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/ 22 July 2004

Cabinet approves new Sentech boss

The Development Bank of Southern Africa’s chief financial officer, Abdul-Kader Mohamed, has been appointed the chief operating officer of broadcast signal distributor Sentech. The appointment was among several approved at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting in Pretoria, a statement read.

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/ 22 July 2004

Sweden’s big pigeon puzzle

Organisers of a race for homing pigeons were still scratching their heads in wonder on Thursday after about 1 500 of the birds, famous for their ability to find their way home, went missing during the contest. Of the 2 000 pigeons let loose last week, only about 500 have returned to their lofts after the 150km flight.

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/ 22 July 2004

$75bn headed for Microsoft shareholders

He’s been branded a corporate bully and hailed as technological visionary, but Microsoft’s plans for a record pay-out to shareholders has thrown the spotlight on to Bill Gates, the ultra-generous philanthropist. Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled a plan to deliver an estimated -billion to its shareholders over the next four years.

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/ 22 July 2004

Kenyan Muslims plead for hostages

Relatives and Muslim leaders appealed to Iraqi militants on Thursday to release three Kenyan truck drivers they took hostage, saying the men are good Muslims who went to Iraq to earn a living for their families. A militant group calling itself The Holders of the Black Banners announced on Wednesday it has taken the men hostage.

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/ 22 July 2004

Death sentence for Chinese baby traffickers

A court on Friday convicted 52 members of a baby-trafficking gang that smuggled 118 infants for sale in southern China, sentencing the ringleaders to death or life in prison. The case included a highly publicised incident in March in which 28 baby girls were found hidden in nylon tote bags aboard a long-distance bus.

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/ 22 July 2004

The website that Bob won’t let you read

In a bid to avoid the crackdown on freedom of speech in their country, Zimbabwean journalists, lawyers and human rights activists have come up with an innovative plan to use the internet to get daily news to Zimbabweans. They have created <i>Zimonline</i> — a website registered in South Africa and thus beyond the clutches of the Zimbabwean government and its restrictive media laws.