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/ 27 October 2005

Nineteen-race formula-one calendar approved

Formula one’s team chiefs breathed a collective sigh of relief on Wednesday when the FIA announced next season’s grand-prix calendar will be fixed at 19 races. The sport’s organisers have come under criticism for creating a punishing schedule this year after the calendar was packed with the highest number of races to date run in one season.

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/ 26 October 2005

Liverpool crash out of League Cup

Liverpool’s season went from bad to worse when the Champions League holders crashed out of the English League Cup with a 2-1 defeat away to Championship side Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Tuesday. In the day’s other League Cup matches, West Brom beat Fulham and Wigan beat Watford in extra time.

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/ 26 October 2005

New video sparks IRB spear-tackle warning

The International Rugby Board (IRB) is to launch a crackdown on spear-tackling with offenders facing the prospect of a six-month ban. Its announcement on Monday came as new video footage was released of the incident that left British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll with a dislocated shoulder barely a minute into June’s first Test against New Zealand.

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/ 26 October 2005

One in five human genes now patented

Nearly a fifth of all human genes have been patented — the majority by private biotechnology companies, according to a survey of patent records published recently. The extent to which companies claim ownership of human genes has led to warnings that in asserting commercial rights over crucial genes, companies risk stifling research into diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes and obesity.

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/ 25 October 2005

Fallen Marconi sells assets to Ericsson

British telecoms equipment maker Marconi, a victim of the high-tech bubble, agreed on Tuesday to sell most of its assets to Swedish rival Ericsson for about £1,2-billion ($2,12-billion) in cash. Ericsson, the world’s biggest supplier of mobile telecommunication systems, said later that it planned to cut up to a fifth of the 6 500-strong workforce it would inherit.

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/ 25 October 2005

Christmas has come … and it is only October

Tinsel, toys, mince pies and marzipan — Christmas has truly invaded Britain and it is only October. But retailers insist the demand is out there, with some selling festive gear from as early as August. Many customers, however, moan that it is far too soon and that Santa Claus in a shop window in September spoils the magic of Christmas for the children.

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/ 25 October 2005

African women to take part in Aids gel trial

About 10 000 African women are to take part in a major British study into a gel that could help prevent the spread of HIV, scientists said on Tuesday. The women are to participate in the three- to four-year trial of the microbicide to find out its effectiveness at protecting against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

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/ 25 October 2005

New knockout plan for formula one

Formula one will introduce a new qualifying format and revert to tyre changes for the start of next season after a positive meeting of the Formula One Commission in London on Monday. A spokesperson for the sport’s governing body, the FIA, confirmed that a knockout proposal is set to be introduced for qualifying.

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/ 25 October 2005

Lampard: Chelsea can’t win every game

England football star Frank Lampard, who saved Chelsea with an equaliser against Everton at the weekend, said winning every match this season was never a realistic goal. Lampard, on current form perhaps the best attacking midfielder in the world, added it is trophies, not statistics, that count.

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/ 24 October 2005

‘Human cash machine’ stuns shoppers

A man stunned shoppers in a British high street by handing out his savings to "make people happy", a newspaper said on Friday. Chris Aljaradat withdrew £10 000 (about R117 000) from his bank on Wednesday before dishing out the cash to gobsmacked passers-by in Worcester, central England.

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/ 24 October 2005

It’s rubbish, says former Arsenal star

Former England and Arsenal star Ian Wright was furious on Monday after being wrongly prosecuted for throwing a paper cup from his Bentley. The 41-year-old and his wife, Deborah, had been due to appear in court this week to deny the charges but both were cleared when a mystery person owned up to littering and was fined £50.

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/ 23 October 2005

Arsenal’s Pires apologises for penalty howler

Robert Pires fired Arsenal to a 1-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday but was then forced to publicly apologise after he squandered the opportunity to seal victory with his second penalty of the game. The France winger had already netted one second-half spot-kick, after Thierry Henry had been felled by David James, when Arsenal were awarded a second with 16 minutes remaining for a foul on Dennis Bergkamp.

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/ 21 October 2005

Oil prices slide below $60 a barrel

World oil prices dropped on Friday, reaching three-month low points in New York on easing supply concerns, analysts said. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, fell by 25 cents to $59,77 per barrel in electronic deals. It earlier reached $59,65, the lowest level since July 28.

