The Catholic Primate of Spain and Archbishop of Toledo, Braulio Rodriguez, earlier this month warned of social collapse in Europe in the wake of the protracted financial crisis, saying that soaring unemployment in Spain, and across southern Europe, has become very dangerous. In South Africa, especially, youth unemployment has become a cause for major concern.

Worldwide, there are concerns about the seemingly stubborn rise in the number of the unemployed, even where there are claims of some economic growth. Often official statistical percentages and the bare figures obscure some the more complex causes of high unemployment figures. In other instances, the way statistics are represented can be misleading, as the latest official figures in both South Africa and the United States (US) prove.

We might not yet know, nor ever will know, if a Tower of Babel in the physical sense of the word, ever existed. But claims that evidence exists of a single or mother language, as described in the book of Genesis (11:1-9), is no mere fart against the wind. In fact, the word 'fart' is indeed part of that evidence.

Large-scale commercial farming with insects, from the common house fly to the more exotic Mopani worm, could soon become a reality across the globe as humanity battles to feed itself. Breeding billions of house flies, for example, could produce highly efficient cattle feed, Mopani worms, already feeding many Southern Africans, could become a delicacy on the menus of the top restaurants around the world. And in the process, global warming would take a hit.

The world after the current global economic crisis “will neither look nor feel as it did in the lifetimes of those of us who grew up in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.” This is according to an internationally renowned economist. Ironically some 80 years ago, the man credited with much of modern macro-economic theory and practice, John Maynard Keynes, foresaw one of the major threats to the system.

Two weeks after the Gupta affair, it would seem that the initial outrage by Government and the African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance partners has been replaced by damage control, deflection and even cover-up. Over a week after the deadline government set for completion of a probe into the affair by a committee of director-generals, no report has been released.

The magnificent try by Riaan Viljoen on Saturday could still prove to be a turning point in the Sharks’ season. It got them back to their winning ways after five consecutive defeats in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition when they comprehensively defeated the Force. But the Bulls, currently second on the combined points table and the comfortable South African conference leader, will look for their sixth consecutive win this weekend when they meet the Sharks in a classic South African derby in Durban.

Gordon Igesund’s injury woes continued in the build-up to the international friendly against Lesotho, a match to be followed by World Cup qualifying matches against the Central African Republic (CAR) and Ethiopia. Most of the injury damage has been suffered on the defensive front, with Morgan Gould, Siyabonga Sangweni, Siyanda Xulu, and Thabo Matlaba all unavailable for those three matches in June.