The family of Scottish immigrants who set up jiu-jitsu in Brazil still dominate the world’s toughest fighting art, writes Alex Bellos >From Robert the Bruce to Trainspotting’s Frank Begbie, the Scots have earned a reputation for their terrier-like fierceness. So it comes as a comforting proof of the stereotype that the man who created the […]

Two weeks ago, having served an 18- month ban for biting a lump out of Evander Holyfield’s ear, Mike Tyson won his comeback fight with a single blow that shattered the hopes of all `right- thinking’ boxing fans. But whatever his crimes, and however unbalanced he may be, there are those who feel he is […]

Stephen Bierley Tennis The last thing Anna Kournikova, the Madonna of the world’s tennis courts, ever seemed likely to suffer from was a crisis of confidence. The 17-year-old Muscovite, who when not on the road lives most of her high- dollar life in the sunshine state of Florida, has been the epitome of audacity and […]

Karlin Lillington reports from San Francisco on a recent encryption conference Programming Satan’s computer – that’s how United States cryptography expert Bruce Schneier describes creating encryption software, programs that use mathematics to encode digital information such as e-mail messages, credit card numbers or computer files. ”Most engineers are used to making things work,” he says. […]

A review of South Africa’s health system shows the patient is improving, but warns of possible relapse, writes Ferial Haffajee The policies of Minister of Health Dr Nkosazana Zuma are more readily associated with the screaming headline than the sober assessment. >From the importation of Cuban doctors to the radical changes she is planning to […]

The European Union insists the free trade agreement with South Africa will be good for development. But it’s missing the mark, argues Dot Keet The European Union has pressed reciprocal free trade upon South Africa as a condition for South Africa to get better access to the European market. The EU emphasises its benevolent intentions […]

Lyn Gardner:BODY LANGUAGE If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear? A beret? A pink boa? Emeralds and sequins? Perhaps Giorgio Armani only? Or something machine washable? American playwright Eve Ensler asked more than 200 women this question and many more about how they felt about their vaginas. The result is The Vagina Monologues, […]

AT least 10 new recruits in the Mozambican customs service have been fired for alleged corruption. The move follows the discovery of malpractice at Namaacha border post on the Mozambique-Swaziland frontier. The Mozambican government has employed Brisitsh customs officials to recruit and train personnel in an effort to improve the customs service. The customs department […]

ANGLO American Corporation announced on Tuesday that the British-based company it is to form with its offshore arm, Minorco, will post its listing particulars to shareholders at the end of April — two and half months later than planned. When it announced the formation of the new company Anglo American (AA) in October, Anglo had […]

THE Nigerian government has ordered all civil servants over age 60 to retire in a first move aimed at cutting back on the vast public service sector, officials said on Wednesday. In a directive sent out to all ministries, secretary to the government Gidado Idriss ordered officials to require all over 60s to retire “voluntarily” […]