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/ 13 December 2006
An anti-De Beers website, <i>Boycottdebeers.com</i>, was launched on Tuesday, accusing the South African diamond company and the Botswana government of forcing the country’s Bushmen from their land. The launch of the website coincides with a court ruling on the matter, expected on Wednesday.
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/ 13 December 2006
The United States Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Tuesday for the fourth straight time as worries about inflation continued to trump concerns about the slowing economy. At its final meeting of 2006, the central bank left its target for the federal funds rate at 5,25%.
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/ 13 December 2006
Residents of at least three small Australian towns braced for disaster on Wednesday as bushfires that have ravaged an area twice the size of Mauritius roared towards them. Prime Minister John Howard was set to visit fire battle zones in the island state of Tasmania and in Victoria, where the worst of the blazes is raging.
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/ 13 December 2006
Volkswagen is launching the most powerful Passat built to date, featuring a 220 kW/300 hp motor and the special ”deep blue pearl effect” colour. The Passat R36, presented at the Essen Motor Show in Germany last month, will be on sale in the second quarter of next year, the manufacturer announced.
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/ 13 December 2006
The Swedish car maker Volvo is working on a ”city safety” system to prevent rear-end collisions at low speeds in urban environments. According to the car maker, the system is being developed to reduce the 75% of reported collisions at low speeds of up to 30kph.
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/ 13 December 2006
Crude oil prices could head lower in 2007 after striking all-time highs above per barrel this year, as global production catches up with demand and geopolitical risks lessen, experts say. ”This year, the main story has been the political-risks story,” Global Insight oil analyst Simon Wardell said.
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/ 13 December 2006
Classic cars stand out with their unique design and plentiful use of chrome, wood finishing and leather but have a major disadvantage in terms of safety, compared with modern cars. Several companies, however, have specialised in fitting classic cars with all the items that drivers of a modern car consider a must.
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/ 13 December 2006
South African IT services company Galdon Data is experiencing an increased demand for call-centre solutions and services in Cape Town, it said on Wednesday. The company said it strongly believes that the call-centre industry is set for major growth over the next few years, as South Africa becomes the preferred call-centre hub in Africa.
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/ 13 December 2006
The world’s largest cruise ship was due to sail out of Miami on Tuesday after workers spent two days trying to scrub away all traces of a gastrointestinal virus that had made hundreds of people ill on two earlier voyages. Health experts said the cleaning included any surface that regularly comes into contact with human hands.
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/ 13 December 2006
Jeane J Kirkpatrick, a political science professor whose support for Ronald Reagan conservatism catapulted her into the post of United States ambassador to the United Nations, has died at 80. She was the first woman to hold the post. Initially a liberal Democrat, Kirkpatrick championed human rights, opposed Soviet Union communism and supported Israel.