A year after Hurricane Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast and left New Orleans in ruins, United States President George Bush is still grappling with the political fall-out from a federal response widely viewed as inept. As the storm’s August 29 anniversary approaches, memories are being rekindled of corpses and debris piling up in the streets and desperate victims pleading for help from rooftops.
The European Union is to mount the biggest military operation in its history after agreeing on Friday to commit more than 7Â 000 ground troops for a United Nations mission policing the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. The EU, at a meeting of its foreign ministers in Brussels, also agreed to send a further 2Â 000 specialist forces, mainly providing naval and air support.
It could have been 1995 all over again … a flashback to the soaking France-South Africa World Cup semifinal as the rain pelted down in buckets ahead of the match between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban on Friday evening. By halftime 32 mm of rain had been measured at the ground.
Oil prices rose on Friday as the market watched Iran’s stand-off with the West over its nuclear programme and amid concerns that tropical storms could threaten United States Gulf coast oil refineries. Prices fell earlier in the week after US Department of Energy weekly data showed a rise in gasoline stockpiles.
Israeli President Moshe Katsav dismissed calls to step down over accusations of sexual harassment on Friday as he protested his innocence in his first public comments after two days of police questioning. In an interview with public radio, the head of state denied allegations that he harassed a female former employee and took bribes in exchange for pardoning criminals.
Jailed African National Congress fraudster Tony Yengeni has been transferred to Malmesbury prison, the Cape Argus reported on Friday. The newspaper also said Yengeni was given a big lunch in a prison boardroom before leaving. Quoting an unnamed warder, it said Yengeni was driven to the modern jail, about 60km north of Cape Town.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Friday he could raise 15Â 000 troops for a UN peace force in Lebanon as European nations overcame their reluctance to send soldiers. Italy pledged up to 3Â 000 troops, France 2Â 000, Spain up to 1Â 200 troops and Poland a slightly smaller contingent.
The All Blacks come to South Africa as the Tri-Nations champions, with their last visit to Loftus Versfeld in 2003 seeing them annihilate the Springboks 52-16. Add to that the fact that the All Blacks are unbeaten so far this year. The Springboks, on the other hand, are struggling and trying to shake off their four-match losing run.
Cricket South Africa has turned down a request from the England and Wales Cricket Board for the Proteas to replace Pakistan should they withdraw from the one-day series against England following the controversy over the forfeited Test match at the Oval.
Big business and government have vowed to join forces in an intensive campaign to reduce unacceptably high crime levels in South Africa. It is necessary to ”intensify the fight against crime”, Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa told a media briefing on Friday, following a Big Business Working Group meeting with President Thabo Mbeki and members of his Cabinet.