Italian football is in meltdown with the World Cup less than a month away. Four Serie A clubs stand accused of match-fixing, a referee and his assistants have been pulled off the World Cup list while being investigated for corruption, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon may also miss the tournament as a result of a betting scandal, and the national organising body is in administration.
Makhaya Ntini bowls extremely quickly. Stand behind the batsman at any practice session, and one realises anew that the fan or even the competent amateur player hasn’t the faintest idea of just how quick a real fast bowler is. Even five yards back, protected by Jacques Kallis’s bat, there is a moment of terrified glee.
London doesn’t take kindly to defeat. And Londoners certainly don’t take kindly to referees who repeatedly sin against their clubs. Arsenal’s brave but ultimately fruitless 2-1 failure against Barcelona in Paris in the Champions League final on Wednesday night will be picked apart for weeks to come.
Three policemen, a reservist and another man were arrested this week for dealing in ammunition without a licence, police said on Friday. A police reservist, Inspector Craig Brendon Sacke (31) and 33-year-old Stephen Grippa were arrested on Monday, said Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sue Van der Merwe has concluded discussions about economic co-operation with her Iranian counterpart. Sheikhattar Alireza, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Cooperation, is in South Africa for a working group meeting, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said in a statement on Friday.
Pension fund trustees from seven states and New York City demanded to meet with Exxon Mobil’s independent directors to discuss what they called the oil company’s failure to consider how concern over global warming could affect energy companies.
Thierry Henry has decided to stay at Arsenal and is expected to sign a new four-year contract with the north London football club on Friday, Britain’s Sun newspaper said. ”I hope to stay as long as I can keep running,” the tabloid quoted the club’s 28-year-old captain as saying.
After being up over 1% at one stage, the JSE was well off its highs just before noon on Friday due to selective offshore selling of heavyweight stocks. Volumes were fairly light, which contributed to the market’s volatility. By 11.55am, the all share index was up 0,25%.
Cape Town newspaper The Daily Voice must apologise for having used pictures of the naked bodies of slain actor Brett Goldin and fashion designer Richard Bloom, media reports said on Thursday. The press ombudsman had reprimanded the paper and ordered it to publish an apology prominently on the front page.
A new report released on Thursday disputes scientists’ claims that bones of a dwarf human discovered on an Indonesian island are those of an entirely new human species. The 18 000-year-old bones found on Flores Island in 2003 were given the scientific name Homo floresiensis, and the nickname ”Hobbit” after the diminutive figures in JRR Tolkien’s novel.