Zimbabwe’s tobacco auction floors face closure next year after farmers failed to repay loans amounting to 1-trillion Zimbabwe dollars at a time when the floors are operating at 8% of capacity due to reduced production. William Nyabonda, a representative of the auction floors, said the introduction of the dual tobacco auction system had compounded their woes.
Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0, and 10 minutes to go. I’m trying to distract myself. I run the bath, and then remember I’ve just had one. Pull at my flaking skin. Turn the radio off for good luck. Have a quick jog round the lounge. Stick my fingers in a jar of peanut butter. Eight minutes left, and time is going very slowly.
Never has a side been more aptly nicknamed. Juventus, ”la vecchia signora” of Serie A, looked old and frail during the goalless draw against Arsenal at the Stadio Delle Alpi on Wednesday. Spent, past it, knackered. Eleven old ladies with blue rinses and dodgy hips might have caused the Gunners more problems.
The JSE was weaker just before noon on Friday, dragged down by resources heavyweights Anglo American and BHP Billiton, which were weaker in the United Kingdom. Some pre-weekend profit-taking was also being seen, dealers said. By 11:53am, the all share index shed 0,25%, while the resources and platinum mining indices retreated 1,19% and 1,99% respectively.
South Africans Retief Goosen and Tim Clark took advantage of difficult conditions more common to a United States Open to move into contention after Thursday’s first round of the 70th Masters tournament. Two-time US Open champion Goosen and Clark each fired a two-under par 70 to share fourth place, three strokes behind leader Vijay Singh of Fiji.
If Hootie Johnson, the chairperson of the Augusta National golf club, did not already know that the wholesale changes to the most familiar golf course in the world were unpopular with those who have to play it at the Masters this week, he knows now.
He is likened by many of his devoted South African followers to a persuasive soccer version of Rhema’s Pastor Ray McCauley. Matsilela Ephraim Sono, affectionately known as Jomo Sono and lumped with the moniker of ”Black Prince”, waits at this moment for the fulfilment of his calling as Bafana Bafana coach at the World Cup on home soil in 2010.
Recent brief but heavy rains in drought-hit parts of Kenya threaten to worsen the already fragile food situation, with flooding displacing thousands. British charity Oxfam International and the Kenya Red Cross Society said the rains will not end the drought and that an urgent boost in the humanitarian aid was still critical to avert disaster.
Defending champion Tiger Woods likes his chances of winning a fifth Masters title after an opening-round par 72 in Augusta on Thursday, his top first-round showing at Augusta National Golf Club since 2002. World number one Woods, who stood five strokes behind leader Vijay Singh of Fiji, opened with a 74 in 2005 but went on to win a playoff over Chris DiMarco.
Just after South Africa were beaten, and just before they were beaten again, Graeme Smith was interviewed by the eternally blithe Dave Papenfus on Radio 2000. Papenfus is that admirable breed of commentator who, like Parkinson, makes his guests feel utterly adored. One hesitates to say he shields his subjects from harsh questions, but in the world of sports writers — most of us Pinocchios — he is Jiminy Cricket and Tinkerbell rolled into one.