Chelsea missed their chance to slash Manchester United’s lead in the Premier League to a single point on Sunday when they were held to a 0-0 draw at Newcastle United. Manchester United handed the initiative to Chelsea after drawing 1-1 at home with Middlesbrough on Saturday and will breathe a huge sigh of relief at the champions’ scrappy draw.
Spaniard Rafael Nadal won his third Monte Carlo Masters Series in succession when he extended his record winning streak on clay to 67 matches with a 6-4 6-4 defeat of world number one Roger Federer in Sunday’s final. The double French Open champion became the second player to win three straight titles in the principality.
A 5,3-magnitude quake was felt in the Chilean capital, Santiago, on Sunday but there were no immediate reports of damage. The quake followed a strong temblor in the country’s south on Saturday that caused power cuts, landslides and large waves off the nation’s Pacific coast.
Gauteng’s Vaal Rand police arrested a man after 55 refuse bags filled with dagga were found in his car on Sunday. The stash was estimated to have a street value of R1-million, Superintendent Maria Mazibuko said. Police began pursuing a man driving a Toyota Corolla at about 9am in Sebokeng.
Insurgents slaughtered another 47 Iraqis on Sunday, including 23 members of a small religious minority dragged from a bus and gunned down by the roadside, security officials said. The latest day of carnage came as the United States military said it would press on with plans to wall in Baghdad’s worst neighbourhoods despite criticism from residents.
Australian Ducati rider Casey Stoner won the Turkish MotoGP on Sunday. Stoner — who leads the standings by 10 points heading towards the China GP — won his second race of the season to beat home Spaniard Tony Elias on a Honda while another Ducati rider, Loris Capirossi of Italy, was third.
The killers of South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani should never be considered for amnesty, said the Young Communist League (YCL) on the weekend. ”As the YCL we call on our government and President Thabo Mbeki not to even consider this amnesty or pardon,” said YCL national secretary Buti Manamela, speaking in Wallacedean in Cape Town.
The City of Johannesburg is making progress in its fight against crime in efforts to create a safe environment for residents, said mayor Amos Masondo this weekend. ”Johannesburg is making significant progress in the battle against crime and to create a safe environment for its residents and visitors,” Masondo told a summit in Midrand.
The most dangerous places in South Africa are not big cities but scantly populated rural or border areas, a new crime-mapping tool showed on Sunday. Although Johannesburg is synonymous with crime in the minds of many overseas visitors, the new computerised map showed that the chances of being murdered or raped were higher in isolated rural areas.
Mayors and councillors from municipalities across South Africa are scheduled to produce broad plans to guide local government to achieve its goals at a conference this week. The meeting will pay particular attention to accelerated service delivery.