Heavily armed Islamic gunmen and fighters loyal to a United States-backed warlord alliance faced each other in a tense stand-off in Somalia on Tuesday after Muslim militia claimed control of the lawless capital, Mogadishu. A day after the Islamists declared victory, the city was fractured along clan lines, with remaining warlords vowing not to surrender.
Former world number one Kim Clijsters produced a masterful display to reach the semifinals of the French Open at the expense of Martina Hingis on Tuesday. Clijsters, who won 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, will face either fellow Belgian and defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne or Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the last four.
Iran on Tuesday gave a cautious reception to an international proposal aimed at resolving the crisis over its disputed nuclear drive, saying the offer contains "positive steps" but also "ambiguities". The package, presented by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, offers a variety of incentives and fresh multilateral talks if Tehran agrees to suspend uranium-enrichment work.
Forest managers were assessing the damage on Tuesday caused by a gale that flattened at least 7 000 trees in Slovakia’s High Tatras National Park. Park spokesperson Marian Sturcel said the toll from wind gusts was the highest since a freak windstorm in November 2004 toppled 120km² of conifer trees in the region.
Former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova admitted she was surprised to be in the semifinals of the French Open after she ousted compatriot Dinara Safina 7-6 (7/5), 6-0 on Tuesday. The eighth-seeded Russian will face Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova in the last four after the 16th seed beat Wimbledon champion Venus Williams 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-3.
Eighteen people died and 43 were injured early on Tuesday when a truck carrying mourners crashed into a tree in western Zimbabwe, a police spokesperson told Agence France-Presse. ”Eighteen people were killed on the spot after the truck they were travelling in veered off the road and hit a tree,” police inspector Andrew Phiri said.
South Africa had an obligation to oversee and regulate the thousands of militarily-qualified citizens selling their skills abroad, Parliament’s Defence Portfolio Committee heard on Tuesday. ”If you keep dangerous animals in your yard, you have responsibility to ensure they don’t get out and harm people,” Defence Department official Siviwe Njikela told committee members.
The semi-arid Sahel stretches across Africa just south of the Sahara. The region suffered severe drought during the second half of the 20th century, but there is disagreement between scientists on the reasons for the decline in rainfall — and on the Sahel’s future prospects of increased rainfall.
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A band of thieves described as ”very organised” broke into a warehouse in a Paris suburb and made off with hundreds of plasma TV sets, ”probably for the 2006 World Cup”, French police sources said on Tuesday. The robbery was carried out by six armed men, who drove up to the warehouse in the Paris suburb of La Courneuve in a lorry.
The T-shirt says it all: ”9% of Americans like cereal; 57% like sex.” A new restaurant chain is poised to capitalise on the most important meal of the day by offering consumers tantalising combinations of their favorite cereals in trendy shops that scream fun.