JOHANNESBURG: A new book by a former South African military doctor that documents Nelson Mandela’s medical treatments before his 2013 death violates doctor-patient confidentiality, according to some relatives of the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel laureate.
But the retired doctor, Vejay Ramlakan, said in a recent interview on the eNCA news channel that the Mandela family had requested that the book be written.
While Ramlakan declined to say which family members had given permission for the book, his remarks could indicate continuing rifts in a family whose members have feuded over the years on issues such as inheritance.
The book, “Mandela’s Last Years,” covers Mandela’s health while he was imprisoned during white minority rule, during his tenure as South Africa’s first black president and in retirement.
It also focuses on the dramatic final months of Mandela’s life, when he was suffering a lung infection and other ailments before dying at age 95.
“It documents the complex medical decisions; disputes between family members and staff; military, political, financial and security demands; constant scrutiny from the press; and the wishes of Mandela himself, all of which contributed to what he and those closest to him would experience in his final days,” according to Penguin Random House, the publisher.
Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, said she is considering legal action and will consult with the executors of Mandela’s will, South African media reported.
“We are deeply disappointed that the doctor appears to have compromised himself and the man whom he had the privilege to serve,” Nkosi Mandela, a grandson of the anti-apartheid leader, said in a statement.
He said the book might contain ethical violations.
In the eNCA interview, Ramlakan said he had permission to write the book and that “all parties who needed to be consulted were consulted.”
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mandela’s ex-wife and a prominent figure in the anti-apartheid movement, was with her former husband when he died, according to Ramlakan, a former surgeon general of South Africa who headed Mandela’s medical team.
“She’s the one who was there when he passed on,” he said. “I think Mrs. Machel was in the house or busy with other issues. But I have no idea because I was focusing on my patient.”
Book about Nelson Mandela’s medical treatment stirs dispute
Book about Nelson Mandela’s medical treatment stirs dispute
North Korea rules out any meetings with Japan
- North Korea has said it had no interest in a summit with Japan and would reject any talks
- KCNA: Pyongyang has no intention to help with the issue of Japanese abductees
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he wants to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “without any preconditions” and is personally overseeing efforts to realize the first such leaders’ summit in 20 years in an attempt to defuse decades of tensions.
But North Korea has said it had no interest in a summit with Japan and would reject any talks, signalling no thaw in relations between the two countries.
Choe also said Pyongyang has no intention to help with the issue of Japanese abductees, according to KCNA, adding North Korea will “respond sharply” to Japan’s interference with its sovereignty.
“I cannot understand why he persistently adheres to the issue that cannot be settled,” Choe was quoted as saying by KCNA, referring to Kishida.
North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens decades earlier. Five abductees and their families later returned to Japan, saying the others had died.
However, Tokyo believes 17 Japanese were abducted, and continues to investigate the fate of those who did not return, according to Japanese media.
North Korea’s ambassador to China, Ri Ryong Nam, also said there would be no meeting at any level with Japan, a separate KCNA report said.
Ri made the remark in a statement, adding that an official at the Japanese embassy in Beijing proposed a contact via email to a councillor of the North Korean embassy.
“I make the stance clear once again that no meeting at any level will take place between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Japan’s side,” Ri was quoted as saying in the KCNA report.
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim, has said she would welcome talks only if Japan was ready to make a new start without “being obsessed by the past.”
Relations have been strained over disputes including the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea in the early 2000s, Japan’s occupation of the Korean peninsula in 1910-1945 and its use of forced labor and sexual slavery.
Japan and North Korea also have clashed over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, with the North conducting a number of test launches in recent months, prompting fresh sanctions from Seoul and Washington.
New US Census will have category ‘MENA’ for some citizens of Middle East, North Africa heritage
- Most Arab Americans still have to write in nationality
- Activists want ‘Arab’ category but this is ‘step forward’
CHICAGO: The US Census announced Thursday that upcoming forms will include the category “MENA,” meaning Middle Eastern or North African, but most Arab Americans will still be required to write in their nationalities.
Arab-American activists have been fighting for the inclusion of an “Arab” category on census forms for more than 50 years, and accepted a compromise to be included in the broader term “MENA.”
The MENA category identifies only four Arab nationalities — Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi and Egyptian.
