Staff Reporter
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/ 5 February 2008

Mugabe to face polls challenge from ex-minister

Zimbabwe’s former finance minister, Simba Makoni, a senior member of the ruling Zanu-PF party, announced on Tuesday that he would challenge President Robert Mugabe as an independent in elections next month. The announcement by the widely respected Makoni comes after the breakdown of talks between the two factions of the main opposition.

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/ 5 February 2008

England too strong for Kiwis in Twenty20 clash

England continued their perfect start to their tour of New Zealand by beating the Kiwis by 32 runs in their first Twenty20 international at Eden Park in Auckland on Tuesday. England, who opened their two-month tour with back-to-back wins over Canterbury last weekend, compiled an impressive total of 184-8 from their 20 overs.

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/ 5 February 2008

SA schools ‘are downright dangerous’

South African schools are the most dangerous in the world, with only 23% of pupils saying they feel safe at school, the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) said on Tuesday. Spokesperson for SAIRR Thomas Blaser said a Progress in International Reading Literacy study had ranked South Africa last in terms of school safety.

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/ 5 February 2008

Nuclear trial: Swiss engineer given suspended sentence

A second member of an international nuclear smuggling ring, Swiss engineer Daniel Geiges, was given a suspended sentence by the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday. Judge Willie van der Merwe sentenced Geiges, who is gravely ill with cancer, to a total of 13 years’ imprisonment but suspended the sentence for five years in terms of a plea-bargain agreement.

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/ 5 February 2008

Els looks ahead after loss to Tiger

Ernie Els says his agonising loss to Tiger Woods in Dubai on Sunday is history and he is fully focused on etching his name on the inaugural Indian Masters trophy this week. The world number four started the final day at the Dubai Desert Classic four ahead of Woods but his approach to the green on the 18th went in the water and it cost him the tournament.

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/ 5 February 2008

Quarter of Brits think Churchill was myth

Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll that came out on Monday, which showed that nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real. The survey found that 47% thought the 12th century English king, Richard the Lionheart, was a myth.

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/ 5 February 2008

SA pushes ahead with mining-rights deadline

South Africa’s minister of minerals and energy has asked companies to apply for new mineral rights by the second quarter of next year, and plans to finalise a law to oversee the processing of minerals locally this year. The deadline for companies and others to renew or assert their rights under the review of the sector is April 30 2009.

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/ 5 February 2008

Malaysian burglar caught napping

Malaysian police have arrested a thief who fell asleep after snacking on cookies in the home of his victim and was discovered curled up in bed clutching a stolen purse, a newspaper said on Monday. V Sathya said his nine-year old son was startled to find the intruder sleeping in his bed after the family returned from a shopping trip.

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/ 5 February 2008

Israeli police on alert after suicide bombing

Israeli police were on a heightened state of alert on Tuesday a day after Palestinian militants carried out the first suicide attack in the Jewish state in a year. ”Our forces have been placed on a heightened state of alert as we fear a wave of terrorist attacks after Monday’s attack in Dimona,” Bertie Ohayon, a senior police officer, told public radio.