A black-clad choir, many with tears streaming down their cheeks, sang a mournful song of peace on Saturday at the start of the funeral of southern leader and first vice-president John Garang de Mabior, who was killed last week in a helicopter crash. Several heads of state were in the audience.
The Sharks produced one of their finest second-half displays in years to defeat the Currie Cup champion Blue Bulls 18-14 at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night. The Griffons received a beating in their last qualifying Currie Cup match in the North West stadium on Friday night when they were thrashed 43-0 by the Free State Cheetahs.
Chelsea and Arsenal kick off the new English season on Sunday locked in a familiar war of words over spending power and with lingering bitterness over the Ashley Cole affair still splitting the London rivals. The Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium used to be known as the Charity Shield.
Coach Jose Mourinho has backed Peter Kenyon after the Chelsea chief executive’s comments that the club would comfortably defend their Premiership title this season. Kenyon was accused of arrogance after he said that the wealthy London side had no realistic rivals for the title.
Colin Montgomerie has not given up hope of competing in next week’s United States PGA championships despite sustaining a hand injury that forced him to withdraw from the Johnnie Walker tournament at Gleneagles. The big Scot bruised three fingers in hitting what he called ”one of the worst shots I’ve ever hit”.
Three-time world champion John Godina of the United States failed to make the final of the shot put at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday, and Justin Gatlin confidently started his quest to add the world title to his 100m Olympic gold. The Americans had been hoping for a sweep of medals later on Saturday.
A British plane carrying a robotic underwater vehicle arrived on Saturday as part of an international effort to help rescue seven people trapped aboard a Russian mini-submarine off the Pacific coast. Captain Igor Dygalo said the Super Scorpio was being unloaded for transport to the area where the submarine has been trapped since Thursday.
The United States justice department has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that DaimlerChrysler-owned Mercedes paid bribes to foreign officials. The investigation was sparked by a former Chrysler accountant, who has alleged in a lawsuit that the German carmaker kept secret bank accounts to bribe officials in Africa and Latin America.
Ethiopia will hold rerun voting in 14 additional constituencies where fraud and irregularities occurred in disputed May elections, bringing to 29 out of 523 the number of precincts where repeat polls will be held. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia said on Friday the decision was made after reviewing fraud complaints from 69 of 74 constituencies where results have yet to be released.
Zimbabwe has not been informed of a visit next week by a United States ambassador to examine the humanitarian situation in the Southern African country. Secretary for foreign affairs Joey Bimha said he would have to verify whether ambassador Tony Hall had been granted a visa.