Cape Times 2021-11-25

Sacha van Niekerk sacha.vanniekerk@inl.co.za Buying gifts online often involves a whole lot of bubble wrap, duct tape, paper stuffing, cardboard boxes, fuel for shipping and more. Sustainable Pick online platforms that offer sustainable packaging options or buy in-store wherever possible to avoid extra waste. As far as possible, shop with your own shopper bags to avoid buying new ones in store with every purchase, as well as having to opt for plastic out of desperation. If you’re buying for kids, choose wooden and soft cloth toys over plastics and metals that end up clogging land ills once they inevitably chip and break. Value quality over quantity. One well-made, slightly pricey gift often beats several cheap gifts that will shrink in the wash, rip or break. Vintage/pre-loved Thrifting has gained…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za Black Friday fever is in the air and people are ready to click the “proceed to checkout” button. For the past two weeks, we’ve been bombarded with flashing ads, emails and text messages about the specials and major discounts. In the past, people used to wait outside stores in long queues to get their hands on items they fancy. However, with the pandemic, people are more likely to do their bargain-hunting online. Shopping for Black Friday deals online allows you to be more mindful about what you buy – especially when it comes to fashion and beauty products. Before you start looking at deals, make a list of items you need. It’s easy to get so distracted by all the goodies on sale that you end up…

A team of scientists has identified coronaviruses closely related to Sars-CoV-2 from two bats sampled in Cambodia more than a decade ago. The discovery described in the journal Nature Communications, along with the recent detection of the closest ancestors of Sars-CoV-2 known to date in cave-dwelling bats in Laos, indicates that Sars-CoV-2-related viruses that cause Covid-19 have a much wider geographic distribution than previously reported and further supports the hypothesis that the pandemic originated via spillover of a bat-borne virus. Scientists used metagenomic sequencing to identify the nearly identical viruses in two Shamel’s horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus shameli) originally sampled in 2010. The finding suggests that Sars-CoV-2 related viruses likely circulate via multiple Rhinolophus species. The authors state that the current understanding of the geographic distribution of the Sars-CoV and Sars-CoV-2…

Lutho Pasiya lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za Foods for packed lunches or elaborate dinners can be kept in your freezer, ready for busy days, parties, or unexpected company. By planning a steady flow of casseroles, main dishes, baked goods, and desserts in and out of your freezer, you can make good use of your freezer and good use of your time. Here are some of the golden rules of freezing food. Freeze quickly. The quicker the food freezes, the better its quality once thawed. Do not crowd the freezer – arrange containers in a single layer in the freezer to allow enough room for air to circulate around them so that food will freeze rapidly. Slowly frozen food forms large ice crystals that may turn the food mushy. Don’t put hot food in the…

Loyiso Sidimba loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za | POLITICAL BUREAU RETIRED Supreme Court of Appeal Justice Willie Seriti and ex-Free State Judge President Hendrick Musi have hauled the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) to court to challenge the law declaring them judges long after retirement. Judges Seriti and Musi have filed papers in the North Gauteng High Court questioning the statutes that still hold them as judges even after they have retired. The JSC, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola and President Cyril Ramaphosa are cited as respondents along with Open Secrets and Shadow World Investigations, which have lodged misconduct complaints against the two retired judges for the manner in which they handled the arms deal commission of inquiry. Their report’s findings were later set aside by the North Gauteng High Court in August…

Xolile Bhengu xolile.bhengu@inl.co.za THE family of a northern KwaZulu-Natal man who went missing after he and three friends had an encounter with rangers at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park almost two weeks ago, are demanding answers. According to his family, Thulani Mdluli, 24, went missing after he and his friends went to fish in the park on November 12. It is understood that the men did not have permits to fish. The wetland park authority alleged field rangers encountered the group, whom they described as suspected poachers. It further alleged that one of those in the group had shot at them. The authority said the rangers returned fire, and one of the suspects was believed to have been injured as they found blood in the water. Mdluli’s relative, Siqondi Mdluli, who…