Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-11-24 i Daily News

Female leaders battling their way through kidnappings, terrorism and blackmail in the political sphere come to extraordinary light in Hostage. The brand-new Netflix political thriller also offers enough twists and turns to keep you glued to your screens from start to finish. The five-part series, starring Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy in the leading roles, is a refreshing women-led entry in a genre that is still dominated by excellent yet largely male-heavy casts. Without objectifying these stellar actresses, the production places their professional and political tact, along with their family lives and personal struggles, at the forefront. And after several unexpected twists, the show poses a powerful question: how much should a female leader have to sacrifice for her country? Hostage introduces viewers to Abigail Dalton (Jones), who, during a…

Allegedly played a key role in luring South Africans under false pretences to fight in Ukraine A criminal case has been opened against former President Jacob Zuma’s controversial daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, by her eldest sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Ncube. Zuma-Ncube opened a case at the Sandton Police Station on Saturday evening. She brought charges against three individuals: her sister, Siphokazi Xuma, and Blessing Khoza, alleging that they played key roles in luring South African men to Russia under false pretences, before handing them over to a mercenary outfit operating in Ukraine. When contacted for comment, Zuma-Ncube referred the publication to her sister Thuthukile Zuma. “Please call my sister Thuthu,” she replied in a text message. Her sister, Thuthukile Zuma, confirmed that her sibling was the author of the letter, adding that she…

While the movie The Cane Cutter is awash with the well-known trauma, tragedies and triumphs since the arrival of Indian indentured labourers in South Africa, the film is also a celebration of the city of Durban and its umbilical attachment to this tribe It was fitting that the movie’s “World Premiere” happened at the city’s Suncoast CineCentre last Monday, around the 165th anniversary of the indentured labourers arrival. The movie’s official release in theatres was on Friday. Apart from a scene shot in Cape Town and another in New York City, where the mother of Dev, the male lead played by Razeen Dada, engages in a long-distance telephone call with her son; Durban, its sites, slangs, sounds and its accomplished sons and daughters takes centre-stage. Given Durban’s association with the…

In highlighting the urgent need for critical care nursing in South Africa, a professor from the University of Pretoria (UP) pointed out that the country only has 62,46 critical care-trained nurses registered with the South African Nursing Council. South Africa’s population of 64 million is meanwhile supported by only 4,719 critical care beds. Around 1,186 of these beds are in the public sector and 3,533 in the private sector. In an inaugural address at the UP, newly appointed Professor Isabel Coetzee-Prinsloo outlined a transformative vision for critical care in South Africa. She presented what she termed the “three pillars of excellence in critical care” – quality education, practice development, and knowledge translation. She emphasised the role of specialised critical care nursing and said critical care units were nurse-led, and critically…

AmaZulu head coach Arthur Zwane says Saturday’s win over Siwelele FC at the Moses Mabhida Stadium was a performance built on maturity rather than momentum, as his young squad continued learning the demands of top-flight football. The match was settled by a superb brace from 23-year-old winger Athini Maqokola, whose sharp movement and composure in the final third gave Usuthu the cutting edge they lacked in previous weeks. His goals arrived at crucial moments – just before halftime and again midway through the second period – to hand AmaZulu a much-needed return to winning ways. The KwaZulu Natal based outfit moved up to fifth on the Betway Premiership standings and remain on course for a duel for CAF spots. But while Maqokola’s finishing will dominate the highlights, Zwane’s biggest takeaway…

In a show of culinary excellence, New Victory Foods from Phoenix was named the best bunny chow outlet in KwaZulu-Natal during the Bunny Chow Barometer Challenge, hosted at Blue Lagoon Beach on Saturday. Sponsored by Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, the annual competition showcased the rich heritage and tantalising flavours that defines Durban’s beloved culinary icon: the bunny chow. There was no shortage of dedication and effort in creating the curried concoction from the 10 participating outlets that made Saturday’s final. Some of the prizes on offer were the R50 000 for the winning outlet, R30 000 for the second placed outlet and R20 000 for those in third place. Vaneshree Govender, owner of New Victory Foods, won the ultimate bragging rights, the province’s finest bunny chow: “We are happy to…

In response to an incident that left a man dead and two others seriously injured at the KwaMashu hostels on Friday, KwaZulu-Natal’s Premier, Thami Ntuli, convened an urgent meeting with chairpersons (induna) of the blocks at the dwelling. They gathered to quell tensions rising from deep-rooted disputes that are politically motivated and have resulted in numerous other deaths previously. The recent incident has instilled fear among the residents, who called for urgent intervention from the provincial government’s leadership and law enforcement agencies. Premier Ntuli addressed the community on Saturday and reiterated the importance of safety and collective action to restore peace and stability. “We must ensure that the hostel must remain free from drugs, criminal activity, and all forms of violence. “I appeal to the community to work together to…

