Table of contents for 2022-12-28 in Post

It’s always this time of the year that I want this particular bubbly refresher. It is possibly the most famous of the fizzy family. It is a vast and bubbly crew that begins at the simple highballs and branches off into more elaborate fizz-and-booze delivery systems. A highball is a spirit lengthened with a bubbly, non-alcoholic mixer, and that typically the mixer will be at least double the amount of spirit. A highball is not just a drink served in a tall glass. At this steamy time of year, there’s also the chill factor. Colder drinks hold carbonation better than warm ones, and drinks that are both carbonated and cold have been shown to be more thirst-quenching. For your summer needs, we have lined up a sort of bubbly evolution…

ASHOK and Ranuka Ramkishwar met in Asherville in 1969 and three years later, married on Christmas Eve. On Saturday, the couple celebrated their 50th anniversary in Cowie’s Hill with their children, Agnita Ramkishwar-Van Rensberg and Katelyn Govender. They were treated to a formal dinner and a vist from Santa. “The secret is to take it one day at a time,” said Ranuka, 66, a dressmaker. They met at her grandmother’s home. “I used to visit my grandmother during the school holidays. Ashok lived two doors away. I fell in love with him after he professed his love to me through the letters he regularly sent. I was 13 at the time and didn’t know much about love. “I realised through the letters that he wanted to be with me. Eventually,…

THERE is a notable increase in the marginalisation of minority groups in South Africa and a continuous racial polarisation, which is perpetuated by the country’s mainstream politics. The two main political parties (the ANC and DA), which dominate the country’s political landscape, face a continuing challenge from minority parties and independent candidates. The minority parties and independent candidates are keen on entering the political space to provide voters with alternatives, influence the behaviour of the established parties, force a re-evaluation of the social and normative boundaries in political systems, expand the ideological boundaries of political landscapes, and redefine the left-right spectrum, that are different to that of the mainstream parties. The mainstream political parties are a key institution of democracy, yet they face a crisis of representation. Minorities view them…

Nasa’s Artemis I launch was a major step forward in humans going deeper and spending longer in space than before. Future Artemis missions are meant to take crew to the moon and, eventually, Mars, which is likely to be a three-year round-trip. But what will the astronauts eat? There are only so many protein bars and vitamins one can tolerate. Plants are the basis of life on Earth, with their amazing ability to convert light, water and carbon dioxide into food, and are the logical solution to support humans in space. Challenges of a space garden Astronauts have eaten space radish, chilli peppers and lettuce grown on the International Space Station, and having freshly grown veggies in microgravity can support health and well-being. But there are many challenges in growing…

After the 2-0 series win over Bangladesh, India have given themselves a reasonable chance of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, thereby having another crack at lifting the most coveted trophy in world cricket. India had lost to New Zealand at the ultimate stage in Southampton in 2021. The WTC, played as a two-year league between the top nine Test playing sides and then a final between the two teams who emerge with the highest points, is in its second cycle after the inaugural competition in 2021-23. The final this time will be played at The Oval in London in June. Australia top the table with 76.92% points secured out of the total points available to them, with India in second place with 58.93% points. A win…

FANS of the Argentine team that claimed football’s ultimate prize in Qatar this month are lining up in Buenos Aires for tattoos of victorious captain Lionel Messi and the World Cup trophy. “For the next two weeks, I have (appointments) exclusively related to the World Cup,” tattoo artist Esteban Vucinovich told AFP in the capital. “Some had already made an appointment for tattoos of snakes or skulls, but they are changing it to Messi or the Cup. I have two or three appointments a day,” he said. The most requested skin art is of the trophy, said Vucinovich, followed by Messi and then goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was crucial in the victory of the Albiceleste in the final against France. Many fans are inspired by the body art of Argentine…

When I was a kid, apples seemed to come in only two types: red or green. Then, at some point, Golden, Somewhat More Delicious started showing up here and there, and later on, galas, which had a crispness I’d previously only encountered with Granny Smiths, and then over the past decade or so, all of a sudden, there were others: Fujis, Pink Ladies and Honeycrisps, wooing me back to apples of warmer skin-tones. Some basic tips: Prep the apple components in advance. The two recipes here can be made well ahead of to give the apples time to infuse. Meet the ice bucket challenge. You will want to keep the vermouth and the syrup cold, and you will want a bucket full of ice for people to use in their…

REACTION Unit South Africa (Rusa), a Verulam-based security and emergency rescue services company, recently granted two helicopter enthusiasts their wish to fly in a helicopter. Elizur Govender, 7, and Akshay Maharaj, 22, were flown over Verulam, the Inanda Dam and circled the Durban coastline before landing at the Rusa headquarters. Elizur and Maharaj were nominated by residents of Verulam following a call-out by Rusa. They were then selected for the heli-flip. Elizur's mother, Maxine, said: “I cannot begin to explain what this helicopter ride has meant to my son. The change in him is overwhelming. It is as if I have a new boy.” She said Elizur, who was diagnosed with autism at age 3, was fascinated with objects that spun, and his favourite was the rotor on the Rusa…

