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/ 26 October 2007

China digs deeper into Africa with bank deal

China has served notice it is accelerating its investment drive in Africa towards full throttle with the planned ,6-billion cash purchase of a major stake in Standard Bank by Beijing’s biggest lender. China’s ICBC bank said on Thursday it is to buy 20% of Standard Bank, the biggest foreign acquisition by a Chinese commercial bank to date.

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/ 26 October 2007

Rain doesn’t stop Bok parade

Thousands of people in Pretoria turned up in rainy weather on Friday for a parade to celebrate the Springboks’ victory in the Rugby World Cup a week ago. They were due in Johannesburg later in the day — and in Soweto on Saturday, after a public outcry over the initial cancellation of that leg of the victory tour.

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/ 26 October 2007

Kenya polls set for December 27

Kenya will hold presidential and legislative elections on December 27, the electoral commission announced on Friday, days after President Mwai Kibaki dissolved the Parliament. Commission chief Samuel Kivuitu said 14 248 838 Kenyans have so far registered to vote in the one-day exercise, the fourth since Kenya reverted to pluralism in 1992.

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/ 26 October 2007

Manto criticises EU plan to attract health workers

A European Union scheme to attract health workers will hurt developing countries, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Friday. ”Many developing countries are already struggling with the migration of health workers. We cannot afford schemes that seek to cream the very limited health skills we still have in developing countries,” she said.

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/ 26 October 2007

Attack halts Italian oil facility off Nigeria

Gunmen attacked a support vessel to an Italian-operated oil-production facility off the coast of Nigeria on Friday, industry and security sources said. The attackers overpowered the vessel shortly before dawn and used it to attempt to board the Mystras production facility, operated by Saipem and SBM Offshore, forcing the facility to halt production.

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/ 26 October 2007

Grumpy Aussie miners get sex lessons

Grumpy Australian coal miners are getting lessons on "exploring their wives" to revive their sex lives and boost production at work. Men working at the Bulga mine near Sydney attend classes on issues such as menopause and foreplay because, a manager told the <i>Sydney Morning Herald</i>, a miner not having sex at home "can get mighty grumpy at work".

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/ 26 October 2007

Springboks to tour Soweto after outcry

South African rugby chiefs said on Friday that the Springboks would tour Soweto on their nationwide World Cup victory parade after an outcry over a decision to bypass the country’s biggest township. ”Tomorrow morning [Saturday] our team, the coach, the manager, the captain, early in the morning, are going to Soweto,” said SA Rugby president Oregan Hoskins.