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/ 23 December 2004

Valencia on the rise in Spanish league

Striker Miguel Angel ”Mista” Ferrer scored twice on Wednesday to earn Valencia a 3-0 victory over a nine-man Espanyol and lift the defending champions into second place in the Spanish league. In another 17th-round game, Sevilla’s Brazilian forward Julio Baptista scored in the 19th minute to beat Real Madrid 1-0.

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/ 23 December 2004

West Indies sponsorship spat resolved

West Indies’ tour of Australia looks set to go ahead next month after the national cricket board and players association accepted the binding decision of an arbiter in their contract dispute on Wednesday. Justice Adrian Saunders ruled on whether individual players are allowed to hold endorsement deals in conflict with the cricket board’s official sponsor.

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/ 23 December 2004

New rugby deal to be tough on players

The -million broadcasting deal that has secured the financial future of southern-hemisphere rugby for the next five years has been welcomed by New Zealand players, but they question the workload that goes with it. ”Like any deal, it has pros and cons,” players’ association chief executive Rob Nichol said on Thursday.

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/ 23 December 2004

Consolation win for WP-Boland

With the log positions already settled, the only talking point of the match between Western Province-Boland (WP-Boland) and the Titans was likely to be the form of Herschelle Gibbs, playing his first match in five weeks. His hopes of proving his form and fitness for the second Test were dashed as he faced just five balls, and looked uncomfortable in the field.

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/ 22 December 2004

Suez oil slick threatens Mediterranean

An oil slick in the Suez Canal caused by a collision involving a Kuwaiti tanker a week ago is threatening to reach the Mediterranean, port sources said on Wednesday. The spill was caused by a leak in the Al-Samidun tanker, carrying 160 000 tonnes of crude, after it collided with a dredger further south on December 14.

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/ 22 December 2004

Govt appeal halts medicine ruling

The Department of Health has filed notice with the Constitutional Court to appeal against a judgement by the Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeal annulling the government’s new medicine-pricing regulations. The appeal effectively suspends the Supreme Court of Appeal judgement passed on Tuesday.

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/ 22 December 2004

Home Affairs uneasy about gay marriages

After three weeks of musing, the Department of Home Affairs has decided to approach the Constitutional Court about legalising gay marriages. ”We are filing our appeal today [Wednesday]. We are a very principled department and believe we cannot pre-empt the process,” said departmental spokesperson Nkosana Sibuyi.

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/ 22 December 2004

Harry Potter orders hit the roof

The latest instalment in the Harry Potter series won’t hit stores for more than six months but it has already topped at least one bookseller’s most wanted list and is racking up thousands of advance orders, retailers said on Wednesday. It shot to number one on online bookseller Amazon.co.uk‘s Hot 100 book list.