Ukubuka Okwezwe

Ubumpofu Nendawo Ezungezile

Naphezu kokuthuthuka kwezomnotho, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,3 emhlabeni wonke basaphila ngemali engaphansi kwamaRandi ayishumi ngosuku. Umbiko we-UN uthi, akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi ubumpofu buyaphikelela kodwa buya buba bubi nakakhulu. Namuhla abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane bahola imali engaphansi kwababeyihola eminyakeni engu-20, engu-30 ngisho nengu-40 edlule. Lokhu kubangela ukucekelwa phansi kwendawo ezungezile, njengoba “ubumpofu benza ukuba izinto zemvelo zisetshenziswe ngokushesha bese kuphazamiseka noma imiphi imizamo yokulondoloza imvelo isikhathi eside,” kusho umagazini we-UNESCO Sources. “Ngokwezinga okwenzeka ngalo manje, amahlathi eCaribbean ayobe engasekho nhlobo eminyakeni engaphansi kwengu-50 ezayo . . . Ezweni kabanzi isimo sibi nakakhulu: IPhilippines isalelwe iminyaka engu-30 kuphela inamahlathi, i-Afghanistan isalelwe engu-16 kanti iLebanon isalelwe engu-15.”

Ingozi Yokulahla Ithemba

“Ososayensi . . . bathi ukulahla ithemba kungabangela izinkinga zenhliziyo ezilingana nezingabangelwa ukubhema ugwayi ongu-20 ngosuku,” kubika i-Times yaseLondon. “Ukuhlolwa kwamadoda aseFinland aseqinile acishe abe ngu-1000 okwathatha iminyaka emine, kwaveza ukuthi ukulahla ithemba kwandisa ingozi yokuqina kwemithambo yegazi.” Loku kuhlola kwabonisa ukuthi isimo sengqondo somuntu singayithinta kakhulu impilo yakhe. “Sivame ukuthola ukuthi isimo somuntu esingokwengqondo nesingokomzwelo sifeza indima ebalulekile empilweni yakhe,” kusho uDkt. Susan Everson, owayehola kulokhu kuhlola. “Odokotela kufanele baqaphele ukuthi ukungabi nathemba kunethonya elibi futhi kunengxenye ekudlangeni kwesifo. Abantu kufanele bazi ukuthi uma bezizwa bengenathemba kufanele bazame ukufuna usizo.”

Iminyaka Eziyichitha Zisendleleni

Izakhamuzi zamadolobha amakhulu ase-Italy zichitha isikhathi esiningi zihamba zisuka ekhaya ziya emsebenzini noma esikoleni ziphinde zibuye. Zichitha isikhathi esingakanani? Ngokwe-Legambiente, inhlangano yase-Italy yendawo ezungezile, izakhamuzi zaseNaples zichitha imizuzu engu-140 usuku ngalunye zisendleleni. Ukuba umuntu ubephila iminyaka engu-74, isakhamuzi saseNaples besiyochitha iminyaka engu-7,2 yempilo yaso sihamba. Umuntu waseRoma, ochitha imizuzu engu-135 usuku ngalunye ehamba, uyochitha iminyaka engu-6,9. Nakwamanye amazwe isimo sicishe sibe sibi ngokufanayo. Iphephandaba i-Repubblica libika ukuthi, abantu baseBologna bayochitha iminyaka engu-5,9 kanti abaseMilan bayochitha engu-5,3.

