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/ 14 June 2000

BRITISH TROOPS LEAVE S LEONE

THE last British troops sent in to Sierra Leone six weeks ago to shore up the war-torn country are preparing to return to the UK. In their place, UN troops have taken over security at Freetown’s airport. The British operation, codenamed Operation Palliser, will formally end at midnight on Wednesday. It will hand over to […]

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/ 14 June 2000

Bacher’s accuser wants to appear before King probe

STEVEN MANN, Cape Town | Wednesday 3.15pm. WELL-known Johannesburg lawyer Peter Soller on Wednesday confirmed that he had implicated cricket boss Ali Bacher in fixing a one-day international match between South Africa and a touring rebel West Indies side, but indicated he had been temporarily gagged from revealing the full story. Soller said he had […]

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/ 14 June 2000

Bacher denies rigging Windies match

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday 11.35am. ALLEGATIONS made by a Johannesburg lawyer that Dr Ali Bacher was involved in arranging extra payment for a West Indies side to lose a match in South Africa have been strongly denied by the United Cricket Board chief. In a statement submitted to the King Commission of Inquiry […]

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/ 14 June 2000

De Beers declares war on blood diamonds

OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Wednesday 11.50am. MINING giant De Beers on Wednesday called for a coordinated international response to stop trade in so-called ”conflict diamonds” which are funding rebel armies in Africa. In a letter to industry leaders ahead of next month’s World Diamond Congress in Antwerp, De Beers Chairman Nicky Oppenheimer and Managing Director […]

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/ 14 June 2000

England impress with seven-try victory

MICHAEL VLISMAS, Potchefstroom | Wednesday 9.00am. ENGLAND set the tone for their South African tour with a comfortable 52-22 victory over the North West Leopards at Olien Park on Tuesday. The tourists’ midweek team played the expansive rugby they promised and scored seven tries in their opening match, with England captain Ben Clarke and winger […]

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/ 14 June 2000

NIGERIA FUEL STRIKE OFF

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, the country’s main trade union, has called off its five-day nationwide strike over fuel price increases, NLC leader Adams Oshiomhole said on Tuesday. The strike, which began last Thursday to protest the almost 50% rise in the pump prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene was called off after labour and government […]

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/ 14 June 2000

Retail banks face mounting pressure

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 12.20pm. RETAIL banking in South Africa is under mounting pressure, particularly where the country’s biggest four banks are concerned, the Banking Council of South Africa said on Wednesday. Persistent demands that the banks extend services to low-income South Africans, which produces significantly lower returns than other business areas, was part […]