There was a time, not so long ago, when Andrea Dworkin thought her life was over. Just more than four years ago, she wrote an article for New Statesman magazine about being drug-raped in a hotel room in France. Dworkin’s account of her rape, like much of her writing (including the feminist texts Pornography: Men Possessing Women and Intercourse), polarised opinion.

An investigative journalist who has become a key witness in the scandal over why two of Greece’s top athletes withdrew from the Athens Olympics has been stabbed and beaten with crowbars, in what his editor has called an ”assassination attempt”. The assault, which occurred as the reporter left a radio station, provoked a storm of protest.

Manchester United edged closer to a place in the second round of the Champions League with a goalless draw against Sparta Prague in their Group D game on Tuesday. United’s multimillion strike force failed to find the net for the second straight game, and the draw means the premier league side is now second in the group with five points after three games.

Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, is in danger of assasination at the hands of Jewish extremists, claims Shimon Peres, leader of the opposition Labour party. The atmosphere in Israel was similar to the political turmoil of 1995 when the then prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was murdered by a religious nationalist, he said.

Andre Agassi’s a bit skeptical about fashion models in skimpy outfits replacing ball boys at the Madrid Masters. ”I suppose I need some time to let it absorb,” Agassi said on Tuesday after beating Max Mirnyi of Belarus 7-6 (5), 6-3 at the indoor tournament.

French champions Lyon gave their Turkish counterparts Fenerbahce a mountain to climb with a deserved 3-1 victory in their Champions League group D encounter on Tuesday. It took until early in the second half for the game to come alight, with Juninho beating Recber Rustu ten minutes after the restart before his Brazilian compatriot Cris beat the keeper from close range 10 minutes later.

The Australian Rugby Union on Wednesday said Perth and Melbourne are the only two cities invited to bid for the country’s fourth ”Super 14” franchise. Sanzar — which represents the South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby unions — put forward the Super 14 concept last month as part of a proposed new broadcasting rights deal.

England international Michael Owen finally paid back the opening instalment on his -million transfer fee on Tuesday as he scored his first Real Madrid goal to give his side a 1-0 Champions League win against Dynamo Kiev. But Liverpool, the team Owen left behind in the summer, could only draw 0-0 at home to Deportivo la Coruna in group A.

The England and Wales Cricket Board probe into safety and security ahead of England’s two-week tour of Zimbabwe enters phase two on Wednesday when the group travels to the capital, Harare. So far, investigations have been centred for two days in the country’s second city, the most likely location for demonstrations.

Cheetahs veteran loosehead prop Os du Randt is on the threshold of joining an elite group of South African rugby players, although he was not even aware of the fact on Tuesday. If the Cheetahs win on Saturday, Du Randt will add a Currie Cup medal to those he has already earned for the World Cup win in 1995 and the Tri-Nations triumph earlier this year.