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/ 20 September 2004

Deadline for Briton facing Iraq execution

Last-ditch attempts to save the life of a British man being held hostage by Iraqi militants were under way on Sunday night as a deadline set by his kidnappers loomed. The families of Kenneth Bigley and the two Americans being held with him begged the kidnappers not to carry out a threat to execute the men when the deadline was reached in the early hours on Monday morning.

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/ 20 September 2004

Govt ‘finalises’ airport security plan

The government was finalising a multi-million rand aviation security plan, which would provide resources to secure airports around the country, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe confirmed on Monday. ”We [the government] are in the final stages of finalising the national aviation security plan,” and the plan would be put into effect ”as soon as possible”.

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/ 20 September 2004

SA payment-card usage through the roof

South Africa continued its record performance to become one of the fastest-growing payment-card countries in the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (Cemea) region in the year to the end of June, Visa International Cemea announced on Monday. South Africa witnessed exceptional growth on all key parameters.

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/ 20 September 2004

Thatcher wins reprieve

Mark Thatcher has won a reprieve from a South African court order that he testify under oath about his alleged involvement in a plot to stage a coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, his lawyer said on Monday. State prosecutors have asked a Cape Town court to delay the testimony scheduled for Wednesday, when the son of a British former prime minister was to answer questions put to him by the Malabo goverment.

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/ 20 September 2004

Charges dropped against Daily News bosses

A Harare judge on Monday dismissed charges against four directors of the banned independent Daily News newspaper, citing insufficient evidence. CEO Samuel Nkomo and three directors were arrested in October on charges of illegally publishing the newspaper under provisions of Zimbabwe’s strict media laws.

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/ 20 September 2004

Scores die in Haiti as Jeanne strikes

Tropical Storm Jeanne brought raging floodwaters to Haiti, killing at least 90 people in the battered nation and leaving dozens of Haitian families huddled on rooftops as the storm pushed further out into the open seas, officials said. Floods tore through the north-western coastal town of Gonaives and surrounding areas.

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/ 20 September 2004

Memel residents protest service delivery

About 500 residents of Zamani in Memel were blocking the access road to the township in protest over service delivery, eastern Free State police said on Monday morning. Captain Veronica Ntepe said schoolchildren were among the protesters. The group were using old car wrecks and dustbins to block the road.