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/ 22 January 2008
Russian Maria Sharapova produced a blistering performance to overpower world number one Justine Henin 6-4 6-0 in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday. The fifth seed was in ebullient mood, smashing 30 winners as she took a tight first set and ripped through the second to line up a semifinal against Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic.
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/ 22 January 2008
The United States Federal Reserve on Tuesday slashed benchmark US interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point in an emergency bid to lend support to a US economy some fear is on the verge of recession. The Fed’s action took the key federal funds rate, which governs overnight lending between banks, down to 3,5%.
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/ 22 January 2008
Glenn Agliotti, accused of the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble, will have his trial date set when he reappears in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on July 2. Both prosecuttion and defence said a delay in the case was necessary because of other ”developments”. Prosecutor Thanda Mngwengwe said the Kebble case was ”interlinked” with other matters.
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/ 22 January 2008
South Africa’s neighbours are feeling the pinch of Eskom’s problems as they are plunged into darkness and face power failures of their own. Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have all reported power failures and their governments have had to move quickly to clarify the reliability of future power supplies.
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/ 22 January 2008
Former Civil Cooperation Bureau operative and convicted apartheid assassin Ferdie Barnard is applying for a presidential pardon, say reports.
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/ 22 January 2008
He recorded some of pop music’s most acclaimed solo albums, helping in the process to create a style that came to be called Americana. Still, throughout his career John Stewart would always remain best known as the man who wrote the Monkees’ most enduring hit, <i>Daydream Believer</i>.
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/ 22 January 2008
A bullish mood is spreading among his rivals that dominating world number one Roger Federer is beatable coming into the showpiece rounds of the Australian Open. The Swiss top seed, the winner of 12 Grand Slam titles, second only to Pete Sampras’s 14, has ruled men’s tennis for four years and has been a constant in the last 10 Major finals.
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/ 22 January 2008
Indian wicketkeeper and one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni dismissed talk on Tuesday of a dressing-room rift over former skipper Sourav Ganguly’s omission from the upcoming triangular one-day series against Australia and Sri Lanka. Dhoni became a hero when he led India to their first major trophy in 24 years at the Twenty20 World Cup in September.
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/ 22 January 2008
India’s worst-ever outbreak of bird flu could turn into a disaster, an official warned on Tuesday, as five people were reportedly quarantined with symptoms of the virus. Eight districts in the eastern state of West Bengal have been hit by the virus, and dead birds are being sold and locals said to be ”feasting” on cheap chicken.
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/ 22 January 2008
The South African residential property market is poised for another year of slowing price growth — but the news is ”not all bad”, said Herschel Jawitz, chief executive of Jawitz Properties. ”With double-digit growth since 2000 and eight rate increases over the last 18 months, it is no surprise that the market is set to take a pause in 2008,” he said.