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/ 31 July 2007

Are ATM blasts fizzling out?

Four automated teller machines (ATMs) were blown up in separate incidents around the country in the past week. However, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre is confident there has been a decline in such incidents recently, and that the downward trend will continue.

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/ 31 July 2007

Govt looks at dual HIV-prevention strategy

The Health Department is preparing to introduce dual therapy to improve prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The National Strategic Plan for HIV and Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections allows for introducing dual therapy for reducing mother-to-child transmission, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

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/ 31 July 2007

Drought hits 1,2-million in central China

More than 1,2-million people in the central Chinese province of Hunan are facing a ”water crisis” after four weeks of drought and high temperatures, which are also straining power-generating capacity, state media said on Tuesday. Hunan has received 25% less rain than normal and about half of its two million water-storage facilities are half-empty.

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/ 31 July 2007

Spoornet to spend billions on turnaround strategy

Transnet Freight Rail, formerly Spoornet, will spend R34-billion over the next five years as part of its turnaround strategy, CEO Siyabonga Gama said on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Johannesburg, Gama said the overall turnaround strategy entailed refurbishing and building new railway lines linking the country’s economic centres.

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/ 31 July 2007

DA: Govt misinterprets law on Zim refugees

Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula appears to be ”deliberately misinterpreting” legislation in order to avoid the government’s legal obligation to set up camps for refugees from Zimbabwe, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday. The minister had recently rejected a DA suggestion that refugee camps be put up.

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/ 31 July 2007

World battles to halt use of child soldiers

The end of brutal wars in West Africa and global efforts to halt recruitment have cut the number of child soldiers, but experts say vulnerable children are still forced into battle from Latin American to Asia. Armed with Kalashnikovs and machetes, traumatised children were at the heart of wars in the 1990s in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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/ 31 July 2007

Telkom announces price reductions

South African fixed-line operator Telkom said on Tuesday that its customers are set to benefit from an overall price reduction of 1,2% as of August 1. Telkom filed price changes on June 13, which have been subsequently approved by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.

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/ 31 July 2007

SA June trade deficit widens

South Africa’s trade balance shifted further into deficit in June, recording a shortfall of R5,31-billion and keeping pressure on South Africa’s current account, official data showed on Tuesday. The data follows May’s smaller R2,67-billion shortfall and compares with expectations of a R3,5-billion gap.