Isikhathi SaseMpumalanga Ephakathi

Ukushintsha kwesikhathi kungabangela izingqinamba ezinkulu eMpumalanga Ephakathi. Isibonelo salokhu, izwe lase-Iran, eliye “lacupha amawashi alo aba phambili ngamahora amathathu nesigamu ukudlula isikhathi saseGreenwich kunokuba abe phambili ngehora elilodwa, okuyindlela amazwe amaningi enza ngayo,” kusho i-New York Times. “Ake sithi, ukuze ulalele izindaba zika-5 ekuseni kuyi-BBC World Service, kumelwe ucuphe u-8:30 ekuseni bese uzimisela ukuba ungakunaki ukukhala kwensimbi yeWashi Elisenqabeni ezama ukuqambisa iwashi lakho amanga.” Nakuba isiko lendawo liwukuba kuyekwe ukubeka amawashi phambili ngehora ngempelasonto yokugcina ka-September, ngonyaka odlule kwa-Israel ushintsho lwenziwa ngo-September 13. Ukuthola ukuthi iziphi izinsuku eziyimpelasonto nakho kunzima. ULwesine noLwesihlanu luyimpelasonto emazweni amaningi aseduze nePersian Gulf. Kanti e-Egypt nasemazweni angomakhelwane, uLwesihlanu noMgqibelo okuyimpelasonto, kuyilapho eLebanon kuwuMgqibelo neSonto. “Ngokwesibonelo umhambi ohlela ukufika e-Abu Dhabi, ngoLwesithathu ntambama, abese egibela indiza aye eBeirut ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku ngokuqinisekile uyojabulela impelasonto yezinsuku ezine. Umlutha womsebenzi kuyodingeka uhlele ngokubala uhlehle,” kuphawula i-Times.

Ukwesabela IsiFulentshi

Abameleli besiFulentshi basanda kuya engqungqutheleni yezinsuku ezintathu eyayiseHanoi, eVietnam beyohalalisela “ukuthi isiFulentshi sikhulunywa kuyo yonke indawo,” kubika i-Figaro yaseParis ephuma nsuku zonke. IsiFulentshi sikhulunywa njalo abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyikhulu. Ngenkathi yokuchuma kwaso ekhulwini le-17 leminyaka, isiFulentshi sasiwulimi oluhamba phambili emhlabeni wonke. “EYurophu ehlukene phakathi, izimpi ezinkulu nezincane zaphela ngokwenziwa kwesivumelwano sokuthula esabhalwa ngesiFulentshi,” kusho leli phephandaba. Nokho, manje isiFulentshi “asisenandawo ezweni.” Ukuncipha kokusetshenziswa kolimi lwesiFulentshi kungabangelwa ukwanda kokusetshenziswa kwesiNgisi, ikakhulukazi njengolimi olusetshenziswa kwezentengiselwano. Ezama ukunciphisa leli gebe, umongameli waseFrance wakhuthaza ukuba isiFulentshi sithuthukiswe ngesimiso se-computer somgwaqo omkhulu wokwaziswa. Nokho, esinye isazi sezombangazwe, sisabela ikusasa lesiFulentshi, sathi: “Ukusetshenziswa kwesiFulentshi emhlabeni wonke akuvusi sithakazelo emphakathini, kwezokuxhumana noma kwezombangazwe. Lokhu kuncipha kwesithakazelo kuphawuleka kakhulu eFrance kunakwamanye amazwe.”

Ukufuna Ukuqeda Ukufumbathisa

EChina kubizwa ngokuthi i-huilu; eKenya, kuthiwa i-kitu kidogo. IMexico isebenzisa elithi una mordida; iRussia ithi vzyatka; kanti iMpumalanga Ephakathi ithi baksheesh. Ezizweni eziningi ukufumbathisa kuyindlela yokuphila, futhi ngezinye izikhathi kuwukuphela kwendlela ezingayisebenzisa ebhizinisini, ekutholeni izinto ezithile, noma ukuze zenzelwe ubulungisa. Nokho, muva nje izizwe ezingu-34 ziye zasayina isivumelwano sokuqeda ukufumbathisa lapho kuthengiselwana ezizweni zonke. Lezi zizwe zazihlanganisa namalungu angu-29 e-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, kanye ne-Argentina, iBrazil, iBulgaria, iChile neSlovakia. Abanye abakusukumelayo loku kungcola okwenziwa izikhulu, izinhlangano zezezimali ezihamba phambili emhlabeni—i-World Bank ne-International Monetary Fund. Lezi zinyathelo zathathwa emva kokuba ukuhlola kwe-World Bank kubonise ukuthi amaphesenti angu-40 amabhizinisi emazweni angu-69 ayafumbathisa. Lezi zinhlangano ezimbili manje ziye zayeka ukuxhasa ngezimali amazwe ayekelela loku kungcola.

