Niël Barnard obituary: Afrikaner who helped to end apartheid
In the early 1980s South Africa's apartheid system appeared granite-firm, but its foundations were shaking. The country's white supremacist establishment faced a stark choice: full-scale military assault on the black liberation movement or a negotiated peace that would inevitably lead to black-majority rule.
Niël Barnard, the director of South Africa's National Intelligence Service (NIS), was a key figure in convincing the apartheid regime to plump for the second option. He urged South Africa's president, his close friend PW Botha, to face reality: international sanctions were biting hard, while South Africa was increasingly isolated as popular support for the anti-apartheid movement increased globally. Unrest in the townships was moving towards civil war and as the decade progressed it became clear that the Cold War was ending
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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Imane Khelif breaks silence after leaked medical report ‘proves Olympic gender-row boxer is a biological male'
IMANE KHELIF has issued a response after a leaked medical report claimed the gold medal-winning Olympian was a "biological male". Khelif, 26, won Algeria's first-ever female gold medal in boxing during the Paris Games in 2024. 2 However, during Khelif's run to the final, she was embroiled in a bitter gender row after being banned from International Boxing Association competition in 2023. The IBA banned Khelif after tests taken in New Delhi allegedly produced the DNA of a 'male'. The IOC - who replaced the IBA as the Olympic's boxing governing body - were warned about the tests and urged to remove Khelif from the competition. But Khelif was allowed to box in Paris because of her female passport status. Now, the alleged sex-test results from the 2023 World Championships have been published for the first time by 3 Wire Sports, and suggest the boxer is biologically male. American journalist Alan Abrahamson produced the result of a test said to have been carried out on the boxer in New Delhi in March 2023 - which triggered the boxer's disqualification. The document published summarises the findings on Khelif as 'abnormal', stating: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype." A karyotype refers to an individual's complete set of chromosomes, which in Khelif's case has been reported by (IBA) as being XY, the male pattern. Khelif refused to respond directly to the claims in a social media post on Monday, instead focusing on her work as a Unicef ambassador - a role she has held since January 2024. The post featured a photo of Khelif wearing a blue polo bearing the organisation's logo as she made a heart symbol with her hands to celebrate the "Global Day of Parents". Imane Khelif wins Olympic gold in women's welterweight final after huge gender row that has grabbed worldwide attention She paid tribute to her own parents in the caption, saying: "Today, I became a champion, but it all started long ago. When my parents believed in me, even when the dream felt too big. "When they supported me, listened to me, and stood by me. Being a parent isn't easy. There's no manual. But the love, patience, and trust you give your child can change everything. "On this #GlobalDayOfParents, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to every parent who chooses, every single day, to be there for their children. "Together with @unicefalgerie, I'm celebrating these everyday heroes. Because when parents are supported, children can dream and succeed." The alleged test results disputing Khelif's gender carry the letterhead of Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the Swiss-based International Organisation for Standardisation. This directly challenges what IOC spokesman Mark Adams said in a tense news conference at the Paris Olympics. He described the results that saw Khelif banned as 'ad hoc' and 'not legitimate'. IOC president Thomas Bach even claimed that the results are the product of a Russian-led misinformation campaign. It followed after the IBA - headed by Russia's Umar Kremlev - had been stripped of IOC recognition in a row over ethics and financial management. Khelif has always denied being a biological male and even named JK Rowling and Elon Musk in a cyberbullying lawsuit. And the 26-year-old has vowed to fight on, even eyeing another gold at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. But World Boxing has ruled that Khelif is ineligible to enter future events as a woman without first submitting to the same chromosome testing that has already triggered the boxer's disqualification at global level. The governing body - provisionally approved to run Olympic boxing in LA - announced that all athletes in its competitions over 18 years old must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic test to determine their sex. The test detects chromosomal material through a mouth swab, saliva or blood. Khelif has failed to provide any evidence of having female chromosomes in the nine months since the gender scandal erupted. In February, Khelif spoke out in her defence and wrote: 'For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorised, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation. But silence is no longer an option. 'The IBA, an organisation that I am no longer associated with and which is no longer recognised by the IOC, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda... 'My team is carefully reviewing the situation and will take all necessary legal steps to ensure that my rights and the principles of fair competition are upheld." An IOC spokesperson told Sun Sport: "The IOC has always made it clear that eligibility criteria are the responsibility of the respective International Federation. "The factors that matter to sports performance are unique to each sport, discipline, and/or event. "We await the full details how sex testing will be implemented in a safe, fair and legally enforceable way."
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
World Boxing apologises after naming Khelif in mandatory sex testing announcement
June 3 (Reuters) - World Boxing has apologised after Imane Khelif was named in their announcement on mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions, saying the Paris Olympics gold medallist's privacy should have been protected. The global body, which will oversee boxing competitions in the 2028 Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee, made the announcement last week, less than a year after Khelif won gold in Paris amid a gender-eligibility row. The announcement specifically said the body had sent a letter to the Algerian Boxing Federation saying Khelif "may not participate in the female category" of any World Boxing event until she undergoes the test. However, a source said World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst had personally written to Algerian Boxing Federation president Abdelkader Abbas to apologise for including Khelif's name. Van der Vorst said World Boxing should have made a greater effort to protect Khelif's privacy. In last week's announcement, World Boxing said all athletes over the age of 18 will have to undertake a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test, which can be conducted by a nasal or mouth swab, saliva or blood. Khelif and the Algerian Boxing Federation could not be immediately reached for comment. The country's federation joined World Boxing in September, one of more than 100 national federations that have joined the body since it was established in 2023.
Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
World Boxing president apologises to Imane Khelif for naming her in sex test policy
The head of World Boxing has apologised after the organisation singled out Imane Khelif in an announcement about making sex testing mandatory. The Algerian boxer was mentioned by name when the boxing body released its new policy on Friday. Khelif won gold at the Paris Games last summer amid scrutiny over a failed gender eligibility test, which was conducted by a different controversial boxing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA). World Boxing is the new international federation that will run boxing at the next Olympic Games. 1:17 World Boxing's president, Boris van der Vorst, contacted the Algerian Boxing Federation to apologise. "I am writing to you all personally to offer a formal and sincere apology for this and acknowledge that her privacy should have been protected," he wrote in a letter seen by The Associated Press. Van der Vorst added he hoped by "reaching out to you personally we show our true respect to you and your athletes". World Boxing had said there will be mandatory testing of all boxers from 1 July in order to "ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women". All athletes over 18 years old in its competitions must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic test to determine their sex at birth, it said. The test detects chromosomal material through a mouth swab, saliva or blood. If an athlete intending to compete in the women's categories is determined to have male chromosomal material, "initial screenings will be referred to independent clinical specialists for genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination or other valuation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists," World Boxing said. An appeals process is also included in the policy. Khelif had intended to compete in the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands from 5 June, but will no longer be able to because of the mandatory testing.
