”The only South African representation at the Soccer World Cup will be the street-football team in the [Streetfootball] World Cup,” said Klemens Hubert, South African director of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). An invitation to participate in the first-ever Streetfootball World Cup was extended to the Gauteng North Sport Council (GNSC) last month, in collaboration with GTZ.
A defiant Iran vowed on Wednesday that nothing could halt its controversial nuclear programme, in a direct challenge to the United Nations Security Council that could risk international sanctions. With the country basking in national pride after scientists successfully enriched uranium to make nuclear fuel, officials pledged to move rapidly to industrial-scale work.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will oppose a high court bid to overturn her decision on alleged sex-pest ambassador Norman Mashabane, her spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said. He was responding to the Public Servants’ Association (PSA), which said it had received notice from the state attorney that both the minister and Mashabane were withdrawing their opposition.
Protesters were shot at with rubber bullets and arrested at South Africa’s Matsamo border with Swaziland on Wednesday in demonstrations against the kingdom’s leadership, Mpumalanga police said. Initially the marchers were peaceful but then they started to blockade the roads, said Superintendent Mtsholi Bhembe. Police told them their march certificate only entitled them to picket and they cleared the road.
Obscured by the tragi-salacious detail of the Jacob Zuma rape trial are deeper reasons as to why this story is powerful far beyond the accused as potential president. The event reflects an underlying narrative about the contemporary conduct of South African politics and it also speaks to us about much broader sex and power issues.
Italy nursed a post-election hangover on Wednesday, distressed that centre-left leader Romano Prodi failed to pull off a more emphatic victory and irritated by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s refusal to go quietly. Giancarlo Traverso, an activist for the centre-left Union coalition, said that their camp was ”convinced” that Prodi would be declared the winner in the end.
Skipper Ricky Ponting and opener Matthew Hayden took Australia closer to victory on Wednesday after their early scare against bottom-ranked Bangladesh in the first Test. Ponting was on 72 at stumps on the fourth day with first-innings centurion Adam Gilchrist on six as Australia reached 212-4, 95 short of a win.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul on Wednesday announced his resignation with immediate effect as captain of the West Indies cricket team. The 31-year-old, who took over from Brian Lara in March 2005, informed the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) of his decision in a letter.
In a bizarre twist to the treason trial of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, the defence on Wednesday accused the government of coaching the lead prosecution witness with a hidden radio set. Defence lawyer Caleb Alaka stunned a packed courtroom by claiming that the testimony of the witness, Jennifer Aryemo, was being directed by unidentified government agents through an earpiece concealed in an elaborate disguise.
England’s stand-in captain Andrew Strauss limped his way to 74 as the tourists finally tasted victory in the sixth one-day match against India on Wednesday. The Middlesex opener, leading England for the first time in place of the rested Andrew Flintoff, retired hurt with leg cramps in the 31st over before the tourists surpassed India’s modest 223 with 44 deliveries to spare.