Iraq’s Constitution, a key plank of the United States’s exit strategy, was in turmoil on Wednesday as Sunni members of the drafting committee walked out, Kurdish leaders said they could live without a deal, and women’s groups baulked at a proposal to give a strong role to Islamic law.
Veteran Laura Wilkinson and youngster Chip Peterson made sure the United States wouldn’t have to wait for the arrival of superstar Michael Phelps to strike gold at the 11th World Swimming Championships. Wilkinson won the women’s 10m platform diving and Peterson captured the men’s 10km open-water swimming title.
Two of Australia’s top women cyclists are still on life support after being hit by an out-of-control car that also killed teammate Amy Gillett in Germany this week, Cycling Australia (CA) said on Thursday. Three other injured cyclists are in a satisfactory condition, CA said.
Lance Armstrong’s teammates are doing a better job of beating him than his rivals are. Armstrong’s Discovery Channel teammate Paolo Savoldelli won Wednesday’s 17th stage of the Tour de France, three days after George Hincapie earned a stage victory of his own. Meanwhile, Armstrong has yet to win an individual stage so far.
Rio Ferdinand’s agent insists the England star will be staying at Manchester United. Ferdinand and United are still locked in talks over a new contract, which has led to Red Devils fans booing the central defender during pre-season matches. United manager Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill have both backed Ferdinand.
Scorpions detectives have arrested a number of staff members in connection with fraud and theft at three KwaZulu-Natal hospitals, the Natal Witness website reported on Thursday. It said more arrests were expected. About 250 staff members — mostly general assistants — at Edendale hospital were believed to be under investigation for social welfare grant fraud.
India’s supreme court has banned the honking of horns, playing loud music and bursting firecrackers after nightfall in the country’s expanding residential areas. Noise pollution is a growing blight in India, where limited space means flats and houses are built inches apart.
A man suspected of throwing a hand grenade at United States President George Bush was arrested in Georgia on Wednesday night, but not before he shot dead a police officer involved in the hunt. Interior ministry officials said the man had been cornered in a suburb of the capital Tbilisi and a shootout ensued in which the policeman was killed and another wounded.
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US is making a difference to relieve a refugee crisis and African peacekeeping troops are helping to stop atrocities in Sudan’s ravaged Darfur province. ”We are not where we were a year ago,” Rice said on Wednesday, ahead of her first trip to Sudan as secretary of state
Disputed catches won’t be referred to the third umpire in Thursday’s first Ashes Test unless absolutely necessary. Australia captain Ricky Ponting and England skipper Michael Vaughan reached an agreement on Wednesday on the issue of contentious catches at a meeting with umpires Rudi Koertzen of South Africa and Aleem Dar of Pakistan, and match referee Ranjan Madugalle.