Internet Duncan Campbell European Commission documents obtained this week reveal plans to require manufacturers and operators to build “interception interfaces” into the Internet and digital communications systems. The plans, drafted by a United States-led international security organisation, will be proposed to European Union justice and home affairs ministers at the end of May. They appear […]
Cameron Duodu:LETTER FROM THE NORTH The Kosovo crisis continues to cause great human suffering. But apart from the human casualties caused by Nato’s saturation bombing of Yugoslavia, there is another seriously injured party. Its name is the United Nations. The countries which are bombing Yugoslavia were almost all involved in drawing up the UN Charter […]
Ivor Powell If Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi has a message for voters outside the political hothouse of KwaZulu-Natal, it was largely lost on the electorate of Reiger Park near Boksburg this week. At the end of proceedings, a youth with a knife scar across his throat, where somebody had evidently tried to slit […]
Charlene Smith talks to a teen rape victim who is battling to rebuild her life Alexandra smiles and clasps her fine-boned hands tightly. “This week is a very bad one, things are building up, I argued with my principal, I feel as though I’m not matching up, my hockey is not my best, I’m getting […]
Something very odd is happening on Wall Street. As the Dow Jones powered towards the 11 000 landmark this week, applauded enthusiastically at the closing bell, Nasdaq, home of the glamorous technology and Internet stocks, has been moving in the opposite direction. The two markets are increasingly being decoupled. On some 40% of trading days […]
Andrew Muchineripi Soccer South African soccer is once again hanging its dirty washing out in public as Bafana Bafana prepare to play Jamaica on Sunday in the final match of a whirlwind Caribbean tour. The problem revolves around the old club- versus-country issue. However, instead of the national association fighting for the release of some […]
Matthew Krouse Down the tube However hard they may be trying, the SABC is finding it difficult to impart a sense of fun and bravery to its election programming. While the elements of sacrilege that do exist are arousing a bit of contention, to date things haven’t gone nearly far enough. Three of the six […]
Andrew Worsdale Movies of the week What’s scarier: something growing inside you or a chainsaw-wielding monster around the corner wanting to cut you to bits? One of the scariest movies of all time has to be Alien, Ridley Scott’s 1979 flick that I dumped out of school for – to see John Hurt having a […]
Andy Capostagno Rugby The statisticians will protest otherwise, but there are only four teams who can win the Super 12 this year: the Stormers (short-priced favourites even in New Zealand), the Otago Highlanders, the Queensland Reds and the Canterbury Crusaders. In theory another six teams can still qualify for the semi-finals, but in practice the […]
John Matshikiza It isn’t that easy to track down the leader of God’s People’s Party. Perhaps I was wrong to try to make contact by telephone first. The listed number rang for some time, and was then answered by a humble, black female voice. Her name was Elsie. I asked for her leader by name. […]