Table of contents for Wednesday, September 30, 2020 in Post

Hunger stalks communities Families need food as more than two million lose their jobs POST REPORTERS FAMILIES across South Africa face an uncertain future as a growing number of people are losing their jobs. During April, May and June this year, 2.2 million people became unemployed. Officially, the unemployment rate is at 23%, although, using a broader measure, it is more than 42%. This was the biggest loss of jobs in a quarter since Statistics South Africa began recording the figures in 2008. However, the period coincided with the national lockdown which aimed to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Many businesses cut jobs or closed down during this period. Unemployment within the Indian community is growing. During the first quarter of this year, it was 18%. By the second quarter,…

Tributes to Telugu doyenne Amra LATOYA NEWMAN FORMER radio presenter Amra Maistry has been remembered as a stalwart in the Telugu community, following her death at the weekend. Maistry, who taught Telugu, died on Saturday. She was 80. Her daughter, Anandini Raman, said: “My mom was ill for a short while with severe arthritis and renal problems. Her age had taken its toll on her in the last few months.” Commenting on the tributes after her mother’s death, Raman said: “My sister and I had no idea the impact our mom had made in our community. “She was passionate and totally committed to the promotion of the Telugu language and it is clear now how many lives she touched.” Maistry was born on October 10, 1939, to David and Thosiammah…

Religious tensions addressed THANDEKA MGQIBI THE South African Hindu Maha Sabha has called for the establishment of an interfaith leadership forum to address and reduce religious tension when these arise. This was one of the topics discussed during the Sabha’s interfaith harmony and social cohesion webinar workshop, that was streamed on Facebook on Heritage Day. Speakers included activists, professors and religious leaders, who each spoke on promoting tolerance, respect, peace and harmony. Ashwin Trikamjee, the president of the Sabha, said that in a multi-cultural and multi-faith society, there was a need to focus on shared values rather than differences. “Religious co-operation can lead to greater efficiency when addressing various social challenges in our country.” Trikamjee said an interfaith leadership forum would entail religious leaders debating issues, and finding resolutions that…

Copper prayer symbols stolen from temple JANINE MOODLEY THE Umhlatuzana Hindu Temple has been burgled twice in one month. Marlin Veerasamy, a devotee, arrived at the temple on Friday for his morning prayer and found the area cordoned off. He said seven kulsums (copper prayer symbols) were stolen from the temple’s roof. These symbols are placed to attract energy from the sun. Veerasamy, who is also from the Umhlatuzana Civic Association, said the resident priest noticed the items were missing when he went to the temple at 6am. He said earlier this month, similar items were stolen. “My guess is that they are stealing these items to make quick cash.” Veerasamy encouraged the community and scrapyard owners to report those selling copper prayer items to the police and to not…

Motorists penalised for department’s incapacity CHARLENE SOMDUTH DESPITE renewing her vehicle licence before the end of the grace period on September 22, Amy Pandaram paid a penalty of R300. Pandaram, 33, an administrator, from Glenhills in KwaDukuza, said the Department of Transport should not be charging penalties because of the lockdown. “My car licence disc expired in June. I tried to renew it in July but, due to Covid-19, the licensing department allowed only a limited number of people onto its premises. “I went back in August but the office was closed because of a Covid-19 infection. I knew I had a grace period until September 22, so I was not worried about the penalty because it would not affect me.” On September 19, she bought her licence disc and…

Expensive ride IT’S going to be a bleak Christmas for our Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. President Cyril Ramaphosa docked her salary for the three months starting in November after she gave her friends in the ANC a lift to Zimbabwe in a jet paid for with taxpayers’ money. Ramaphosa found the obvious, Mapisa-Nqakula didn’t act in the best interests of good governance. In addition to her not getting her salary for three months, the ANC has agreed to reimburse the state for the costs of the flights. Given that this is not the first time the minister has abused her position in the executive, it would have been better if Ramaphosa fired her. But, after more than a decade of those in positions of power not being held to account,…

