Iraqi kidnappers on Saturday night paraded an American before television cameras, threatening to kill him unless United States forces lifted the siege of Falluja. Thomas Hamill had earlier been taken prisoner and driven off in a car by masked insurgents, adding a new twist to the growing crisis over foreign hostages in Iraq.
‘We have to fight to a safe haven’
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Ten years after South Africa turned its back on apartheid with its first fully democratic elections, the country returns to the polls this week for elections that are certain to sweep President Thabo Mbeki and the African National Congress back into power.
Special Report: Elections 2004
South African teams won three of their four matches and two sides – the Sharks and Stormers — nestled into strong playoff positions in weekend matches in rugby’s Super 12 tournament. At Durban on Saturday, the Sharks picked up their first victory over New Zealand’s Canterbury Crusaders, a 29-25 decision at Kings Park.
Ariel Sharon struggled this week to garner support for his proposal that Israel unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli prime minister is expected to put his ”disengagement” plan to a vote of Likud party members next month, but it appeared to many that ”Mr Sharon is not convinced his plan will win approval,” reported Haaretz.
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The ruling African National Congress (ANC) will win ”decisive” support in next week’s general elections, South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday, adding a ”great mood of optimism about the future” had swept the country.
Special Report: Elections 2004
French President Jacques Chirac sent a message of congratulations on Friday to his newly re-elected Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika, promising France’s support for future economic and social reforms. Chirac’s message of support was echoed by the leaders of Morocco and Tunisia, two of Algeria’s neighbours in north Africa, as well as by Jordan.
Nasa scientists are preparing the coolest, strangest and most sensitive experiment ever launched, to answer a question that has teased physicists for 88 years — does the Earth really twist space into a kink as it spins?
For years his films have been revered as painful explorations of the human psyche, imitated by directors from Woody Allen to Wes Craven, and parodied mercilessly for their sepulchral tone. Now even Ingmar Bergman has admitted that watching his notoriously bleak movies — which earned him the nickname ”the gloomy Swede” — makes him miserable.
The last message Mike Bloss sent from Iraq was earnest but optimistic. The ex-paratrooper and the electrical engineers he was guarding were surrounded by gunmen. Escape seemed improbable. And yet the Welsh security guard sounded confident that he could shoot a way out.
US troops recapture central Iraq town
Chaos, killing and kidnap
Zimbabwean miner Marco Mambo ran a superbly-judged race to win the Old Mutual Two Oceans 56km ultra race in 3hrs 07min 40sec — the fourth fastest in the race’s history — in wet conditions around the Cape Peninsula on Saturday.