British retail magnate Philip Green launched a takeover battle for Marks and Spencer on Thursday, unveiling a war chest of £9-billion (about R106-billion) to fund a bid for the struggling retailer. The group has not yet responded to Green’s statement but its new management appears unlikely to give in without a fight.
Santos travelled all the way from Cape Town hoping to collect maximum points against Wits University on Wednesday night and move up to third position on the Castle Premiership table. The Capetonians had to settle for a point after their one-all draw with the hosts on a cold night at Bidvest Stadium.
Jake White’s new-look Springboks had to overcome a shaky first half before they ran amok in the second stanza against the Central Unions XV for a 62-19 victory in a warm-up match at the Absa Stadium in Kimberley on Wednesday evening. South Africa’s performance in the first half an hour or so was littered with unforced errors.
Ninth seed Elena Dementieva became the first Russian woman to reach the final of the French Open for 16 years on Thursday when she brushed aside Argentina’s 14th seed Paola Suarez 6-0, 7-5 in a disappointing semifinal. In the 107-year history of Roland Garros there has never been a Russian winner in the women’s singles.
When Fadel Gheit first warned of his ”nightmare scenario” that Saudi Arabia’s main oil export terminal at Ras Tanura could be wiped out by terrorists, he was dismissed as an alarmist. It was the week after the September 11 attacks in New York, where he is based. But the oil analyst began to think there was another target that would have an even more devastating impact if hit.
Rwanda on Thursday said it was ”in no way whatsoever” involved in clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the key town of Bukavu has fallen to former rebel soldiers. Rwanda has twice deployed troops in DRC, first in 1996 to back rebels who ousted dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and in 1998 to back the Congolese Rally for Democracy, a former rebel group in which the two officers who took Bukavu are senior members.
Kabila accuses Rwanda
When he’s not choking on pretzels or falling off his mountain bike, Bushbaby massacres the English language (Texas chainsaw-style). Dubya has achieved notoriety for his apparent lack of geographical knowledge — particularly who is in charge of which country. After a visit to Spain, he kept mentioning talks with someone called ”Anzar” when, presumably, he meant Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
The large Casa de Campo park on the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid houses an amusement park and a cable car, but it is also known for another reason. A young Nigerian girl stands on the roadside, flashing her bare breasts to cars passing by. One of tens of thousands of Nigerian prostitutes working in Europe, Teresa does not speak any Spanish.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Thursday vowed to take action against Premiership clubs fielding players whose contracts have expired. Addressing a media briefing at the PSL headquarters in Doornfontein, league CEO Trevor Phillips said the players whose contracts have expired are not permitted to participate in any official fixture.
New Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter said he was impressed after he concluded his first training session with the national side at the Free State Technikon on Wednesday in preparation for Saturday’s 2006 World Cup Group B qualifier against Cape Verde at Vodacom Park.