The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) is embarking on an ambitious programme to improve the health, education and nutrition of vulnerable children in Zimbabwe, where one child dies of HIV/Aids and another is orphaned every 20 minutes. Unicef said it had received a British donation of £22-million (,4-million) to help children facing some of the worst hardships anywhere in the world.
In describing Islam to others, some Muslim scholars use the analogy of a walnut. The practical, ritual and legal dimensions of the Islamic faith are likened to the outer shell. Inside this shell one finds the animating spiritual core, also known as the Sufi path, which is signified by the inner kernel.
”In the midst of what we euphemistically call the ‘cartoon saga’ (which in fact felt like a ‘cartoon nightmare’ to me), I was very happy to live in a secular state with a Constitution enshrining not only freedom of expression, but women’s rights too,” writes the editor of the Mail & Guardian, Ferial Haffajee.
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A superb 97 by AB de Villiers brought South Africa back into the game on the third day of the first Castle Lager Test against New Zealand at Supersport Park on Monday. At stumps, South Africa had 280 for nine, and an overall lead of 229 runs. South Africa had a disastrous start to their second innings, losing three wickets before they had wiped out their 51 run first innings deficit.
Nine people were killed and dozens wounded in Israel’s commercial capital Tel Aviv on Monday when a Palestinian bomber blew himself up in the deadliest suicide attack of the last 20 months. The blast took place hours before the swearing in of the new Israeli Parliament and prompted a pledge by prime minister designate Ehud Olmert that its perpetrators would not go unpunished.
South African coach Mickey Arthur described the second day of the first Castle Lager Test against New Zealand at Supersport Park on Sunday as a mixed day, after South Africa had the visitors on the ropes on 89 for six, and then were unable to prevent them taking a first innings lead of 51.
The Canterbury Crusaders stamped their authority on the Super 14 rugby competition with a record breaking 16th straight win as a bottleneck of teams just outside the top four found themselves running out of time to cement a semifinal spot.
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti says he knows everything about FC Barcelona, his team’s opponent in the semifinals of the Champions League. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is just happy to be playing Villarreal this late in the tournament. Six-time champion Milan hosts 1992 winner Barcelona in the first leg of the semifinals on Tuesday, and Arsenal hosts Villarreal on Wednesday.
Roger Federer admits he would have preferred a more low-key way to start his clay court season, but remains content to take his chances as top seed at the high-profile Monte Carlo Masters Series tournament starting on Monday. ”Here I’m a favourite, but the draws are tough and you have to back it up every other day, ” said the seven-time Grand Slam winner.