Preferable to pray, meditate in silence RESPONSES to the letter by Professor Anand Singh (September 9-13) in the POST issue of September 16-19, refers. A curious pattern emerges out of responses written by Muslim respondents. All of them attacked Prof Singh personally despite him putting the issue of the Azaan as a question and not as an outright declaration that it is an “outdated practice”. Many of them write in the tone of Islam being an all-embracing religion that finds common ground in a situation that requires tolerance and coexistence. In view of this, I write to bring to your attention that not a single respondent has touched on Prof Singh’s reference to Ahmed Deed-at’s “tribalistic” views of Hinduism. Are we to view their silence on this clown prince of…

Hindus mobilised against Deedat’s propaganda THE letter, “Please maintain the Azaan” (the POST, September 23-27) by Rajesh Devraj, refers. Devraj’s assertion that no one challenged Ahmed Deedat is devoid of truth and misleading. Deedat’s books titled Hindu Chauvinism and Muslims in India and Oh You Hindu Awake! as well as videos were challenged by the United Hindu Front (UHF). Numerous newspaper articles published during 1995 bear testimony to this fact. Deedat’s propaganda denigrating and demonising Hinduism roused the Hindu community to a pitch of fury not known before. Hindus mobilised and united. Ram Maharaj was elected chairman of the UHF and I was elected secretary. We went to Deedat’s office and challenged him to an open public debate, but he backed off after we corrected his wrong perceptions about Hinduism.…

Learn with Luayy How-to videos are fun with the 5-year-old son of a chef LATOYA NEWMAN THE lockdown has inspired many to share cooking and baking tips and recipes, including 5-year-old Luayy Alvarado. With the assistance of his mother, for measuring and handling hot surfaces, Luayy likes to share recipes and how-to videos for healthy, kid-friendly treats on his social media channels. He said: “The first thing I made was jelly. I started baking when I was 3 years. The first thing I learnt to bake was sugar cookies in animal shapes.” With his father from Peru and his mom from Durban, Luayy shares a mixed bag of interesting recipes. “I like baking and cooking and being in the kitchen because I like making nice treats and I can spend…

Revive the bonds of unity We ought to pay homage to the traditions of our ancestors WE OFTEN look back on our younger days in our ancestral village of Chatsworth. Our township was a melting pot of multilayered cultures where artificial class, caste and religious boundaries were blurred to near insignificance. We lived and loved with scant regard for the obstacles that may have been common during our parents’ generation. Caste boundaries that continue to bedevil social relations in 21st-century India were steadily dispatched to the rubbish heap of history by those of indentured Indian ancestry in South Africa. Many of the 2 million girmitiyas (indentured labourers) who left India to slave on colonial plantations around the world left behind their caste identity at the ports of embarkation. Many believed…

Baby joy in January ACTRESS Anushka Sharma treated fans to a picture in black swimwear flaunting her baby bump. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance’ – Eckhart Tolle. Gratitude to all those who showed me kindness and made me believe in goodness in this world, opening my heart enough to practice the same with the hope to pay it forward. Because... After all, we are all just walking each other home - Ram Dass #worldgratitudeday (sic),” Sharma captioned the image. Industry colleagues and fans were soon gushing about the picture. “Beautiful inside out,” actress Mouni Roy commented. “That glow. That baby bump,” wrote a user. Sharma is spending time with her husband, cricketer Virat Kohli, in the United Arab Emirates,…

Patient dynamics THE post-Covid-19 cardiovascular disease (CVD) setting is comprised of a variety of patient categories and problems. DR MENACHEM (NACHIE) LEVIN • The first category of patient now presenting is one who did not contract Covid-19 but has underlying cardiac disease. This disease may have been previously established or may be new in onset. The key issue is that the patient has been reluctant to seek medical attention during the lockdown and pandemic. This has resulted in the patient presenting with decompensated chronic cardiac issues where there is a gradual exacerbation of signs and symptoms, or delayed presentation of new cardiac issues. • The second category of patient presenting is one who has had Covid-19 with either established cardiac disease, new cardiac disease that occurred and was diagnosed during…

