Japanese tyre-maker Bridgestone said on Monday it was ”too early” to say whether it would benefit from a severe blow to rival Michelin caused by the French company’s tyres proving unsafe to use at the US Grand Prix. Michelin has rejected any blame for advising seven formula one teams to pull out of Sunday’s race because of fears its tyres might be dangerous.
Australia star Shane Warne was reported on Monday to be fighting to save his marriage after new claims he cheated on his wife with a student. The 35-year-old spin bowler, who has been involved in a series of scandals, allegedly stripped naked and begged Laura Sayers (25) for sex before she gave in to his pleas.
A controversial documentary, Living with Aids, will be aired in the UK next week that explores ”sexual attitudes” in Africa and their role in the Aids pandemic on the continent. The Sierra Leone director of the documentary says he made the programme to try and find out why Aids was destroying Africa.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair will warn his European partners in the final two weeks before the crucial Gleneagles G8 summit that unless they dismantle the R350-billion Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Africa will never free itself from poverty.
Women’s soccer should promote ”lovely looking” players to attract more sponsors, according to Uefa president Lennart Johansson. ”If you see a girl playing on the ground, sweaty, with the rainy weather and coming out of the dressing room, lovely looking, that would sell.”
The race for the 2012 Summer Games moves to Africa this week, with the five bid cities taking their campaign to Ghana in the last major Olympic gathering before next month’s IOC vote in Singapore. Each city will be given 10-15 minutes on Friday to make formal presentations to the body, which represents 53 countries.
A British bus company is testing a new secret weapon that it hopes will help forward its push to cut its polluting emissions — sheep urine. The company, Stagecoach, has fitted a bus in the southern English city of Winchester with a tank containing the animal waste, which is sprayed into exhaust fumes to reduce emissions of harmful nitrous oxides.
It might appear to be somewhat of a problem in his chosen occupation. But Todd the Human Cannonball insists a simple fear of flying did not merit his being sacked. Todd — 26-year-old daredevil Todd Christian — had no fear of the swift 12m flight he took when he was fired by a cannon high above the ring at Britain’s Cottle and Austin Circus.
Margaret Thatcher, who led Britain’s Conservative Party to three election wins via a combination of unshakeable will and iron discipline, has delivered a stark, if brief, message to her old organisation: ”Get on with it”. In a rare foray into contemporary politics, Thatcher issued the call at a celebration of the 30th anniversary of her accession as party leader.
Most single Britons regard a holiday romance as an essential part of a summer vacation, but most will fizzle out within a week of returning to the British drizzle, a survey revealed on Wednesday. Nearly half of those polled said the heady mix of sun, sea and sand made falling in love all the easier.
Roger Federer, having endured another French Open heartbreaker, returns to more friendly Grand Slam surroundings next week, bidding to take another step closer to smashing Pete Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon titles. Injured Andre Agassi has pulled out of Wimbledon for the second straight year.
A life-size chocolate statue of British popstar Elton John was unveiled on Tuesday at London’s famous wax cabinet, Madame Tussauds. The figure, made of 126kgs of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, won immediate approval from Elton’s long-time partner, David Furnish. ”They’ve captured his features and his spirit,” said Furnish.
It will take a huge effort to stop Roger Federer’s momentum on grass as the Swiss standout bids for a third straight Wimbledon title. That’s the thought of old pro John McEnroe, three times a holder at the All England Club. ”As far as Roger — if he plays well, there’s no way he’s going to lose,” he said.
A historic deal to free more than 30 poor countries from the crippling shackles of debt to the West was hailed by Bob Geldof on Saturday as a ”victory for millions”. The -billion settlement, which will immediately benefit countries from Ethiopia and Uganda to Rwanda and Mozambique, was the beginning rather than the end, the campaigning rock star said.
Eighteen of the world’s poorest countries will have their debts to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund wiped out as part of a -billion package agreed on Saturday by the G7 leading economies. The deal, brokered by the British Chancellor Gordon Brown, will save countries such as Mozambique and Ethiopia a total of -billion in debt payments over the next 10 years.
