Okwenzeka Ehlabathini

◼ “Umntwana waseBritani uthi efika kwiminyaka emithandathu ubudala abe sele echithe isithuba esingangonyaka ebukele umabonwakude yaye abantwana abangaphezu kwesiqingatha abaneminyaka emithathu ubudala banoomabonwakude kumagumbi abo okulala.”—THE INDEPENDENT, EBRITANI.

◼ ETshayina, abantu abangama-31,4 ekhulwini abaneminyaka engaphezu kwe-16 ubudala ekwadliwan’ indlebe nabo, bathi bayanqula. Ukuba loo mlinganiselo umela lonke ilizwe, oku kuya kubonisa ukuba “malunga nabantu abangama-300 ezigidi bayanqula . . . nto leyo ephikisanayo nenani elisemthethweni le-100 lezigidi.”—CHINA DAILY, ETSHAYINA.

Iyingozi Ngaphezu Kokuba Luncedo

Kwiminyaka embalwa edluleyo, abezopolitiko nezazi ngemeko-bume ezingamaDatshi zazicinga ukuba ziyifumene indlela yokulondoloza amandla emvelo—ngokwenza oomatshini bokuvelisa umbane abasebenzisa ioli yomthi wesundu. IThe New York Times ithi, “kodwa baphoxeka. Ekubeni bebaninzi abantu abayifunayo le oli yomthi wesundu eYurophu, oku kuye kwabangela ukuba kugawulwe imithi emininzi kwihlathi elikuMzantsi-mpuma weAsia kuze kusetyenziswe ngokugqithiseleyo imichiza yokwenza imithi ikhule ngokukhawuleza.” Ukuze kutyalwe le mithi kuye kwafuneka ukuba kutshiswe izikhondo ezibolileyo zemithi, nto leyo eyenza ukuba kubekho ikharbhon “eninzi” emoyeni. ITimes ithi, ngenxa yoko i-Indonesia iye yaba “lilizwe lesithathu elikhupha ikharbhon eninzi yaye izazinzulu zikholelwa ukuba oku kubangela ukunyuka kweqondo lobushushu emhlabeni wonke.”

Ixesha “Lewotshi Yembubhiso” Liyaphela

Iwotshi yembubhiso, echazwe kwiBulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) nebonisa indlela uluntu olusecicini ngayo lokubhujiswa zizixhobo zenyukliya, iye yasiwa phambili ngemizuzu emibini, nto leyo ethetha ukuba “imbubhiso yokuphela komhlaba” iqikelelwa kwimizuzu emihlanu ngaphambi kweenzulu zobusuku. Le wotshi iye yatshintshwa izihlandlo ezili-18 kuphela kwiminyaka engama-60 ikho. Ukugqityelwa kwayo ukutshintshwa kwakungoFebruwari 2002, emva kokuhlaselwa kweWorld Trade Center eNew York. IBAS ithi ukwenziwa kwezixhobo zenyukliya ezingakumbi nokungakhuselwa kwazo “kubonisa ukusilela ekulawulweni kwamandla ezixhobo ezinokubhubhisa uMhlaba.” Kwakhona iqhubeka isithi, “ukutshintsha kwemozulu nako kuyingozi ngokufanayo nezixhobo zenyukliya.”

Ukuxinezeleka Ngethuba Lokukhulelwa

Uphando lwakutshanje lubonisa ukuba xa ibhinqa elikhulelweyo lixinezelekile ngenxa yokuxabana nokuphathwa ngogonyamelo liqabane lalo, oko kunokuyidodobalisa ingqondo yomntwana ongekazalwa. UNjingalwazi uVivette Glover, weImperial College, eLondon uthi: “Sifumanise ukuba xa ibhinqa liphethwe kakubi liqabane lalo ngoxa likhulelwe, oko kuyayichaphazela indlela akhula ngayo loo mntwana. Ngoko, utata unendima ebaluleke gqitha.” Lo njingalwazi uthi, indlela abazali abaphathana ngayo “ichaphazela amadlala nemichiza emzimbeni kamama okhulelweyo nto leyo echaphazela nengqondo yomntwana.”

Abaqhubi Abangaphaphanga

UMichael Schreckenberg weYunivesithi iDuisburg-Essen, eJamani osisazi ngezothutho uthi abaqhubi abasebenzisa indlela enye suku ngalunye abaphaphi kangako. Xa behamba ngendlela abayiqhelileyo, kunokuba banikele ingqalelo endleleni bacinga ngezinye izinto. Ngenxa yoko, kuba nzima ukubona ingozi. Lo kaSchreckenberg ukhuthaza ukuba abaqhubi bahlale bephaphile, bangazivumeli baphazanyiswe zezinye izinto.