The world’s largest casino-resort, a gaudy mix of baccarat, shops and Venetian canals, opened this week, aiming to accelerate Macau’s heady transformation from gambling haven to Asia’s top entertainment draw. The $2,4-billion Venetian Macao resort, built on a spit of reclaimed land called the Cotai Strip, seeks to capitalise on the casino boom by getting the millions of visitors to stay for more than just a turn at the tables.
In May this year I went to St Helena to participate in its walking festival. St Helena is that tiny island in the middle of the vast South Atlantic which, even today, can be reached only by the last of the mailboats from Cape Town. Yet, who should be the first islander I strolled into, but King Dinuzulu’s granddaughter? There she was, striding along, writes Stephen Gray.
Right-wing Hindu nationalists on Monday accused Indian authorities of a "soft approach on terrorism" after twin weekend bomb blasts killed 42 people in the southern city of Hyderabad. A strike called by the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in protest at Saturday’s deadly explosions kept many people off work and shut schools.
Steve Stricker ended a six-year victory drought on Sunday with birdies on the last three holes to give him a two-stroke win over KJ Choi of South Korea at the Barclays Classic. Stricker (40) stood two over par for the day through the first 13 holes, but charged back with four birdies over the last five holes for a two-under-par 69 and a total of 16-under-par 268.
Grimm’s fairytales were more light-hearted — and probably more entertaining too — than the grim, goalless draw between Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows at a wind-swept Germiston Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United won their first game of the Premier League season on Sunday, with Nani scoring his debut goal in a 1-0 victory over Tottenham. Nani’s 68th-minute goal came after a frantic period of play where Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov had two shots saved.
AB de Villiers smashed a stylish century as South Africa beat a battling Zimbabwe by 28 runs in the third and final one-day international at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday to sweep the series 3-0. De Villiers, promoted up the order to replace the injured Loots Bosman, hit six sixes and eight fours off 89 balls as South Africa powered their way to 323-9 off their 50 overs.
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World Cup hosts France completed their warm-up campaign ahead of the start of next month’s showpiece tournament with an impressive 34-7 win against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday. In a lively match, France, who’ve yet to win the World Cup, outscored Wales by four tries to one.
An urgent meeting to discuss alleged irregularities around Parliament’s security will soon be convened by its speaker and the National Council of Provinces chairperson, South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news reported on Sunday. On Friday, media reports broke on an alleged corruption scandal involving Parliament’s multimillion-rand security system.
Firefighting planes took off at first light on Monday, targeting dozens of fires blazing across Greece, a day after a massive effort prevented the birthplace of the Olympics from being devastated by the flames. Sixty-three people have been killed by the country’s worst wildfires in living memory. New blazes broke out faster than others could be brought under control.