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/ 1 December 2004

Aids Day marked by warning to China

As the world focused on the murderous advance of Aids on Wednesday with pledges, appeals, processions and concerts, the day was stamped by China’s warnings about its exposure to the epidemic. In a World Aids Day message to China’s 1,3 billion people, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao called for ”still greater, substantial efforts” to stir public awareness about Aids.

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/ 1 December 2004

Parliament votes out Ukraine government

Ukraine’s Parliament voted to oust the country’s pro-Moscow government on Wednesday as European and Russian mediators took a second stab at trying to quell a political crisis. Parliament backed an opposition proposal to dismiss Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and replace his team with a ”people’s government,” while thousands of chanting and singing demonstrators built human chains around official buildings.

  • Ukraine opposition renews blockade
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    / 1 December 2004

    Spacecraft explores Saturn’s moon mysteries

    Mimas, one of the 33 moons of Saturn, suspended against the blue-streaked backdrop of the giant planet’s northern hemisphere, is snapped by a departing spacecraft. Cassini-Huygens is a joint Nasa-European mission to explore Saturn, its rings and satellites, and it has just made a close approach to the planet before swinging away for another loop around Saturn’s mysterious moon Titan.

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    / 1 December 2004

    Peacekeepers acted in self-defence: Paris

    French peacekeepers who shot and killed around 20 people during anti-French violence in Ivory Coast early last month were acting in self-defence, the Defence ministry in Paris said on Wednesday. The soldiers ”reacted within the rules, that is to say with warning shots, shots of dissuasion, and in any case they acted in totally legitimate defence”, Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told journalists.

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    / 1 December 2004

    100 suspected Rwandan troops spotted in DRC

    UN troops in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday spotted a group of 100 apparently Rwandan soldiers, raising fears that Rwanda was once again invading the vast neighbouring country. The report by the UN mission in DRC, Monuc, came a day after Rwandan President Paul Kagame announced his troops would target Rwandan Hutu extremists in eastern DRC because the UN had failed to disarm them.

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    / 1 December 2004

    ANC vet testifies about Zuma debt

    The Durban High Court heard on Wednesday how money borrowed by Deputy President Jacob Zuma in his personal capacity was allegedly used to cover ANC expenses. The court also heard how, four years after loaning R100 000 to Zuma, Durban businessman Abdool Mangerah was still trying to recover his money.

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    / 1 December 2004

    African officials meet to discuss budget reform

    Budget reform as a means of improving public service delivery comes under the spotlight on Wednesday as officials from 18 African countries meet in Pretoria to discuss improving public finance management. Jointly hosted by South Africa, Uganda and Mozambique, the three-day Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Seminar is to canvass such issues as budget credibility and improving expenditure quality.

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    / 1 December 2004

    Singapore seeks to lure rich foreigners

    Rich foreigners can gain immediate permanent residency in Singapore if they park five million Singapore dollars (-million) in local financial institutions, under a new
    scheme unveiled by the city-state’s central bank. A Monetary Authority of Singapore spokesperson said on Wednesday these foreigners must also have personal assets worth at least -million to qualify but they will still go through routine immigration checks.

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    / 1 December 2004

    Johnnic unbundles Johncom

    Johnnic Holdings is unbundling its entire 62,5% shareholding in its media and entertainment subsidiary, Johnnic Communications (Johncom). In terms of the proposal, Johnnic shareholders will acquire a ratio of 39,10 Johncom shares to every 100 Johnnic shares held.

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    / 1 December 2004

    New typhoon threatens stricken Philippines

    A powerful typhoon is bearing down on the northeastern Philippines, where rescuers are battling to reach survivors from floods and landslides that have killed nearly 350 people. Typhoon Nanmadol is expected to slam into the main island of Luzon on Thursday, hitting the region where another 150 people remain missing since entire villages were washed away by Tropical Storm Winnie two days ago.