British police were criticised on Thursday over the mistaken killing of an innocent Brazilian man in the wake of the 2005 London bombings, although the head of Scotland Yard himself escaped censure. The long-awaited report found ”serious weaknesses” in police management, and in particular said a top officer misled his boss and the public.
Floyd Mayweather Jnr has agreed to come out of retirement to fight Ricky Hatton, the British boxer’s father, Ray, said on Wednesday. Hatton is expected to move up a division from light welterweight for the fight, which will probably be staged on December 8 in Las Vegas, where he beat Jose Luis Castillo in June to retain his IBO title.
British Airways (BA) was hit with almost £270-million in fines on Wednesday as it reached settlements with United States and United Kingdom authorities for price-fixing on fuel surcharges. Archrival Virgin Atlantic Airways blew the whistle on BA last year after individuals at the two carriers discussed proposed changes to fuel surcharges for long flights.
The price of New York crude soared to a record high point of $78,77 per barrel on Wednesday after the United States government said that American crude reserves had tumbled last week. The record smashed the previous all-time high of $78,40 set on July 13 2006.
Reconciliation efforts in countries where children have been press-ganged into fighting wars need to pay more attention to the severe trauma suffered by many of these combatants, German researchers said on Tuesday. The United Nations estimates about 250Â 000 children worldwide are currently fighting in wars — mostly in Africa.
Paper producer Mondi said on Wednesday its first-half underlying operating profit rose 46% and expected continued pressure from higher input costs and a weak United States dollar. Mondi, spun off from mining group Anglo American in July, reported half-year underlying operating profit of €243-million.
A lottery winner doubled his share of the jackpot to nearly £1-million after he mistakenly bought two lucky tickets for the same draw, organisers Camelot said on Wednesday. Derek Ladner (57) from Cornwall, and his wife Dawn (60), won with their usual numbers in the mid-week draw, sharing the £2,4-million jackpot with four other tickets.
As Cristiano Ronaldo shielded his eyes from the blinding explosion of flashbulbs, it was clear the Manchester United winger’s transition from pride of Old Trafford to global phenomenon was complete. After a magnificent season in which his dazzling array of feints and flicks bewitched defenders and fans in equal measure, Ronaldo has become one of the game’s new icons.
Formula One’s governing body cast fresh doubt over McLaren’s title hopes on Tuesday by sending to appeal a controversial ruling in a ”spy saga” involving that team and Ferrari. Max Mosley, president of the International Automobile Federation, agreed in a letter to the head of the Italian Automobile Club’s motorsport commission that the matter should go to the Appeal Court.
The price of New York crude oil surged on Tuesday to the highest level for more than one year, supported by market expectations of falling United States energy stockpiles, dealers said. New York’s main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, touched ,47.
The end of brutal wars in West Africa and global efforts to halt recruitment have cut the number of child soldiers, but experts say vulnerable children are still forced into battle from Latin American to Asia. Armed with Kalashnikovs and machetes, traumatised children were at the heart of wars in the 1990s in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Claims that a killer shark has been spotted off the English coast were dismissed on Tuesday as alarmist, just as holidaymakers head en masse for the seaside. The scare started after a tourist took pictures of a menacing-looking fin jutting from the water last week, 180m from the beach near the popular Cornish resort of St Ives.
Brewing giant SABMiller reported a 13% rise in first-quarter underlying beer volumes on Tuesday, but said revenue growth was partly offset by higher input costs and increased investment. ”The group has made a strong start to the year,” the world’s second-biggest brewer said in a trading update for April to June.
The first new vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) in more than 80 years has entered mid-stage trials in South Africa, where the killer disease is rife, scientists said on Saturday. If the tests are successful, a new shot against M tuberculosis bacteria could be available within eight years.
Robert Mugabe’s former information chief says in an interview published on Saturday that the Zimbabwean president’s inner circle is afraid to get rid of him, despite current economic and political woes. Jonathan Moyo told the Financial Times in London there is little chance of Mugabe being overthrown or replaced.
Billed as the biggest change in the way viewers watch television in 40 years, the BBC launched an online service on Friday that allows people to download many programmes from the last week. BBC director general Mark Thompson says the arrival of the ”on-demand” iPlayer is as important as the first colour broadcasts in the 1960s.