SOME of the top movies of the 1970s were Saturday Night Fever, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Towering Inferno, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Grease, The Return of a Man Called Horse and Enter the Dragon. I watched each movie at least three times, at either the Raj, Avalon-Albert, Isfahan, Shah Jehan or Shiraz cinemas. Tickets for the best seats cost R2. For under R1 you could get a Perk’s pie and cooldrink. I would bunk university lectures to go to the movies. Law studies with Professor Bhadra Ranchod at the then University of Durban-Westville did not appeal to me. I was drawn to Richard Harris, Jack Nicholson and Bruce Lee. One morning, in August 1977, I was driving too fast down a wet and…

South Africans end another difficult year which entailed difficult socio-economic circumstances, increased unemployment, and poverty amid infighting within the ruling ANC. There are multiple facets, reasons and perspectives that have contributed to the continuation of such political discord and uncertainty in South Africa. The recent alleged malfeasance of President Cyril Ramaphosa has only entrenched the lack of public trust South Africans have in leading politicians. The president’s apparent chicanery has added to the existing number of politicians that have been, and are in the process of being, charged for a variety of fraudulent acts, including corruption, theft, payroll fraud, embezzlement, forgery, tax fraud, asset misappropriation and money laundering. South Africans have become accustomed to this political climate whereby fraudulent and/or unethical behaviour have become normative practices in our democracy. Amid…

Arsenal opened up a seven-point lead with a 3-1 win over West Ham as the Premier League returned on Monday, while Newcastle climbed up to second thanks to an impressive 3-0 victory at Leicester. Liverpool also made a winning return from the World Cup break by beating Aston Villa 3-1. Harry Kane bounced back from his heartbreak in Qatar by scoring in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw at Brentford. Arsenal’s momentum towards a first league title since 2004 could have been disturbed by the six-week mid-season break. But Mikel Arteta’s men passed another test of their resolve after going in 1-0 behind at half-time to Said Benrahma’s penalty. Two goals in five minutes from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli turned the game on its head at a jubilant Emirates before Eddie Nketiah…

Several areas in Durban have been without electricity and water over the festive season, and political parties believe the situation is unlikely to improve in the new year. Many have accused mayor Mxolisi Kaunda of not having done enough. Thabani Mthethwa, the DA eThekwini caucus leader, said the water and electricity crisis in Phoenix was a clear example of the collapse of basic service delivery. The area has been without water and electricity since Christmas eve. “Even the state of readiness for the festive season shows a poor lack of leadership. eThekwini relies on the tourism sector so this has affected our economy and people’s livelihoods.” Mthethwa said the city would deteriorate further unless the governing party worked more closely with the other parties. “As the official opposition party in…

PROFESSOR Neerish Revaprasadu grew up in the undeveloped Lot 14 in KwaDukuza. There was no piped water or electricity during his schooling life. But he did not allow these challenges to deter him from excelling academically. Revaprasadu was recently listed among the top 2% of researchers, according to Stanford University in California in the US. The list considers the most prolific and cited scientists in 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields. They are ranked according to their individual contribution to their fields. The criteria are largely based on bibliometric information found in the Scopus database. It contains data from over 180 000 researchers out of over 8 million considered to be active around the world. Revaprasadu, a productive nanomaterials researcher and senior professor in the Department of Chemistry at the…

A photograph taken by Nasa’s Orion spacecraft has given us a new perspective on our home planet. The snap was taken during the Artemis I mission, which sent an uncrewed vehicle on a journey around the moon and back in preparation for astronauts’ planned lunar return in 2025. We get pictures of Earth every day from satellites and the International Space Station. But there’s something different about seeing ourselves from the other side of the moon. How does this image compare to other iconic views of Earth from the outside? Earthrise In December 1968, three astronauts were orbiting the moon to test systems in preparation for the Apollo 11 landing. When they saw Earth rise over the lunar horizon, they knew this was something special. The crew scrambled to find…

Liverpool appear to have won the race to sign Dutch international forward Cody Gakpo after PSV Eindhoven announced an agreement with the English giants on Monday. Gakpo, who scored three goals at the World Cup for the Netherlands, had previously been linked with a move to Liverpool’s rivals Manchester United. “PSV and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo,” PSV said. “The 23-year-old attacker will leave for England imminently where he will be subjected to the necessary formalities ahead of the completion of the transfer.” PSV general manager Marcel Brands said the transfer fee would be a club record for the Dutch club. According to reports, the fee could rise to as much as €50 million (about R910m). Gakpo’s arrival is a further rejuvenation…