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/ 17 November 2004
With the bullion price at a 16-year high, gold stocks were roaring ahead on the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) in noon trade on Wednesday, despite the fact the rand had just broken below the psychological R6-per-dollar level. However, the currency’s strength kept the rest of the resources market in check.
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/ 17 November 2004
A United States hypersonic experimental scramjet, the X-43A, clocked up a test flight on Tuesday at a world-record speed 10 times faster than sound, Nasa said on Tuesday. The pilotless scramjet screeched across the Pacific Ocean with Nasa scientists nervously monitoring its second test flight.
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/ 17 November 2004
The Colombian government will allow hundreds of families left homeless after a strong earthquake to move temporarily into houses and country estates seized from drug traffickers, officials said on Tuesday. The quake, registering a powerful 6,7 on the Richter scale, hit early on Monday and injured 12 people.
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/ 17 November 2004
Three men who broke the Foreign Military Assistance Act were fined a total of R350 000 or jail time by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Harry Carlse, Lourens Horn and Crause Steyl pleaded guilty under a plea bargain between the defence and the state to involvement in a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Africa&ao=125671">’Coup confession came after torture'</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Africa&ao=125630">Thatcher to be tried in absentia</a>
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/ 17 November 2004
A police captain and two inspectors asked the Johannesburg Regional Court on Wednesday for bail as they face 14 charges including theft, aggravated assault and defeating the ends of justice — involving about R13-million. The men allegedly beat up suspects and stole money and goods recovered following arrests.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-National&ao=125703">Criticism after police car is hijacked</a>
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/ 17 November 2004
Namibia’s president-in-waiting Hifikepunye Pohamba says expropriations of white farms are ”going to happen” in his Southern African country but has pledged to ”talk, talk, talk” to make them as painless as possible. In an interview with AFP, Pohamba portrayed himself as a man of dialogue who is sensitive to the impact that land reform can have on people’s lives in this country of 1,82-million people.
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/ 17 November 2004
A 10-year-old grilled-cheese sandwich a Florida woman says bears the image of the Virgin Mary was back on eBay on Tuesday after the internet auction house initially cancelled bids that went up to $22 000. Owner Diana Duyser (52), of Hollywood, Florida, insists the miraculously mould-free snack is not a scam.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Andinothernews&ao=125635">EBay chokes on cheesy miracle</a>
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/ 17 November 2004
The British government is to end its two-year suspension of deportations of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe because the concession has been abused, the immigration minister, Des Browne, announced on Tuesday. Browne insisted there had been no change in the government’s opposition to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.
Zuma: SA does not take sides in Zim
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/ 17 November 2004
South African retailer Mr Price on Wednesday reported a 31% increase in headline earnings per share to 33,2 cents for the six months ended September 30, from 25,3 cents a year earlier. The group reported an interim dividend of 13,2 cents — up 91% on the previous 6,9 cents.
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/ 17 November 2004
South African financial services and insurance giant Old Mutual plc said on Wednesday it had hoped to make an announcement on a black economic empowerment (BEE) deal before the end of this year but will have to postpone this until next year. "We’ve been a bit optimistic," said the group’s financial director.