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/ 26 November 2004

DRC soldier killed by Rwandan rebels

A Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) soldier has been killed in the east of the vast central African country in an attack by Rwandan rebels, a DRC army officer told reporters on Friday. The Democratic attack was near Walungu, around 80km southwest of Bukavu, according too a DRC offiver, and the soldier was killed when rebels cut off his arm.

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/ 26 November 2004

SA mercenary gets 34 years

South African Nick du Toit was sentenced on Friday by a court in Equatorial Guinea to 34 years in jail and exiled opposition leader Severo Moto to 64 years for a plot to oust President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Du Toit, who has been held in prison in Equatorial Guinea since his arrest in the central African country in February, was in court to hear the verdict, while Moto was tried in absentia.

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/ 26 November 2004

Chinese mine fire toll rises to 68

The confirmed death toll from a fire at an iron-ore mine complex in northern China rose to 68 on Friday as rescuers hauled three more bodies from the shafts, state media reported. The fire started last Saturday at a private mine at Shahe city in Hebei province and quickly spread to four other mines nearby, where 119 miners were working.

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/ 26 November 2004

And the show goes on

Off-key: They sing for presidents. They dine with ambassadors. But our self-appointed opera royalty do suffer a bad review now and then. Even if they have to go all the way to London to get it, observes Mike van Graan.

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/ 26 November 2004

The same old beat

From the time the station registered 5,6-million listeners two years ago, Metro FM has been a stagnating monolith rather than a thriving giant. Don’t expect anything out of the ordinary at this weekend’s Metro FM Music Awards, warns Thebe Mabanga.

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/ 26 November 2004

The inside story

<i>The Number</i> is dubbed "One man’s search for identity in the Cape underworld and prison gangs." Jonny Steinberg’s life story of a career gangster makes a distant madness very human. He spoke to Matthew Krouse about writing his latest novel.

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/ 26 November 2004

Mandela and Blair hold talks in London

Former South African president Nelson Mandela met British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London on Friday to discuss the British leader’s personal project to spearhead development activities in Africa. Mandela, 86, had an hour of discussions with Blair at Downing Street on Friday morning, a spokesperson for the prime minister’s office told reporters.

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/ 26 November 2004

WWII Pigeon’s bravery medal to be sold

One of the more unusual medals awarded during World War II — given to a carrier pigeon parachuted into occupied France alongside British agents — is to be sold, auctioneers said on Friday. Commando the pigeon was awarded the Dickin Medal, of which only 60 have ever been handed out, after bringing back secret information strapped to his leg on three missions.

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/ 26 November 2004

Mbeki slams Tutu over statements

President Thabo Mbeki took issue with Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Friday over statements he made earlier this week. ”Rational discussion about how the ANC decides its policies requires some familiarity with the internal procedures of the ANC, rather than gratuitous insults about our members,” Mbeki said.

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/ 26 November 2004

Aids trust spent R800 000 on unoccupied building

Rented office space which was unoccupied by the South African National Aids Trust for 18 months has cost the state R792 000, according to national Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. She said legal possession of the Pretoria building had been taken on March 1 2003 but the building had only been physically occupied on September 1 2004.