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/ 5 November 2004
Persistent fuel shortages, a flourishing foreign-currency black market and empty pharmacy shelves at state hospitals seem to jar with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono’s portrayal of the economy. During his Monetary Policy Statement for the third quarter last week he described the economy as being in the ”spring season characterised by improvements all round”.
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/ 5 November 2004
If you wanted to play devil’s advocate it might be argued that South Africa’s triumph in this year’s Tri-Nations was more than a little fortuitous and that, since each of the three teams won their home games and lost away, it was merely treading water.
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/ 5 November 2004
The defeat of John Kerry could bring a silver lining for one Democratic presidential hopeful: Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose chances of reoccupying the White House as chief executive looked better this week than ever before. Had Kerry won, he would almost certainly have run again in 2008. By the time Clinton’s next chance came around, in 2012, she would have been 65, and probably perceived as too old.
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/ 5 November 2004
Two weeks ago, it seemed that — once again — Arsenal were going to be simply unstoppable this season. However, their past two Premiership outings have cast some doubt on this dominance. First there was the defeat to Manchester United, which brought to an end a remarkable unbeaten record.
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/ 5 November 2004
The psychological warfare between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger is meant to be one of the Premiership’s intriguing features. This time, however, there has been no battle of wits. A stupid conflict has been allowed to go on too long and both men are losers.
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/ 5 November 2004
Ruud van Nistelrooy, we salute you. Oh great, long-faced Dutchman, you are the saviour of Sir Alex Ferguson, ailing footballing god. In your hands lies the fate of the fêted Fergie. You and your sexy Dutch accent, your glorious locks and long, long legs, could just save Manchester United from another season of decline.
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/ 5 November 2004
Swing bowler Charl Langeveldt was forced on Friday to withdraw from the South African cricket team to tour India because of a back injury. Langeveldt was called up on Wednesday to replace vice-captain and leading spin-bowler Nicky Boje, who pulled out of the tour on legal advice.
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/ 5 November 2004
Vijay Singh went 15 holes without a birdie at the Tour Championship. He missed half his fairways and a half-dozen putts inside 12 feet. And when he walked off the 18th green on Thursday, he was right where everyone expected him to be. Singh scratched out a one-under 69, leaving him two shots out of the lead as he tries to become the first player in 54 years to win at least 10 times on the PGA Tour.
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/ 5 November 2004
The Beijing Olympic Games will be steeped in Chinese superstition, with the opening ceremony to start at the numerically auspicious time of 8pm on August 8, 2008, state press said on Friday. Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan made the announcement during a speech to the China Academy of Sciences, the Beijing Times reported.
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/ 5 November 2004
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is part of the liberation movement, whose record of struggle against apartheid and colonialism at home and abroad is well documented. It has always been politically close to Zanu-PF, but recent events in Zimbabwe have opened up a debate in Cosatu as to whether that country does not now represent a typical example of a derailed revolution.