Staff Reporter
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/ 22 November 2007

Fifa ‘concerned’ over stadium preparations

World soccer governing body Fifa was concerned about 2010 stadium preparations, its general secretary, Jerome Valcke, said on Thursday at a media briefing in Durban. Stadium workers in Nelspruit, Durban and Cape Town recently staged strikes for better wages and this raised concerns that South Africa would not be ready to host the World Cup.

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/ 22 November 2007

Engen: Refinery fire won’t affect fuel supply

Officials at Durban’s Engen refinery on Thursday reiterated that a fire that resulted in millions of rands’ worth of petrol going up in smoke would not have an impact on fuel supply. ”We don’t believe that this will have any significant impact in the short- or long-term,” Herb Payne, speaking on behalf of Engen general manager Willem Oosthuizen, said on Thursday.

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/ 22 November 2007

Beuthin case postponed

A case of attempted murder and kidnapping against former bouncer Gary Beuthin and two others was on Thursday postponed in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court. Gary Beuthin, Melanie van Niekerk and Warren Sherkle appeared on charges of attempted murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, possession of a firearm and pointing of a firearm.

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/ 22 November 2007

Cabinet: Electricity master plan on the way

Four government departments are collaborating to produce a ”comprehensive electricity master plan” for South Africa, says the Cabinet. Such a plan was long overdue, government communications head Themba Maseko told a media briefing at Parliament on Thursday, following the Cabinet’s fortnightly meeting the day before.

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/ 22 November 2007

Property demand starts to feel the heat

Higher interest rates and over-indebtedness of individuals will suppress demand for residential property in months to come, reports I-Net Bridge. This reduction will continue to feed through to the building sector, making developers more cautious about submitting further building plans over the coming few quarters.

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/ 22 November 2007

Press pound England boss

Britain’s newspapers savaged Steve McClaren on Thursday after the England manager failed to guide his team to the 2008 European Championships. McClaren was expected to be sacked within hours of going to print as the national press put the boot into the Yorkshireman following Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to Croatia.

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/ 22 November 2007

Johncom lifts first-half earnings by 460%

South Africa’s second-biggest media firm, Johnnic Communications (Johncom), increased first-half headline earnings per share by 460% to 1 681 cents. The company said revenue for the six months to end-September rose by 16% to R2,974-billion while profit from operations before exceptional items rose 25% to R409-million.

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/ 22 November 2007

History shows climate changes led to famine, war

Global warming is one of the most significant threats facing humankind, researchers warned, as they unveiled a study showing how climate changes in the past led to famine, wars and population declines. The world’s growing population may be unable to adequately adapt to ecological changes brought about by the expected rise in global temperatures.