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Tuesday, 15 September

Full day

Tech & Work09:00

Ordinary Workers Are Quietly Building the AI Economy

Across Africa, Asia and other parts of the world, ordinary workers and small-business owners are increasingly using AI for practical everyday jobs rather than futuristic technology projects. People are using it for hiring, marketing, pricing, sales analysis, translation, business planning and tasks that previously required more time or specialist knowledge. The bigger question is becoming less about whether people will use AI and more about which parts of our jobs we're comfortable handing over to it.

Feel-good08:45

The Wedding Crasher Mystery Finally Gets Solved

Michelle and John Wylie discovered a completely unknown man in photographs from their 2021 wedding in Scotland and spent almost four years wondering who he was. Eventually, Andrew Hillhouse identified himself online and revealed he'd accidentally walked into the wrong wedding because his partner was attending another ceremony at the same hotel. He only realised his mistake when the bride walked down the aisle and awkwardly stayed for a few minutes before making his escape.

Relationships08:30

Why Younger Men Are Dating Older Women

Younger men appear to be showing increasing interest in dating older women, challenging the traditional idea that men generally want younger partners. The attraction can involve confidence, emotional maturity, independence and the different relationship dynamic an older partner might offer. It also raises an interesting double standard, because society has historically been far more accepting of older men dating younger women than the reverse.

Lifestyle08:30

How Often Should You Actually Wash Your Towels?

Cleaning experts generally recommend washing bath towels after roughly three to four uses rather than simply following a once-a-week routine. How often you should wash them also depends on whether they dry properly between showers, how frequently they're used and whether they're being shared. Damp towels are particularly problematic because warm, moist conditions encourage bacterial growth.

Monday, 14 September

Full day

Entertainment13:30

The Song of the Summer Was Written by a Teacher in Her Lunch Break

A primary school teacher who recorded a chorus on her phone during a lunch break has watched it become one of the most streamed tracks of the season after a dance trend picked it up. She has kept her teaching job for now and says the class helped write the second verse. Record labels are reportedly circling.

Weird & Wonderful12:30

The Most Stolen Item From Hotels Is Not What You Think

A hospitality survey of thousands of hotels found that towels and robes have been overtaken by a far stranger item: batteries from the TV remote. Hangers, light bulbs and, in a few cases, entire mattresses also made the list. Hotels say they now budget for theft as a line item in the same way supermarkets do.

South Africa11:00

The Teenager Who Fixed His Town's Potholes With a Spreadsheet

A sixteen-year-old in a small Free State town mapped every pothole on his cycle to school, logged them with photos and dates, and emailed the list to the municipality every Monday for six months. The council eventually repaired the lot and has now asked him to help build a public reporting tool. He says the hardest part was not the data but getting anyone to reply.

Money10:45

Restaurants Are Quietly Charging for the Good Table

A growing number of restaurants are adding paid seat selection, with window tables and quiet corners carrying a surcharge in the same way airlines sell extra legroom. Operators argue that demand for prime spots was already creating unfairness and that pricing simply makes it transparent. Diners on social media are calling it the end of the free view.

Sport09:45

The World's Oldest Marathon Runner Has One Simple Rule

A ninety-two-year-old who has completed a marathon every year for six decades says the secret is not training harder but never letting two days pass without moving. He credits routine over motivation and says he has never once felt like running before he started. His family say he treats rest days as seriously as race days.

Relationships08:00

The Average Person Checks Their Phone Before Saying Good Morning

A survey of couples found that most people look at their phone before speaking to the person lying next to them. Almost half admitted the first thing they say to their partner most mornings is a reaction to something they read on screen. Relationship counsellors say the first five minutes of the day sets the tone for the next sixteen hours.

Sunday, 13 September

Full day

Science12:00

A Hospital Started Playing Live Music and Patients Healed Faster

A trial in which musicians played in hospital wards twice a week found patients needed less pain medication and were discharged, on average, a day earlier. Staff turnover on the participating wards also dropped. The hospital has since hired a resident musician.

South Africa11:15

The Braai Is Officially a Workplace Skill

A South African recruitment firm says candidates who list braaiing as a hobby are more likely to be shortlisted for client-facing roles. Hiring managers described it as shorthand for patience, hosting and the ability to hold a conversation for three hours. Critics say it quietly favours a very specific kind of applicant.

Feel-good10:45

He Has Eaten at the Same Restaurant Every Day for 30 Years

A retired postman has eaten lunch at the same neighbourhood diner every single day for three decades, ordering the same meal and sitting at the same stool. The staff threw him a party to mark the anniversary and revealed they had quietly stopped charging him years ago. He says he simply never found a reason to go anywhere else.

Money09:15

The Cost of a School Lunchbox Has Doubled in Five Years

Analysis of grocery prices shows the average packed school lunch now costs twice what it did five years ago, with fruit, yoghurt and bread rising fastest. Parents describe swapping name brands for store brands and quietly shrinking portions. Nutritionists warn the cheapest options are also the least filling.

Lifestyle08:30

The Return of the Landline

Sales of home landline phones have risen for the first time in two decades, driven by parents who want their children reachable without handing over a smartphone. Some families say the fixed phone has restored the lost art of the awkward hello. Telecoms firms admit they were caught off guard by the demand.

Saturday, 12 September

Full day

Entertainment12:30

The World's Largest Choir Sang in a Language None of Them Spoke

Forty thousand people gathered in a stadium to sing a single song in a language almost none of them spoke, learned phonetically over six weeks through a phone app. Organisers say the aim was to see whether shared effort mattered more than shared understanding. Most participants described it as the most emotional evening of their lives.

Lifestyle11:00

The Street That Banned Cars for a Summer

A suburban street closed itself to traffic for three months as an experiment and reported that neighbours who had never spoken now host a weekly supper. Kids played outside, the local shop doubled its takings and two residents started a business together. The council has been asked to make it permanent, and one resident is furious.

Sport10:45

The Teams That Win Are the Ones That Argue More

A study of professional sports teams found that squads who reported more open disagreement in training performed better across the season than those who described themselves as harmonious. Coaches say the difference is whether the argument is about the work or about the person. The finding is now being tested in corporate teams.