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/ 20 October 2004
French arms-company executive Alain Thetard had an explosive temper and threw things at his staff, the Durban High Court heard on Wednesday. This was testimony from the fourth witness to be called in the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial.
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/ 20 October 2004
A limited-edition magnum of champagne believed to be one of 12 selected to mark the 1981 marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana is expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction, a saleroom official said on Wednesday. The Cuvee Dom Perignon 1961 vintage was selected by makers Moët & Chandon for the royal wedding in 1981.
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/ 20 October 2004
Group turnover for South African consumer products and services group AVI Limited increased by 5% in the first quarter, chairperson Anthony Ardington said on Wednesday. He told shareholders at the group’s annual general meeting that although local consumer demand had slowed, the outlook generally remained positive.
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/ 20 October 2004
New data suggest economic activity has increased, but this may not translate directly into similar increases in the gross domestic product (GDP), Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said in Pretoria on Wednesday. Criticised for large revision figures of final GDP results, Stats SA admitted they are not on par with global adjustments to such figures.
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/ 20 October 2004
Japanese electronics giant NEC Corporation said on Wednesday it has begun selling the world’s fastest supercomputer. NEC claims its SX-8 is the most powerful ”vector-type” supercomputer, with a sustainable data-processing speed well beyond IBM’s recently unveiled Blue Gene/L.
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/ 20 October 2004
A 2m-long python welcomed into a Phnom Penh home because the family believes it is a reincarnation of their dead grandmother should be treated with extreme caution and cannot be trusted, police said on Wednesday. Police have warned the family that the snake may not be satisfied with their offerings of bananas and vegetables.
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/ 20 October 2004
Less than two weeks before United States voters choose the next commander in chief, Democrat John Kerry prepared to pound home his argument that President George Bush’s conduct in Iraq isolates and weakens the US. ”This president likes to say he’s a leader,” Kerry said. ”Mr President, look behind you. There’s no one there.”
Brush-off for new broom Nader
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/ 20 October 2004
A Portuguese car mechanic who was given a lottery ticket as a tip, after earlier refusing to buy it, has scooped a €50 000 jackpot, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday. Lottery salesperson Jose Macedo tried to sell the €5 winning ticket to Artur Luis but ended up giving it to the mechanic.
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/ 20 October 2004
Worldwide sales of industrial robots surged to record levels in the first half of 2004 after equipment prices fell while labour costs grew, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) said on Wednesday. In an annual survey, the UNECE said the number of robots in operation in industry exceeded the 800 000 mark for the first time at the end of 2003.