"I know I’m starting off yet another column by referring to Zimbabwe, but watching the meltdown occurring there is a bit like watching an armless, legless mutant woman giving birth to a flipper child on a rubbish heap — yes, it’s disgusting, but damn, you gotta look. You just can’t resist looking." Besides taking a look at Zimbabwe’s current political situation, Ian Fraser turns his eye to other interesting things online.
No job in journalism is more difficult or more satisfying than war reporting. In a war zone, reporters have to deal with people who regard killing as just another part of the day, they have to get the story right and then deliver it on deadline in places where just stepping outside can be fatal. But war reporting has a terrible downside. It can kill you.
Is marriage a union for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, ’till death the wedded part? Evidently not, especially when it comes to parting and riches. Rare is the divorcee willing to come out of a relationship poorer than a good lawyer believes is necessary. Consider Karen Parlour, who is seeking a substantial increase in the maintenance paid by her former husband Ray, the Arsenal footballer.
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry seeks to ensure that all South Africans have equitable access to a safe and reliable water supply. As we eradicate the water supply backlog, we will focus not only on the quality of water from the tap, but also on whether the services are reliable. A recent HSRC survey shows that water supply is cut for many reasons and most often not for non-payment.
"A few months ago I moved house — that was the easy part. I wanted to transfer my landline, but according to Telkom this was not possible as I was moving from one suburb to another and so would have to apply for a new line and number. I realise how naive I was to assume I would have a phone in the week or two promised," writes Tendayi Gwata.
French fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo blew hot and cold as she disposed of Argentina’s Paolo Suarez 6-0, 5-7, 6-1 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday. Mauresmo will play top seed and defending champion Serena Williams for a place in the final.
At least one of the semifinals of Euro 2004 is likely to come down to a gut-wrenching penalty shootout. Two of this year’s quarterfinals have already gone to penalties when 120 minutes of play proved insufficient to separate England and Portugal and The Netherlands and Sweden.
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, declaring ”I’m a fool but I’m glad to be back,” confirmed on Tuesday that he will fight England’s Danny Williams in a comeback bout on July 30. The bout will be the first of seven Tyson must fight over the next three years to clear -million in debts.
Tottenham are reported to be set to make a double bid for Chelsea midfield pair Geremi and Joe Cole. The new management team at Spurs, headed by coach Jacques Santini and director of football Frank Arnesen, is keen to secure new talent, The Guardian newspaper reports.
Stand-in Australian skipper Adam Gilchrist has urged his teammates to be patient batting against young Sri Lankan firebrand Lasith Malinga in Thursday’s opening cricket Test in Darwin. The 20-year-old surged into Test reckoning in the lead-up tour match against the Northern Territory Chief Minister’s XI in Darwin last weekend.