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/ 1 September 2005

Floor-crossing battles rage in court

Cape High Court judges worked overtime on Wednesday to deal with a barrage of legal action ahead of the midnight opening of the political floor-crossing window. The United Democratic Movement on Wednesday expelled six MPs and MPLs from the party, and the Independent Democrats gave the boot to its deputy leader and Gauteng MPL Themba Sono.

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/ 1 September 2005

Almost 1 000 dead in Baghdad stampede

At least 965 Iraqis were crushed to death or drowned in Wednesday’s stampede on a Baghdad bridge as vast crowds of Shi’ite pilgrims were sent into panic by rumours of suicide bombers in their midst. The tragedy — described by Iraq authorities as a ”terrorist” act — provoked an international outcry.

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/ 1 September 2005

Typhoon makes landfall in Taiwan

Typhoon Talim lashed Taiwan on Thursday, paralysing air and land traffic, shuttering offices and schools, and leaving at least two dead and 24 injured. By the time Talim made landfall at Ilan in north-eastern Taiwan, it had developed two centres and pounded the island with heavy rain and strong winds.

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/ 1 September 2005

Thousands feared lost in Hurricane Katrina

The death toll from Hurricane Katrina could rise into the thousands in New Orleans alone, the city authorities believe, in what United States President George Bush described as ”one of the worst national disasters in our nation’s history”. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin said there will be a ”total evacuation of the city”.

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/ 1 September 2005

The sporty new Opel Tigra

Opel’s Tigra Twin Top is the latest convertible to reach South African shores. Where soft-top cars never really took off in this country due to the security problems they posed and the schlep that was involved in what amounted to pitching camp in your transport, the current offerings do all the work at the push of a button, and because the roofs are solid, security isn’t compromised.

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/ 1 September 2005

Mercedes-Benz up their game

Mercedes-Benz has upped their game considerably with the introduction of a new V6 diesel and three new petrol V6 units into their C-Class range. Gone is the old single-overhead-camshaft three-valve-per-cylinder technology, replaced by double-overhead-camshaft four-valve units mated to the company’s superb seven speed auto transmissions.

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/ 1 September 2005

A self-denying ordinance

There is a keen irony in President Thabo Mbeki’s proposal of an inquiry into claims that he is orchestrating a plot against former deputy president Jacob Zuma. Over the years, Mbeki has himself been a regular proponent of conspiracy theories — that the pharmaceutical industry trumped up the HIV/Aids epidemic, for example.

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/ 1 September 2005

RMB linked to SA loan package

Johannesburg-based Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has emerged as a key player in a potential South African loan to Zimbabwe. The bank was reluctant to provide details but its head of project finance, Peter Gent, told the <i>Mail & Guardian</i>: "Our involvement in such a transaction would be as a facilitator in what is essentially a government-to-government deal."