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/ 10 December 2003

Double quakes jolt Taiwan

A powerful earthquake measuring 6,6 on the Richter scale rocked Taiwan on Wednesday, followed by one with a magnitute of 5,1, seismologists said. An agency official said there were some landslides in southern Taiwan and telecommunications systems in some areas were interrupted.

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/ 10 December 2003

Horse flu hits SA again after 17 years

The Jockey Club of Southern Africa confirmed on Wednesday that the highly contagious equine influenza has broken out in the Western Cape. Cub chief executive Tony Barnes said the last time there was an outbreak of equine influenza, in 1986, horse racing was affected for up to three months.

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/ 10 December 2003

Aids casts shadow over SA business

Nine percent of companies included in a new survey showed that HIV/Aids has already had a significant adverse impact on their business, the South African Business Coalition on HIV/Aids announced on Wednesday. Forty-three percent envisaged a significant negative impact over the next five years.

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/ 10 December 2003

Water Affairs outsources IT

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has awarded an Arivia.kom consortium, including Cornastone, a three-year information technology outsource contract to support its applications and maintain its infrastructure. The department is undergoing a number of structural and functional changes.

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/ 10 December 2003

Santa brings cheer for retailers

With consumer confidence rising and inflation and interest rates falling in the wider economy, South African retailers are anticipating strong sales for the key December period, making up for a first-half of 2003 characterised by sluggish performances.

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/ 10 December 2003

More children die in US attacks

Six children were killed on Friday during an assault by United States forces on a compound in eastern Afghanistan, an American military spokesperson said on Wednesday. It is the second time in a week that civilians have died in action against Taliban and al-Qaeda suspects.

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/ 10 December 2003

Ngcuka faces tough questions

National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka faced a series of tough questions before Stephen Joseph, SC, at the Hefer Commission of Inquiry on Thursday. Joseph is representing former transport minister Mac Maharaj and former African National Congress intelligence head Mo Shaik.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=28406">Love story unfolds at Hefer</a>

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/ 10 December 2003

BEE group to buy into SA platinum miner

Black economic empowerment (BEE) grouping Savannah Resources will acquire 26% of Aquarius Platinum South Africa for a cash consideration of R860-million, London-listed Aquarius Platinum (AQP) announced on Wednesday, making AQP fully compliant with the equity ownership component of South Africa’s mining charter

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/ 10 December 2003

Strength of rand warrants a rate cut

The strength of the rand warrants a further rate cut, Metropolitan Asset Manager’s economist Rejane Woodroffe said in her latest economic overview. "The sustained strength of the rand has continued to surprise … and paves the way for a further interest rate cut at this year’s final monetary policy committee meeting," she said.