The French navy made a red-faced admission on Wednesday that it had lost a multimillion-dollar sonar navigation device after its cable ripped in stormy waters. Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said an investigation has been launched into how the $3,7-million device was mislaid.
Rock icon Neil Young has joined the ranks of musicians ranged against the current United States administration with a new anti-war protest album that includes a track called Impeach the President. The veteran singer-songwriter said the substance of the album Living with War harked back to the protest music of the 1960s.
In the world rankings on Monday, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen and Ernie Els maintained the status quo, while Tim Clark inched up one place to 14th and Rory Sabbatini settled in 23rd. Sabbatini surged into the top 20 from 71st early in the season.
A South Korean protester attempted ritual suicide on Wednesday amid rising anger over Japan’s decision to launch an ocean survey in disputed waters between the two countries. Defying South Korean warnings, Tokyo dispatched two ships to the area claimed by both countries, renewing a feud tied to colonial history that has festered for decades.
Current England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is said to be interested in taking over the vacant South African coaching job, Swedish media reported on Wednesday. Eriksson’s long-time assistant, Tord Grip, confirmed in Aftonbladet that Eriksson has been approached by South African football officials.
Rafael Nadal won’t give up his Monte Carlo Masters title without a fight. The 19-year-old Spaniard beat Arnaud Clement of France 6-4, 6-4 in the first round on Tuesday and said he wasn’t aggressive enough. ”The worst thing is to play too defensively,” Nadal said. ”I need to play with more intensity and be aggressive.”
Ryk Neethling made a token appearance on the opening day of the Telkom South African National Swimming Championships in Durban on Tuesday, but explained afterwards that he will now be taking a break from all competition and training for the next month-and-a-half.
The Southern Spears are still in the dark about their participation in next year’s Super 14. SA Rugby’s board of directors met in Cape Town on Tuesday to discuss the franchise’s state of readiness and delayed a decision until Friday. ”The meeting discussed the Southern Spears issue at length,” SA Rugby said in a statement.
The Mamelodi Sundowns squad and technical team can look forward to juicy bonuses amounting to a net R5-million if they win the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the Absa Cup — but joint coach Neil Tovey said on Tuesday attention at the Chloorkop club is currently focused on the silverware that goes with the PSL’s major titles.
Thousands of Romanians prepared on Wednesday to flee homes threatened by flood waters from the rising River Danube, as emergency crews desperately sought to reinforce damaged river dykes. Flood-water levels have broken 100-year records in several rivers across the Balkans this week.