Staff Reporter
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/ 24 October 2007

African cellphone connections up 6,6%

Africa’s cellphone connections rose by 15-million subscribers or 6,6% in the third quarter of 2007, according to figures from an industry trade body seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The GSM Association said subscribers to GSM and CDMA technologies totalled 241,2-million in the third quarter.

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/ 24 October 2007

SA population now 48-million, survey shows

South Africa’s population has grown by almost a quarter over the last decade to over 48-million, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The estimate was released on Wednesday as part of the results of Stats SA’s 2007 Community Survey, the biggest household survey ever undertaken in South Africa.

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/ 24 October 2007

Power cut leaves Jo’burg hospital with no electricity

The Eikenhof Clinic, south of Johannesburg, has not had power for the past two weeks, the provincial health department said on Wednesday. Spokesperson Zanele Mngadi said Eskom cut the electricity two weeks ago because the electricity bill had not been paid. ”The account was not paid because of administration challenges and we are currently in talks with Eskom,” she said.

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/ 24 October 2007

Rebel boycott of Darfur peace talks deepens

The Islamist Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) announced on Wednesday that it would boycott Darfur peace talks due to open in Libya on the weekend, bringing to seven the number of rebel groups intending to stay away. The JEM said it had taken its decision in the light of consultations with six other rebel groups.

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/ 24 October 2007

More charges against Canadian paedophile suspect

More sex-crimes charges were filed on Wednesday against a suspected Canadian paedophile captured last week following a global manhunt, Thai police said. Christopher Paul Neil (32) was arrested in Thailand on Friday following a worldwide search led by Interpol to track down a man seen in 200 internet photos abusing a dozen Asian boys.

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/ 24 October 2007

Fifth Rattray murder accused appears in court

The fifth man arrested in connection with the murder of historian David Rattray appeared briefly in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Wednesday, KwaZulu-Natal police said. Zwelihle Mtshali (21) had his case postponed until Thursday, when he would appear in the local high court, police spokesperson Superintendent Muzi Mngomezulu said.

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/ 24 October 2007

ANC backs media diversity

The South African Broadcasting Corporation would be within its rights not to run a story on Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, but media diversity is important in ensuring that other outlets can run it if they choose to, African National Congress (ANC) politician and businessman Saki Macozoma said on Tuesday.