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/ 14 November 2003

US chopper guns down attackers

A United States helicopter gunship killed seven people allegedly preparing to fire rockets at a US base in northern Iraq, a military spokesperson said on Friday. Ground troops deployed to the scene found a flatbed truck carrying 50 missiles and a bunker containing 300 rockets as well between 200 and 300 missiles.

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/ 14 November 2003

In Asia, height counts

Taiwan may not be recognised by many as a country, but it has global ambitions and they were displayed on Friday as the countdown began for opening the world’s tallest building. President Chen Shui-bian cut the ribbons at the opening ceremony for the first part of the new, 508m tower.

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/ 14 November 2003

Traditional leaders defend Land Rights Bill

The Coalition of Traditional Leaders on Friday came out in defence of the draft Communal Land Rights Bill, saying rural communities will finally have their land ownership rights recognised. A range of organisations has asked Parliament not to pass the Bill, saying it gives too much power to traditional leaders.

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/ 14 November 2003

War and peas

Saboteurs working for Nazi Germany plotted a World War II bombing campaign in Britain involving exploding cans of processed French peas, according to secret files made public on Friday. An informer detained with the saboteurs told Irish authorities that their plan possibly included an attempt to ”blow up Buckingham palace”.

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/ 14 November 2003

Pushing boundaries

Does the phrase ”digital film festival” leave you cold? Do you imagine three hours of Frankensteinian film clips, interspersed with clumsy effects designed to show how good the filmmaker is at operating a Mac? Resfest Digital Film Festival is the kind of joyous celebration of creativity and passion that stops such cynicism dead, writes Alistair Fairweather.

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/ 14 November 2003

Serious crime levels are ‘coming down’

South Africa’s crime prevention system has undergone a radical transformation since 1994, effectively ending political violence, dealing with urban and right-wing terror and taking important steps to stabilise crime, the ruling African National Congress has reported. But aggravated robbery has persistently increased.

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/ 14 November 2003

Corvettes don’t come cheaply

The Department of Defence has allocated about R205-million to provide spares needed for the first three years of operation of the South African navy’s new corvettes — the first of which arrived in Cape Town last week from Germany. The four corvettes have been priced at just short of R6-billion.

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/ 14 November 2003

Five explosions rock Athens

Five homemade explosive devices were set off overnight in Athens in front of Greek banks and the offices of the conservative party, causing damage, police said on Friday. Investigators suspect ”anarchists” to be behind the violence following their calls for the release of seven anti-globalistation activists arrested in June.

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/ 14 November 2003

JSE stages recovery by noon

The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa moved into positive territory at midday on Friday, shrugging off some of the morning’s weakness caused by the surge in the rand to a 42-month best level of R6,7050 against the dollar. The all-share index was 0,18% firmer and the all-share industrial index added 0,56%.