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/ 11 January 2007
”Madam of nations! Miss South Africa! How are you doing today, Miss South Africa?” Balancing boxes of fruit, a tarmac charmer aims his compliments in a steady stream through an open car window. With little success, he shifts the boxes and ambles on to deliver his next salutation. Plastic coat hangers, mangoes, cheap cellphone chargers … the range is eclectic and so is the sales talk.
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/ 11 January 2007
South Africa’s business confidence edged higher to a new peak in December despite a further central bank interest-rate hike, and the trend is likely to continue in 2007, a survey showed on Thursday. The South African Chamber of Business’s business confidence index rose to 103,5 index points from 103,2 in November, which was a recovery from 99,5 in October, its poll showed.
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/ 11 January 2007
South Africa’s economic confidence soared in December on forecasts of a firmer rand currency, tamer inflation and continuing solid expansion. A survey of 15 economists released on Thursday showed the Reuters econometer, a confidence measure of six weighted indicators, rose to 263,74 in December — its highest level since May last year — from 249,9 in November.
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/ 11 January 2007
An Ethiopian court sentenced former Marxist ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam to life in prison for genocide on Thursday, but the former dictator is exiled, safe from the punishment in Zimbabwe. After a 12-year trial, Mengistu was found guilty in absentia of killing thousands of people during a 17-year reign that began in 1974.
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/ 11 January 2007
Jose Mourinho has fuelled speculation that he could be on his way out of Chelsea by refusing to kill off rumours that he could leave the Premiership champions at the end of this season. Dutchman Guus Hiddink, now in charge of Russia and reportedly close to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, has been widely touted as a possible successor to Mourinho.
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/ 11 January 2007
A strong south-easter did not deter Santos, who ran out 2-1 winners over Black Leopards in a Premier Soccer League match at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday night. Santos led 1-0 at half-time. Santos could have been two goals up in the opening minutes.
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/ 11 January 2007
Nato-led troops killed up to 150 insurgents in a ground and air operation in south-eastern Afghanistan after the insurgents infiltrated into Afghanistan from neighbouring Pakistan. Afghan anger over the infiltration of Taliban militants from Pakistan has seriously soured relations between the neighbours, both important United States allies in the war on terrorism.
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/ 11 January 2007
Pieces of an Indonesian airliner that vanished with 102 people on board have been found in the ocean, officials said on Thursday, after a painstaking 10-day search from jungles to stormy seas. Parts, including a tail stabiliser and flight attendant seats, were confirmed or reported found in the sea and on beaches near the town of Pare Pare on the west coast of Sulawesi Island.
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/ 11 January 2007
The national executive committee of the larger faction of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change party will meet on Friday to discuss possible reunification of the splintered party as well as moves by the ruling Zanu-PF party to extend President Robert Mugabe’s term to 2010.
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/ 11 January 2007
China banned government workers, Communist Party members and students in Tibet from marking a recent Buddhist festival, citing the need to ”tighten up education”, a Tibetan rights group reported. A notice in the official Lhasa Evening News said the ban also applied to ”retired cadres and staff”.