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/ 12 November 2007

Lewis reports 11% rise in first-half revenue

South African furniture retailer Lewis said on Monday first-half revenue rose 11,2% to R1,718-billion, with merchandise sales 7,5% higher. Lewis said headline earnings per share for the period to end-September rose 11% to 308,5 cents. Lewis said operational and merchandise strategies would continue to produce satisfactory results.

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/ 12 November 2007

Seven-year-old boy beheaded for R20 000

Three people have been arrested after a seven-year KwaZulu-Natal boy was beheaded for R20 000 in what is believed to be a muti transaction, KwaDabeka police said on Monday. Police spokesperson Captain Bongani Khomo said the incident has left police officers and the Clermont community in shock.

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/ 12 November 2007

Oil threatens to break $100

The price of oil set yet another record this week as low stocks of fuel and further falls in the dollar spurred a frenzied round in the buying of crude. United States light crude futures rose by more than $3 a barrel to break through $97 a barrel to a peak of $97,07, nearly a dollar above the previous high last week.

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/ 12 November 2007

A booming anomaly

As a leading commodity producer and exporter, South Africa’s current account deficit appears uncharacteristic given the backdrop of strong commodity price performance. This is due mostly to a combination of rising imports and poor exports during this commodity cycle. There are various factors, but regulatory risk remains the greatest concern.

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/ 12 November 2007

Plugged in to the future

If there’s a vehicle that is red-hot in our globally warming world, it’s the plug-in hybrid. The best-known hybrid, Toyota’s Prius, is now 10 years old and has sold more than 800 000 units worldwide. It is available in South Africa, where about 20 vehicles are sold on average each month.

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/ 12 November 2007

Food crisis begins to bite

Empty shelves in Caracas. Food riots in West Bengal and Mexico. Warnings of hunger in Jamaica, Nepal, the Philippines and sub-Saharan Africa. Soaring prices for basic foods are beginning to lead to political instability, with governments being forced to step in to artificially control the cost of bread, maize, rice and dairy products.

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/ 12 November 2007

Nuclear industry radiating life

There are new signs of life in the domestic nuclear industry as United States-based Westinghouse announced an acquisition, saying it was increasing its local presence to supply South Africa’s new nuclear power programme. Government has said that it wants nuclear power to supply 30% of the country’s energy needs by 2025.

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/ 12 November 2007

Perverse Musharraf

Pervez Musharraf’s second coup, or "emergency plus" as it is being referred to in the Pakistani media, was widely expected by the time it was finally announced on the afternoon of November 3. It is being seen here as the last roll of the dice by a desperate gambler.