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/ 5 January 2006

Taxpayers foot firefighting bill

Devastating fires in the Western Cape are burning holes in South African taxpayers’ pockets, with the initial cost of battling the blaze already running into the millions.
But, according to government fire-fighting agency Working on Fire, the exact cost of fighting the fires and the damage they have caused has yet to be determined.

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/ 5 January 2006

Gibbs’ half century boosts Proteas

Herschelle Gibbs clouted nine boundaries in an unbeaten half century on Thursday that lifted South Africa’s second innings from 6-2 to 65-2 on day four of the third Test against Australia. At lunch on the penultimate day, the Proteas had an overall lead of 157 runs with five sessions remaining.

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/ 5 January 2006

Ariel Sharon suffers massive stroke

Israel was thrown into political crisis on Wednesday night after Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister, suffered a massive stroke which observers said could end his political career. The 77-year-old was rushed to hospital in Jerusalem after saying he felt unwell at his ranch in the Negev desert.

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/ 5 January 2006

Floods in Mozambique kill at least 15

Floods in central Mozambique have killed at least 15 people in two central provinces and left thousands homeless after heavy rains in the Southern African country since Christmas, officials said on Wednesday. The heavy rains in the former Portuguese colony follow a lengthy drought that has left nearly one million people in need of food aid, mostly in the south of the country.

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/ 5 January 2006

It was a mistake, miners’ families told

For a few fleeting hours it seemed that a miracle had occurred. Inside Sago Baptist church the families of 13 miners trapped for two days deep under the mountains of West Virginia celebrated the news that 12 were alive with shrieks of joy and prayers of thanks. As the bells rang out the media flashed the good news around the world.

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/ 5 January 2006

Stones too old to watch their own performance

The Rolling Stones have always given the ageing process a good name, capable of gyrating and strutting their way through a gruelling world tour more than 40 years after first bounding on to the stage. But while they may be able to set the pace on stage, the original bad boys of rock and roll, with a combined age of 245, would be banned from the audience at their next performance because they are too old.

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/ 5 January 2006

DRC’s mineral wealth as coveted as ever

A ragged gold miner dives into a chocolate-coloured pool of sludge, resurfacing minutes later with a handful of stones containing slivers of gold ore. He and others like him earn about R925 a month selling the gold dust that they get by smashing the rocks to middlemen in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The illegal exploitation of the DRC’s gold resources is of pressing concern on the political front, however.

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/ 5 January 2006

A new doorway

New Year’s resolutions are generally distinguished by the speed with which they are broken, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth making in the first place. And in this strange, conflicted year, with the toughest battles of 2005 still very much alive, it is worth drawing a few lines in the sand. Here are our suggestions …

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/ 5 January 2006

Business in the dock

Business in South Africa finds itself in an unprecedented situation as government brings it to book. The Mail & Guardian takes a closer look at current cases where whole industries or leading companies have agreed to pay reparations, have been fined, are under investigation or in dispute with government.

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/ 5 January 2006

Huge shadow cast over Israel

Just a few weeks ago there was a feeling that Ariel Sharon, the master tactician, had finally broken the mould of Israeli politics. With his plans held hostage by the right wing of the Likud party, he decided to call their bluff by breaking away and forming his own group. It was a huge gamble, but it seemed to be working. But Sharon’s illness could lead to disaster at the polls as his party loses its focal point.