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/ 6 September 2004

IMF head visits SA

International Monetary Fund managing director Rodrigo Rato began his first visit to South Africa on Monday since taking the helm of the international lending institution three months ago. Rato, a former Spanish finance minister, is to hold talks with President Thabo Mbeki, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni during his two-day visit.

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/ 6 September 2004

Son who wed dad’s wife takes his own life

A man whose father divorced so he could marry his stepmother took his own life after villagers and neighbours teased him mercilessly, police said on Monday. Seng Yon (22) fell in love with his father’s second wife and far from being angry, Veang Van (42) divorced his wife so his son could marry her, police said.

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/ 6 September 2004

China’s false start

It felt as though China had broken its Olympic promises on day one. In securing the bid for Beijing to host the 2008 Games, the city’s representatives pledged that the world media would enjoy full freedom to report all aspects of China. Yet less than 24 hours after the Olympic flag was handed to Beijing’s mayor last Sunday, there I was detained and harassed for covering a demonstration that challenged the government’s position on Tibet.

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/ 6 September 2004

Debswana strike over, wage talks continue

Botswana’s diamond miners, on strike since August 23, returned to work on Sunday although wage talks have not been finalised and will continue. The strikers reported for work on the advice of an international union movement based in Brussels. This move will not stop trials for contempt of court and on the legality of the strike.

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/ 6 September 2004

Millions turn to online publishing in SA

South Africa’s online publishing industry is attracting millions of highly educated, high-earning users, mostly from Johannesburg and under 34 years old, the Online Publishers’ Association announced on Monday. More than 3,5-million users supported the industry in August, clocking up 106-million page impressions.

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/ 6 September 2004

DA frets about property values

The South African government must explain how it will secure property values in affluent areas if it plans to build low-income homes and flats in those suburbs, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday. The Sunday Times reported that the Housing Department plans to build low cost housing near established suburbs to encourage different income groups to live together.

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/ 6 September 2004

Battle of the soccer stadiums

The battle to determine which South African cities will host the 2010 Soccer World Cup is on. After the announcement in May that South Africa had won the bid to host the biggest single sporting extravaganza, it was assumed that all 13 stadiums listed in the bid book as existing or to be built for the World Cup would get the nod. Not so, says South African 2010 Bid Company CEO Danny Jordaan.

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/ 6 September 2004

Bollywood turns blonde

Indian film directors are recruiting young, fair and blonde leading ladies from abroad to reach out to a larger international market, it was reported on Monday. A slew of new Bollywood films feature usually little-known actresses from Britain, South Africa and the United States, The Telegraph newspaper reported.