On first examination, Hill E1 does not suggest that it could stir deep political passions. A barren knob of earth and rock, topped by stunted pines, it spreads out in steep ridges north of Road One from Jerusalem to Jericho. To the south is spread out the vast settlement block of Maale Adumim, overlooking the road; to the north, the land unfolds to the distant Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Mount Scopus and French Hill.
Tiger Woods plans to reduce his golfing schedule when he becomes a father so he can spend more time with his children, the 10-time major champion told the United States television show 60 Minutes. In an interview to be aired on Sunday, excerpts of which were posted on the show’s website, Woods tells Ed Bradley that fatherhood comes before golf feats and when wife Elin gives birth to his children he will put his family first.
Three more Sierra Leone athletes have gone missing at the Commonwealth Games, bringing to 14 the number that have vanished, sparking a furious response from the government in Freetown. Victoria state police said team officials had now filed 14 missing persons reports, meaning two-thirds of their 21-strong squad have absconded amid concerns that they will seek political asylum.
The Commonwealth Games were ending on Sunday much the way they started –tarnished by an unsavory event and a drug controversy that just won’t go away. While 19-year-old Canadian gymnast Alexandra Orlando won her record-equaling sixth gold medal and Australia increased its massive lead in the overall count, a Bangladeshi athlete was charged with indecent assault.
Stephen Gray reviews Antjie Krog’s new collection of poetry, a candid portrayal of the body beautiful — and not so beautiful.
Australia had the best of the second day of the second Castle Lager Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday although Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers fought back well in the last session of the day with a partnership of 130. At close of play, South Africa had 140 for two — still trailing Australia by 229 runs.
The Canterbury Crusaders endured an anxious mid-race pitstop in rugby union’s Super 14 on the weekend, sitting idle as New South Wales and Wellington passed them and the ACT Brumbies closed in on them from behind. The Brumbies’ thrilling 28-26 win over the Waikato Chiefs on Saturday, inspired by a man-of-the-match performance from captain Stirling Mortlock, helped them consolidate fourth place and move within four points of the Crusaders.
Michael Hussey and tail-ender Stuart Clark frustrated South Africa after lunch on the second day of the second Castle LagerTest at Kingsmead on Saturday, with a last wicket partnership of 42. Shaun Pollock got rid of Shane Warne, who had played a cameo innings, putting on 36 runs off just 31 balls, and sharing a 56-run eighth-wicket partnership with Hussey.
Fighting has broken out between the army and local militia in Ituri in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a military spokesperson said on Friday. ”Two stations held by our soldiers were attacked yesterday [Thursday] evening by a group of militia in Nyamavi and in Boguma,” said captain Charles Boeka, a spokesperson for the Central African country’s armed forces in Ituri.
Brian Lara’s battle against a form slump brightened an autumn gloom on the first day of the third cricket Test between New Zealand and the West Indies on Saturday. Only 27.2 overs were bowled on a day which started more than five hours late because of a saturated outfield and ended an hour early because of bad light, but the hour and 49 minutes that intervened belonged to Lara.