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/ 20 December 2005
North Korea announced on Tuesday it intended to build an unspecified number of light-water reactors, saying the United States had reduced a 1994 deal on mothballing nuclear power plants to a ”dead document.” Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said that the Stalinist regime would also resume the construction of two graphite moderated reactors frozen under the 1994 accord.
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/ 20 December 2005
Pygmies in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hope their country’s future Constitution will lead to improved living standards and security in their region. ”Everyone in our community voted” in a constitutional referendum held on Sunday and Monday, said Seseti Wiongwa, a Bambuti pygmy.
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/ 20 December 2005
Controversial Lazio star Paolo Di Canio has been banned for one match after performing a Nazi salute to fans for the second week in succession. The 39-year-old former Italian international was punished after making the gesture while he was substituted in his team’s 1-1 draw against Juventus at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on Saturday.
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/ 20 December 2005
South Africa and United Kingdom-listed financial services group Old Mutual is "very comfortable" with the 62,5% level of acceptances received from Skandia shareholders for its R38-billion bid for the Swedish insurer, according to CEO Jim Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe said he also expects to receive more acceptances from Skandia shareholders, with the offer having been extended until January 12 2006.
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/ 20 December 2005
The ancient family Bible in the room of Charlito Baker’s heavily guarded presidential campaign headquarters is open at the page of Isaiah 54, verses 11 -17. ”O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,” runs the passage, ”no weapon forged against you will prevail and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”
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/ 20 December 2005
Israel’s Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, was expected to leave hospital on Tuesday after making a full recovery from a stroke on Sunday night as Binyamin Netanyahu, his chief rival, won control of the Likud party. Doctors said there was no lasting damage to Sharon after a small blood clot formed near his heart and made its way to his brain.
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/ 20 December 2005
South Africa lost two morning wickets and was fighting to save the first cricket Test against Australia at the Waca, going to lunch on the final day’s play at 140-4 after being set 491 runs to win. Leg-spinner Shane Warne (2-29 from 20 overs) and paceman Brett Lee (1-49 from 17 overs) both made breakthroughs in the opening session.
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/ 20 December 2005
Even though they may not understand God’s master plan, South Africans must trust him, Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said in a Christmas message released on Monday. He suggested South Africans, or at least some of them, might be ”captives” in the same way that God willed that the Israelites be held captive in Babylon when they strayed from his ways.
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/ 20 December 2005
Nineteen people, including three young children, were killed on Monday night when a seaplane ferrying them to the Bahamas crashed into the Atlantic off South Beach in Miami. Holidaymakers watched from the shore as the twin-propeller plane appeared to explode in mid-air immediately after takeoff and plunge back into the sea.
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/ 20 December 2005
Boeremag convict Dawid Oosthuizen, who was sentenced in 2003 following a plea bargain agreement with the state, is set to be released from jail this week. Pretoria High Court Judge Willie Hartzenberg on Monday afternoon ordered in chambers that the remainder of Oosthuizen’s eight year sentence be converted into correctional supervision.