15 October 1999

* "LOVE THEM BOTH" PRO-LIFE CONFERENCE - On 8 - 9 October, delegates from over 30 organisations met for the first national "Love Them Both" conference, sponsored by the National Alliance for life. Several local and international speakers criticized the proposed new legislation that aims to legalise euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Delegates also agreed that caring for pregnant women by the many caring centres throughout South Africa presented a viable alternative to the drastic step of abortion. "Euthanasia is contrary to the very nature of medicine. It will destroy the trust which forms the basis of the doctor-patient relationship. Legalising euthanasia is all about giving the doctor the right to kill, to be both judge and executioner. (Albu van Eeden, Chairman of the National Alliance for Life)

* ABSTINENCE OR SAFE SEX TO BE PREACHED - Religious leaders have pledged to preach safe sex or abstinence from the pulpit as a contribution towards the fight against the Aids epidemic in South Africa. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the religious community played a crucial role in spreading the message of prevention, acceptance of people living with HIV/Aids as well as care and support for those infected and affected. She said the faith based communities had the ability to promote non-discrimination towards people with HIV/Aids and to care for the growing number of orphans. (The Mercury, 30 September 1999)

* CHAIN OF LIFE - On 3 October hundreds of pro-life supporters had formed a "chain of life" outside Cape Town's Victoria and Alfred Waterfront on 3 October, to protest against abortion and euthanasia. Gerhard le Roux, one of the organisers of the picket, said proposed legislation on euthanasia would allow doctors to kill when their primary function was to save lives. (Sowetan, 4 October 1999)

* LESOTHO PRAYERS FOR RAIN ANSWERED - Lesotho monarch King Letsie III declared 3 October as the second national day of prayer for rain - and it poured. Rain started falling as thousands of churchgoers in Maseru began filling their churches. It has brought some relief to the severe drought that has gripped the country in recent months. (Natal Witness, 4 October 1999)

* ABORTION PILL SOON IN SA - By the middle of next year the abortion pill should be available in SA, according to Helen Rees, head of the Medicines Control Council. She said research into the use of non-surgical abortions in the public health system was to begin in January. They are attempting to get it approved by July. "Even then we won't be able to make decisions about making these abortions available on the public health service until we know more about how effective and acceptable they will be. We will run pilot programmes in different sites from early next year". France was the first country to introduce the RU-486 abortion pill. (Pretoria News, 4 October 1999)

* ADULTERY BAD FOR THE HEART - The list of high risk factors in heart disease - smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and lack of exercise - has been extended, the latest addition being: Adultery. According to Professor Lars Ryden, president of the European Society of Cardiology, men face more than twice the normal risk of having a heart attack, when cheating on their wives. (Daily News, 23 September 1999)

* EURO HUMAN RIGHTS COURT RULES IN FAVOUR OF GAYS - The European Court of Human Rights ruled on 27 September that Britain's ban on homosexuals in the armed forces is a breach of human rights. The verdict cannot force a change of law in Britain, but the applicants concerned consider it a symbolic step forward. (The Natal Witness, 28 September 1999)

* INTERNET ADDICTION A NEW SICKNESS - Internet addiction is a new phenomenon which medical practitioners need to learn to diagnose and treat, according to Ms Kimberley Young from the Centre for On-Line Addiction in Pittsburg, USA. Symptoms of Internet addiction included feeling preoccupied with the Internet, thinking about previous on-line activity and anticipating your next session, the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction and repeatedly making unsuccessful efforts to cut back or stop Internet use. Internet addiction covers a wide variety of behaviours including cyber-sexual addiction (e.g.. to cyber pornography and adult chatrooms), cyber-relationship addiction, net compulsions such as on-line gambling or shopping, information overload such as compulsive web surfing and computer addiction such as obsessively playing computer games. Treatment for Internet addiction focuses on time-management and self-monitoring, changing one's thought processes and improving social relationships, to regulate and moderate Internet use. (Daily News, 30 September 1999)

* BIG INTERNET NAMES TO FIGHT ONLINE CHILD PORN - The biggest names from the Internet industry launched a joint initiative yesterday to fight online child pornography, which is becoming an explosive force fueling child abuse. Jeff Richards of Internet Alliance (IA), said "As the Internet medium continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, the need to educate and assist law enforcement officials at every level of government... has grown significantly" IA includes America Online, ATT, Bell Atlantic, Citibank, Deutsche Telekom, IBM, MCI, Microsoft and Prodigy. (Natal Witness, 1 October 1999)

* DOOMSDAY CULT LEADER GETS DEATH SENTENCE -A former doomsday cult leader who spread lethal nerve gas in one of Tokyo's busiest subway stations in 1995 has been sentenced to death. Masato Yokoyama was one of five Aum Shinri Kyo cult agents who released nerve gas in subway trains. (The Mercury, 1 October 1999)

* VODKA TRAPPED IN TEETH CAVITIES - A Norwegian arrested for driving under the influence, claimed that he failed a breathalyser test for the sole reason that vodka had been trapped in cavities in his bad teeth. A lower court took his unusual defense into account and suspended the 33-day jail sentence that had been imposed. Prosecutors appealed to a higher court and brought in dental experts who dismissed the claim as impossible. (The Mercury, 29 September 1999)

* ANIMALS WARN OF QUAKES - People in Taiwan have been turning to pets and other animals for warnings of impending earthquakes. Residents in Puli in central Taiwan said they saw numerous mother rats leading their offspring out of houses hours before the 7,6 scale quake hit the island on 21 September. A few days before the tremor hundreds of turtles were seen leaving nearby Sun Moon Lake, which was the epicentre of the tremor. A dog trainer in Chiang Chintang said animals barked ferociously at the ground five minutes before the earthquake hit. (The Mercury, 29 September 1999)

* THE CRIMINAL MIND NEVER SLEEPS - The latest modus operandi used by criminals to steal household goods is to present a letter of permission to a domestic worker to remove the items listed on the letter, e.g. TV, VCR and other electrical equipment. The letter contains the house owner's particulars like name, address, etc. This letter appears to be an official document and this then convinces the domestic worker to hand over the items. The domestic worker is then required to sign the letter to confirm that the items were handed over. Beware of these criminals and warn your domestic workers not to be misled by these criminals to hand over your property. (D.E. Bentz)