Avi Yehudai’s white Fiat Punto is splattered with shrapnel and his daughter’s bedroom has been destroyed. Cracks are visible in the walls of his house and its front needs rebuilding. His house, situated among the manicured streets of the Israeli town of Sderot, was hit recently by a Qassam rocket, fired from the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun, 5km away. Fortunately the house was empty.
Malawi’s High Court this week sentenced a senior civil servant to six years’ imprisonment for corruption. Former Petroleum Control Commission general manager Dennis Spax Kambalame was found guilty of taking a 000 kickback from a British-based company, Hamble Energy.
President Thabo Mbeki and Deputy President Jacob Zuma knew this week’s Great Lakes Summit in Dar es Salaam would give them a headache. Nights of sleepless negotiations with a backsliding Tutsi minority take more than a couple of aspirins can mend. Last week’s outbreak of violence in Burundi has thrown a curve ball at talks in Tanzania and threatens a resurgence of terrorism in the region.
The twinkling shine of the Olympics came in a different form for Llewellyn Herbert who got engaged to Pretoria model Letitia Roets at the home of Greek ambassador Jannie Momberg at a private party in Athens on Thursday night. ”Now I’m relaxed, smiling and happy,” said Herbert after placing a diamond ring on the finger of Roets.
Right now Springbok coach Jake White is probably cursing the vagaries of a fixture list that has taken the deciding match of the 2004 Tri-Nations to Durban. That is because in 1998 — the only time South Africa won the tournament — the conclusive contest was at Ellis Park.
Roland Schoeman, riding the medal wave at the Athens Olympics, continued to make a strong impact on swimming competition at the Aquatic Centre on Thursday night. Though the men’s hockey and women’s beach-volleyball teams lost, South Africa’s Olympic sailor, Gareth Blanckenberg, moved up in his event.
Venezuela’s presidential recall referendum last Sunday is one event among many in what has been a turbulent period for this oil-rich country. This recall vote signalled, at least, a departure from the illegality of the past attempts at change. Whether it ushers in a period of peace, prosperity and democracy for the country remains to be seen.
Ashley Cole, in his most vulnerable moments, used to wonder how he could play with such freedom for Arsenal, then feel as if he had pulled on a straitjacket every time he wore an England shirt. He would return from international matches wondering where his confidence had gone and whether he would ever be able to put it right.
Winning is not everything, Bill Shankly once said; it’s the only thing. Thus will Real Madrid, for which above all or anyone else victory is paramount, be unhappy about winning one and losing one. Thus Michael Owen prepares for life at the Bernabeu, but Patrick Vieira, somewhat surprisingly, remains at Arsenal.
United States swimming sensation Michael Phelps won his fourth gold medal of the Athens Olympics as a doping scandal escalated in the troubled weightlifting competition on Thursday. Meanwhile, the track and field athletes were preparing for the first main day of competition on Friday.
Special Report: Olympics 2004