This announcement comes in the wake of Arab-American voters protesting what they believe has been President Joe Biden’s betrayal in ignoring their concerns over Israel’s war on Gaza.
In addition to the four Arab nationalities being identified with specific “Check Boxes,” the MENA category will also include check boxes for “Israeli” and “Iranian.”
All other Arab Americans, including citizens from Palestine and Jordan, who are among the largest of the Arab-American communities, will still be required to write in their nationalities on a blank line underneath.
Many Arab Americans believe the exclusion of the word “Arab” is a slight, and meant to satisfy the pro-Israel community.
‘I am very disappointed that they are not including all of the Arab countries. There are many Arab nationalities that are growing significantly including the Yemeni community which is among the fastest growing,” said Anna Mustafa, who began formally lobbying in 1980 for the inclusion of the Arab category in the US Census. Mustafa worked officially with the census as a partnership specialist in the 1990s and the 2000s.
“We were working on it in the political boundaries through the 1990s and 2000s but it got blocked and some group put a hold on everything. If Israel is being included, the Palestinian and Jordanian community should be included in that census form too,” she told Arab News.
Mustafa conceded that it is a “step forward.” But added: “It’s not what we wanted. But it is better than what we have.”
Mustafa said the community should not stop their advocacy for “full inclusion” of all 22 Arab nationalities.
Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry, who has been advocating for the inclusion of the MENA category, praised the change as a “major accomplishment” and credited the Biden administration.
“For the first time, Arab Americans will be made visible — not just on the decennial census, but in all federal data that collects race and ethnicity and that is historic,” Berry said.“However, it is unfortunate that instead of celebrating what should have been this momentous victory for improved data collection and our community, we are concerned about the erasure of a key segment of our community and the very real possibility of continued undercounts.”
Abed Ayoub, the national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said: “This is a long-awaited day. We have a lot of work ahead of us, particularly as the federal government begins to apply this revision. From programming designed to uplift our businesses to addressing health disparities and beyond. This is a good first step, however we are aware that more work needs to be done to ensure there is full and accurate representation of the Arab-American community.”
Inclusion in the census has a major impact on ethnic and national communities and helps them qualify for federal funding to support their needs. In addition, it gives them special status to prevent politicians from dividing their vote, especially in congressional districts.
In 2021 the Biden administration worked with Democrats to redraw several congressional districts. They targeted the former 3rd Congressional District in Illinois which was identified as having the largest concentration of Palestinian-American voters of any congressional district. The district was divided into five different congressional districts, diluting the ability of Palestinian-American voters to elect one of their own to Congress.
In the 1980s, Hispanics were included in the census and the state was forced to create a congressional district that would increase the chances of the election of one of its members. In the 1990s that district elected Luis Gutierrez, and has had a Hispanic member of Congress ever since. The district is now represented by US Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
The census is taken every 10 years. Previously, Arab Americans were included in the “White” category and were only given the opportunity to write in their national identity. As a result, the Arab community did not qualify for federal grants or for political voting continuity in the redrawing of congressional districts, Mustafa noted.
Census officials acknowledge that the MENA category is “a minimum reporting category, separate and distinct from the White category.”
The census is managed by the Office of Management and Budget, which is a part of the US government. The full report on the revision is available for viewing here.
Marathon singing, vigils and pre-dawn processions as Filipinos celebrate Holy Week
- Bulk of religious traditions begin on Holy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus
- Many traditions are a blend of folk customs and Spanish colonial influences
MANILA: As Christians around the world celebrate Holy Week, Filipinos are observing their unique traditions, which will culminate on Sunday with Easter — the joyous commemoration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
In the largest Christian-majority nation in Asia, where over 85 million people identify as Catholic, folk traditions have blended with more than 300 years of Spanish colonial influences, leading to unique expressions and observances of faith.
One of the most enduring yet extreme examples is senakulo, a street drama that depicts Jesus’ passion and death, where men flagellate and, in some cases, nail themselves to the cross as an act of penance.
But not all Filipino Catholics adhere to these practices, instead engaging in other traditions.
They began the observance of Holy Week with Palm Sunday last week, when churchgoers brought palm branches to be blessed by priests.
The palm branch symbolizes victory, peace and eternal life and once they receive blessing, Filipinos put them up at home either as decor or by windows or doorways to ward off bad spirits.
