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/ 21 December 2006
ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma will be opening his Christmas presents and kissing his numerous wives under the mistletoe at his homestead in Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal, the Mail & Guardian has established. One assumes President Thabo Mbeki will not be among the guests.
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/ 21 December 2006
It lived in the Yangtze river for millions of years and was revered by the Chinese as the ”goddess” of the mighty river. But now scientists believe that the baiji, a white, freshwater dolphin, is extinct. A painstaking six-week hunt on the Yangtze for any remaining signs of the baiji ended this month with the news scientists had been dreading: there don’t appear to be any remaining.
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/ 20 December 2006
”What did we do before we used candles?” ”We had electricity.” This joke has been told of various countries in Africa, perhaps none so fittingly as Democratic Republic of Congo. Fresh from its first free elections in over 40 years, Africa’s third biggest country may finally live up to its name
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/ 20 December 2006
Somali Islamists and troops defending the government’s only stronghold battled with rockets and heavy weapons on Wednesday at two frontline areas as a European Union envoy flew in to stave off the brewing war. The flare-ups to the south-west and south-east of the interim government’s surrounded outpost, Baidoa, heightened fears of a Horn of Africa conflict.
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/ 20 December 2006
The Boland Rugby Union (BRU) on Wednesday announced sanctions on two clubs and several players following a player’s death in June. Delicious Rugby Club player Ben Zimri, who was arrested in connection with the player’s death, was banned from rugby for life said BRU lawyer Chris Faure.
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/ 20 December 2006
”By heading out into the harshest environment known to man, all alone, equipped with yourself and whatever you remembered to pack, is a sure way to find out just what you are made of and what you are capable of,” Ray Chaplin writes on his website 3poles.co.za
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/ 20 December 2006
England attack coach Brian Ashton was named as head coach on Wednesday following the resignation of Andy Robinson last month. In a statement, the Rugby Football Union said Ashton (60) would take charge of the world champions for their opening Six Nations match against Scotland at Twickenham on February 3.
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/ 20 December 2006
Scores of masked men fought a running gun battle in Gaza City on Wednesday, rattling a new ceasefire drawn up to try to stop a Palestinian power struggle spinning dangerously out of control. Two loyalists from the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were killed in a four-hour fight with men from the ruling Hamas movement.
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/ 20 December 2006
South Africa’s main inflation gauges came in below forecasts on Wednesday, but the jury was still out on whether the central bank would hold off hiking interest rates further as it grapples with runaway consumer spending. Statistics South Africa said the targeted CPIX inflation rate rose by a lower-than-expected unchanged 5% in the year to November.