Australia rejected on Thursday a plan to let big-game hunters shoot crocodiles in the country’s tropical north, despite calls for a cull after three men were killed by the giant reptiles and a 10-year-old girl was attacked. Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to 7m long and weigh more than a tonne, have been protected since the early 1970s.
The world team must bat patiently and build more partnerships if they are to keep the one-day Super Series alive, New Zealander Daniel Vettori said in Melbourne on Thursday. Australia crushed the cream of world cricket to claim the opening match by 93 runs on Wednesday and can take the series with victory in Friday’s second game.
The British government has told Airbus that it is ready to provide repayable aid to support the launch of the A350, the long-range aircraft at the forefront of an Euopean Union-United States civil aviation subsidy row, the <i>Financial Times</i> said on Thursday.
There is enough rugby potential in England for the national side to mount a successful defence of its World Cup in 2007, former skipper Lawrence Dallaglio said on Wednesday. Dallaglio is yet to officially come out of England retirement, but his desire to pull on an English jersey burns strongly once again.
With nothing but pride at stake for his team in the Currie Cup, Sharks coach Dick Muir has left out his Springbok pair of John Smit and Percy Montgomery for the return clash against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday. In the first round, it was the Cheetahs who halted the Sharks’ progress with a 29-18 victory in Durban.
The soccer gods in Olympus, if indeed they exist on this lofty perch, on Wednesday appeared to provide a bitterly ironical twist to the much-debated appearance of Shaun Bartlett, Bafana Bafana’s most-capped player and top scorer, in the crunch African Nations Cup qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday.
Michelle Wie, a Koren-American schoolgirl whose power has stunned golf rivals twice her age, turned professional in Hawaii on Wednesday, six days shy of her 16th birthday. ”From the first time I grabbed a golf club, I knew I would do it for the rest of my life and I loved it,” Wie said. ”Twelve years later, I’m turning pro and I’m so excited.”
A new video-enabled iPod is expected to be unveiled by Apple Computer during a press conference next week — though the maverick company is masterful at foiling such predictions. Apple e-mailed invitations that included the words ”One more thing …” printed over a background photo that appears to depict theatre curtains.
European governments have agreed to withhold funding commitments for a new Airbus plane set to be launched on Thursday while negotiations continue to resolve their aircraft subsidies dispute with the United States. ”The deployment of possible aid will not be immediate,” French Minister of Transport Dominique Perben said.
Tropical Storm Stan only briefly reached hurricane strength but by Thursday killed at least 160 people as it roared across Mexico and Central America. Forecasters warn the remnants of Stan can still produce heavy rains and trigger severe flooding and landslides. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Tammy is bringing rain to Florida.