CHILD MORTALITY: A strategy that could help arrest its rise
Not far from the beaches and cafés of seaside Cape Town, is the township of Du Noon, where children play in rubbish-strewn streets near pools of stagnant water and lop-sided rows of outdoor toilets. “They play and eat without washing their hands, so it’s not healthy,” says local health care worker, Nontuthuzelo Debesse, who is paying home visits. “That’s why there’s... Read More
South Africa victorious as World Cup host
Toronto Star >> JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s streets can be dangerously distracting for the news junkie. Everywhere, they’re lined with trees and poles bearing placards with head-turning headlines in bold print, such as this: “The Day We Earned Respect.” Read More Read More
‘Guys who killed him are our heroes’
Toronto Star >> VENTERSDORP, South Africa – Tensions flared as the two farm workers accused of killing South African white supremacist Eugene Terre’Blanche were charged with four crimes, including murder and robbery. Chris Mahlangu, 28, and a 15-year-old boy appeared in court Tuesday, and were then whisked into a van and away from the courthouse, all to the cheers... Read More
Challenges as World Cup Approaches
Will S.A. be ready? cbc.ca >> DURBAN — “Here, ladies and gentlemen, the dream is now reality.” With these words, FIFA president Sepp Blatter did his best Tuesday in Durban, South Africa, to set the tone for the 100-day countdown to the World Cup opener in June. But this is South Africa, where the drama is invariably unscripted. Take the other night in Durban... Read More
Cutting the Death Toll of City Birds
Toronto Star, TORONTO >> Michael Mesure has lobbied property owners, rallied activists, and teamed up with the City to find ways to stop birds from crashing into Toronto’s buildings. Now, in the latest in a series of campaigns that have spanned 20 years, the executive director of Fatal Light Awareness Program has released the Field Guide to Common Birds of Toronto. Far... Read More
Brain Injuries: An Invisible Epidemic
Toronto Star, TORONTO >> Kim Johnson was driving on the wide roads of Mississauga with her 14-year-old daughter when a sports car coming from the opposite direction drove over the median, hit her Honda Civic, and spun it off the road and into a nearby parking lot. At first she was aware of only the obvious physical injuries, including whiplash and a cervical spine disk herniation.... Read More
Pro Wrestling: Pain. Drugs. Abuse.
CBC News: the fifth estate >> THE Dynamite Kid Anyone who saw Tom Billington’s very humble origins would have thought his nickname a cruel joke. Born in a room without heat in Wigan, a small mining town in Northern England, he was, nevertheless, likely to become a fighter. His father and uncle were professional boxers. He came from a tough family where a minor misdemeanor... Read More
A Fight to the Death: Concussions in Wrestling
CBC News: the fifth estate >> Doctors point to “tangible evidence” that ex-wrestler Chris Benoit suffered from a dementia that so impaired his judgement, as to compel him to kill his wife and son before taking his own life. The hunt for clues linking damage Benoit had done to his brain in the ring, and his last, ghastly acts, began with a phone call from the... Read More
Threat Posed to Groovy Colony
Toronto Star, COPENHAGEN >> The only vehicle in sight on this quiet morning is a small garbage truck easing its way over the cobblestone paths. An unharried Dirg Schwartz is employed by the self-governing “colony” of Christiania. Throwing rubbish from the truck into a compressor, he stops to explain the philosophy behind the community as he sees it, after 25 years... Read More
Trust and Betrayal in the Golden Years
GLOBE AND MAIL Saturday, January 27, 2007 Just when they’re needed most, a growing number of children are turning on aging parents — taking away their nest eggs and their independence. But as KYLE G. BROWN reports, getting justice is no easy task. Concerned about her mother’s mental health, Sarah took decisive action. She helped 82-year-old Celia move to a retirement... Read More