It would have taken a monumental effort for Senuran Muthusamy to work his way back to international cricket after being outplayed by India in his maiden Test tour six years ago. Muthusamy was completely dominated by the India Test players back then, and looked a class below the opposition in terms of skill and ability as the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin made him look like an amateur. It was not only Muthusamy who was outplayed, but the entire Faf du Plessis-led Proteas Test team of 2019, as they lost the series 3-0. After that series, the all-rounder returned to domestic cricket at the Dolphins, with his future in Test cricket looking grim. He changed teams and went to the North West Dragons in…

As the United Rugby Championship (URC) resumes this weekend, South African fans are gearing up for a series of high-stakes clashes, with the Jukskei Derby at Loftus standing out as the headline fixture. The Bulls are hoping to bounce back from their away defeat against the Glasgow Warriors before the international break, while neighbours the Lions will be buoyed after two successive wins erased memories of a nightmare European tour. The Bulls, last year’s beaten finalists, started the season brightly with two home wins, but endured a mixed tour, with a narrow win against Connacht sandwiched between losses to Ulster and the Warriors. They have often struggled to balance new coach Johan Ackerman’s expansive approach with the physical dominance and forward power game that served them so well in the…

The US questioning of the legitimacy of the G20 summit held in Johannesburg over the weekend is misplaced, as the bloc is made up of the most influential economies in the world, and they approved the declarations taken at the event. William Baloyi, the head of the Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS), was responding to the White House, which said on Saturday South Africa was refusing to facilitate a smooth transition of its presidency of the Group of 20 major economies to the US, after the G20 issued a declaration on climate change, in spite of US objections. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said President Cyril Ramaphosa had pushed to issue a G20 leaders' declaration addressing the climate crisis and other global challenges "despite consistent and robust US objections."…

A distressing revelation that highlights a growing crisis was brought to fore by the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal with its report that over 3 000 cases of sexual assault involving children under the age of 12 occurred between January and September 2025. Dr Sabelo Gwala, Deputy Director-General: Stakeholder Co-ordination in the Office of the Premier, presented these figures during the recent Provincial Council on Aids meeting. The findings revealed a trend of rising sexual violence incidents against children, with the eThekwini, King Cetshwayo, and uMgungundlovu districts registering the highest numbers of reported cases. According to the presentation, across the 10 districts and one metro that were sampled, 1 062 cases were reported between January and March, 954 between April and June and 1 027 between July and September. Harry…

The Government of National Unity (GNU) has now settled into the political landscape and is no longer an experiment but a lived reality. Its existence invites a deeper reflection on what it reveals about the state of our democracy and the enduring instinct for survival. Far from signalling a rupture, the ANC’s participation in the GNU may represent a familiar trend in our political history, one in which power yields just enough to preserve itself. What began as an act of accommodation has become a study in continuity and shows how institutions adapt to new conditions without transforming their essence. The question that remains is whether the GNU serves as a bridge to renewal or as a careful continuation of the same political logic that has long defined the South…

Morgan Rogers produced two excellent finishes to inspire an Aston Villa comeback, beating Leeds 2–1 at Elland Road yesterday and moving into the English Premier League’s top four. Rogers has often been preferred this season by England manager Thomas Tuchel over Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham but had scored just once this season prior to his second-half double. After failing to win any of their first five games, Villa have now won six of their last seven Premier League matches, climbing into UEFA Champions League positions. Defeat leaves Leeds inside the relegation zone, and they were left to rue not building on a fast start. Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez pleaded in vain for a foul as he was challenged for a high ball by Anton Stach in the eighth minute. Ezri…

A stunned England woke yesterday to savage criticism after their meek capitulation in the first Ashes Test, branded “brainless” and “damaged” by former greats after their cavalier approach backfired. Ben Stokes’s men lost the opening battle in Perth by eight wickets inside two days on the back of batting collapses and Travis Head slamming a sensational sixty-nine-ball century. Since last claiming an Ashes series in Australia 15-years ago, they have now lost 14 Tests, drawn two and won none Down Under. England had a perfect opportunity to snap the dire streak and earn a psychological advantage heading into the day-night second Test in Brisbane on December 4. But after reaching 160/5, the tourists lost five wickets for 12 runs to be bowled out for 172 on day one, before regaining…

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen produced a masterful drive to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, with his title hopes boosted further after the McLarens of championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both disqualified. Norris had finished second on the track, with Piastri fourth, but the skid blocks on both cars were found after the race to be below the minimum depth. The disqualifications mean that with two race weekends remaining, four-time defending champion Verstappen is now level on points with Piastri in the title race, just 24 points behind Norris. However, Verstappen's chances of a fifth successive title will depend on another slip-up from Norris or his McLaren team. With a maximum of 58 points available in the final two GPs, the Briton needs…