Deaf cricketer targets World Cup glory ESHLIN VEDAN AFTER winning the Gauteng Cricket Board’s Deaf Bowler of the Year and Player of the Year awards in May, Sivesh Poonsamy-Muthoo has his sights set on helping the country do well in the Deaf ICC Cricket World Cup next year. “I felt inspired to have won the Bowler of the Year and Player of the Year awards. I worked hard to support and encourage my teammates and work towards achieving my goals. I would like to thank my teammates for supporting me,” said Poonsamy-Muthoo, a former student of St Vincent School for the Deaf in Melrose, Johannesburg. As cricket was not offered at his school at the time, Poonsamy-Muthoo, who is from Alberton, taught himself to play the game by watching it…

DOLPHINS UPBEAT FOR SEASON DOLPHINS coach Imraan Khan is hoping to transfer his team’s One-Day Cup success to the traditional red-ball format when the much-awaited new season gets under way. Khan led the Dolphins to limited-overs glory in the Covid-19 interrupted 2019-20 season, with the east coast franchise topping the log after the round-robin phase. However, the former left-handed opener is fully aware that his team have struggled for a lengthy period of time in the first-class arena. The Dolphins have not placed higher than fourth in the past five seasons, with four second-last place finishes in the longer format included. There were, though, promising signs that the Dolphins were turning the corner with two consecutive victories and a draw under the interim leadership of Marques Ackerman last season. The…

‘Kings in good hands with Rahul, Kumble’ NESS Wadia, co-owner of Kings XI Punjab, has heaped praise on the team’s star player, KL Rahul, saying he is a very versatile player and a captain in the making. Rahul has been in incredible form in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has scored 222 runs in three matches, including one hundred and a half century for Kings XI and sits at the top of the charts in the list of leading run scorers. “As one can recollect, we went very strong for KL Rahul in the auctions. Show me a more versatile player in Indian cricket at the moment. He can open, he can go down to number four and he can go down to number six,”…

LEAF GREETINGS POST REPORTER Twitter Additional reporting IANS FAMILY, superstars, statesmen and fans took to social media on Monday to convey birthday wishes to playback singer Lata Mangeshkar. She turned 91. Mangeshkar started her career at the age of 13 with the song Naachu ya gade, khelu saari, mani haus bhaari… for the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942). She has sung in more than 1 000 Hindi films and recorded in more than 36 Indian and foreign languages. Mangeshkar has sung mainly in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and Assamese. In 2001, she was awarded Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, and she has so far been the recipient of three National Film Awards, besides numerous popular awards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about his personal call to the singer. In a…

Music legend mourned SP Balasubramaniam’s legacy will live on LATOYA NEWMAN Twitter THE Indian film and music fraternity, and fans continue to share their condolences and memories of SP Balasubramaniam (SPB), who died on Friday. The singer was on life support at the MGM Healthcare hospital in Chennai, after more than a month-long battle with post Covid-19 complications, according to IANS reports. On August 5, in a Facebook post, SPB said he was suffering from a mild attack of the virus and he was being hospitalised to take a break. At the time, he hoped to be discharged in two days. The Economic Times reported that SP Balasubramaniam was laid to rest on Saturday, with full state honours, at his farmhouse in Chennai. “After the singer’s son SP Charan performed…

Shot over a family quarrel CHANELLE LUTCHMAN A PHOENIX father was airlifted to hospital on Monday after he was shot, allegedly by a relative. It has been alleged the men had an argument over clothing. Annamalay Ramsamy, 50, was shot in the right shoulder while he watching television in the lounge of his North-croft home. A police source said Ramsamy was in a critical condition. “It is alleged that the relative, who is mentally and physically disabled, had an argument with Ramsamy’s wife over clothing. He then walked out of the room with the aid of his walker, came into the lounge, and shot Ramsamy, who was seated on the sofa.” The source said the firearm used was a 9mm Luger pistol that had eight live rounds. Glen Naidoo, of…