Igugu Lamacimbi

Amacimbi (mopane caterpillars) abelokhu ewukudla kwabantu abampofu emaphandleni aseNingizimu Afrika, abathembele kuwo ukuze bathole amaprotheni. Ayinzalo yamacimbi amakhulu, ethiwa leli gama ngoba edla isihlahla somvuma (mopane tree). Ngo-April nango-December, abesifazane bayawabutha amacimbi, ngemva kokuwakhama bayawabilisa bese bewomisa elangeni. Amaprotheni awo, amafutha, amavithamini nama-kilojoule afana nawenyama nenhlanzi. Nokho, manje amacimbi asewukudla okuyigugu ezitolo zokudla zaseNingizimu Afrika. Lokhu kuye kwadlulela eYurophu nase-United States, futhi lokhu kuye kwabethusa abantu basemaphandleni e-Afrika. Ngani? “Njengoba esedingeka kakhulu kunokukhathazeka kokuthi ayoqhubeka ekhona yini,” kusho i-Times yaseLondon. Kakade, “amacimbi awasekho ezindaweni ezinkulu ezakhelene neBotswana neZimbabwe.”

Umonakalo Obangelwa Ukubhema Awulungiseki?

Ukuhlola kwamuva kubonisa ukuthi, umonakalo owenzeka emithanjeni yegazi ngenxa yokubhema ungase ungalungiseki. Kuyi-Journal of the American Medical Association, abacwaningi babika ukuthi kokubili ukubhema ugwayi nokuhogela intuthu kagwayi walabo ababhemayo kungadala umonakalo ongeke ulungiseke emithanjeni yegazi. Kwahlolwa ngokuqhubekayo amadoda nabesifazane abangu-10 914 abaneminyaka ephakathi kwengu-45 nengu-65 ubudala. Leli qembu lalihlanganisa ababhemayo, asebayeka ukubhema, abangabhemi kodwa abahlale behogela intuthu kagwayi walabo ababhemayo, nabangabhemi futhi abangayihogeli njalo intuthu kagwayi. Abacwaningi bakala ugqinsi lomthambo wegazi omkhulu wasentanyeni besebenzisa i-ultrasound. Baphinda balukala futhi eminyakeni emithathu kamuva.

Njengokulindelekile, imithambo yegazi yalabo ababebhema njalo yaqhubeka iqina ngokuphawulekayo—ngokwesilinganiso, ngamaphesenti angu-50 kulabo ababebhema iphakethe likagwayi nsuku zonke iminyaka engu-33. Imithambo yegazi yalabo ababekade bebhema nayo yayivaleka ngesivinini esingamaphesenti angu-25 kuneyalabo ababengabhemi—abanye nangemva kweminyaka engu-20 bayeka ukubhema. Labo abangabhemi ababehogela intuthu kagwayi walabo ababhemayo kwatholakala ukuthi imithambo yabo yegazi yayinogqinsi olungamaphesenti angu-20 kuneyalabo ababengayihogeli. Ngokwaloku kuhlola, abantu abalinganiselwa ku-30 000 kuya ku-60 000 abafa unyaka ngamunye e-United States iyodwa, kungenxa yokuhogela intuthu kagwayi walabo ababhemayo.

Abulungiswanga Ubuso

Ngemva kweminyaka eyisikhombisa yomsebenzi wokusilungisa, iSithombe esise-Egypt sesize sakhululeka ohlakeni olwalusizungezile. “Kwasetshenziswa amatshe ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu phakathi kuka-1990 no-1997 ukuze kulungiswe lesi Sithombe,” kusho u-Ahmad al-Haggar, ongumqondisi wezinto zasendulo zakule ndawo. Nokho, wanezela ngokuthi umsebenzi wokulungisa owenziwe ngokucophelela wawungahlanganisi nobuso obulimele “balesi sithombe esenziwe ngamatshe esinengxenye engumuntu neyibhubesi.”