ATHLETICS Martin Gillingham Let me tell you a true story. There’s this national leader who approaches the president of a global sports body and pleads him to stage his world championships in his country. “But you haven’t got a stadium big enough,” replies the sports boss. “I know,” says the politician, “but if you give […]

Washington wants to keep its friends, reports Hugo Young, but on its terms I do not think that many of us, even now, completely understand what has happened to the United States. We saw the pictures, we know the numbers, we heard the president’s vows to smoke Osama bin Laden out of his cave, and […]

analysis Sean Jacobs and Jessica Blatt The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and the United States retaliation in Afghanistan have resulted in an outpouring of patriotism in the US, among African-Americans as much as anyone else. But the crisis has also put African-Americans in some odd and uncomfortable positions. Recent weeks have been […]

Matthew de Wet The recent attacks in the United States have placed stock markets under significant pressure. This has opened up a number of opportunities for investors and capital is flowing from the equity markets into the perceived safe havens of money market deposits and bonds. The fact is, however, that interest rates in the […]

The Afghanistan squad saw no reason to cancel their Pakistan tour Luke Harding in Peshawar In a scruffy cricket ground in the frontier town of Peshawar, a group of young men with beards are playing cricket. Things are not going well in their homeland: there is drought, famine and American bombardment. On the cricket pitch […]

Yet again the management peremptorily issues the edict: “This is the final publication of Doonesbury in the Mail & Guardian.” That’s it, no bargaining, no discussion, no explanation, nada. What is it with you guys? Don’t you know that we liberal leftist leftovers who supported you from when you first put this rag on the […]

Khadija Magardie A newly released study on attitudes towards foreigners, particularly refugees, shows that public awareness on the human rights of asylum-seekers has still to take root on South African soil. Earlier this year, the World Conference against Racism attempted to raise the issue of xenophobia, or anti-foreigner sentiment in many parts of the world, […]

Too many teens are forced to leave state-run homes when they are not adequately equipped with life skills Ufrieda Ho For most teenagers 18 is the magical year of driver’s licences, legal beers and the right to vote. But for teens in welfare, 18 is also the year they’re officially adults – ready or not. […]

Jaspreet Kindra The head of the African National Congress’s religious desk, Cedric Mayson, has attacked other South African church leaders for using the HIV/Aids epidemic to make “political attacks” on President Thabo Mbeki, describing them as “a disgusting ploy”. Church leaders, including the Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, who also chairs the Aids Commission […]

The minister of finance is determinedly looking on the bright side of the economy, no matter what the unions say Drew Forrest The gulf between the government and the Congress of South African Trade Unions on the economy is starkly highlighted by an upbeat briefing document presented by Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel to the […]