A museum dedicated to children’s author Roald Dahl (1916-1990), featuring chocolate-scented doors, a friendly giant and a crocodile bench, has been opened in Britain. The museum and story centre is in Great Missenden, the village in Buckinghamshire (north-west of London), where Dahl wrote many of his classics.
A bus operator in Britain is road-testing sheep urine as a way of cutting pollution, the Guardian newspaper reported on Friday. Stagecoach has fitted a tank to a bus in Winchester, southern England, which sprays urine into the exhaust fumes to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
Finance ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations will try to reach agreement on Friday on a British-American proposal to cancel billions of dollars in debt owed by the world’s poorest countries. The deal would cover 18 nations eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative.
Unless Britons are charged for the distance they drive, they could eventually face unmanageable traffic jams on major roads, the nation’s transport secretary said on Thursday. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said Britain needs to implement the world’s first satellite-based system to charge motorists for every kilometre they drive.
It could perhaps be described as a niche market, but such is the continued fame of United States pop star Madonna that a pair of her black, lacy knickers — guaranteed pre-worn — have sold for £1 000 (R12 400). The underwear was worn by the 46-year-old star in the 1993 film Body of Evidence.
English is renowned as the world’s most swiftly evolving language, a process highlighted by the raft of sometimes curious new words — ”chav”, ”Asbo” and ”retrosexual” — featured in the latest edition of the Collins English Dictionary published on Thursday.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are on the prowl for summer signings to help tip the balance in what could be the closest Premiership race for years. Arsenal are in negotiations with Stuttgart about Belarus winger Alexander Hleb as manager Arsene Wenger tries to strengthen the right side of his midfield.
Parts of the European Union Constitution could be introduced without a referendum in the United Kingdom, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Tuesday, a day after suspending plans for the treaty to be put to a popular vote. Straw, speaking on BBC radio, also tried to appease opponents of the Constitution.
Edwin van der Sar has vowed to become Manchester United’s new Peter Schmeichel and put them back on top of English football. The former Juventus and Ajax goalkeeper has agreed a two-year contract at Old Trafford, who have tried 10 ‘keepers since Schmeichel left in 1999 after the treble-winning season.
With a month to go, Paris remains the city to beat in the race for the 2012 Olympics. The French capital solidified its front-runner status on Monday, receiving a glowing review in an IOC report evaluating the five cities in the most competitive and glamorous field in Olympic bid history.
Britain announced on Monday that it is shelving plans for a referendum on the European Union Constitution until its fate becomes clearer, driving another stake into the heart of the beleaguered treaty. The move was announced by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in a statement to Parliament on Monday.
Scores of international experts began talks on Monday in Edinburgh, Scotland, aimed at helping the Group of Eight (G8) industrial powers tackle disease and poverty in Africa at its July summit in Scotland, officials said. About 80 lawmakers and policymakers opened talks on Monday morning.
Hospital bosses in Britain were meeting on Friday to discuss a controversial move to ban Bibles from patients’ bedsides after they were decreed not only insensitive to other religions but also a health risk. Gideons International, the organisation that distributes Bibles to hospitals, has condemned the mooted move as "outrageous".
A bone found on a British beach has sparked renewed interest in one of the country’s most curious myths — that a monkey washed ashore during the Napoleonic Wars was executed by suspicious locals for being a French spy. The discovery has intrigued locals, given the town’s curious folklore.
British Treasury chief Gordon Brown outlined what he called a ”modern Marshall plan” on Friday to boost Africa’s fortunes with debt relief, aid and trade. He proposed erasing all the debt poor countries owe to international organisations.
Chelsea were fined £300 000 (R3,7-million) and handed a suspended three-point deduction for tapping up Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole, the Premier League announced on Wednesday. Cole himself was fined £100 000 (R1,2-million) and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho received a fine of £200 000 (R2,5-million).
Arsenal vice-chairperson David Dein may believe that the Premiership runners-up can return to a businesslike relationship with the team who deposed them as champions, Chelsea, but that is certainly not the line coming out of their London rivals. Arsenal and Chelsea must sit down together at the two-day Premiership conference on Thursday.