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/ 16 August 2004

Zimbabwe to ‘drop the N from NGOs’

Civic and non-governmental groups in Zimbabwe have vowed to fight a tough new law proposed by the government, which could see them de-registered and cut off from much-needed foreign funding. The proposed Non-Governmental Organisation Bill seeks to tighten regulations around NGOs in the crisis-hit Zimbabwe, whom President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party is accusing of being embroiled in politics aimed at overthrowing his government.

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/ 16 August 2004

Space travel gets solar-powered

United States and Russian scientists are planning the ultimate in fuel-economy travel: they hope to launch a space sailing ship driven only by the pressure of sunlight later this year. Cosmos 1, an unfurled fan of 15 metre sails, each far thinner than a dustbin bag but stiffened and coated with mirror material, could be launched from a Russian nuclear missile submarine.

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/ 16 August 2004

Independence Day bomb kills 16 in India

A powerful bomb exploded during an Independence Day parade in India’s remote north-east on Sunday, killing 16 people, mostly schoolchildren, and injuring more than 40 others, despite the country’s prime minister promising to ”fight terrorism forcefully”. Reporters said the blast had ripped through the crowd without warning.

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/ 16 August 2004

Telkom backtracks on retrenchment plans

Telkom will not start offering voluntary severance and early retirement packages from Monday following a court interdict granted to three unions on Sunday. However, spokesperson Ravin Maharaj said the Sunday night sitting of the Labour Court, in Braamfontein, had also granted the telecommunications giant the right to appeal against the judgement.

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/ 16 August 2004

‘Strong whistle, then everything crashed’

The town clock was still stuck at 4.26pm, the exact time when the sleepy palm-fringed community of Punta Gorda bore the brunt of Hurricane Charley and the 230kph winds that came with it. On Sunday those who survived the storm were counting their blessings and their insurance premiums, and those who were evacuated were tip-toeing back to see what was left of their homes.

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/ 16 August 2004

Santa is coming to town

I’ve been talking over this “let’s ban Christmas” thing with my daughter. She has been asking, for the first time, whether Father Christmas actually exists. I don’t know where she gets these notions from. She is barely able to read the Koran or the Bible, let alone the newspapers, and has no conception of politics, as far as I know. But it is something that the African National Congress government have brought to our family hearth.

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/ 16 August 2004

Public enterprises join the trend

"What is important is that corporate social responsibility is not just a public relations exercise but truly reflects commitment and good ethics. All one can suggest is that there is always room for improvement and innovation." Saliem Fakir, chairperson of the judges’ panel, salutes the state bodies that made submissions to this year’s Greening the Future awards.

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/ 16 August 2004

Looking forward with Marthinus

"Energy is a huge problem all over the world because the world is power-hungry, as <i>Time</i> magazine put it. What is always strange to me is that people who criticise us for investigating other sources of energy such as nuclear do not realise the immense damage that our reliance on fossil fuels is causing this country." Marthinus van Schalkwyk speaks to <i>Earthyear</i> about his future plans.