Okay, okay… we'll admit it: iafrica.com is a pretty awesome website.
And we know that sometimes — caught between the latest on the Joost sex saga and the live cricket scoring — you may just miss out on some of the fantastic content that we offer.
So, we've asked our (already super-busy) editors to share their best articles from the week with you. Yip, the best iafrica.com has to offer… in one article. Well, sort of. Click on the links if you want to find out more about a particular topic.
News editor Ryan Bubear:
The terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan, resulting in the death of eight policemen, grabbed international headlines this week. The hero of the day proved to be a Pakistani bus driver, who bravely steered the cricketers to relative safety.
Back home, convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik was released from prison on "medical parole", amid queries from opposition parties over the whether he was actually in the final stages of a terminal illness.
Then, late Friday saw Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai involved in a car crash, in which his wife Susan died.
And what better way to end than with our increasingly popular iafrica.com debate, this week focusing on who else but Joost van der Westhuizen.
Sports editor Rob Peters:
A dark cloud hangs over sport. As the Proteas came to terms with their loss to Australia on Monday, the world of sport was hit by the tragedy in Pakistan. As SA skipper Graeme Smith summed up: the attacks on the Sri Lanka cricket team put things into perspective. The cowardly acts of a few left a dark cloud hanging over global sport and it shows little sign of abating as we close in on the weekend.
It seems everybody has been waiting for the point when terror would invade cricket and now that moment has come to pass. How the cricketing world will move on from this is anybody’s guess, but I can guarantee that Pakistan will struggle to get teams to tour their country — more now than ever before…
Meanwhile, as the world came to terms with the Lahore tragedy the Super 14 continued to pick up steam with the Bulls, Stormers match at Loftus the pick of this weekend. And from Friday the Proteas will be going all out to level the Test series against Australia.
Jnr Business editor Meriza La Key:
After a fully jam-packed, data-demanding week, last week, the business community retreated to a slightly calmer but nevertheless exciting week.
Rumours of Old Mutual's plans to dispose of its 53 percent stake in Nedbank rattled the local markets but Old Mutual has since denied there was any truth to the buzz.
Meanwhile Standard Bank revealed in its latest property gauge that house prices were still continuing to slump confirming that households are suffering under the economic and financial conditions.
South Africa's unemployment rate dropped slightly to 21.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 from 23.2 percent in the third quarter, Statistics SA data showed.
There is still no end in sight for the local vehicle sector as new vehicle sales tumbled 36.3 percent or by 16 814 units compared to February 2007.
The ANC came under fire (again) over their AA/BEE policies but Gwede Mantashe insists it's "cold and lonely" at the top echelon of business for blacks in SA.
Entertainment editor Nils van der Linden:
It hardly sounds like the recipe for success — dated gameshow 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire', India's slums, unknown kids, longdrop toilet... But 'Slumdog Millionaire' is undoubtedly this year's success story — as surprising as the film's story itself. Now a couple of weeks after sweeping the 2009 Oscars, the unlikely little movie that almost ended up going straight to DVD hits screens across South Africa.
Generating equally intense hype, but from comic book fans, is 'Watchmen', the big screen adaptation of a cult 1980s graphic novel that's been 20 years in the making. I didn't quite get all the fuss but people who know more than me reckon it's going to be a huge success story. If 'The Matrix' and 'The Dark Knight' did it for you, it's worth a look at least.
Also worth your time is U2's new album. Ignore the annoying singer (if possible) and look past the incredibly dull cover and the Irish group's 13th offering is certainly impressive. Expect a full review soon, but check out an interview with the band in the meantime. And on a smaller scale, but staying with music, be sure to catch up on the latest happenings in 'Idols' — this week the Top 10 take to the stage for the first time. Expect drama — but nothing compared to the ongoing Rihanna and Chris Brown saga. It's enough to make your head spin.
Lifestyle editor Thamar Houliston:
This week in lifestyle it's all about love, sex, money and fashion:
Our local lass Lucy Hunt, isn't on the hunt this week, but is instead being hunted. Find out what happens when her ex-boyfriend waltzes back into town in Sex on Stilettos. And it seems that even Muslim women value sexy. Read about the chocolate knickers, panties adorned with singing canaries, feathered bras that twinkle in the dark and more in our article onSyria’s undercover culture.
What will the impact of the credit crunch on South African fashion be? It's not all doom and gloom say experts, who also offer some advice in our latest fashion feature. Robyn Cooke also goes local and shares the highlights of this last weekend’s Design Indaba with us. And talking fashion, find out who the world’s best dressed man is. Bet you can't guess.
In health this week:
Sitting with a bulge in your belly and wondering what exercises are safe to do when pregnant? Ronald Abjavee has the answers in our article on how to exercise when pregnant. Over 50 and think HIV doesn’t affect you, think again. The rate of HIV infection is "surprisingly high" among people aged over 50 years, the World Health Organisation has said. Don't be fooled, to be informed click here.
In food and wine:
Organic, local and healthy is all the rage. Now you can find out where this 'good food' is in Cape Town. To read about it click here. The weather’s still steaming and that means it's bubbles time. This week Mike of Wine Concepts suggests a superb Brut for you to try in our Wine of the Week. And according to Henrie Geyser, the two tastiest flavour combinations are origanum and tomato as well as lemon juice and lamb, so why not try them together. For the recipe click here.
Personal finance editor Kabous le Roux:
In the past week readers of 'Personal Finance' were treated to advice on saving money and the world in an article about a cheap device that reputedly could save the average South African household almost R800 per year.
We also introduced Sbusiso Kumalo, our new banking expert, whose first Q & A discussed how, and with whom, you can lodge a complaint about your bank, as well as why it is so complicated to amend a debit order.
Are you retiring soon with a small retirement annuity worth less than R75 000? In this past week Riëtte Brune answered a reader who enquired about the rule stating that a retiring member may access the full benefit as a lump sum if the value of the fund is worth less than R75 000.
Motoring editor Nils van der Linden:
Switzerland is known for its banks, cheese and chocolate. Not cars. But for two weeks every year Geneva plays host to one of the world's biggest motor shows. That fortnight has rolled around again, this year playing host to everything from the new Volkswagen Polo to a solar-powered vehicle that changes shape depending on the number of passengers. Jason Woosey headed to the show and picks out the good, the bad and the really really ugly for us. Otherwise, just look at our pictures.
Closer to home we reveal our first driving impressions of BMW's 7 Series which arrives in South Africa this week and take Maserati's Granturismo S for a high-speed spin around Kyalami. Hold on tight…