Eritrea on Friday strongly denied allegations it is massing troops along its border with Sudan, rejecting as ”groundless” reported statements to that effect made by a Sudanese official. ”It’s a groundless accusation, a total fabrication,” said Yemane Gebremeskel, director of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki’s office.
The world’s second largest cigarette manufacturer, British American Tobacco, expressed ”astonishment” on Thursday at an Italian court’s decision that it was responsible for the death of a lung cancer victim and must pay his heirs â,¬200 000.
Discarded All Black Nick Evans scored a try and sharpened the attacking edge of the Otago Highlanders, who beat South Africa’s Bulls 23-0 on Friday in a Super 12 rugby match at Carisbrook. Evans returned from injury to play at flyhalf for the Highlanders and made a huge impression in a 58-minute stay before a further injury forced him from the field.
Sometimes it is still possible to be proud to be English and still be a proud football lover before the FA Cup quarterfinals. One of those rare nights occurred on Tuesday when Chelsea’s Frank Lampard scored, Joe Cole turned it on and John Terry produced the winner in a fascinating last 16 Champions League win over Barcelona.
MOVIE OF THE WEEK: Shot in the sombre, dark style for which Eastwood’s pictures are notable, Million Dollar Baby has a measured pace that must surely derive from Eastwood’s maturity as a man and a filmmaker. Peter Bradshaw reviews the Oscar-winning film.
There is no grey when it comes to the Champions League. After an epic week of last-16 action in Europe, Chelsea and Liverpool are world-beaters. Arsenal and Manchester United are losers, ready to dismantle their galaxies of fallen stars. In the fickle world of modern football, failure in the globe’s greatest club competition leaves no room for error.
There are taxis and there are taxes. I’m sure that if we were given a choice, most of us would choose taxis, writes Mike van Graan. But we must all do our bit to keep our society functioning, like paying police to catch criminals.
Five years after the Nasdaq index peaked at 5132,52 on 10 March 2000, the Nasdaq is still 60% below this "irrational exuberance" peak as it closed at 2059,72 on 10 March 2005. All the prayers, hopes, media hype and entreaties of the average United States investor and many politicians seem to have had absolutely no effect on the relentless slide of the Nasdaq.
Jailed Zimbabwean opposition lawmaker Roy Bennett on Thursday lost a court bid to win his release on the eve of this month’s parliamentary elections. Bennett, one of three white Zimbabweans who hold seats in Parliament, is serving a one-year prison term for shoving the justice minister during a heated debate in Parliament.
President Thabo Mbeki has recommended that Deputy Chief Justice Pius Langa succeed Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson when he steps down, his office said on Friday. In February, Chaskalson asked that he be allowed to leave his post at the end of May.