The lethal spread of the HIV/Aids pandemic across the globe is speeding up, in spite of intensifying efforts on the part of UN agencies, the US, Britain and other European governments to turn the tide. A record five million people were infected by the virus last year and nearly three million died.
Church rolls out ARV programme
Aids report: The state we’re in
A coalition of independent human rights groups accused President Robert Mugabe’s government on Tuesday of trying to suppress an African Union report on human rights violations in Zimbabwe. The report, resulting from a fact-finding mission by the 53-nation body, presents damning allegations of a clampdown on civil liberties surrounding Zimbabwe’s 2002 presidential elections.
It’s been a whole decade since the last all-new Isuzu KB series bakkie arrived in South Africa. Now the fifth-generation pickup has been launched and it’s bigger, more comfortable and safer than the model it replaces. Gavin Foster gave it a spin in Namibia.
Fiat’s new Punto, already one of the most successful Fiat passenger cars ever in Europe, has arrived in Africa. The new range of cars comes in three and five door body shells, motivated by three different engines — a 1,2 litre double overhead camshaft 16 valve petrol unit, a 1,3 litre JTD turbodiesel and a high-performance 1,8 litre petrol burner.
While entrepreneurs, ex-politicians, activists and formally educated people have been able to benefit from empowerment, there has been a lack of effective broad-based grassroots participation. But Sakhikamva Investments ("We are Building the Future"), majority NGO ownership, is beginning to make its mark in the marketplace.
"This is the day I’ve been waiting for, the day when someone would be made to answer for what the rebels did to me," said 20-year-old Jabati Mambu, a student whose right arm was amputated by Sierra Leonean rebels during their invasion of the capital, Freetown, in January 1999. The accused will go on trial in Sierra Leone this week, and face an 18-count indictment for unlawful killings, sexual violence and the use of child soldiers.
Of all the hoary clichés about women and sex, the one most ripe to be laid to rest is that which states that women favour erotic words over pornographic images, personality over pectorals. If this were true, Anais Nin novels would outsell Sex and the City DVDs and Playgirl magazine would have folded after three issues. A new porn mag by women for women is not the first of its kind — but it may be the first to get it right.
”While I was on holiday, a message was left on my cellphone from Mail & Guardian reporter Sam Sole, asking me to phone him about ”the Mdu Msomi” matter. Although Sole had been told that the matter was sub judice, he went ahead and published a story anyway (”Durban council probes R1-million ‘fowl play”’, June 4). eThekwini Metro’s Mike Sutcliffe exercises his right to reply.
The first breath of life eventually leads to the last exhale at death, but for whatever span that lies between, breathing is an unassuming, if essential, part of living. It seemed odd to me that one would need lessons in how to breathe. Yet people worldwide are turning to the intensive Art of Living course on lowering stress and finding renewed vigor and clarity through age-old Hindu breathing techniques.