New Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on Monday hailed the arrival of striker Mateja Kezman at the club after the Serbian’s move from PSV Eindhoven was sealed with the approval of a work permit. Kezman (25), rated as one of the top strikers in Europe, agreed to move to Stamford Bridge last week.
Injuries and falls have yet to stop Tyler Hamilton. Having survived another crash in this year’s Tour de France, the American rider is ready to make his move. ”The tour starts now,” the Phonak rider told reporters on Monday, during a rest day in Limoges. ”I’m still in contention, so I have to be pleased with that.”
The host province, the Mpumalanga Pumas and Free State were the winners among the ”A” league provinces on the first day of the Coca-Cola Craven Week in Nelspruit on Monday. The Pumas met Eastern Province in the final game of the day and the two sides turned it on to produce a spectacle of running rugby.
All Blacks flanker Richie McCaw seems a doubtful starter ahead of Saturday’s Tri-Nations test against Australia after complaining that his headaches have returned. Flyer Doug Howlett has, however, recovered from injury and looks set to resume his scoring partnership with fellow winger Joe Rokocoko.
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The trial of four Zimbabwean newspaper directors charged with illegally publishing the country’s only independent newspaper, the Daily News, resumed on Monday in Harare. The defence has asked that the charges against the four, who face fines or up to two years in jail, be dropped.
A large number of awaiting-trial prisoners escaped from the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, hours after a Democratic Party MP pledged to challenge Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula to explain the reason for the large number of suspects escaping from police custody.
Beleaguered Russian oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky has offered to relinquish his stake in oil giant Yukos to pay off its tax debts. Khodorkovsky made the offer on the first day of his trial for fraud and tax evasion. Khodorkovsky faces up to ten years in prison should he be convicted.
South Africa’s top Catholic bishop said on Monday he cannot understand why the South African government is not considering sanctions against neighbouring Zimbabwe, given the success that sanctions brought for South Africa. ”What further suffering will sanctions bring to the people of Zimbabwe?” the bishop asked, pointing out that he is not calling directly for sanctions against Zimbabwe.
A Chinese man has handed himself over to Port Elizabeth police following one of the biggest illegal perlemoen busts in the Eastern Cape. Police on Friday raided a smallholding and recovered more than a ton of perlemoen as well as equipment used to process the shellfish for illegal export. Three people were arrested.