Former world number one Serena Williams’s march towards reclaiming her US Open title began in stunning fashion on Monday when she overpowered Sandra Kleinova 6-1, 6-3 in a first-round match. Men’s top seed Roger Federer hammered out a 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 win over Spain’s Albert Costa.
England coach Clive Woodward has stunned the rugby and football establishment after it was reported he is looking to walk away from rugby to become a football coach. According to the Daily Mail, Woodward is hoping to gain a foothold in the English football scene so that he can one day lead the national team.
Sanath Jayasuriya top-scored with 79 runs and captured three wickets on Tuesday as Sri Lanka trounced South Africa by 49 runs in the final one-day international despite a fighting century from Jacques Kallis. Sri Lanka swept the series 5-0. Batting first, Sri Lanka amassed 308 runs, losing eight wickets in 50 overs.
League champions Kaizer Chiefs have completed the registration of their players for the season by finalising a deal with another hot, Zambian striker, Songwe ”Tshawe” Chalwe — thereby beating the player registration deadline on Tuesday.
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They lived in the same apartment, worked in the same market and — possibly — died within moments of each other on separate airliners that crashed in Russia last week. New details emerged on Monday about the two Chechen women who are the focus of suspicions that the planes were blown up by terrorists. But questions also arose.
After three weeks of bloody conflict in Najaf, fresh fighting in Baghdad’s Sadr City suburb and a death toll creeping into the high hundreds have tarnished the reputation of radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr among many Iraqis, even though anti-United States feelings still run high.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip evacuated at the same time, instead of in three stages, officials said on Monday, reflecting a major shift in position. On Monday, Sharon and Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz presented the new plan to the Security Cabinet, a forum of senior ministers.
Rare and endangered cycad plants, often referred to as living fossils, are being stolen in South Africa at an alarming rate, with at least two species from Limpopo province having disappeared completely. According to the National Botanical Institute, the country’s botanical gardens are also being targeted by cycad poachers.
Preparations are under way for the estimated 10Â 000 people expected to descend on Pretoria on Tuesday in celebration of the 1956 Women’s Day march. Tshwane metro police said on Monday large parts of the city around the Union Buildings will be closed from early on Tuesday morning to facilitate the crowds.