They represent the branches that according to the Gospel crowds laid down as Jesus entered Jerusalem a few days before his crucifixion.
“The Holy Week allows me to impart the importance of this occasion to my children, now that they’re a little bit older,” said Edgie Ruiz for whom the annual holiday is an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones.
“This is also the time when our relatives who live far away come to spend time with us, which is something I always look forward to.”
The bulk of religious traditions begin on Holy Thursday, the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus. It is observed with a custom during which the priest washes the feet of 12 people — imitating the humility of Jesus, who washed the feet of his apostles on the night before his crucifixion.
Ruiz was one of those chosen to take part in the ritual at his local parish in Hermosa, Bataan province.
“My grandfather used to participate in this tradition as one of the chosen ‘apostles,’” he said. “The priest chooses common, everyday people to take part.”
Another tradition on Holy Thursday is the Visita Iglesia — visiting at least seven different churches to pray.
Gerald Gloton, who resides in Pampanga province 83 km north of Manila, has been practicing the Visita Iglesia tradition since childhood.
“The Visita Iglesia is very important for me because it unites our family. We visit various churches that depict the importance of faith, heritage, and culture,” he said.
Pampanga is known for its strong Catholic traditions, including several historical churches dating back to the Spanish colonial period — another aspect that Gloton looks forward to in this annual ritual.
“Aside from the spiritual reflection and family bonding, I also look forward to the intricate details and architecture of our churches which are regarded as structural treasures,” he said.
Another centuries-old tradition that continues to be practiced is the pabasa — a marathon reading of the passion of Christ, sung by volunteers, usually women, in their parishes. In urban places like Manila, the pabasa can run for more than a day, but in rural areas and places with intact traditions like Pampanga, it can go on for nearly a week.
While some Filipino communities have adopted Western practices such as hunting Easter eggs on Sunday morning, one of the most anticipated rituals is the salubong, or welcoming, a pre-dawn Easter ritual in which a solemn procession of the images of the mourning Virgin Mary and a risen Christ meet from opposite ends in front of a church.
A chorus of children, sometimes singing from hanging platforms to give the illusion of flying in mid-air, sing to herald the occasion. A child is assigned to lift the black veil off Virgin Mary, signifying the end of her mourning.
For Crystal Arcega from Batangas, south of Manila, the ritual’s atmosphere is the most joyous of all.
“It’s when the baby angels throw confetti and wave their wands, and the choir sings. That’s when the Easter Mass starts, and the church lights are turned on,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful moment and worth waking up early for.”
After Easter Mass, Filipino families will gather over celebratory meals and delicacies.
The rice cakes sold in front of churches, such as the suman and tamales — delicacies wrapped in banana leaves — are a must-have after the mass.
At home, they are followed by fried chicken, braised meat dishes in a tangy-sweet sauce, and kare-kare — a rich oxtail peanut stew.
The most sacred period in the liturgical year in Christianity, which is filled with mourning, prayers and fasting to culminate in togetherness and feast, is for many a time that strengthens their faith.
For Arcega, it is a “way to remind us how much sacrifice Jesus has made, and how despite being in the form of man, is able to show us God’s unconditional love,” she said.
“It really becomes the time for me to reflect and be thankful.”
Ukraine says Russian drone, missile attacks damage power facilities
- Regional officials said Russian forces had attacked infrastructure in the Kamianske district near the city of Dnipro
KYIV0: Russian missile and drone attacks hit thermal and hydro power plants in central and western Ukraine, power grid operator Ukrenergo said on Friday, the latest assault on the already damaged power infrastructure.
“During the night, the Russians struck again at energy facilities in a massive and combined attack,” Ukrenergo said on the Telegram messaging app.
“Thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western regions were damaged,” it said.
Regional officials said Russian forces had attacked infrastructure in the Kamianske district near the city of Dnipro. At least one person was wounded, they added.
Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko also said power facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Cherkasy regions were attacked this morning.
“Electricity generation facilities were targeted by drones and missiles,” Gelushchenko said on Facebook.
Ukrainian television reported that explosions were heard in Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi regions and the city of Dnipro as Russian cruise missiles were spotted in Ukrainian air space.
The largest private power firm DTEK said its three thermal power plants were attacked.
“The equipment was severely damaged. After the attack ended, the power engineers promptly started to repair the damage,” the company said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian power distributor Yasno said this week DTEK lost about 50 percent of its capacity after being hit by Russian missile and drone attacks.
