1. The Hawks have rubbished claims that criminal charges have been opened against investigative journalist Jacques Pauw. Media reports on Thursday claimed State Security Agency officials laid charges against Pauw, the author of controversial book "The President's Keepers", at the Lyttleton police station in Pretoria. But Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said, "There is no case against Pauw." Read more.
2. Johannesburg's bipolar weather has everyone confused about what to wear! One day it's a long flowing summer dress and the next, you might be forced to dig deep inside your wardrobe to find some warm clothes. HuffPost spoke to University of Pretoria Professor of Meteorology Willem Landman, who said the weather would be more consistent after November. Read more.
3. City Power has admitted that a power outage during Jacques Pauw's "The President's Keepers" book launch was out of the ordinary. The electricity supplier's Sol Masolo said generators at the Hyde Park Corner mall, where the event was held, are expected to kick in immediately after a power outage in the area. "It is out of the ordinary. When you have a power outage on our side, their generators would kick in. It is a bit odd from that point of view," Masolo said. Read more.
4. Compulsive gambling, medically called ludomania, is as much of a disease as alcoholism and other forms of addiction. "Sufferers cannot control these conditions any more than they can control whether they contract flu," said Dr Heidi Sinclair, a psychiatrist with the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF). Read more.
5. Extreme caution should be exercised not only when transacting at ATMs, but online as well. That's because incidents of online banking fraud are on the increase in South Africa. "Criminals are always looking for opportunities to defraud their victims, particularly at this time of the year, when they know that people are winding down for the holidays and spending their bonuses," said Kalyani Pillay, CEO of the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric).Read more.
6. Flakka is a new drug that has made its way to the streets of Durban, which reportedly causes users to go into a state of panic and hysteria. Founder and director of the Anti-Drug Forum Sam Pillay told Ray White on Talk Radio 702's "The Midday Report" on Thursday about the appalling side-effects of this drug. Read more.
7. The ride-hailing service Uber on Wednesday unveiled an artist's impression of the sleek, futuristic flying machine that it hopes to start using for demonstration flights in 2020. The company aims to have its first paying passengers in various cities around the world by 2023, though the plan still faces major hurdles. Read more.