Political parties and education organisations scrambled to get their say over the 4,4% increase in matric pass rate in 2003. The results were generally hailed by most quarters as an improvement, although concern was voiced by some, calling the pass rate ”inflated”.

The United States yesterday signalled a dramatic shift in its attitude towards Iran, a country previously branded by President George Bush as part of an ”axis of evil”. Bush is willing to open a dialogue with the Islamic republic but would like to see some ”gesture in return”, a senior US official said.

A host of companies around the world provided military equipment to Iraq in the run-up to war, sending it mainly through Syria, according to documents discovered in Baghdad. The evidence appears to point to a Damascus company run by a relative of the Syrian president.

With next year’s Athens Olympics looming, there seems to be a concerted effort to get the controversial Springbok symbol to be the national symbol for all sporting codes beyond the rugby field. A sports ministry spokesperson has dismissed the possible Springbok sporting lobby as those ”looking for news”.

”A is for art — lots of it — and B is for the inaugural Brett Kebble Awards. won by Doreen Southwood this year. Mike van Graan takes an alphabetical look at this year’s cultural highs and lows.