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/ 21 October 2005

Britain’s rudest city revealed

Don’t expect a helping hand in the central English city of Birmingham — residents there are the rudest people in Britain, a survey claimed on Friday. "Brummies", as they are locally known, are the least likely to pass a series of courtesy tests such as holding the door for someone behind them.

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/ 21 October 2005

Britain’s Prince William to enter the army

Prince William is embarking on an army career after being admitted to Britain’s premier military academy where his younger brother is already training, royal officials said Friday. The dashing 23-year-old was "absolutely delighted" to learn that he can go to Sandhurst academy, which will see him join a long line of royals who have served in the armed forces.

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/ 20 October 2005

Reports: Cristiano Ronaldo held on rape claim

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was arrested on Wednesday and questioned on suspicion of rape, reports said. Scotland Yard said two men were questioned in connection with an allegation of a serious sexual assault at a central London hotel, and one was arrested. Media reports said the man arrested was Ronaldo.

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/ 20 October 2005

Lyon maintain perfect record

Lyon defeated Olympiakos 2-1 on Wednesday, leaving the four-time defending French champions as one of only three teams with perfect records in the Champions League. Inter Milan saw their perfect record blemished with a 2-0 loss at 2004 champions FC Porto. Two other teams won big — Chelsea and Real Madrid.

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/ 19 October 2005

Peugeot’s teensy-weensy city runaround

The 107 is, it goes without saying, a small car; as small as a Peugeot gets. It replaces the 106, but don’t be fooled by the bigger number into expecting expansion on all fronts. The 107 is still one teensy-weensy little city runaround. It appears to partake of a design philosophy that wraps right around the car industry at present: that a little car must, by default, appear to be a car for little people.

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/ 18 October 2005

Poll names Chomsky as world’s top intellectual

Noam Chomsky, the American linguistics expert and United States foreign policy critic, was named the world’s top public intellectual, according to a new British magazine poll released on Tuesday. Best known for his loud and consistent criticism of US foreign policy over the last 40 years, Chomsky (76) decisively beat novelist and academic Umberto Eco to top the poll.

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/ 18 October 2005

All a dog needs is love and nail varnish

This year has seen an explosion of new pampering products for man’s furry friends, among the more unusual of which is a fragrance designed to neutralise the sexual scent of female dogs, a study said on Tuesday. The products also include weight loss supplements, sun screen and stress relief sprays, alongside cosmetics like nail polish and hair colour highlights.

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/ 18 October 2005

No clicking, please

Garcon! Clicking one’s fingers to grab the waiter’s attention is by far the worst restaurant etiquette blunder, a British survey revealed on Monday. In a poll of 8 683 people for the British food magazine <i>Olive</i>, 38% thought snapping fingers at a waiter was the most embarrassing gaffe possible while dining out.

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/ 18 October 2005

Should we move Christmas?

Tinsel, toys, mince pies and marzipan — Christmas has truly invaded Britain and it is only October. But retailers insist the demand is out there, with some selling festive gear from as early as August. Many customers, however, moan that it is far too soon and that Santa Claus in a shop window in September spoils the magic of Christmas for the children.

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/ 18 October 2005

Killer 1918 virus exhumed

Only a handful of scientists have security clearance to access the laboratory at the United States government’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Before entering, they must pull on protective hoods, don breathing apparatus and pass through electronic fingerprint and retina scanners to prove their identity. Inside the lab lies a batch of a virus that more than justifies the extreme level of security.

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/ 17 October 2005

Easynet reports bid approach

Easynet said on Monday that it had received an approach which may lead to a takeover, amid a report that British satellite broadcaster BSkyB wanted to snap up the London-listed telecoms group. <i>The Sunday Telegraph</i> newspaper had reported that BSkyB was to muscle in on the lucrative internet broadband market.

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/ 16 October 2005

Chelsea storm past Bolton

Jose Mourinho claimed Chelsea had provided the perfect riposte to the critics who have labelled them boring by blasting five second-half goals past Bolton. ”We are not boring,” Mourinho insisted after a 5-1 win that extended his side’s perfect start to the season to nine matches. Arsenal, however, were beaten 2-1 at West Brom.

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/ 14 October 2005

New James Bond makes dramatic entry

Daniel Craig, a 37-year-old blond-haired, blue-eyed Englishman, was unveiled on Friday as the new James Bond, ending months of mystery over who would play the role of the British playboy spy 007. Production on the 21st Bond film, Casino Royale, is scheduled to begin in Britain in January.