South Africa’s national selectors have stayed true to their word and named a predictable and experienced squad of 30 players to feature at this year’s World Cup tournament. National coach Jake White named 14 backs and 16 forwards with the squad being a good blend of youth and experience.
David Beckham made his long-awaited debut for Los Angeles Galaxy in front of a capacity crowd when he came on as a substitute in the 78th minute of Saturday’s exhibition match against Chelsea. The England midfielder, who has been struggling to recover from an injury to his left ankle, was cheered loudly by the 27 000 fans at the Home Depot Centre.
Zimbabwe police are hunting a traditional spirit medium who led President Robert Mugabe’s government on a fruitless search for much-needed fuel she said was mysteriously oozing out of a rock. The Southern African state is battling with acute fuel shortages amid an economic crisis many blame on Mugabe’s policies.
Turks began voting on Sunday in a parliamentary election pitting the ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party against nationalists who disagree strongly over the future path of the rigidly secular Muslim country. Opinion polls tip the pro-business AK Party to govern alone for five more years, but the size of their majority will be key.
Bernadette Pelger leans out of her window to curse "the gendarmes, the drug-dealers, the kids who make all the noise at night, the fights" — in short, all the things that make her life on a council estate on the outskirts of a poor central French city a misery.
A Cambodian-born French woman faces prosecution for criminal damage after planting a kiss on a painting by the artist Cy Twombly, leaving the imprint of her lipstick on the otherwise immaculate white canvas.
Embattled Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride will be given ”time off” pending the outcome of a court case against him. Ekurhuleni mayor Duma Nkosi would not be drawn on whether McBride would be suspended or given paid or unpaid leave.
Justine Robbeson, African record holder in the women’s javelin, won South Africa’s first athletics gold medal at the All Africa Games on Friday with a throw of 58,09m. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, the world number one 800m athlete of 2006, was pipped at the post in a thrilling 800m final by an 18-year old Sudanese athlete, Abu Bakr Kaki.
Manchester United will tour South Africa in 2008 after admitting that Africa and Asia, rather than the United States, are the regions where their fan-base is most fanatical. The Premiership champions, currently in Asia on a four-leg pre-season tour, were due to land in Macau on Saturday after wowing fans in Tokyo and Seoul.
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union on Friday threatened to go on strike if Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride was not suspended. ”We are going to say to the municipality, suspend Robert McBride or municipal service delivery is going to be hampered,” said Samwu branch secretary Koena Ramotlou.