The Springbok rugby team to tour Australasia for the away leg in this year’s Tri-Nations series suffered a blow on Monday when utility forward AJ Venter announced his retirement from international rugby. His retirement also means he will also miss out on a possible World Cup place with the Springboks.
Two apartheid-era police bosses will know on Tuesday when they will stand trial for the alleged poisoning of Reverend Frank Chikane. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it was ready to prosecute former minister of police Adriaan Vlok and ex-police chief Johann van der Merwe.
A charter plane carrying 22 people between two popular Cambodian tourist destinations crashed on Monday in a mountainous region in the south of the country, aviation officials said. The Russian-made AN-24 left the Angkor temple town of Siem Reap at about 10am local time and vanished off radar screens 37 minutes later.
An Israeli soldier captured a year ago by militants from Gaza asked for medical treatment and urged Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, in an audio tape posted on the internet on Monday. Except for a handwritten letter to his parents in September, there had been no sign of life from Gilad Shalit since he was spirited into the Gaza Strip on June 25 2006.
Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan claimed his 58th five-wicket haul as Sri Lanka overpowered Bangladesh on the opening day of the first cricket Test in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Monday. The wily off-spinner grabbed 5-15 runs as Bangladesh, sent in to bat in overcast conditions, were shot out for their third lowest total of 89 in 32.3 overs in the post-lunch session.
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and the Young Communist League (YCL) have expressed their support for the television-rights deal between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and SuperSport. ”It is a reasonable deal that will benefit soccer, the players and clubs for the improvement of the game,” ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula said on Monday.
The petrol price may drop by 10 cents a litre in July, economists said on Monday. Absa Capital economic strategist Chris Hart said the drop could be attributed to a more stable rand and an easier international oil price. ”The petrol price is likely to drop by roughly ten cents a litre,” he said. However, the possible drop in oil prices should not be celebrated too soon.
A national antenatal survey for 2006 has shown a decrease in the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women visiting public health facilities, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Monday.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged world powers on Monday to take a tough line with Sudan if it balks at efforts to end bloodshed in Darfur, and argued that ignoring the situation was tantamount to complicity. ”Silence kills,” Sarkozy told ministers from 20 nations taking part in a one-day meeting in Paris to shore up the peace process in Darfur.
A national warning was issued by the South African Weather Service on Monday morning with regards to a strong cold front affecting the country this week. Already prevalent in the south-western Cape, the cold, windy conditions are expected to sweep across the central interior of the country on Tuesday.