Hundreds of thousands of Britons hit by the worst flooding in 60 years faced further misery on Thursday as forecasters predicted more rain in the areas most badly affected. Two people were found dead in a cellar in the west of England, raising to at least eight the number of people to have died as a result of record rainfall.
Formula One’s governing body could puncture McLaren’s championship bid on Thursday and slam the brakes on Fernando Alonso’s and Lewis Hamilton’s own title aspirations. The ”spy saga” that has gripped the sport for weeks, with leaders McLaren stunned by revelations about their now-suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan and leaked Ferrari data, comes to a head in Paris.
The weather came to India’s rescue as they drew the first Test at Lord’s on Monday with England just a wicket away from going 1-0 up in the three-match series. Bad light, which forced an early tea, with India, at 282-9, still 98 runs shy of their imposing victory target of 380, initially gave the tourists a dramatic reprieve.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the scene of Britain’s worst flooding in 60 years on Monday as thousands of people remained stranded in their villages and towns, many without clean water or electricity. With swathes of central and western England under water and more rain on its way, Brown flew in a helicopter over the water-logged county of Gloucestershire.
Archbishop of York John Sentamu warned Anglican conservatives on Monday that boycotting a church summit next year means they will effectively expel themselves from the worldwide communion. United States liberals, who sparked the row in the first place by ordaining an openly gay bishop, have locked horns with conservatives from Africa and Asia.
United States sales of the seventh and final Harry Potter volume hit an estimated 8,3-million in the first 24 hours, confirming its place in the history books as the fastest-selling book. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comfortably beat the previous 2005 Potter instalment, which posted US sales of 6,9-million copies in the first 24 hours.
South African striker Benni McCarthy illustrated why he was targeted by Chelsea with one of the goals in Blackburn Rovers’ 2-0 Intertoto Cup win over FK Vetra of Lithuania on Sunday. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho tried to lure McCarthy to Stamford Bridge last month but Rovers coach Mark Hughes refused to sell.
Kevin Pietersen’s first Test hundred against India set up a strong position for England at stumps on the fourth day at Lord’s on Sunday. The tourists — dismissed for a meagre 201 in their first innings — were 137 for three at the close, needing a further 243 runs to reach their target of 380.
James Anderson took a Test-best five for 42 on his return to the side to give England the advantage over India in their series opener at Lord’s on Saturday. England were 77 for two in their second innings — a lead of 174 — at stumps on the third day after India had collapsed to 201 all out.
South African authorities would adopt a wait-and-see approach before deciding whether or not to seek businessman Billy Rautenbach’s extradition from Zimbabwe. This comes as Rautenbach, best known in South Africa and Botswana for his activities in assembling Hyundai cars, was arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and deported to Zimbabwe.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair welcomed on Friday the announcement that prosecutors will not bring charges over the so-called "cash-for-honours" scandal that clouded his last year in office. But he lamented that those subject to investigation during the 16-month probe had been through a "traumatic" time.
India fought back with two wickets late in the final session to leave England 268-4 at stumps on the first day of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. England, 247-2 when play resumed after a second bad-light stoppage, lost two wickets for three runs in nine balls as they declined to 255-4.
The BBC suspended some senior editors on Thursday after the public broadcaster unearthed a string of fake phone-in competitions that tarnished its reputation and torpedoed the trust of viewers. It is the biggest crisis faced by the BBC since it locked horns with the British government over its coverage of Iraq.
The most important haul of Viking treasure unearthed in Britain in more than 150 years was announced on Thursday by the British Museum. Father and son metal-detecting duo David and Andrew Whelan discovered 617 silver coins, a gilt silver vessel and a gold arm-ring near Harrogate in Yorkshire, northern England — former Viking territory.
Even Jane Austen would have trouble finding a publisher today, a struggling author revealed on Thursday. David Lassman sent off to 18 publishers assorted chapters from Austen novels in which he changed just the titles and the names of the characters.
The World Bank on Wednesday approved grants of -million for Malawi and Mozambique to increase the availability and reliability of low cost, environmentally friendly electricity in Southern Africa. Malawi will get -million and Mozambique -million to connect Malawi to the Southern African Power Pool through Mozambique.