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South Africa: A Land of Contrasts

Thu Nov 8, 2007 3:06 AM EST

The South African Tourist Board produces a leaflet describing the contrasts visitors can experience across the country: tropical rain forest, semi-desert, snowy mountains, surfing beaches and game reserves.

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south-africa, world-news

Mother to Child HIV Transmission

Sat Nov 3, 2007 5:40 AM EDT

My friend Nombeka in Cape Town asked me how children come to be HIV positive.

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health, south-africa, nutrition, hiv, transmission

South Africa traffic lights go green

Seeded on Fri Nov 2, 2007 8:54 AM EDT (BBC News - Japan hit by massive earthquake)

The city of Cape Town has joined forces with South African power giant Eskom and the National Energy Efficiency Agency to try out an innovative project; solar powered traffic lights.

world-news, solar-power

A Day in the Life of a South African Dietitian

Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:33 AM EDT

I visited the dietetic department at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. This large city centre teaching hospital serves a varied but mostly deprived population. The HIV clinic is also large, with 3000 adult and 2000 paediatric patients receiving treatment.

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health, south-africa, nutrition, hiv, dietician, dietitian

Integrating Permaculture into HIV Nutrition Programmes

Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:27 AM EDT

For the last fifteen years I have been working towards helping people with HIV achieve an optimal nutritional intake.

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health, south-africa, nutrition, hiv, permaculture

Herbs, Supplements and HIV

Mon Oct 8, 2007 5:50 PM EDT

In South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho, traditional herbal medicines are used by up to 80% of people living with HIV. In London, traditional medicines are also widely used by people originally from Africa now settled in the UK.

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health, south-africa, nutrition, hiv, herbs

Lesotho: The Kingdom in the Sky

Fri Oct 5, 2007 10:37 AM EDT

Lesotho is a tiny country completely surrounded, island-like, by South Africa. This is the home of the Basotho people. The country came into being when the Basotho were forced to flee from two advancing groups – the Zulus and the Boers.

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south-africa, nutrition, hiv, world-news, lesotho

Tailored herbal medicine 'futile'

Seeded on Thu Oct 4, 2007 3:57 AM EDT (BBC News)

There is no evidence to suggest herbal medicines "tailored" to the individual work, and they may even do serious damage, according to a UK study.

health, medical-herbalists, postgraduate-medical-journal

'Worrying' HIV ignorance in young

Seeded on Tue Oct 2, 2007 2:05 PM EDT (BBC News)

Nine in 10 young people rarely or never think about HIV when making decisions over their sex lives, a BBC poll shows.

health, hiv, terrence-higgins-trust

Inner City HIV Care in Johannesburg

Mon Oct 1, 2007 3:24 AM EDT

Francois Venter, one of South Africa's leading HIV physicians, introduced me to HIV care for people living in the heart of Johannesburg.

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south-africa, hiv, clinic, world-news, johannesburg

The World's Largest HIV Clinic

Mon Oct 1, 2007 3:21 AM EDT

Helen Joseph Hospital serves the central South West population of Johannesburg. It is named after an anti-Apartheid women's leader who narrowly survived several assassination attempts. This moderately-sized 600 bed hospital houses the Thembalethu Clinic.

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south-africa, hiv, clinic, world-news, helen-joseph

Back to South Africa: Soweto

Mon Oct 1, 2007 3:20 AM EDT

I've heard several people now claim that Johannesburg is the Capital City of Africa. This is the first time I've been here, and Jozi as it is affectionately known is a pretty mind-blowing place.

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south-africa, hiv, world-news, soweto, baragwanath

Stem cell trials raise multiple sclerosis hopes

Seeded on Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:32 AM EDT (Telegraph)

Tens of thousands of patients with MS could benefit from the revolutionary treatment if the tests taking place at the Frenchay hospital, near Bristol, are successful.

stem-cells, health, ms

Africans can find solutions for Africa

Seeded on Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:27 AM EDT ()

..the inaugural Ibrahim Index of African Governance, released this week, is a vital symbol of a continent attempting to take its own bull by the horns.

africa, world-news, governence

Burma seals off key monasteries

Seeded on Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:03 AM EDT (BBC News)

Burma's security forces have sealed off the five main monasteries in Rangoon and declared them no-go areas to prevent anti-government protests

world-news, burma, south-east-asian-nations

Gigapixel spy: Wide-angled gigapixel satellite surveillance

Seeded on Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:08 PM EDT (New Scientist)

A new satellite camera could snap a city in one shot and improve Google Earth etc.

technology, google-earth, gigapixel

Quantum chip rides on superconducting bus

Seeded on Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:05 PM EDT (New Scientist)

For the first time the components that underlie quantum computing's great potential – qubits – have been linked on chips like those in conventional computers

technology, yale-university, raymond-simmonds, nec-nano-electronic-laboratories

UK set deadline for switching off traditional lightbulbs

Seeded on Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:21 PM EDT (BBC News)

Plans to phase out the traditional lightbulb by 2011 have been announced by UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.

technology, light-bulb, energy-saving

Germany to build maglev railway

Seeded on Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:16 PM EDT (BBC News)

The maglev, which has a top speed of more than 500km/h (310mph), is regarded as a symbol of German technological prowess.

technology, deutsche-bahn, maglev

Junta tries to shut down internet and phone links

Seeded on Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:08 PM EDT (Guardian Unlimited)

In the past 24 hours observers monitoring the flow of information have noticed a marked downturn, with the reported closure of cybercafes and the disconnection of mobile telephones.

asia-pacific, world-news, burma, democratic-voice

Arrest warrant issued for South African police chief

Seeded on Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:03 PM EDT (Guardian Unlimited)

The broadcaster said the warrant was secured last Thursday by the head of the NPA, Vusi Pikoli, before he was suspended by the country's president, Thabo Mbeki, over an unrelated matter.

south-africa, world-news, mr-selebi

China and India urge Burma junta to show restraint

Seeded on Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:00 PM EDT (Guardian Unlimited)

.."the Times of India, the country's biggest-selling English newspaper, called for the government to "quietly urge [Burma] towards [democracy]. We are not like China. We champion democratic values. Do something."

united-nations, communist-party, world-news, burma, north-koreas