Kidnap victim back home JANINE MOODLEY KIDNAPPED businessman Hamza Khan has been found and his alleged kidnapper arrested. Khan, 30, was kidnapped by two armed men posing as policemen, outside his family’s butchery in Forsdburg, Johannesburg, on September 18. Last Tuesday afternoon, he was traced to a house in Clifton Street in Mayfair where he was freed by police and returned to his family. It is alleged that he was kept in a locked room. The kidnappers demanded R200 000 ransom from his family. Yusuf Abramjee, a crime activist, said an Egyptian national 48, who owns coffee lounges in Johannesburg, was arrested in Norwood shortly afterwards. Just under R100 000 was recovered and the suspect’s bakkie was seized. A day after the arrest, members from the community and business owners…

Residents up in arms over land invasions CHARLENE SOMDUTH LAND grabs have started on the outskirts of Avoca Hills and both residents and land invaders are appealing to the eThekwini Municipality to find a solution. Over the past two weeks, about 100land invaders were spotted by residents clearing and pegging vacant municipal land between Khabazela Village, a low-cost housing development, and Avoca Hills, to build shacks. While the formal residents are concerned their property values will be impacted, the land invaders claim the site was allocated for RDP housing in 2007 but the municipality had failed to deliver. Vernon Naick, a community leader, said that on every occasion that the land invaders were seen, they contacted the Land Invasion Unit for help. “They must have come out more than five…

Bagpipes and Bentleys … Hindu funerals have become circuses Cremation ceremony should not be about the public display of wealth or filling mourners’ tummies ASHWIN TRIKAMJEE Pixabay BEREAVEMENT is always emotionally traumatic for affected families. Different faiths and cultures have various rites and rituals associated with funerals. In some faiths, it is mandatory to provide a meal after a funeral, while in others meals will only be provided for guests after a mandatory mourning period and the completion of certain rituals. For Hindus, the funeral should be conducted as soon as possible. Cremation is the preferred mode of disposal, which is increasingly being considered by other faiths as our country is rapidly running out of burial space. The funeral industry is lucrative because death is inevitable. South Africa is ranked…

Flawed argument on Azaan IN RESPONSE to Anand Singh’s letter “An outdated tradition in a multi-religious society” (the POST, September 9-13). The letter makes an interesting read that needs careful analysis. His opening paragraph started with the inaccurate statement that the sound of the Azaan from an Isipingo Madrasah was higher than the legally sanctioned noise levels. This set the tone of his ill-informed article. In 2004, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) mediated Ellaurie Chandra’s first complaint about the Azaan. It was resolved that the morning Azaan would be made without amplification and that the other four Azaans would be at a reasonable sound level as mediated. This has been the status quo since then. Singh’s headline provocatively asserts that the Azaan is “outdated”. To counter this, he…

Challenges to call to prayer I HAVE read with interest the responses to Professor Anand Singh’s letter “An outdated tradition in a multi-religious society” (the POST, September 9-13). For the record, Prof Singh did not suggest doing away with the Azaan. His suggestion was for Muslims to use alternative means to inform their brethren in the call to prayer. If other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and Europe are already putting to good use their cellphones, radios at home and in their motor vehicles, why can this not be emulated in South Africa too? That very revealing article in the POST by Chanelle Lutchman (September 16-20), about the Azaan being challenged in other countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Germany, Israel and India, makes South Africa a…

‘Learning to count my blessings’ Reliving the horror of the September 1987 floods which killed hundreds of people MANGLIN PILLAY Supplied THE Oaklands flood of September 27, 1987, was devastating. My recollection invokes an introspective appreciation of what might appear to be a mundane life. This comprises working, playtime with my children, singing out of key with my wife, a conversation with my brother and laughing with my older sister who has a penchant for playful expletives. It also includes listening to my mother pray, good neighbours – the warmth of the morning sun, the air in my lungs, a hearty meal – the day-today stuff. I have come to learn what once was trivial are blessings. In our childhood, in the 1980s, we experienced raging floods while living on…

