Egyptian Energy Minister Sameh Fahmi said on Sunday that forming an Opec-like gas cartel was not a good idea as the world is not prepared to have a new energy organisation. ”It’s not a good idea at this stage,” Fahmi said when asked about the idea of forming a cartel for the gas-producing and -exporting countries.
Marat Safin saved Russia and sent the defending champions into the Davis Cup semifinals. The former top-ranked Russian played for the first time in the best-of-five series on Sunday and beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 in the deciding match to give the hosts a 3-2 win over France.
Orlando Pirates were lucky to collect valuable points when they beat Jomo Cosmos in a fast and entertaining game played before a capacity crowd in a Castle Premiership at Durban’s Absa Stadium on Sunday night. Both sides were below-strength, with Pirates missing Benedict ”Tso” Vilakazi, Innocent Mdledle and Jabu Mahlangu.
A controversial raise for a World Bank employee who has been romantically involved with the bank’s president, Paul Wolfowitz, was not the work of the bank’s ethics committee, as originally alleged by Wolfowitz’s office, according to the watchdog group that leaked the information.
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The West Indies and South Africa go into their World Cup Super Eights match at the Grenada National Stadium on Tuesday, both knowing that a defeat could end their chances of reaching the semifinals. South Africa suffered a blow on Sunday when they lost their world number-one ranking.
It all seemed surreal to Zach Johnson. Three clutch birdies on the back nine at the Masters. His name atop the leaderboard. Toppling Tiger Woods. Slipping on the green jacket. ”I’m from Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” he said when asked to describe himself. ”That’s about it. I’m a normal guy.” Not any more.
A Slovenian endurance athlete completed a 5 235km swim of the Amazon at the weekend, emerging from the water exhausted and delirious but in one piece despite the crocodiles, piranhas and bloodsucking toothpick fish. Martin Strel (52), known as Fishman, claimed a world record for distance swimming in his 65-day journey.
Hamas has sent Israel a list of Palestinian prisoners it wants released in return for the freedom of the Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit, who has been held since last June, officials said on Sunday. The Israeli government has insisted that Shalit’s release is a prerequisite to progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
John McCain, a forceful advocate of United States President George Bush’s plan for a surge of US troops in Iraq, on Sunday disavowed his recent rosy assessment of security in Baghdad in an effort to regain his front-runner status among Republican contenders for the party’s nomination for the presidency.
Spain’s Roman Catholic Church hierarchy was faced with a rebellion among some of its own clergy on Sunday as left-wing priests in one of Madrid’s poorest neighbourhoods defied a ban on them celebrating Easter Mass. The three priests there refused to bow to an order from their archbishop closing the parish down.