News Bulletin of 8 December 2025, 5pm

Gautrain has spread festive cheer by packing 600 Buckets of Hope for vulnerable households across Gauteng.
Volunteers, staff, commuters, and provincial leaders filled the buckets with groceries and handwritten messages of encouragement at stations in Sandton, Pretoria, and Midrand.
The initiative supports families in need and individuals in substance rehabilitation centres, forming part of Gautrain’s ongoing community investment and the province’s Tswa Daar rehabilitation campaign.
Beneficiaries were identified through local municipalities and non-profit organisations

Three South African cities have been ranked among Africa’s top 10 most attractive cities for 2025.
Cape Town is fourth, recognised for its mix of scenery, culture, infrastructure, and opportunities.
Johannesburg ranks seventh, noted for its role as a business hub and centre of economic activity.
Pretoria comes ninth, valued for its strong institutions, green spaces, and overall quality of life.
The ranking by Jeune Afrique combined surveys across African cities with data on foreign investment, infrastructure, and services.
It reflects the continued appeal of South African cities and the work of residents in driving growth and development.

Nearly 900 acres bordering Yosemite National Park have been returned to the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation after 175 years.
The transfer of Henness Ridge restores the tribe’s connection to ancestral land and a historic trail linking the Central Valley to Yosemite.
Once threatened by development and damaged by the Ferguson Fire, the area has been revived through native tree planting, forest thinning, and habitat restoration.
The tribe will now manage the land using traditional ecological practices, including cultural fire, native plant cultivation, and water protection.