A six-year-old New Zealand racehorse named Rain, Hail or Shine died in its paddock on Wednesday after being struck by lightning, its trainer said. Ralph Manning, who trained the horse to two wins and five placings from 24 starts, said he found the horse dead after a thunderstorm.
Queensland Reds and Wallabies fullback Chris Latham has won his fourth Australian Super 12 player of the year award despite his team’s dismal performance in the competition. Latham polled 11 votes to win the award, decided by match referees, one vote ahead of Brumbies flanker George Smith.
Arsenal vice-chairperson David Dein may believe that the Premiership runners-up can return to a businesslike relationship with the team who deposed them as champions, Chelsea, but that is certainly not the line coming out of their London rivals. Arsenal and Chelsea must sit down together at the two-day Premiership conference on Thursday.
Leading industrial countries should look at the positive examples elsewhere in Africa and not concentrate solely on the crisis in Zimbabwe, British high commissioner designate to South Africa Paul Boateng told the World Economic Forum’s Africa Economic Summit in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Based on a World Economic Forum (WEF) study of 1Â 552 African-based companies presented at the Africa Economic Summit in Cape Town on Thursday, South African companies appear to be leading the way in the response to HIV/Aids, with up to 91% having an HIV/Aids policy in place, the WEF said in a statement.
With Africa expecting $25-billion by 2010 if the Commission for Africa’s recommendations are implemented, Tanzania’s President Benjamin Mkapa said each country should be assessed individually to see if previous aid was misused. Mkapa was part of a panel that spoke on how aid can be allocated and used effectively.
South Africa’s fixed-line monopoly Telkom will, with effect from August 1, cut ADSL and data prices — with the entry-level internet access product down to R270 per month, the dual-listed telecommunications group announced on Thursday. The company said this form part of its plan to reduce the cost of speedy internet service.
Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els headline the field for the PGA Tour’s Memorial, where many in the star-studded cast will already have one eye on the upcoming US Open. Phil Mickelson decided to skip the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial to practise at the US Open venue of Pinehurst.
Built like a boxer rather than a tennis player, Rafael Nadal is listed at 74kg in the annual ATP Tour media guide but actually weighs nearly 86kg. Just a growing boy, the Mallorcan says his muscular physique isn’t the result of any secret Mediterranean diet.
United States actor Wesley Snipes was allegedly held briefly at the Johannesburg International airport on Wednesday night due to problems with his passport. Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Leslie Mashokwe confirmed that Snipes was ”interviewed” at the airport.