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/ 6 January 2005

AU offers to mediate in Ugandan conflict

The African Union is seeking to act as mediator in the conflict pitting Ugandan government troops and rebels in the north, a spokesperson said on Thursday. President Yoweri Museveni at the weekend ordered the army to resume attacks against the insurgents, after last-minute hitches scuppered a December 31 ceasefire deal.

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/ 6 January 2005

Tsunami victim finds unlikely new mother

A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant, male, century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombasa, officials said on Thursday. The hippo, nicknamed Owen, was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean and then forced back to shore when the tsunami struck.

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/ 6 January 2005

Watch out, reckless young BMW drivers

Road users considered to be risk takers and repeat offenders are to be targeted by the use of technological and legal measures this year, the Department of Transport said on Thursday. Risk takers as typically males between the ages of 18 and 35 who drove luxury German sedans, the department noted.

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/ 6 January 2005

Rand’s slide fuels resources rally

The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) was firmer in noon trade on Thursday after a sliding rand fuelled a rally in heavyweight resources stocks. Banks and retailers featured on the downside due to continued profit-taking on concerns about the weaker currency’s effect on consumer spending.

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/ 6 January 2005

Nelson Mandela’s son dies

Former president Nelson Mandela’s only surviving son, Makgatho Mandela (54), has died of Aids. Makgatho had been in a critical condition in the Linksfield hospital in Johannesburg since late November, and Mandela had been spending time at his son’s bedside. ”It is a very sad day for the Mandela family,” said the Inkatha Freedom Party’s Musa Zondi.

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/ 6 January 2005

Briton apologises for racist graffiti

In a letter of apology on Thursday to the Western Province Cricket Association, an English fan arrested for scribbling racist graffiti at the Newlands cricket ground said he regrets his actions and promised never to do it again. The racist graffiti cost Newlands cricket authorities more than R15 000 to remove.

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/ 6 January 2005

Judge claims age bias at 83

A Supreme Court judge in Oklahoma is suing colleagues on the bench for passing him over for the state’s top judicial job because he is too old. Marian Opala (83) will take fellow judges to court for age discrimination after a rule change denied him his turn to be the state’s Supreme Court chief justice.