A report into the Virginia Tech campus shootings in which 33 people died, including the killer who shot himself, has criticised the university for its tardy response and for failing to pick up warning signs regarding the gunman’s mental health.
The United Nations reported on Monday that there had been a ”frightening” explosion in opium production in Afghanistan with Helmand province, where Britain has 7 000 troops deployed, leading the way. A record crop means that the country now accounts for 93% of the world’s supply and the situation is getting worse daily despite billions being spent to eradicate the trade since 2001.
Club rugby in the northern hemisphere has long been derided as the poor cousin in world rugby. But the post-World Cup exodus of a raft of top-flight internationals from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will help confound that long-standing belief.
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Jonny Wilkinson, in the Hollywood film of his life, would have kicked that World Cup-winning drop-goal against Australia and promptly announced his retirement. After all, how could he top that? But as the England flyhalf has discovered during the last four years, life isn’t always like they tell you it is in the movies.
Sri Lanka’s prolific spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was on Thursday ruled out of the inaugural World Twenty20 Championships next month due to an elbow injury. ”Murali is affected by an elbow injury and he will be out for four to six weeks,” Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan said.
When Germany’s women played their first international soccer game 25 years ago, school kids were bussed in to fill the stands and the public was at best bemused by the sight. Nobody is laughing now. Germany are the reigning world champions, the games are broadcast live on national television, the stadiums are full and the women command as much respect as their male colleagues.
The JSE remained firm at midday on Thursday, with platinum miners a feature following strong results from Impala Platinum earlier in the day. A 2% gain on Wall Street overnight and generally firm global bourses were also helping. By noon, the all-share index was 0,82% higher. Resources were 0,75% better and the gold-mining index advanced 0,90%.
Slavia Prague reached the Champions League group stages for the first time on Wednesday after a 3-1 aggregate victory knocked out Ajax Amsterdam. Belgian titleholders Anderlecht also succumbed in the third qualifying round, losing 2-0 at home to Fenerbahce amid violent crowd scenes.
Rafael Nadal struggled on a sore left knee past unheralded Australian Alun Jones on Wednesday to reach the second round of the US Open, but his bid for a third Grand Slam final in a row appears doomed. Severe tendinitis slowed the second-ranked Spaniard, who escaped with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory after two hours and 44 minutes over a 123rd-ranked wild card.
Growth in demand for credit from South Africa’s private sector slowed to 23,13% year-on-year in July, but money supply rose above forecasts, official data showed on Thursday. The Reserve Bank said credit expansion slowed from a revised 24,99% in June, but the broadly defined M3 measure of money supply grew 24,46%.