Not forgetting the women who helped usher in democracy of 1994 AMI NANAKCHAND THERE was a time when history was an engagement involving the dead and, to some extent, the living. Today, thanks to the loose use of -isms (capitalism, socialism, et al) and of prefixes (post-colonial, post-apartheid, neo-liberal, et al), the story of the human experience has been reduced to conversations involving tiny groups of “professional” and “amateur” historians. The wider public that should, ideally, have informed perceptions of their heritage and inheritance have been disdainfully left out of the process. That is what Shanthini Naidoo, columnist and author of debut book Women in Solitary – Inside the female resistance to apartheid observed in documenting the experiences of four of the seven women in the Trial of 22 in…

Your Stars PRISCILLA GENDRON Aries (March 21 – April 19) This week it’s all about finding your path and doing what makes you happy, whether it’s a new job or hobby. Find time for yourself and take time out with close family and friends. Let go of the old and know the universe will replace it with something better. Taurus (April 20 – May 20) It is all about peace and tranquillity and finding the time to relax and enjoy the quiet as things return to normal and you get the rhythm of your life back. Stay focused on what’s important and things will flow easily to you. Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Now is the time to be dogmatic and make sure you follow your path no matter…

Track Attack still on the up ANDREW HARRISON Track Attack has taken time to come to hand but has made great strides since Dean Kannemeyer has again sent him over ground. He flattered only to deceive in his early career in Cape Town and it was eventually decided on gelding. He was then given two sprints before being sent over ground. He came up just short behind El Ballero but has since racked up two straight wins. Three successes on the bounce is seldom easy but Track Attack now appears to have hit his straps and could prove too smart for his opponents in the fifth at Hollywoodbets Greyville this afternoon. Rasputin’s Remedy and Proud Warrior both have the benefit of claiming apprentices but neither look as progressive as Track…

getting HOOKED THE rock and surf fishing has been getting better as the summer weather rolls in. The shad are still here and the competition is not done yet. On the North Coast, brusher have been the main target for those looking beyond the shad. Brusher are not a species of finesse; they are incredibly strong and can straighten or squash any hook. The best bait is, hands down, a crab. Fish this on a heavy hook snoot and hook in the rough white water near a rocky ledge. The rest of the North Coast has seen an arrival of some summer flatfish with diamonds, honeycombs and sandies making an appearance on drone and throw baits. Mackerel and fresh shad have been the baits of choice. Brusher have also been…

Hamilton advised to take a close look at actions LEWIS Hamilton and Mercedes should lick their wounds and learn from the mistakes made in Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix, Formula One’s managing director for motorsport, Ross Brawn, said on Monday. Six-times world champion Hamilton collected two five-second penalties in Sochi for practising starts in the wrong place, punishments that put on hold his bid for a record-equalling 91st win. The Briton, who finished third after starting on pole position, accused stewards of trying to stop him but Brawn, a former Mercedes team boss, saw a combination of bad luck and mistakes. “Personally, I would go away, lick my wounds and think about how I could prevent such incidences again in the future,” he said in a column on the formula1.com website. “That’s…

VEDAN’S VIEW Revenge time for Mourinho ESHLIN VEDAN eshlin.vedan@inl.co.za THERE was no shortage of drama in matchday three of the Premier League season. Manchester City’s defensive woes were exploited by hat-trick hero Jamie Vardy as Leicester City hammered last season’s Premier League runners-up 5-2. City’s problems are now more than defensive. The loss of David Silva means that they have lost one of the engines of their midfield and this was shown against Leicester. Despite being the weaker side on the day, Manchester United defeated Brighton 3-2. The Seagulls struck the post a record five times in the game. Had Brighton had more luck, they could have won by a big margin and Leandro Trossard could have notched up a hat-trick! To add insult to injury for the Seagulls, United…

Plans afoot for city Ferris wheel THANDEKA MGQIBI THERE could be a new attraction at the upgraded Point Waterfront – a Ferris “Durban Eye” Wheel. The office of the Economic Development and Planning Cluster, together with the Real Estate Department, identified the Point precinct as a suitable location. The objective of the project is to facilitate a more than R450 million investment into the Point Waterfront. It is hoped this will enhance the offerings in the area and complement the recently opened promenade. This is according to a report presented at the executive committee meeting last Tuesday and chaired by eThekwini Municipality deputy mayor Belinda Scott, on behalf of the mayor. The report states this was a recommendation backed by exco. “The Executive Committee supported the request for authority in…

