Annika Sorenstam was so tired from playing 54 holes in two days that she took Tuesday off after winning the US Women’s Open. Pat Hurst was exhausted before she got to the first tee for the 18-hole play-off, and that was after a night of rest. Imagine how Billy Burke and George Von Elm must have felt.
Consumer confidence remained at record-high levels during the second quarter of 2006, according to the latest FNB/BER consumer confidence index (CCI) released on Wednesday. First National Bank (FNB) and Stellenbosch University’s Bureau for Economic Research (BER) said in a statement the CCI declined by an insubstantial one index point.
The International Development Association, an arm of the World Bank, has written off ,616-billion of Ethiopia’s debt under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, the bank’s country office disclosed on Wednesday. In a statement, the World Bank said Ethiopia’s economic performance over the past three years had been ”strong and broad-based”.
Fraud and corruption in prisons are on the decline, a senior official said on Wednesday. ”Although the road ahead remains arduous and long, I can confidently say we are winning this battle,” said acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services Patrick Gillingham on Wednesday.
Kenyan police said on Wednesday they were searching for two men suspected of beating to death a fan of Brazil’s World Cup team after the reigning football champion’s weekend loss to France. The 21-year-old Brazil fan died after being savagely attacked by the France-supporting suspects who allegedly chided and ridiculed the victim.
At least two people were killed when Islamic gunmen opened fire on scores of young demonstrators protesting a ban on World Cup viewing at a cinema in central Somalia, witnesses said on Wednesday. The pair were shot and killed late on Tuesday when soccer fans, barred by Islamists from watching the semifinal match between Germany and Italy, complained.
The JSE was weaker in noon trade on Wednesday in line with world markets. Renewed interest-rate jitters sparked by a weaker rand and concerns about North Korea’s missile tests also contributed to the weakness. By 12.06pm, the all-share and all-share industrial indices slipped 0,7% and 0,62% respectively.
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Italy’s march into the World Cup final at the expense of Germany was met with banner headlines in the Italian press on Wednesday. The 2-0 extra-time win over the hosts in Dortmund was an historic one for the Italians, ”who could beat anyone — even the Martians” wrote the Roman newspaper Il Messaggero.
North Korea launched a seventh missile at about 5.20pm (8.20am GMT) on Wednesday, according to Japan’s Defence Agency. The missile landed six minutes later, but the location is not yet known. Pyongyang’s action has triggered a storm of international reaction, including immediate sanctions imposed by Japan and an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York.
The South African Trade and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) acknowledged on Wednesday it had a R3-million debt, but denied this was from the recent security guard strike. Spokesperson Ronnie Mamba confirmed union general secretary Randall Howard had issued a memorandum urging staffers to keep costs under control, but said this was routine.