A University of Cape Town academic has been temporarily suspended from his research duties and his laboratory closed after an international journal associated him with a herbal tonic touted as an HIV/Aids treatment. ”The University of Cape Town is aware of the report … We regard the allegations in the report in a very serious light,” said spokesperson Skye Grove on Monday.
Australian Robbie McEwen won a thrilling bunch sprint to claim the second stage of the Tour de France here Monday over 228,5km of racing between Obernai and Esch-sur-Alzette. Norway’s Thor Hushovd, who came in third on the stage behind world champion Tom Boonen of Belgium, regained the leader’s yellow jersey from American George Hincapie, who drops to fourth overall.
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Germany midfielder Torsten Frings has been suspended for Tuesday’s World Cup semifinal against Italy, world soccer governing body Fifa said on Monday. Frings was barred after the Fifa disciplinary committee viewed TV pictures, which show him hitting an Argentinian player in the face.
John Terry is the red-hot favourite to take over the England captaincy, bookmakers said on Monday, after David Beckham quit the role in the wake of his side’s disappointing World Cup campaign. Terry (25 is so far ahead in the betting that some bookmakers have stopped taking bets on the England captaincy.
An independent investigation into the Jeppestown shooting is the only way to restore confidence in the police, the Democratic Alliance said on Monday. DA spokesperson on safety and security Roy Jankielsohn said an investigation should look at who ordered the police into a situation in which they were ”outgunned and outmanned” by armed criminals, and why.
United Nations chief Kofi Annan vowed on Monday that the international community will do everything in its power to ensure the success of presidential elections due in Sierra Leone next year. ”We will spare no effort to ensure that it succeeds,” Annan said during a meeting with UN staff in Freetown.
Trading nations are now in a race to another last-ditch deadline 28 days away to overcome weekend failure in Doha Round negotiations to free up trade, but prospects for a deal and ending the ”crisis” for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) appear slim.
A huge asteroid, known as 2004 XP14, skimmed about 432 820km from the Earth late on Sunday and early on Monday. That’s slightly farther away than the moon. It was expected to be visible as a small moving dot to amateur sky watchers with good telescopes in North America and as a fainter object viewed from Europe.
Israeli army chief Dan Halutz on Monday rejected a 24-hour ultimatum set by the captors of an Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip who are demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners. ”We will not give in to any blackmailing or to any ultimatum put forth by any terror organisation, and in this specific case, by Hamas,” Halutz told reporters.
Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo once had a notice posted at the gate of his farm and presidential retreat: ”No dogs and journalists allowed.” Obasanjo saw it as a joking reference to what he considered unfair criticism from the press. The sign is gone, but tensions between the president and the press linger.