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/ 31 January 2006
The spot price of gold on Tuesday climbed to a 25-year high of $570,85 a troy ounce on continued investor interest in the metal, traders said. The spot price of platinum on Monday climbed to an all-time high of $1 081 an ounce due to strength in precious metals as well as renewed investor appetite for the metal, analysts said.
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/ 31 January 2006
United States President George Bush will go to Congress on Tuesday night hoping to use his annual State of the Union address to lever his presidency out of its rut after his worst year in office. But even Republicans say it may take more than a speech to salvage the Bush legacy.
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/ 31 January 2006
The United States is urging Arab states to continue funding a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, even though Washington is threatening to cut its own aid. Diplomats said on Monday that the Bush administration has already contacted Arab governments that support the Palestinian Authority and requested them to continue their funding.
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/ 31 January 2006
Several shacks in informal settlements around Pretoria were flooded on Monday after the city had about 100mm of rain in an hour, emergency services said. Spokesperson Johan Pieterse said on Tuesday that shacks in Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa were flooded and some moved after the heavy rain.
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/ 31 January 2006
Monday was not a night for champions as reigning African Nations Cup holders Tunisia were trounced 3-0 by Guinea and ended up second in group C. At least they still have an interest in the tournament, whereas 1996 champions South Africa reached new depths as they were beaten 1-0 by Zambia.
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/ 31 January 2006
Christopher Katongo scored on Monday to give Zambia a 1-0 win over South Africa, their first in group C of the African Cup of Nations. Katongo scored a 73rd-minute cross from Clive Hachilensa to hand South Africa, the 2010 World Cup hosts, their third straight defeat without scoring.
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/ 31 January 2006
More than a decade after the advent of democracy, South Africa has still one of the most unequal societies in the world, but a recent study reveals that public support for pro-poor policies is highly conditional. The study says people believe society is unequal, and there is "strong support for government action to reduce inequalities".
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/ 31 January 2006
Members of Liberia’s outgoing transitional government have vacated offices to make way for elected successors, taking their computers, desks, chairs and even carpets with them, civil servants said on Monday. Ministers, their staff and parliamentarians as well have made off with a whole gamut of government property.
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/ 31 January 2006
On Wednesday, the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> filed a court challenge to Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana’s findings on the Oilgate scandal, seeking to have his report overturned and redone. Last July, Mushwana released the report that avoided probing parts of the scandal, but exonerated government and the parastatals involved.
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/ 31 January 2006
The United Nations, which is struggling to redeem its public image over charges of nepotism and mismanagement in its $64-billion now-defunct Oil-for-Food Programme in Iraq, has admitted to another growing scandal relating to its procurement activities.