‘A unique place’: Foreigners visit post-war Afghanistan
- Decades of conflict made tourism extremely rare in Afghanistan, but most violence has now abated
- Yet visitors are confronted with extreme poverty, dilapidated cultural sites and scant infrastructure
MAZAR-I-SHARIF: His soldier son toured Afghanistan with insurgents in his crosshairs, but American traveler Oscar Wells has a different objective — sight-seeing promoted by the Taliban’s fledgling tourism sector.
“It is a unique place, it touches my heart,” the 65-year-old Indiana farmer told AFP, praising “its magnificent mountains” with “people living in the old way.”
Marvelling at the 15th century Blue Mosque in northern Mazar-i-Sharif, Wells is among a small but rising number of travelers coming to Afghanistan since the war’s end.
Decades of conflict made tourism extremely rare, and while most violence has now abated, visitors are confronted with extreme poverty, dilapidated cultural sites and scant hospitality infrastructure.
They holiday under the austere control of Taliban authorities, without consular support after most embassies were evacuated following the fall of the Western-backed government in 2021.
They must register with officials on arrival in each province, comply with a strict dress code and submit to searches at checkpoints by men armed with Kalashnikovs.
Islamic State attacks also still pose a potential threat in the country.
“The first thing your loved ones say is: ‘You’re crazy to go there!’” said French tourist Didier Goudant, a 57-year-old lawyer, of a country that Western governments warn against visiting.
Security concerns worried Nayuree Chainton, the 45-year-old Thai owner of a travel agency in Bangkok, who made a trip for six days recently with a group to test the waters.
“I feel safe despite the checkpoints in the cities,” she said, during a visit to a shrine in the capital Kabul.
The number of foreign tourists visiting Afghanistan rose 120 percent year-on-year in 2023, reaching nearly 5,200, according to official figures.
The Taliban government has yet to be officially recognized by any country — in part because of its heavy restrictions on women — but it has welcomed foreign tourism.
“Afghanistan’s enemies don’t present the country in a good light,” said information and culture minister Khairullah Khairkhwa.
“But if these people come and see what it’s really like... they will definitely share a good image of it,” he said.
But Wells and Goudant — on a trip with firm Untamed Borders, which also offers tours of Syria and Somalia — describe their visit as a way to connect with Afghanistan’s people.
Tourists “like us are curious and want to be in contact with the population, to try to help them a little” said Goudant, on his second trip, which included skiing in central Bamiyan province.
He said part of his visits is making donations to local groups, something he describes as “small-scale humanitarian work” in a country that has seen foreign aid drastically shrink since the Taliban takeover.
For Wells, there is a “sense of guilt for the departure” of US troops.
“I really felt we had a horrible exit, it created such a vacuum and disaster,” he said. “It’s good to help these people and keep relations.”
Untamed Borders brought around 100 tourists to Afghanistan last year, with a nine-day package starting in neighboring Pakistan costing $2,850.
The end of the fighting means tourists “can do more things,” said founder James Willcox.
“But on the other hand it is disruptive,” he added, noting a woman tour guide with the company fled to Italy after the Taliban return.
While the Taliban government has shut girls and women out of education, and much of public life, foreign women are granted greater freedoms.
For solo traveler Stefanie Meier, a 53-year-old American, who spent a month traveling from Kabul to Kandahar via Bamiyan and Herat in the west, it was a “bittersweet experience.”
“I have been able to meet people I never thought I would meet, who told me about their life,” she said, adding that she didn’t face any issues as a woman on her own.
She experienced “disbelief that people have to live like this,” she added. “The poverty, there are no jobs, women not being able to go to school, no future for them.”
With little by way of official information, tourists band together on social media and messaging apps to trade tips.
While two airlines serve Afghanistan’s major cities, backpackers prefer the bus, and don’t shy away from the 20-hour journey from Kabul to Herat.
An active WhatsApp group named Afghanistan Travel Experience brings together over 600 people from places as far flung as Mexico, India and Italy who are already in the country or on their way out.
They pepper the group with questions, such as one from user Alberto asking if it is “haram” (not allowed) to travel with a dog, or if it’s a problem to have visible tattoos.
Another, Soo, asked: “Is there a co-working space in Mazar?”