The Springbok rugby team to tour Australasia for the away leg in this year’s Tri-Nations series suffered a blow on Monday when utility forward AJ Venter announced his retirement from international rugby. His retirement also means he will also miss out on a possible World Cup place with the Springboks.
India have been struck down by illness on the eve of their opening one-day international against South Africa at Stormont on Tuesday and have had to call up reinforcements for their tour of the United Kingdom. India opened their tour with a nine-wicket win in a one-day international against Ireland on Saturday.
Mozambique hopes to recruit 8Â 000 doctors from other African nations to improve a healthcare system battered by one of the continent’s worst Aids pandemics, the country’s health minister said on Monday.
A charter plane carrying 22 people between two popular Cambodian tourist destinations crashed on Monday in a mountainous region in the south of the country, aviation officials said. The Russian-made AN-24 left the Angkor temple town of Siem Reap at about 10am local time and vanished off radar screens 37 minutes later.
Two apartheid-era police bosses will know on Tuesday when they will stand trial for the alleged poisoning of Reverend Frank Chikane. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it was ready to prosecute former minister of police Adriaan Vlok and ex-police chief Johann van der Merwe.
The petrol price may drop by 10 cents a litre in July, economists said on Monday. Absa Capital economic strategist Chris Hart said the drop could be attributed to a more stable rand and an easier international oil price. ”The petrol price is likely to drop by roughly ten cents a litre,” he said. However, the possible drop in oil prices should not be celebrated too soon.
Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan claimed his 58th five-wicket haul as Sri Lanka overpowered Bangladesh on the opening day of the first cricket Test in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Monday. The wily off-spinner grabbed 5-15 runs as Bangladesh, sent in to bat in overcast conditions, were shot out for their third lowest total of 89 in 32.3 overs in the post-lunch session.
An Israeli soldier captured a year ago by militants from Gaza asked for medical treatment and urged Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, in an audio tape posted on the internet on Monday. Except for a handwritten letter to his parents in September, there had been no sign of life from Gilad Shalit since he was spirited into the Gaza Strip on June 25 2006.
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and the Young Communist League (YCL) have expressed their support for the television-rights deal between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and SuperSport. ”It is a reasonable deal that will benefit soccer, the players and clubs for the improvement of the game,” ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula said on Monday.
A national antenatal survey for 2006 has shown a decrease in the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women visiting public health facilities, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Monday.