Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza for a second straight night as Palestinian militants holding an army corporal issued new demands on Saturday for the release of prisoners from Israeli jails. The regional fallout of the crisis also deepened, with Washington backing its key ally in holding arch foe Syria at least partially responsible for the escalation.
As South Africa takes on the responsibility of organising the next World Cup, exuberance — and not necessarily efficiency — appears to be paramount. World soccer governing body Fifa kicks off the journey to the 2010 World Cup at a July 7 ceremony in Berlin. Dubbed Africa’s Calling, it will be attended by South African President Thabo Mbeki. But will South Africa be ready?
Thirteen people, including one soldier, were killed in political violence as campaigning began for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) first competitive elections in decades. Demonstrators in the western city of Matadi attacked and killed the soldier on Friday before troops retaliated, said Christian Malidini, of DRC’s Association of Human Rights Defenders.
At least 60 people were killed and scores wounded on Saturday when a car bomb struck the Baghdad Shi’ite district of Sadr City, ripping through a massive security crackdown in the Iraqi capital. A Sunni woman MP was also kidnapped in north Baghdad, a day after al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden vowed the war would go on despite a peace plan launched by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
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Argentina coach Jose Pekerman announced he was standing down from the post shortly after the penalties loss to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals on Friday. The 56-year-old former youth-team coach was promoted to the senior national side two years ago, replacing Marcelo Bielsa, who was in charge of Argentina at the last World Cup.
The Cheetahs proved why they are Currie Cup champions with a 66-9 demolition job on the Valke in Brakpan on Friday night. Led by a rampant Willem de Waal, who controlled the game throughout, the Cheetahs overwhelmed the home side and scored a massive ten tries without reply to underline their dominance at this level.
China opened the world’s highest railway on Saturday, linking the remote Himalayan region of Tibet with the rest of the country in a symbol of power that President Hu Jintao hailed a ”miracle”. Hu launched the rail line to coincide with the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
The cellphone industry will introduce number portability on September 18, the Argus reported on Friday. Its website said this would allow a subscriber, whether on prepaid or contract, to move to another operator while keeping the same number. Communication experts predicted better service for cellphone users is bound to follow.
A man was killed and 42 people injured when two Metrorail trains collided north of Kempton Park on Friday night, Ekurhuleni emergency services said. Spokesperson Sugan Naidoo said the accident happened just after 7pm between the Pinedene and Olifantsfontein stations when two trains that were both on their way to Pretoria collided.
The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States authenticated a new audio-taped message on Friday in which al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden vows to wage holy war in Iraq and Africa, while the White House brushed off the message as old news. In the fourth tape this year, Bin Laden hails Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the slain al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, as a ”lion of Islam”.