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South African citizens and refugees alike could shortly be issued with ”smart identification cards”, replacing the old green bar-coded identity books, Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula said on Thursday. Addressing reporters in Pretoria, Nqakula said the first smart ID cards are expected to be issued in 2006.
State-owned diamond company Alexkor as recently as four years ago wanted to mine the Ramsar wetlands site at the mouth of the Orange River, it emerged on Thursday. The revelation is contained in a confidential memorandum produced at the Richtersveld land-claim hearing in Cape Town, now in its second week.
South Africa will pay dearly for global industrialisation and other activities that generate greenhouse gases, a new study revealed on Thursday. A report by the South African National Biodiversity Institute, released in Cape Town, warns that rising temperatures will change the face of the country by 2050.
Israel’s military intelligence chief praised Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday for his efforts to disarm militants, countering claims by the government, which has frozen plans to transfer responsibility for security. ”There is determined activity on his part in terms of his aims and intentions,” General Aharon Zeevi said.
Jenson Button’s BAR Honda team were on Thursday banned from competing in the next two grands prix after being found guilty of ”highly regrettable negligence” at last month’s race in San Marino. The verdict falls way short of the season-long ban called for by motor racing’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation.
The Bulls are South Africa’s last remaining hope for a Vodacom Super 12 semifinal spot in this year’s competition, but anything less than a five-point haul against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday will scupper those dreams with one round remaining. If results go their way, they could even be hosting a semifinal on May 21.
Further news on United Kingdom banking group Barclays’ proposed bid for a 60% stake in South Africa’s biggest retail bank, Absa, is likely to be forthcoming early next week, sources close to the deal intimated on Thursday. According to the sources, Absa’s board will hold a special meeting on Friday.
The stakes are high for British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Thursday’s election, as a loss or narrow win by his Labour Party may end his career, while a triumph will define him as one of Britain’s political masters. Arch-rival Michael Howard also faces a defining moment, the experts predicted on Thursday.
Insurgents killed at least 20 people in three separate attacks targeting Iraqi security forces in Baghdad on Thursday, including one by a man who set off hidden explosives while waiting in line outside an army recruitment centre, police said.