World number one Amelie Mauresmo and number two Justine Henin-Hardenne came through their first matches since the Wimbledon final to reach the New Haven quarterfinals on Wednesday. Wimbledon champion Mauresmo overcame Russian qualifier Galina Voskoboeva and Henin-Hardenne had to work harder than the scoreline suggests for her win over Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain.
Seven suspected al-Qaeda members were killed in a clash in Afghanistan on Thursday, the United States military said, although Afghan officials said those killed were civilians. The US and Afghan troops were on an operation to capture ”a known al-Qaeda facilitator” linked to attacks on Afghan and coalition troops, the US military said.
Scientists have found a way to make human embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos, a breakthrough that could overcome intense ethical objections to the research. ”Pro-life” organisations have condemned embryonic stem-cell science because embryos must be cannibalised.
Australia’s top players have swapped traditional white cricket clothing for army greens as they step up their preparations to win back the Ashes in the Queensland bush. Twenty-five players, including captain Ricky Ponting and master leg-spinner Shane Warne, headed out of Brisbane in the early hours of Wednesday morning for a hike in the Beerwah State Forest.
Six foreign oil workers, kidnapped from a nightclub in Nigeria, were released on Wednesday night after 10 days in captivity, authorities said. The six men — two Britons, an American, German, Irish and Pole — were abducted at gunpoint from a nightclub in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt on August 13.
A day after one of Hollywood’s most powerful men publicly scolded actor Tom Cruise, the film capital began to think cost-conscious studios may finally be fed up with giving stars the star treatment. But some industry insiders believe Viacom chairperson Sumner Redstone’s rebuke of Cruise was more a sign that a great money-making career was on the wane.
Apple Computer said on Wednesday it would pay -million to Creative Technology to settle all patent litigation over Apple’s popular iPod music player. The agreement gives Apple a license to use a Creative patent in its music player and other products and settles all legal disputes between the two companies, Apple said.
Australia coach John Connolly has left prop Greg Holmes out of a 25-man squad for next month’s Tri-Nations Test in South Africa, the Australian Rugby Union said on Thursday. Holmes will stay at home to rest after starting all eight of the Wallabies’ tests in 2006. His place was taken by Benn Robinson.
The United States marine corps has been forced to call up its reserves for compulsory service in Iraq and Afghanistan because it has not been able to find enough volunteers — a reflection of the strain the two wars are putting on the US’s armed forces.
South African resources group Mvelaphanda Resources on Thursday reported a sharp rise in headline earnings per share for the year to end June to 1 663 cents from 91 cents a year ago, largely due to a R3,4-billion increase in the value of its Gold Fields investment to R7,4-billion.