Judging by recent key appointments to the South African Broadcasting Corporation, it is inevitable that Peter Matlare’s successor will be drawn from within the ranks of the African National Congress. Three people are said to be in the running: Nkenke Kekana, Mandla Langa and Snuki Zikalala.

The chief United Nations election official in Iraq said on Thursday that elections could still be held next week despite the torrent of violence that has shaken the country. There had been an ”intense campaign of intimidation” against Iraqi election officials, said Carlos Valenzuela, a Colombian who has helped to run 14 elections in other parts of the world.

With more than two million pilgrims from around the world gathered for the annual hajj in Mecca, Saudi leaders seized the opportunity on Thursday to claim that militants were using ”misguided and void” interpretations of Islam to justify violence.

When Omar Henry was in charge of South Africa’s cricket selectors, he was fond of proclaiming that ”we’re building for the 2007 World Cup”. His successor, Haroon Lorgat, is a little more cautious. Long-term goals are all very well, but the United Cricket Board, not to mention the captain, the coach and the public at large, tend to measure success and failure by the here and now.

Costco has a reputation for stacking ’em high and selling ’em cheap. From toilet rolls to bread rolls, the warehouse store has built its reputation on providing its customers with the basics of modern life at rock-bottom prices. But on Wednesday the United States company, which has branches in Britain, did something to shake off its utilitarian image: it sold an original Picasso drawing for  999.