Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-12-30 i Mercury

Bruce Willis is known for his big personality, action roles, comedic talent and lasting presence in Hollywood. Away from the spotlight, though, his family is facing a personal journey that goes far beyond his film career. In an act of profound love and purpose, the family has decided to donate Bruce’s brain to scientific research after his passing. This decision, while heart-wrenching, reflects a commitment to raising awareness and advancing our understanding of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a condition that has reshaped their lives forever. Bruce, now 70, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in early 2023. Before that, he was diagnosed with aphasia in March 2022, which led him to retire from acting. FTD is a rare brain disorder that affects the frontal and temporal lobes, causing gradual problems with memory,…

South African rugby union player, Ruan Venter and his partner, Anchen Du Plessis, just took their love to the next level as they recently got engaged. The 23-year-old took to Instagram to announce the engagement, sharing photos that captured the moment he went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. The beach proposal, which took place at Sea Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal, was a picnic, and it was decorated with multiple bouquets of red roses, with the words “Marry Me” on the ground. The Lions flank simply captioned the post with the date of the engagement: “21.12.2025”. In addition, the couple has been together for two years and, in January, they celebrated their second anniversary. To celebrate the anniversary, Du Plessis shared a post on Instagram and wrote:…

The Bondi Beach massacre on December 14 shocked Australia and the world. Two Islamists terrorists, a father and son team, turned on a Jewish crowd celebrating Hannukah and killing 14 people and wounding 40, probably in revenge for the thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza by the Israelis. It sent shock waves across Australia and the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately called for tighter gun control. Across the Indian Ocean there were two mass shootings in South Africa, one in a tavern in Pretoria and the other tavern in Bekkersdal the death toll in both killings was 23 with dozens of others injured. It seems the gunmen found a lot of pleasure pumping bullets into party goers enjoying their drinks at taverns. The two mass shootings hardly raised an…

Our country is being rocked by gargantuan revelations about the state of the nation and it’s shattered institutions. Money is the root of all politics. Our politics was about passion, imagina tion and foresight. In today’s political environment, it’s all about greed, lust for power and malignant accountancy. In our nations political discourse, it is impossible to avoid the smell of cash. Many in our fractured land, have become disorientated with the business of politics. Our future looks bleak as 2026 approaches, unless serious actions are taken we will face a devastating national cataclysm that could dismember the economy, and usher in turmoil unprecedented in our recorded history. We are rudderless, visionless,, careless and leaderless as we lurch into a cauldron of despair. Our economy is wrecked, energy distribution is…

The Gauteng High Court’s decisive rejection of the secretive R54 billion settlement between Eskom and Nersa is not merely a legal technicality; it is a vital defence of the democratic process and economic justice for every South African. Judge Jan Swanepoel’s ruling, which blocks a backdoor deal that would have saddled consumers with billions in additional costs, is a commendable stand for transparency and accountability. At the heart of this case was a brazen attempt by two powerful state entities to circumvent public scrutiny. As the judgment reveals, Nersa admitted that a key “advantage” of the closed-door settlement was to avoid exposing its own errors in open court. Eskom, in turn, sought a court order to sanctify this arrangement, which would have triggered steep annual tariff hikes. The guiding principle…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet Donald Trump in Florida yesterday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of the fragile Gaza truce plan. The crucial meeting at Trump’s lavish Mar-a-Lago resort comes as some White House officials fear both Israel and Hamas are slow-walking the second phase of their ceasefire. Trump, who said Netanyahu had asked for the talks, is reportedly keen to announce – as soon as January – a Palestinian technocratic government for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force. The two leaders are to meet at 1pm, the White House said. Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said Netanyahu would discuss the second phase, which involves making sure that “Hamas is disarmed, Gaza is demilitarised.” But Netanyahu will…

People gathered in several towns in the breakaway region of Somaliland at the weekend to celebrate its recognition by Israel – a decision condemned by the Somali president as a “threat” to stability in the Horn of Africa. Israel announced last week it was officially recognising Somaliland, a first for the self-proclaimed republic that in 1991 declared it had unilaterally separated from Somalia. At the weekend, the leader of the Houthis warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a “military target”. Somaliland, which has for decades pushed for international recognition, enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passport and army. Thousands of people thronged a stadium in the capital Hargeisa, where many dressed in the green, white and red colours…

ADDIS ABABA: The Gifaataa Festival, which celebrates the Ethiopian New Year among the Wolaita people, has been officially inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is reported by ENA, a partner of TV BRICS. The decision was announced during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, currently taking place in New Delhi, India. Celebrated for generations, the Gifaataa Festival symbolises the transition from one year to the next and holds deep cultural meaning for the Wolaita community. Its recognition is also expected to support Ethiopia’s cultural tourism, offering international visitors greater insight into the country’s living traditions and heritage. Speaking at the session, Ethiopia’s Minister of Tourism Selamawit Kassa highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting…

