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/ 28 December 2006
The South African education system and the economy are failing the pupils of the country, the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) said in a statement on Thursday. ”The education system does not yet prepare learners for the world of work, as the recent policy reforms are not established enough to deliver tangible results in practice,” said general secretary Dennis George.
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/ 28 December 2006
Two wickets for Makhaya Ntini and three for Morne Morkel gave South Africa the edge at lunch on the third day of the second Castle Lager Test against India at Kingsmead on Thursday. At lunch, India had 183 for eight. India resumed play in the extended session on their overnight score of 103 for three, with the little master, Sachin Tendulkar, poised to score his first half century this year.
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/ 28 December 2006
Tony Blair’s office tried to deflect criticism of his holiday at the United States mansion of pop star Robin Gibb on Thursday, saying the British prime minister had paid for the stay. Opposition Conservatives and newspapers savaged Blair over his year-end break at the Bee Gees star’s luxurious Florida home, demanding to know whether it was costing British taxpayers money or if it was a ”freebie”.
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/ 28 December 2006
China has denied that it is about to begin negotiations for a -billion loan to cash-strapped Zimbabwe, reports said on Thursday. Last week Zimbabwe’s ambassador to China, Christopher Mutsvangwa told Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper that the Asian economic giant had assigned an official to begin talks on the loan with Zimbabwe’s finance minister and central bank governor.
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/ 28 December 2006
Ethiopian and Somali government troops held the main routes into Mogadishu and were poised to capture Somalia’s capital after Islamist rivals deserted their former base on Thursday. Residents said the coastal city slid into chaos with outbreaks of looting and gunfire as a leader of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council said their top officials had left.
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/ 28 December 2006
Zimbabwean police have arrested at least 16 000 suspected gold panners and seized more than three kilogrammes of gold in a sweeping crackdown on illegal miners. Among those arrested were dealers from neighbouring Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique caught up in a swoop on illegal traders at newly-discovered diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe.
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/ 28 December 2006
The matric class of 2006 lived up to former state president Nelson Mandela’s expectations, said Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa on Thursday. ”The 78,35% pass rate shows very clearly that we have succeeded in creating a culture of learning and teaching that Nelson Mandela talked about when these matriculants started school in 1994.”
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/ 28 December 2006
Although gold has struggled to recoup its momentum after soaring to a 26-year high of $730/oz in May, a medium term view shows the metal is still trading about $100/oz more than it was a year ago and has outdone many expert forecasts made at that time.
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/ 28 December 2006
The JSE continued its upward momentum on Thursday, and although it was off its morning high of 25 075,99, it remained around the 25 000 level. This was the first time that the all share index had moved above the 25 000 level. By noon, the all share index was up 0,26%, aided by a 0,77% increase in resources, a 1,3% rise in golds and a 1,28% jump in platinums.
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/ 28 December 2006
The Department of Minerals and Energy announced on Thursday that the price of 91 octane petrol will increase by five cents per litre, while 93 octane will rise by six cents a litre and 95 octane by eight cents a litre. The wholesale price of diesel 0,05% sulphur and 0,005%% sulphur will, however, decrease by 17 cents per litre.