Ethiopia’s main opposition parties said on Monday that preliminary talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi aimed at defusing tensions in the wake of controversial elections were cordial and fruitful. The talks focused on the opposition’s differences with the government over charges that the ruling EPRDF Party fraudulently won the country’s mid-May elections.
Nampak, Africa’s largest packaging company, is making positive progress towards the development of its permanent cartons manufacturing facility in Nigeria, with the plant scheduled to open at the end of next year. A temporary installation is
already up and running.
South Africa’s men and women’s hockey teams won easily on Sunday on day two of the African Cup of Nations hockey tournament at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria. The women crushed Namibia 9-0, with Western Province’s Kate Hector scoring a fine hat-trick.
Chelsea kept their Premier League record perfect with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday on goals from Frank Lampard, Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Geremi. Also on Sunday, it was: Manchester City 2, Everton 0; Wigan 2, Bolton 1; Arsenal 1, Birmingham 0; and Aston Villa 2, Middlesbrough 3.
KJ Choi and Shigeki Maruyama became the first Asian-born players to enjoy a 1-2 finish on the United States PGA Tour by coming out on top at the Greensboro Chrysler Classic on Sunday. South Korea’s Choi became one of just four Asian-born players who have captured the US PGA event.
Former All Blacks coach John Mitchell has denied suggestions by former skipper Anton Oliver that Mitchell promoted a booze culture in the team. Binge drinking was part of the All Blacks culture until recently, Oliver said in newspaper excerpts from a biography due to be released this week.
A United States soldier convicted of abusing Iraqi prisoners said, in remarks made public late on Sunday, she knew of ”worse things” happening at Abu Ghraib and insisted military commanders were fully aware of what was going on in Iraq’s infamous jail.
The likes of Brian Lara, Andrew Flintoff, India pair Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and South Africans Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock are joining forces in a World XI combination that are aiming to beat the Australians at home. The Australians are ”most definitely” vulnerable, Lara said on Monday.
Popular boy band Westlife are set to join a host of other international and local artists in a charity concert in Johannesburg next month. Westlife will perform together with Christina Aguilera, Diana Ross and violinist Lucia Micarelli at the Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, on November 4.
Improved food safety would help to reduce the 2 000 deaths estimated to occur every day in Africa from food and waterborne diseases, two United Nations agencies said on Monday. ”Food-borne diseases are a serious threat, especially for Africans already weakened from devastating conditions such as malaria and HIV/Aids,” said the agencies.