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/ 1 February 2007

Nigerian militants threaten new attacks

Masked Nigerian militants armed with machine guns displayed 24 Filipino hostages in a patch of jungle in the remote creeks of the oil-producing Niger Delta and threatened new attacks. The Filipino seamen were kidnapped on January 20 from a German-operated cargo ship on a river in the western delta.

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/ 1 February 2007

Anti-Semitic attacks at record level in UK, study shows

Anti-Semitic attacks reached record levels in Britain last year and peaked during the conflict in Lebanon, a study showed on Thursday. Race-hate incidents — ranging from death threats to physical assault — rose by more than 30% to almost 600. ”These are the worst figures we have had in the 23 years since we have been monitoring it,” said Mark Gardner of the Community Security Trust.

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/ 1 February 2007

Buthelezi slams affirmative action

The government’s reckless implementation of the affirmative-action policy is forcing many white people to leave the country, creating a skills shortage crisis, Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Thursday. Writing in his weekly letter, Buthelezi said white people need to be offered incentives in order for them to stay in the country.

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/ 1 February 2007

Modikwa strike set to continue

The strike at the Modikwa Platinum mine in Limpopo will continue on Thursday, the National Union of Mineworkers said. Chief negotiator Humbulani Tshikalange said a draft agreement was presented to the union on Wednesday to be studied. The agreement deals with the issues agreed upon during negotiations on Monday in the dispute that began over allegations of racism.

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/ 1 February 2007

Modikwa strike costs R5-million a day

A five day-long strike by about 2 000 workers at the Modikwa platinum mine is costing R5-million a day with between 5 000 and 6 000 tonnes of ore lost each day, African Rainbow Minerals’ spokesperson said on Thursday. Pieter Rorich said both the management and the National Union of Mineworkers were still locked in negotiations over some of the issues raised by the union.

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/ 1 February 2007

Head-on collision leaves 20 people dead

Twenty people died and five were injured in a head on collision on the road between Standerton and Embalenhle, Mpumalanga police said on Thursday. Superintendent Abie Khoabane said a Ford Laser overtook a municipal water-tank truck and collided head on with a Quantam minibus taxi on Wednesday evening.

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/ 1 February 2007

Aussie cricket bans Mexican wave

Australian cricket chiefs on Thursday banned spectators from launching the Mexican wave at all remaining one-day international matches in the country. Cricket Australia announced that the practice, in which spectators choreograph a wave effect in the grandstands by standing up in sections and raising their arms in the air, would be outlawed immediately.

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/ 1 February 2007

Iraq civilian deaths hit new high in January

Iraqi civilian deaths in political violence reached a new high in January, data from an Interior Ministry official showed on Thursday. The statistics, widely viewed as an indicative but only partial record of violent deaths, showed 1 971 people died from ”terrorism” in January, slightly up from the previous high of 1 930 deaths recorded in December 2006.