Gaza. WHAT THE ICC AND ITS ALLIES SAY The ICC condemned the sanctions. It said they were an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and prevent the court from doing what it was created to do. The court has 125 member states, and many US allies have backed it. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan said they “regret and strongly disagree” with the sanctions. The European Union said it deeply regrets the move and stands ready to take all necessary measures to protect the court. The European Commission said it hopes the six-month delay before the sanctions apply leaves room for dialogue. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, whose country hosts the ICC in The Hague, said: “We will do whatever we need to defend the ICC.” THE PILLAY CONNECTION Pillay served as a judge at the ICC from 2003 to 2008. She won the Nobel Peace Prize “for her efforts to promote peace and international law.” "Being a lawyer and a judge, I still want to verify this information."Navi Pillay – newly awarded peace laureate – didn't yet believe she had actually been awarded a Nobel Prize, standing in the courtroom where the Nuremberg trials took place. She told the room, "I think it's… pic.twitter.com/6b1TyJMT6P— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2026 The timing was striking, even if the decision was made earlier. On the same day South Africa celebrated one of its own, the court she once served came under unprecedented pressure. With six months before the sanctions fully apply, this row isn’t going away any time soon. DO YOU THINK SOUTH AFRICA SHOULD TAKE A STRONGER STAND AGAINST THE ICC SANCTIONS? Let us know in the comments below…

Bernard Parker has made headlines for his relationship with businesswoman Kacha Stepanovic, whom he claims is the mother of his children. The former Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs player, is the head coach at TS Galaxy, stated that his new relationship began three years ago, while he was still married to soccer WAG, Wendy Parker. BERNARD PARKER BABY MAMA: WHO IS THE OTHER WOMAN? On Monday, 12 October, Bernard Parker posted a statement on his social media platforms announcing his split from Kacha Stepanovic. The 40-year-old hinted at being unfaithful to his partner. The news came as a surprise to soccer fans, who questioned where his wife, Wendy Parker, was. Here’s what we know about the red-haired woman linked to the coach club. Kacha is the ex-wife of Ntukza, or Bantu Hanabe, who was a member of the hip-hop group Teargas. He is the father of her two sons. Happy Birthday to absolutely beautiful husband! Yes his not just Handsome his absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!! @ntukzasa pic.twitter.com/9iDFU1WPPK— Kacha Stepanovic 🇷🇸🇿🇦 (@kachie1) September 30, 2018 She has a baby girl, who was reportedly fathered by Bernard. BREAKING: Exclusive footage of Bernard Parker and Kacha Stepanovic with their newborn, out and about before the split 📹 Where's Wendy?🤷🏿 pic.twitter.com/A9cVbUvD6j— NOWinSA (@NowInSA) October 12, 2026 She is Serbian and stated that her mother arrived in South Africa with two children. Kacha is the director of several non-profit organisations, one of which is called AfriBiz, which supports underprivileged women and young girls. She has partnered with Cassper Nyovest’s A Million Voices for her latest initiative. In 2018, she made headlines after she publicly supported Rachel Kolisi’s social media rant about her partner’s “thirsty” female fans. She also trended after she called her partner the “N-word”. She is a proud member of the ANC and a Kaizer Chiefs supporter. @ANCParliament great things ahead for South Africa! I will be voting ANC ⚫️🟢🟡 trust in the process 🖤💛💚 pic.twitter.com/eoQeUoTXNL— Kacha Stepanovic 🇷🇸🇿🇦 (@kachie1) July 11, 2023 HOW MANY CHILDREN DOES HE HAVE? In his statement, Bernard Parker claimed to have 6 children, and he was committed to co-parenting with Kacha Stepanovic. Bernard has two sons from his marriage to Wendy Parker, whilst Kacha also has two sons from her union with Ntukza. The couple also reportedly have a baby girl. It’s unclear who the sixth child is. In an IG Story after their relationship trended, Kacha thanked Berard for being a hands-on dad. She shared: “Thank you for being the greatest father. You are a great man with a world of potential. I know you will succeed in everything you do. “Our sons and daughter are the luckiest to have you. God is able to restore all that is in his will”.

Tough questions emerged about cloud budgets and data control at a recent Cloud on Demand and Microsoft breakfast.

Wits physicists have built an optical neural network that reads light's hidden topology without imaging it.