Life slogged on as normal at the America's Cup following a public warning from anti-terror police after letters containing cyanide crystals and white powder were seized by postal workers.
Two policemen took time out from patrolling the stormy waterfront to play a match-racing video game at the Swiss compound, bartenders were pouring pints before noon and idled sailors raced remote-control, scale-model boats in front of the sheds that house the real sloops.
Poison letters
The threatening letters, addressed to the US Embassy and the British and Australian High Commissions in the capital of Wellington, referred to ``actions'' that could occur if Iraq was attacked. The letters mentioned the America's Cup races. Police said a small quantity of cyanide was in one of the letters, but wouldn't identify which diplomatic mission received that letter.
Enough cyanide to kill up to 20 people was sent in a threatening letter to the US Embassy shortly before the New Zealand golf open in January last year.
Police could not yet rule out the possibility that the latest letters were sent by the same person, as ``there are enough similarities to raise in our minds a link,'' said assistant commissioner Jon White, head of New Zealand's counterterror squad.
The powder in the three letters was tested for anthrax, but none was found, White said. A fourth letter containing white powder was sent to the New Zealand Herald newspaper in Auckland.
Yesterday was a scheduled day off at the America's Cup, which has been stalled for more than a week by uncooperative weather on the Hauraki Gulf.
Another rainy, gloomy day helped keep down the crowds at the Viaduct Basin, the inner harbor that contains the America's Cup syndicate row, a marina for luxury yachts, bars, restaurants and apartments.
Security at the America's Cup has been high since the nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, on Oct. 12 that killed 192 people, most of them foreign tourists.
``This is just another reminder to keep that level of alertness,'' said Tony Thomas, executive director of America's Cup this year.
He said a threatening letter was received in late December, warning people not to go to the Viaduct on New Year's. Nothing happened.
``We're being responsible about it and everybody is working with police, but we still want people to come down and wave the teams out each day,'' Thomas said.
The next scheduled racing day is today, but the forecast is for strong wind.
Russell Wilson, 42, of Canterbury, was having a beer at The Loaded Hog late yesterday morning. ``A quiet one before I go to the airport,'' he said.
Alinghi leads
With strong wind predicted for the gulf, neither the Swiss nor Team New Zealand went out on the water. Alinghi has a 3-0 lead in the best-of-nine series.
Some of the Swiss crew, including syndicate head and navigator Ernesto Bertarelli, raced their remote-controlled yachts, using a small inflatable cow for one of the buoys.
Alinghi spokeswoman Veronique Teurlay said security was normal at the Swiss base.
In December, Alinghi received letters threatening violence against the families of some New Zealand sailors working for the syndicate. The team's large New Zealand contingent includes skipper Russell Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth.
Security guards have been seen standing next to Bertarelli, a biotech billionaire, as the Swiss boat is towed out to the race course.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but