No image available
/ 26 February 2005
Michael Jackson faces further legal action, from the family of a woman who died after she was moved in hospital, apparently to make way for the singer when he took ill on the way to court last week. Manuela Gomez Ruiz (74) was in the main trauma room at the Marian medical centre in Santa Maria, California, when Jackson developed ”flu-like symptoms”.
No image available
/ 26 February 2005
Forget the little gold statuette and all that guff about best supporting whatever. The big winners at Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony will walk away with cashmere pyjama bottoms, mink eyelashes and a coffee maker. Presenters and performers at this year’s Oscar ceremony will receive a ”gift basket” expected to have a value of about R870 000.
No image available
/ 26 February 2005
Robbers have seized diamonds and other gems worth hundreds of millions of rands in an audacious ambush at one of Europe’s busiest airports. The gang hijacked a cargo vehicle at Schiphol airport, near Amsterdam. The van was loaded with precious stones, included a R13,3-million consignment from a London firm.
No image available
/ 26 February 2005
Tentative hopes of reviving the Middle East peace process were jolted on Friday night when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a seafront karaoke nightclub in Tel Aviv, killing at least three people and wounding dozens. An air of palpable shock hung heavy over Israel’s second city after the first suicide bombing in Israel for almost four months.
No image available
/ 26 February 2005
South Africa put on a ruthless and clinical display to beat Zimbabwe by 165 runs in the first Standard Bank match in front of a crowd of about 7 000 at the Wanderers on Friday. South Africa, sent in by Zimbabwe, made a formidable 301 for the loss of seven wickets in their 50 overs, with 104 runs coming off the last 10 overs.
No image available
/ 25 February 2005
Barcelona fans may never get over their distress caused by Luis Figo’s treachery in moving to Real Madrid four seasons ago, but now they have the satisfaction of knowing that they have got their own back. Ask any Real fan whether he thinks that it was a good idea to let Samuel Eto’o join Barcelona last year and they will weep bitter tears.
No image available
/ 25 February 2005
Like the theatre and the novel, English football is constantly in decline, someone once wrote. There are dire warnings that England are about to enter the international wilderness. Early last week, Arsenal became the first English club to name a team and five substitutes without one native-born player.
No image available
/ 25 February 2005
The tender process for building schools is "a system designed for corruption", senior education officials say. But plans mooted by Minister of Education Naledi Pandor to short-circuit graft and waste by relieving provincial public works departments of responsibility for construction tenders have irritated national Minister of Public Works Stella Sigcau.
No image available
/ 25 February 2005
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/197779/special_rep_icon_template.gif" align=left>"We must all work together to pull the wagon through the drift," Trevor Manuel said in every official language but English on Wednesday. And he is using all the room available in the Constitution to ensure that local and provincial governments get their shoulders to the wheel. His balancing act was eased by a larger-than-expected tax overrun.
No image available
/ 25 February 2005
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/197779/special_rep_icon_template.gif" align=left>Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel has allocated the largest tranche of the Budget to the provinces — but National Treasury is to exert a much firmer grip on how provincial and local governments spend their money. A key reform introduced in this year’s budget is a change in the way social grants are funded.