Israel’s military intelligence chief on Friday blamed al-Qaeda for the hotel bombings that killed at least 30 people, mostly Israeli tourists and Egyptian workers, in Sinai. An emergency session of Ariel Sharon’s Cabinet was told that the main attack, a car bomb, bore all the hallmarks of groups linked to al-Qaeda.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Africa&ao=123413">’I saw parts of bodies, some fingers'</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?cg=BreakingNews-InternationalNews&ao=123378">Al-Qaeda offshoot claims blasts</a>
The Lions provisionally booked a home semifinal berth with a hard-fought 44-27 Absa Currie Cup victory over the never-say-die Pumas in Witbank on Friday night.
The six-tries-to-three win gave the Lions a valuable bonus point and took them to second spot on the log with 45 points, but it seems they will need a minor miracle to hold on to that position.
A last-minute try and conversion by Blue Bulls flyhalf Morne Steyn secured a dramatic 36-36 draw against Western Province (WP) in a pulsating Absa Currie Cup clash at Loftus on Saturday evening. WP produced some of the most scintillating running rugby seen in ages to run in five awesome tries — all by the backs.
The Highveld Lions’s potent bowling attack cut Mercedes Benz Warriors to shreds at Sedgars Park in Potchefstroom on Friday, leaving the visiting team on 134 for seven, still 92 runs short of avoiding the follow-on. The Lions were outstanding in the field, as they devastated a talented Warriors batting line-up with steady and straight bowling.
Eastern Province captain Grant Howell struck some lusty blows to take his team to an inspired five-wicket victory over Border in the annual Mercedes-Benz Challenge cricket match at Mercedes-Benz Park in East London on Friday.
Coming in with just on six overs remaining and with 39 runs to win, he blazed away.
In a Currie Cup first-division rugby match played hard until the final whistle, the Border Bulldogs outscored the Boland Cavaliers 24-19 in East London at the Absa Stadium on Friday night. The win was sweet revenge for the Bulldogs, who lost heavily to Boland in their first encounter in Boland.
In a complete turnaround in fortunes, the Nashua KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins — with all-rounder Shaun Pollock playing a major role with bat and ball — had Western Province Boland doing well in the first two sessions of the third day of their Supersport Series cricket match at the Sahara Stadium in Kingsmead on Saturday.
The Leopards ran in seven tries in their convincing Currie Cup victory at North West Stadium in Welkom after leading 20-7 against the Griffons at half-time. Eighth man Jonathon Mokoena was a powerhouse in the loose and scored twice. Ryno Hendriks was the best backline player for the visitors.
David Beckham celebrated his return to Old Trafford with one of his finest goals in an England shirt as Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side imperiously brushed Wales aside with a composed 2-0 win in Manchester on Saturday. England never gave the slightest indication of losing control of the first meeting between the two neighbours in 20 years.
Rockets rained on Afghan cities and military posts and a huge truck bomb was seized as the war-weary nation prepared for Saturday’s presidential elections. The embassy district in the capital, Kabul, was among the targets as more than two dozen rockets were fired around the country in a 24-hour period, a spokesman for the United States-led coalition said.