Language is a funny thing, isn’t it? It has the power to connect us, divide us, and sometimes, give us a reason to laugh until our sides hurt. There are a few things that can summon South Africans faster than the smell of a braai, my fellow South Africans, or a word that means something else in isiZulu, Afrikaans, English and pure chaos all at once That said, a video of a cute dog has gone viral after its Australian owner misspelt its name, turning it into a derogatory Afrikaans word. The dog named Poe was referred to as “Po*s”, which left Mzansi in stitches. The adorable Border Collie has now unwittingly become a viral sensation among South Africans. Jennifer Martin, who owns Wildhunde, an Australian company that makes high-quality,…

I pen these lines beginning with a prayer and hope that the world steps away from Armageddon, for that's where the beast is slouching towards. There are many genocidaires operating on the world stage and amongst the general population with impunity. These individuals must be brought to justice, just as Simon Wiesenthal pursued the perpetrators and enablers of the Nazi holocaust. If justice is not served, the victims' families will likely resort to extreme measures. Such collateral responses are, understandable but unacceptable. We must follow the famous nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal's example - track them down, hold them accountable. Victims' families will not hesitate to take matters into their own hands if justice is not served. Time for action, not just words is nigh. Remember the atrocities committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda,…

A 17-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after being resuscitated by emergency medical teams following a drowning incident at Umhlanga Beach yesterday. The teenager, who had been swimming with friends, got into difficulty in the water and was pulled from the sea in an unresponsive state before paramedics initiated advanced life-saving treatment on the beach. Emergency medical teams from KZNVIP and Netcare 911 were dispatched to the scene after reports of a drowning at the popular beachfront. According to KZNVIP, “Medics were dispatched on Monday morning following reports of a drowning incident at Umhlanga Beach.” On arrival, medics established that the teen “had been swimming with friends” when he “had gotten into difficulty in the water.” He was quickly rescued from the ocean and brought ashore. “The male was…

ANCYL demands a radical shift from policy paralysis to action It is a melancholy fact that the most profound failures of democratic capitalism often manifest not as sudden collapses, but as slow, grinding tragedies of exclusion. Nowhere is this structural pathology more blatantly illuminated today than in South Africa. More than three decades after the formal end of apartheid, the country is grappling with an economic malaise that threatens not just its social fabric, but the very stability of its democratic experiment. The statistics are not merely sobering; they are a profound indictment of the post-1994 economic settlement. With a headline unemployment rate hovering around 34%, and youth unemployment soaring to an astonishing 60.8%, South Africa possesses the dubious distinction of having one of the most dysfunctional labour markets on…

Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed recalled the moment he ran towards one of the attackers and wrestled the gun from him, saying in an interview published yesterday with a US outlet he wanted to protect “innocent people”. Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities have described as an antisemitic terrorist attack. Despite the tragedy, tales of heroism emerged of those who tried to stop the two gunmen during their deadly rampage. Among them was Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit seller, who went viral for ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then wresting a gun from one of the assailants. “My target was…

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump at the weekend refused to say whether he expects a peace deal over the Ukraine crisis to be reached by the end of 2025. “I don’t have deadlines. You know what my deadline is? Getting the war ended,” Trump told reporters at the start of his meeting with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Asked whether their talks will lead to a peace deal, Trump said: “It depends – I do believe we have the makings of a deal,” noting that the Ukraine crisis was difficult to solve. Zelenskiy said his talks with Trump will focus on the latest draft of a 20-point peace plan and the sequencing of a settlement. Ahead of the meeting with Zelenskiy, Trump…

ORLANDO Pirates were arguably the best team in the first half of the season, winning two trophies — the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout — while finishing top of the Betway Premiership standings. Should they continue with all the positives they displayed during that part of the campaign, they could all but be crowned champions of the land come May, ending a 14-year title drought. But that is easier said than done. They need to take lessons from their shortcomings, as they will be the first to admit that they are still far from being a well-oiled machine. Below, we look at five areas that coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and his technical team need to strengthen in order to ensure a watertight campaign in their bid to reach the promised land.…

Venus Williams, the iconic tennis legend, has once again captured the world’s attention, not with her legendary forehand, but with a love story fit for a modern-day fairytale. The 45-year-old sports superstar said “I do” to actor and producer Andrea Preti, sealing their love with not one, but two unforgettable wedding celebrations. Their journey is more than a tale of romance; it’s a heartfelt ode to love, family, and the relationships that shape us. According to Vogue, Venus and Preti tied the knot in two stunning ceremonies, each radiating its own unique charm and significance. The first took place on September 18 in the picturesque island of Ischia, Italy. She shared that Italy had always been their dream wedding destination, but logistical challenges meant they couldn’t make it official there.…

