One in three people will be 65 or older by the year 2050, according to a report that foresees the world’s population growing to more than nine billion. The United States government’s annual projections of world population growth show that while the number of children is expected to stay roughly the same, there could be three times as many old people as today.
Burundi’s warlords are recruiting thousands of child soldiers despite a peace accord which was supposed to end a decade of conflict, according to a report published on Wednesday by Amnesty International. ”The prospects for a lasting peace will be seriously threatened as those who have known only violence are re-recruited … or turn to violent crime,” the report says.
It was in South Africa’s home-grown soap operas that we first began to get a glimpse of how a post-apartheid society might look — albeit through middle-class lenses. Turning on the TV might not merely be about switching off the day.
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As the date of South Africa’s general election grows closer, the gloves are coming off in campaigning amongst political parties — even though the outcome of the poll is expected to hold few surprises. Political commentator Chris Landsberg of the Johannesburg-based Centre for Policy Studies says he is worried by the level of hostility in the campaign.
DaimlerChrysler South Africa has introduced a limited-edition Jeep Cherokee Extreme Sport. With only 150 available, demand is expected to outstrip supply.
Hyosung, who have been producing lightweight commuter motorcycles and scooters since 1979, has moved into the proper motorcycle market with the launch of a stylish 650cc street machine. The Hyosung Comet 650’s in-house 90 degree V-twin produces a very healthy 79 horsepower (58,5 kW) and revs cheerfully to its 10 500 red line when thrashed.
MG Rover has increased its range in South Africa with the arrival of the Rover Streetwise, aimed at youthful buyers and the young at heart. For this model the Poms invented the catch-phrase "Urban Tough." Is this Streetwise finger-licking good? Motormouth Gavin Foster puts it to the test.
"I’ve never disappointed them [whites] in any way, but like all human beings they have poor memories." Drew Forrest hands out this week’s <i>imivimbo eyi-10</i> to Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
DIY sex scandals, spaced out testimonies from astronauts on UFO sightings, nun target practice games, poking fun at Pokémon, handicapped kittens, competitive eating, and sideburns for sale online — Ian Fraser does what you don’t have time to do and brings you the bizarre on the net.
In 1973, when the Organisation for African Unity held its conference in Addis Ababa, Emperor Haile Selassie threw a splendid banquet for the media. At the time Ethiopia was in the grip of its most famous famine. Not a callous man, the emperor was simply going along with normal protocol that requires heads of state to deliver what we now call "world-class" hospitality.