Egypt has signed a $4.45bn (R63.4bn) deal for a high-speed electric rail line to link its Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts that contractor Siemens dubbed a "Suez Canal on rails".

Beer Association of SA (Basa) says lower alcohol beverages should be taxed at lower rate than spirits.

Nine people have died in a horrific crash in southern KwaZulu-Natal involving three trucks, a minibus taxi and a bakkie.

'He came behind me, pulled me out of the car ... and threw me to the ground.'

Armed men kidnapped 73 children from a school in the northwestern Nigerian state of Zamfara in the latest mass abduction in the region, police said in a statement on Wednesday.

Gauteng's public school system has recorded 301,510 applications so far for children starting grade 8 next year.

Forces from Ethiopia's Tigray region in recent weeks looted warehouses belonging to the US government's humanitarian agency in the Amhara region, USAID's Ethiopia director said on Tuesday.

Should the Zuma siblings be arrested, as demanded by the DA?

At least five flash-flood emergencies were issued on Wednesday evening by the National Weather Service, stretching from just west of Philadelphia through northern New Jersey.

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed Army veteran Joe Kent's bid to unseat Republican US Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, who was among the few in her party who voted to impeach Trump in January.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the ministers for power and agriculture on Wednesday in a rare cabinet reshuffle, citing the need to improve economic management and the delivery of public services.

Hijackers made off with a cat, a dog and an SPCA field officer after holding him at gunpoint when he went to attend to an injured animal in the Kloof area, outside Durban, on Tuesday night.

Storm damage from Ida astounded officials on Wednesday three days after the powerful hurricane pounded southern Louisiana, as reconnaissance flights revealed entire communities devastated by winds and floods.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the US military intervention in Afghanistan had achieved nothing but tragedy and loss of life on all sides and showed it was impossible to foist foreign values on other nations.

Vaccinated people who contract Covid-19 have significantly lower odds of severe disease or hospitalisation than unvaccinated people, according to key findings of a study in the UK, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

A 50-year-old Eastern Cape policeman accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who is known to him is expected to make a bid for bail in two weeks.

A man who reported his wife missing more than two years ago, has appeared in court charged with her murder.

When Covid-19 hit, the rental market took a battering, with many tenants seeking refuge with families and friends as income dwindled due to protracted lockdowns.

Nearly 32,000 people improperly benefited from the Covid-19 SDR grant

"I just felt so good that I was in the right place at the right time, and I had done something to benefit the life of another person, Western Cape physical education teacher, Daniella Williams," said.

The vaccine is safe for those who are allergic to eggs, but you will have to wait a little longer in the observation area because you have a history of allergies.

More than 100 network towers were affected by the unrest, disrupting critical communication between security and business operations during the crisis.

Covid-19 live updates.

There have been 2,787,203 confirmed cases and 82,496 fatalities to date, according to latest NICD figures.

A television presenter in Ivory Coast was convicted on Wednesday of glorifying rape and given a one-year suspended prison sentence for asking a convicted rapist he invited onto his prime-time show to simulate a sexual assault using a mannequin.

The South African government says it does not have capacity to accommodate Afghanistan refugees as its social welfare system is already overburdened.

A 15-year-old Alexandra pupil appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with the fatal stabbing of a schoolmate.

The 25-year-old motorist accused of assaulting a JMPD officer has been released on R500 bail by the Johannesburg magistrate's court.

Asked about the implications of the incident, spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha told TimesLIVE: "Eskom is currently able to supply sufficiently without the need for load-shedding."

High water usage has led to Rand Water issuing Gauteng municipalities with a notice of 20% water restrictions, after the water authority exceeded the amount it is allowed to take from the Vaal Dam.