“The doldrum days” - the wait for the New Year - will soon be over. The pace of life will resume. Many New Year pledges will be made and forgotten. I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to dig a little deeper: Dig deeper when it comes to caring for your health. Determine to do what you know will prolong your life. Look around you. It is obvious when people live against their own longevity, day by day, meal by meal, nap by nap. Everything in my day-to-day experience improves when I dedicate time to exercise and eating well. Dig deeper into your loving, caring, and creative side. In other words, all of your relationships. As adults, we recognise our deep desire for powerful human connections. Reach out to the…

Gaza’s Withdrawn Safety When a spokesperson says “we regret the loss of civilian life,” which specific part of that sentence is supposed to be the apology? When they announce, “our thoughts are with the families,” where, precisely, are those thoughts located, and what actionable form do they take? When they “acknowledge the suffering” from a podium a thousand miles away, what frequency does that acknowledgment travel on, and is it receivable in the emergency ward? I really want to know, because what I see is mass moral desensitisation, live-streamed. We are watching a genocide of innocence and calling it “complicated geopolitics.” The global conversation is saturated with performative outrage and geopolitical analysis, but it has excised the core verb: Stop. Say it with me: Stop. We discuss everything around the…

A taxi driver in Newcastle was arrested after attempting to flee on foot during a festive season roadblock, an incident that has since been widely shared in a viral video on social media. The arrest forms part of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Human Settlements’ intensified #NenzaniLaEzweni Operation. According to MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma, the incident demonstrated the effectiveness of the province’s Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), which has adopted a zero tolerance approach to traffic law violations. “Nobody is capable of evading RTI as they execute #NenzaniLaEzweni Operation,” Duma said. The MEC said the arrest followed a surge in traffic volumes as holidaymakers returned home after the festive period. “This morning we are observing many visitors returning home after spending quality time in various parts…

A grade 12 pupil at Tlego Tawana Secondary School in the North West has died after he was allegedly forcefully taken to an initiation school. Onalenna Booi, a 19-year-old from Ditlhakong East Village, near Mafikeng, was taken to the initiation school after writing his matric examinations in late November. It has been reported that his family was unaware of his whereabouts. He was found dead on December 26, after a case of a missing person was reported to the police. Expressing his sadness, school principal Pogiso Tshipo said he was expecting a bachelor's pass from the deceased learner. “I am extremely devastated by this sad news. I was expecting a bachelor’s pass from this learner because I know that he was one of the hard-working groups of learners. I remember…

A bleak start to the New Year is looming for hundreds of workers at Transalloys, South Africa’s last remaining manganese smelter, after the company issued a Section 189 notice warning of possible large-scale retrenchments that could take effect within weeks. The notice places approximately 600 direct jobs at risk and threatens an estimated 7,000 livelihoods linked to the smelter and the broader eMalahleni (formerly Witbank) economy through contractors, suppliers, and dependent businesses. Transalloys chief executive Konstantin Sadovnik said the decision was unavoidable under current operating conditions. “We regret placing this level of uncertainty on our employees and their families at this time, but the ongoing lack of clarity around our operating environment leaves us with no responsible alternative,” he said. Describing the announcement as “extraordinarily difficult” so close to the…

Social workers are often the first to arrive at scenes of gender-based violence and femicide. They often enter unsafe homes without backup or protective equipment. As one told me: “We go alone for home visits … You do not have a clue what you will find when you get there.” This everyday risk is seldom acknowledged. Yet it sits at the centre of a country’s response to its crisis of violence. South Africa has some of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world. Femicide is the murder of girls and women, and in South Africa it’s nearly five times the global average. The country’s police recently recorded more than 10 000 rape cases in one quarter. These are reported cases; many never report rape. The government has now…

Britain has imposed visa restrictions on nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the country’s “poor co-operation” on returning illegal migrants, the UK government said. Further measures, up to a complete halt on visas, will follow unless co-operation “rapidly improves”, Britain’s interior ministry said in a statement at the weekend. The DRC said at the weekend it has started discussions with Britain to resolve the matter. The curbs mean that DRC VIPs and decision makers will lose preferential treatment on visas, while fast-track visa processing has been revoked for all DRC nationals. They come after Britain’s interior minister, Shabana Mahmood, in November threatened the DRC, Angola and Namibia with visa bans unless they accepted the return of irregular migrants. The interior ministry said the three African countries had…

BEIJING: China will on January 1 launch an “action plan” for boosting management and operations of its digital currency, a deputy governor of the country’s central bank said. “The future digital yuan will be a modern digital payment and circulation means issued and circulated within the financial system,” People’s Bank of China Deputy Governor Lu Lei wrote in Financial News, a media outlet. In the next step towards that goal, a “new generation” arrangement for digital yuan will be launched on January 1, Lu said, encompassing a “measurement framework, management system, operating mechanism and ecosystem”. The “action plan” will see banks pay interest on balances held by clients in digital yuan – a move to incentivise broader adoption of the currency. The plan also includes a proposal to establish an…