Ghazni’s last Hindu resident refuses to move POST REPORTER HE IS REPORTEDLY the last Hindu resident of Ghazni, a city in Afghanistan, but Raja Ram is making a stand by staying. In a report by Habibur Rahman Taseer on Gandhara.rferl.org (a website linked to Radio Free Afghanistan), Ram said despite fears for his safety following the recent departure of the city’s last 21 Hindu and Sikh families to India, he insisted on staying in his homeland. “We all love our homeland, but they had to flee after the attacks,” Ram told Radio Free Afghanistan. He was referring to an attack on a Sikh temple. Ram is staying behind to look after the Hindu temple in Ghazni. The Islamic State (IS) March 25 attack, that killed 25 people in Kabul, prompted…

Mom loses second son to violent crime Stabbing victim collapses at pub after reaching friend CHANELLE LUTCHMAN MARIE Govender had just cut vegetables ahead of her Purtassi prayer when she was told her son, Shaun, had died. He had been stabbed. Eleven years earlier, Govender experienced a similar tragedy. “On Friday, my son Shaun’s best friend called my eldest son Noel, who was at home. Noel was under the impression that the friend was calling him to join him at the pub down the road. Suddenly, Noel got quiet and ran out of the house. He returned home later and told me that Shaun was dead. I could not believe it,” said Govender, 68. “Shaun had called me earlier to inform me that he was still at work and would…

Former cop survives axe, knife attack CHARLENE SOMDUTH A FORMER policeman was attacked with an axe and a cane knife during a robbery at his home in Larkfield, KwaDukuza, on Friday night. Ishwar Sookgrim, 60, who lived alone, sustained a fractured skull and several stab wounds to his body. He is currently in a stable condition in hospital. The suspects fled with groceries. A police source close to the investigation said Sookgrim had returned home to find two suspects had broken into his home. “He shouted for his neighbours to assist him. This made the suspects angry, and they attacked him with an axe and a cane knife. “One of the suspects used the axe to strike him on the head eight times. “We believe his skull was fractured. The…

Court rules against City POST REPORTER THE Western Cape High Court recently granted an interim interdict barring the City of Cape Town from removing land invaders from public land. This was after the South African Human Rights Commission and the EFF went to court – following the eviction of Bulelani Qolani from his shack in Khayelitsha in July while he was undressed. According to a report by Africa News Agency in August, Judge Yasmin Meer confirmed that the City and its anti-land invasion unit were interdicted from demolishing or evicting anybody from any dwelling. This was while South Africa’s national state of disaster relating to the Covid-19 pandemic was in place, preventing evictions unless they had first obtained a court order. Should officials be in possession of a court order,…

EDITOR’S VIEW No uniform approach to wrongdoing THE SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has become rather touchy about its uniform. A few years ago, it warned civilians that anyone wearing military uniform would be jailed for up to five years. “We are tired of people wearing military camouflage. We have seen that people are overdoing it and it has become a fashion accessory,” a military spokesperson was quoted having said. You can’t blame our generals for wanting to protect their earth-toned designs because, historically, civilian fashion designers have made a fortune copying military dress. Battle dress had a significant influence on men’s fashion. Those suits politicians and business executives wear have their origins in the dress code of the French and Russian armies of the Napoleonic era. Chinos, the everyday…

Their brilliant minds YOGIN DEVAN BY EDUCATION standards of four decades ago, Sathasivan Arumugam was considered a slow learner and attended a special school. In fact, he was a genius of a rare kind and not well understood. Sad, indeed. I remembered Sathasivan, of Haven-side, Chatsworth, the other evening when I watched the biographical movie Shakuntala Devi, based on the gifted personality of the same name from India who had been credited with the title “human computer”. Just like Sathasivan, Bangalore-born Shakuntala did not acquire much formal schooling and her performance in cognitive tests was not exceptional. But she could multiply 13-digit numbers in seconds, and extract cube roots instantly. I met Sathasivan 38 years ago. I was told he was a calendrical savant – someone who despite intellectual disability,…

