Few moments in the latter stages of the 20th century were as closely watched around the world as the end of apartheid in South Africa. In 1994, South Africans switched suddenly from decades-long racial segregation to a political system with the capacity to be truly representative. It meant South Africa could go into the 21st century as a "Rainbow Nation", no longer a place where more than three quarters of its population were discriminated against at all levels by a small, white elite.
It was a lesson in forgiveness. After decades of tension, and not before some violence, the final stage of the transition was peaceful, largely down to visionary leaders who never wavered from the importance of keeping the country together and building an inclusive future.
Yesterday, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of these leading pioneers, died.
Born in 1931, Tutu was ordained in 1961 and made history when he became Johannesburg’s first black Anglican dean in 1975. He became archbishop, one of the highest offices in the Christian church, in 1986. He was a Nobel Prize laureate, along with other figureheads of the movement such as former presidents Nelson Mandela and FW De Klerk, all part of a generation of "outstanding South Africans who bequeathed a liberated South Africa", President Cyril Ramaphosa said after the news of Tutu's passing.
After Mandela's election in 1994, the first vote in which black South Africans could participate, Tutu was appointed head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated human rights abuses that took place during the apartheid era. While its main purpose was to gather evidence from victims and perpetrators on historic crimes, it did not set out to prosecute retrospectively. Rather, it sought to only establish the truth. It published its final findings in 2003.
Tutu summed up the approach in these lines: "When we see others as the enemy, we risk becoming what we hate. When we oppress others, we end up oppressing ourselves. All of our humanity is dependent upon recognising the humanity in others."
There was nothing easy or inevitable about this outlook. North of the border, in Zimbabwe, a government led by Robert Mugabe was descending into corruption and division that eventually saw the violent seizure of white-owned farms, a move that left Zimbabweans traumatised and with severe food shortages.
Having now lost two of their country’s chief architects – Mandela died in 2013 – younger South Africans bear a special responsibility to keep its peaceful development on track. This mission became particularly crucial in 2021. Widespread riots broke out in July, fuelled by poverty in a country where it is increasingly hard to find jobs. And while South Africa has come a great distance since the end of apartheid, the system’s legacy is often blamed for this lingering inequality.
Much work is still to be done, then. But for tough moments, South Africans will always have the example of leaders such as Tutu to remind themselves that a better, more peaceful way exists.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
What is a robo-adviser?
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Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.