Israel freed more than 250 Palestinian prisoners met by joyful relatives on Friday, in the biggest such release in two years intended to bolster president Mahmoud Abbas against Hamas. Seven buses carrying handcuffed men from Israel’s Ketziot Prison and an eighth carrying seven women drove slowly through the Beitunya checkpoint at the entrance to Ramallah.
Afghanistan’s Taliban movement said on Saturday it had killed the second German hostage after the group’s demands were ignored, a spokesperson for the militant group said. The couple were shot dead in Ghazni province which lies to the south-west of the capital, Kabul.
Flyhalf Daniel Carter kicked seven penalties around a solitary try to prop Tony Woodcock as New Zealand beat Australia 26-12 on Saturday to win the Tri-Nations rugby series. Carter landed four goals in the first half, three in the second and missed only one of eight attempts to lift the All Blacks to a win over a dogged Australian team.
Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride appeared briefly in the Pretoria Regional Court on Friday morning and was granted bail of R1Â 000. McBride faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, defeating the ends of justice and fraud. McBride also faces alternative charges of reckless or negligent driving, conspiracy and incitement.
For two of Soweto’s great footballing institutions, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, the coaching succession debate is over. Chiefs have chosen Muhsin Ertugral, with whom they won seven trophies. Pirates have given Bibey Mutombo another term in office, despite him being one of the least-loved coaches to have coached the Orlando side in all their 70 years.
India fought back with two wickets late in the final session to leave England 268-4 at stumps on the first day of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. England, 247-2 when play resumed after a second bad-light stoppage, lost two wickets for three runs in nine balls as they declined to 255-4.
In the first move of its kind by any of the broadcasters that cover the Tour de France, German state television channels ARD and ZDF left the race on Thursday and, for the time being, stopped covering it, after a positive drugs test on German cyclist Patrick Sinkewitz.
Sergio Garcia slayed his Carnoustie demons and left Tiger Woods trailing in his wake as he stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the Open Championship on Thursday. The Spaniard, playing immaculate golf on a course that had reduced him to tears when it last hosted the Open in 1999, shot a superb six-under-par 65 to lead by two strokes.
A French newspaper broke the embargo on the new Harry Potter book on Friday by revealing the fate of the principle characters. Le Parisien printed a brief summary of the conclusion of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows — but upside-down so that unwary readers could avoid the spoiler.
Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride appeared briefly in the Pretoria Regional Court on Friday morning and was granted bail of R1Â 000. McBride faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, defeating the ends of justice and fraud.