Monthly Archives: September 2010
Organisers told us they'd be ready, says Commonwealth Games chief
Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper insists his organisation should not shoulder the blame for the problems which have plagued the build-up to the event in Delhi.
Complaints have come from a number of teams about the poor state of the athletes' village, while preparations have been hit by failures in the construction of venues. [...]
'Some do coke. Others do ciggies instead of eating'... Who do you mean, Beth?
Beth Ditto, the larger- than-life lead singer of the Gossip, has charged into battle with her size-challenged sisters. Forced to defend her weight once too often, Ditto cracked last week and launched an attack on the conventional belief that it is healthier to be thin.
Although she is several belt notches bigger than the average, size-16, [...]
UN moves to avert war over Sudan partition
With top officials worrying out loud that Sudan is a "ticking time bomb" that could return to civil war, President Barack Obama and other leaders gathered on the fringes of the UN General Assembly last night to insist that the timetable for a referendum on possible secession for South Sudan is respected.
Declaring that the people [...]
Pollution not to blame for rapid ocean cooling, says Phil Jones paper
Scientists studying a rapid cooling of the oceans around four decades ago have found that the traditional explanation for the phenomenon, which involved pollution in the atmosphere, does not stack up.
The discovery does not cast doubt on the overall science of human-caused climate change. But the study will receive more scrutiny than normal because it [...]
Potash chief lost £4m in BHP Billiton bid
Bill Doyle, the chief executive of Potash Corp of Saskatchewan, cost himself $6.7m (£4.3m) by cashing in share options this summer, two months before BHP Billiton's $39bn bid for the company was revealed.
In May and June, Doyle sold 134,200 shares at an average price of $98.71, 24% below BHP's $130 a share offer price which [...]
Carla Bruni books reveal there are two sides to every story
A much-awaited "unauthorised" biography of the French first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, published yesterday, paints a scathing picture of a vain and selfish woman who neglects her official and charitable work.
But the Elysée Palace has not allowed the book's author to have the field to herself. Having failed in a bid to block its publication, Ms [...]
Hospitals in South Africa charged over kidney transplant trafficking
South Africa's biggest private hospital group was on Wednesday charged in connection with an alleged organ trafficking syndicate in which people's kidneys were transplanted to wealthy Israelis. Struggling Brazilians and Romanians were reportedly paid $6,000 (£3,840) for their kidneys to be used in the illegal operations.
Netcare, which also runs hospitals in Britain, allegedly made more [...]
China accused of holding woman in mental hospital for challenging officials
They snatched Liao Meizhi on her birthday, dragging her off the street and into a dirty blue van as others held back her husband.
It was only two months later, when a stranger knocked on the door, that her family learned where she had been taken. The man said he had just been discharged from a [...]
Valencia injured as United draw a blank
Sir Alex Ferguson's Champions League gamble backfired badly as not even the returning Wayne Rooney could conjure up a Battle of Britain goal against Rangers.
In truth, it was less of a battle, more a stout rearguard action on Rangers' behalf, which was fully deserving of a point at Old Trafford, if only for their strict [...]
Net Gains: Helfant sets off fireworks with bid to extend off-season by three weeks
Adam Helfant, the executive chairman of the Association of Tennis Professionals, has kept a low profile since stepping into the job last year and built a reputation as a cool and calm administrator. However, the American could set off some fireworks when the ATP, who run the men's tour, decides later this year whether to [...]