The Stormers and Waratahs played out a pulsating 13-13 draw in a 12th-round Super 14 match in Cape Town on Saturday. The visitors led 6-5 at the break in pouring rain, which negated any chance of this being an exciting, try-scoring feast. And both captains felt the two points earned for the draw could be costly in their challenge for semifinal berths.
Black Leopards moved off the bottom of the Absa Premiership log after playing to a goalless draw with Lamontville Golden Arrows at Thohoyando Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Leopards, however, are still relegation candidates along with Jomo Cosmos and Thanda Royal Zulu, and the teams have only two more games to try to avoid relegation.
SuperSport United went to the top of the Absa Premiership table after thrashing Moroka Swallows 4-2 at the Super Stadium on Saturday night, courtesy of four goals by substitute Katlego Mashego. Swallows’ Sandile Ndlovu scored first in the 59th minute, but two minutes later Mashego started his four-goal blitz.
Sudan broke off diplomatic relations with Chad on Sunday after an attack by Darfur rebels on the capital, Khartoum, that the government said was supported by Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno. On Saturday, the rebels fought Sudanese troops in a suburb of Khartoum in a bid to seize power, but officials said the attack was defeated.
It has been a busy week for United States President George Bush. He has shuttled across the country, faced a barrage of questions from a hounding press pack and made some tough spending decisions. But the focus of the action was not a bold new policy initiative. Instead, the dramatic upsurge of media interest has been because of the wedding of his daughter.
Fierce battles raged in northern Lebanon on Sunday between rival clans as the Hezbollah-led opposition said it was ending its takeover of west Beirut. The opposition announced that it was ending its takeover of large swaths of west Beirut after the army revoked government moves against the Shi’ite group that sparked days of deadly fighting.
No link seems to exist between the suspensions of South African Broadcasting Corporation group CEO Dali Mpofu and head of news Snuki Zikalala, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said on Saturday. She said the information she received indicated that the board’s reasons for suspension of Mpofu had to do with an issue of governance.
The Sharks collected a crucial five points to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Super 14 semifinals with a 33-14 win over the Cheetahs on Saturday. The Sharks scored two late tries by winger Odwa Ndungane for the bonus point to ensure they remain in contention for a last-four place with just one round of matches to come.
The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition group said on Saturday he would contest a run-off against Robert Mugabe after disputed elections on March 29. But Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he would only participate in the run-off if international observers and media had full access to ensure the poll is free and fair.
The South African Communist Party, an ally of the African National Congress (ANC), called at a weekend summit for President Thabo Mbeki to be sacked, newspapers said on Saturday, but the ANC said the issue was not even on the agenda. ANC spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso dismissed any suggestion that Mbeki’s political future was being discussed.