Understanding source of conflict is important in resolving it SALISHA MAHARAJ FROM a legal perspective, a sound platform to approach the subject of religious tolerance is the Constitution of South Africa. The preamble to the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land we live in, is specific in its aim and spirit on healing the divisions of the past and building a democratic nation based on respect and diversity and improving the quality of life for all. The founding top three provisions of the Constitution are of human dignity, achievement of equality, and advancement of human rights and freedom and non-racism and non-sexism. It is therefore clear that the Constitution was and is trying to redress and address the injustices and imbalances of the past regime and the…

Hayek loved being older mom SALMA Hayek says her daughter Valentina came into her life as her greatest teacher and joy. Hayek marked her daughter’s 13th birthday by sharing a photo of herself with baby Valentina on Instagram. “Valentina, I never wished for someone to exist as much as I wished for you to come into my life. Thank you for showing up thirteen years ago on a day like today, “Peace Day”, to illuminate our lives. You are my greatest teacher, my greatest joy and my greatest hope. I loved you before you were born and I’ll love you forever. Happy birthday, my shining star,” Hayek wrote. The actress confirmed her engagement to French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault as well as her pregnancy in March 2007. She married Pinault on…

Eat better for a healthier heart Up to 80% of heart diseases and strokes that happen before the age of 70 could be prevented by healthier living and treating conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, said the Heart and Stroke Foundation, South Africa. Here are some tips: • Eat healthier foods: n Enjoy a variety of either fresh or frozen foods and aim for at least five a day. Beans and lentils for high-quality carbohydrates, protein and fibre. n Low fat or fat-free dairy foods such as milk or yoghurt for calcium, protein, minerals and vitamins. n High fibre wholegrain starchy foods such as wholewheat bread, brown rice, oats, wholewheat pasta and barley, instead of refined cereals. n Lean and fresh protein like fish, eggs, skinless…

The ‘six inches’ that make a difference YAJURVINDRA SINGH BACKPAGEPIX THE Indian Premier League (IPL) has had a wonderful start. This was just the entertainment for the bored and isolated Indians locked down in their homes for the last few months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. An evening of a “live” episode of cricket drama saw 200 000000 viewers watching the opening match of the tournament. This number will escalate as the people following the games get more information and a better insight into the teams and players involved. The diversity where people and places are concerned in modern India has now extended in such a way that a cricket follower’s loyalty to one’s hometown is not the only criterion to cheer a team. The IPL has made cricket into…

Klopp hits back at United legend Reds’ new signing Thiago to miss next two games LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp hit back at television pundit and former Manchester United captain Roy Keane on Monday after the Irishman described the Premier League champions’ defending in a 3-1 win over Arsenal on Monday as “sloppy”. Liverpool have won all three of their league games so far this season, beating visiting Leeds United 4-3 and winning 2-0 at Chelsea, but while praising Klopp’s side, Keane said they had shown the ability to win while not being perfect in defending. “Strangely enough if you look at Liverpool, they have been sloppy against Leeds, okay done well against Chelsea, sloppy again tonight, but they have got nine points, maximum points, so they will know they need…

TABLE TENNIS WORLD CUP FOR DURBAN IN A first, the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals will be staged in South Africa – in Durban. The announcement was made at the ITTF’s annual general meeting on Monday, the first virtually conducted AGM in the table tennis governing body’s history. Durban won 90 votes (69.77%) to beat off competition from the other candidate city, Dusseldorf, Germany, who won 39 votes (30.23%), as per an ITTF media release. This will be the first time that the prestigious event is being held in South Africa and the first time on the African continent since Cairo, Egypt, in 1939. The new format for the World Table Tennis Championships Finals will come into place in 2021, requiring participants to contend for berths through continental…