Staff Reporter
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/ 14 March 2005

Weekend of gun violence shocks the US

A boy aged two was shot in the head by his four-year-old brother after a squabble over a toy and a churchgoer opened fire on fellow worshippers, killing seven of them, in a weekend of gun violence across the United States. Police said the two boys had been squabbling in their Houston home when the younger child threw a toy at his brother.

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/ 14 March 2005

Communist party calls for land reform

It will take a hundred years to transfer 30% of agricultural land to black farmers at the current rate, South African Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande said on Monday. He said joint action was needed to accelerate the land reform process if the 30% target was to be reached within the next ten years.

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/ 14 March 2005

Man poses as dead mom to collect pension

A Turkish man managed to get the pension of his mother for two years after her death, posing as an elderly woman to the local bank and neighbours, the mass-circulation <i>Sabah</i> newspaper reported on Saturday. He was caught only after he forgot to change his voice in response to a question by a bank clerk.

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/ 14 March 2005

A transatlantic trip for a cancelled game

For North Carolina-based football fan Chris Barrett, the trip to the United Kingdom to watch his favourite team in action was a long-cherished dream, after years of saving money. If only the match had not been cancelled. Barrett, a 36-year-old United States schoolteacher, was putting a brave face on the disappointment on Saturday.

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/ 14 March 2005

Warder dies in hospital shooting attack

A prison warder on escort duty was shot dead and another injured in an attack by gunmen at Cape Town’s Groote Schuur hospital on Monday morning, police said. Police spokesperson Captain Billy Jones said the incident took place at the hospital’s outpatients reception area shortly after 10am, when four warders brought a prisoner in for medical treatment.

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/ 14 March 2005

Taxi protest disrupts Cape Town traffic

Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool promised protesting taxi drivers on Monday to intervene personally if their negotiations with the provincial transport ministry fail. On Monday, taxi drivers made good on threats a few months ago to blockade tourist attractions, with a cavalcade of metered sedans disrupting traffic in central Cape Town.