England’s forwards may have humiliated the Australian scrum at their last meeting, but they have a healthy respect for the Wallabies’ revamped pack under new coach John Connolly. England’s control at the scrum at Twickenham last November was so complete that Australia tighthead Al Baxter was sin-binned by French referee Joel Jutge for repeat offences.
Zimbabwe’s invitation to United Nations chief Kofi Annan to visit the country still stands, but may no longer be relevant, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Thursday. There has been some confusion over whether Annan is still expected in the Southern African country.
Foreign ministers from Asia and the Middle East have backed a proposal to create an "electronic university" by next year. Meanwhile, one of the poorest countries in Africa, Ethiopia, is spending a 10th of its gross domestic product each year on information technology.
A senior Ethiopian health official said on Thursday that there has been a marked increase in HIV/Aids infection among women in the country, with the prevalence rate among sexually active women now standing at 5%. ”Women are vulnerable to the HIV/Aids pandemic due to their low socio-economic status in Ethiopia,” Health Minister Dr Kebede Worku said.
![]()
England striker Peter Crouch says he wants to be more than a super-sub at the World Cup and is desperate to force his way into Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plans. The towering Liverpool forward appeared as a goal-scoring substitute during Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over Hungary, but admitted he was disappointed to be left out of the starting XI in the absence of Wayne Rooney.
He looked a bit like an unoiled crane trying to manoeuvre in high winds, but Peter Crouch’s unusual goal celebration in England’s World Cup warm-up game has apparently sparked a dance craze. The 2,04m Liverpool striker embarked on the jerky blend of body-popping, robotic dancing and moonwalking after scoring England’s second in the 3-1 win against Hungary on Tuesday.
Fighting between Islamic militia and a United States-backed warlord alliance subsided in the lawless Somali capital on Thursday, but tension remained high as the factions regrouped after deadly clashes. Stung by the loss on Wednesday of a key position in north-east Mogadishu, the alliance reinforced a base north of the city.
Top seed Roger Federer and Russian golden girl Maria Sharapova lifted the Paris gloom on Wednesday when they shrugged off the bitter cold and rain-choked skies to reach the French Open third round. And women’s top seed Amelie Mauresmo recovered from second set jitters before overpowering Russia’s Vera Dushevina of 6-1, 7-6 (7/5).
As France’s Jacques Chirac enters the final year of his presidency, a spoof documentary out this week looks set to become an instant hit with its caustic look at his 40-year rise to power. Dans la peau de Jacques Chirac, a 90-minute collage of archive clips irreverently narrated by a Chirac impersonator, screened to hoots of laughter in Paris on Wednesday.
Shares of the Bank of China rose more than 14% by midday on Thursday during their debut on Hong Kong’s stock market, with indications of strong demand from investors around the globe eager to tap into the country’s galloping economy. The bank raised ,7-billion in an initial public offering — the world’s biggest in six years — that valued the shares at HK,95 each.