The sun had not long set into the Mediterranean and the fishing launch was motoring out into the rolling sea, only an hour into what was to be a long night spent in search of shoals of sardine. Without warning, a sudden burst of machine gun fire came rattling a few metres overhead, the red tracer bullets arcing into the night sky above the fishermen.
Former Wallaby Wendell Sailor on Monday signed with National Rugby League team St George Illawarra after completing a two-year ban for drug use. The 33-year-old was dealt the ban after after testing positive for cocaine while playing rugby union for the New South Wales Waratahs in 2006.
All Black coach Graham Henry is planning to stick with experienced players for next month’s Tests against Ireland and England despite the defection of some high profile candidates overseas. Henry also backed the New Zealand Rugby Union’s policy of picking only domestically-based players for the All Blacks.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7,5 struck China’s Sichuan province on Monday, less than 100km from the provincial capital of Chengdu, the United States Geological Survey said on its website. The quake was felt across much of China and as far west as Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, about 3Â 300km away.
Pulling a sickie over the long weekend with a fake doctor’s note has led to fraud charges being laid against a Kempton Park employee and the arrest of the man allegedly selling the notes. The scam was uncovered when a manager at car rental company Avis in Croydon decided to check all the sick notes presented by employees too ill to work on April 28 and 29.
Barack Obama, setting his sights well beyond Tuesday’s primary against Hillary Clinton, on Sunday began preparations for a summer series of debates against the Republican John McCain. While Clinton campaigned doggedly in West Virginia, which holds its primary on Tuesday, the Obama camp consolidated its claim on the Democratic nomination.
South African industrial group Barloworld lifted half-year earnings per share from continuing operations by 105% and forecast strong growth driven by its equipment unit on Monday. Group headline EPS rose to 345 cents and operating profit increased 30% to R1,29-billion for the six months to 31 March.
A lack of funds has forced the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to cut by more than half the number of districts in drought-hit Ethiopia it serves, the food agency said on Monday and appealed for ,4-million in aid. WFP said shortages would prevent it from providing food supplements to malnourished mothers and children.
Rupert Murdoch has abandoned his -million attempt to buy Newsday in an about-turn likely to relieve campaigners pressing for diversity in United States media ownership. Murdoch’s News Corporation withdrew its bid for the Long Island daily because it was unwilling to match a -million offer from a cable television operator, Cablevision.
President Thabo Mbeki’s role as a mediator in the Zimbabwean crisis took another knock after disclosures that he ignored the advice of two judges he commissioned to observe that country’s 2002 general elections. Mbeki commissioned judges Sisi Khampepe and Dikgang Moseneke to observe the controversial Zimbabwean election in 2002.