Chelsea has reportedly signed Portugal and Benfica midfielder Tiago Mendes to a four-year contract worth €12-million. Tiago signed the season-extendable contract in London on Thursday. The midfielder, signed to Benfica until 2007, is said to be leaving because of differences with new chief Jose Veiga.
Brazil views its 2-1 loss to Paraguay as a helpful inconvenience ahead of its Copa Americana quarterfinal clash with Mexico on Sunday. Meanwhile, Peru will meet Argentina on Saturday, while reigning champions Colombia play Costa Rica. Paraguay takes on Urugauy on Sunday.
The right-wing author of the bestselling book <i>The Great South African Land Scandal</i> — which urges resistance to land reform, branding it "an assault on South African agriculture" — holds an Internet doctoral degree from an unaccredited United States university. In some states of the US it is a criminal offence to use degrees bestowed by Pacific Western University, author Philip du Toit’s alma mater.
The Botswana government on Thursday dismissed as ”suspect and mischievous” testimony given by a former colonial commissioner in support of a court claim by the San Bushmen seeking to return to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The Bushmen were evicted from the reserve in 1997.
The Ugandan military has achieved a major breakthrough in its battle with anti-government rebels after capturing a high-ranking rebel commander described as ”the heeart and spirit” of the rebellion raging in the north of the country. ”Brigadier” Kenneth Banya was captured following a skirmish at Okidi.
The European Union has announced the delivery of €42-million to a United Nations-sponsored global fund to combat Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. The money, part of a €460-million pledge, will be used for programs geared to boost prevention, treatment and care of the three diseases.
New Zealand has suspended its diplomatic ties with Israel following the jailing of two suspected Israeli spies in Auckland on Thursday. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said on Thursday that a strong suspicion exists that the men were acting on behalf of the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad.
Listed South African banking group Standard Bank and associated financial services group Liberty Group have announced agreements which will see an effective 10% of Standard Bank’s South African banking operations and 10% of Liberty Life’s South African operations go to broad-based black groupings.
Thirteen people have been killed in two seperate car boms in Iraq. Ten people lost their lives in the first explosion in the northwestern city of Hadithah, while three suicide bombers were killed when their explosive-packed vehicle detonated near a military installation in the Shiite holy city of Karbala.
Two Australian men, charged with chewing up and spitting out live mice in a pub competition, appeared in court on Thursday. The men face animal cruelty charges and could face fines of up to Aus,000 or two years in prison if they are convicted. The men were competing for a holiday valued at Aus.