Yearly Archives: 2004

A delegation of prominent British Muslims is expected in Baghdad on Sunday as frantic last-ditch efforts to save the life of Ken Bigley, the 62-year-old British engineer seized by Islamic militants in the city 10 days ago, reached a climax. The kidnappers have already beheaded two Americans abducted with Bigley.

Winemakers in a tiny Swiss village are fighting for their livelihood against the mighty producers of a better-known bubbly French wine who believe that they alone should be allowed to use the noble name. Champagne’s 669 villagers say champagne has been produced there since the Romans.

Fanie Lombaard celebrated his 10th paralympic medal with silver in the javelin as debutante Natalie du Toit joined the big man among the greats of world sport when she also won silver to add to her four Athens paralympics gold medals — three of them world records — on Saturday night.

South Africa wrapped up their Euro/Africa Zone Group One Davis Cup tie against Greece with a comfortable victory in the doubles at the Groenkloof Tennis Stadium on Saturday. The victory gives the South Africans an unassailable 3-0 lead going into Sunday’s two reverse singles matches.

Captain Brian Lara praised the efforts of his tail enders after the unlikely duo had guided the West Indies to a two-wicket win over England in the ICC Champions Trophy. The pair put on 71 for the ninth wicket, after West Indies had been 147-8, to get their side past England’s 217 with just two wickets to spare.

The Cheetahs won their Currie Cup encounter against the Sharks 30-22 after leading 20-8 at half-time in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Although winger Anton Pitout was named man of the match and Juan Smith did everything right to confirm that he is one of the best flankers in the country.

The singer Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, said on Friday that he had instructed legal advisers to discover why he was not allowed into the United States. FBI and customs officers detained Islam for questioning after security officials diverted his Washington-bound flight to Bangor, Maine, having spotted his name.

Ten people, including two minors, have been arrested in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo on suspicion they took part in a massacre at Lengabo village, in the restive Ituri region, say UN officials. Three hundred people in Medu were questioned, and 10 were eventually taken into preventive custody.

George Bush’s grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany. Newly discovered US National Archives files confirm that a firm of which Prescott Bush was a director was involved with the financial architects of Nazism.