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/ 23 December 2004
Formula-one champion Michael Schumacher drew sharp criticism by some German athletes on Wednesday after he skipped this past weekend’s German sports awards ceremony. Schumacher, who was chosen the male sportsman of the year for the second time, sent a video instead of appearing in person.
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/ 22 December 2004
An oil slick in the Suez Canal caused by a collision involving a Kuwaiti tanker a week ago is threatening to reach the Mediterranean, port sources said on Wednesday. The spill was caused by a leak in the Al-Samidun tanker, carrying 160 000 tonnes of crude, after it collided with a dredger further south on December 14.
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/ 22 December 2004
The Department of Health has filed notice with the Constitutional Court to appeal against a judgement by the Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeal annulling the government’s new medicine-pricing regulations. The appeal effectively suspends the Supreme Court of Appeal judgement passed on Tuesday.
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/ 22 December 2004
After three weeks of musing, the Department of Home Affairs has decided to approach the Constitutional Court about legalising gay marriages. ”We are filing our appeal today [Wednesday]. We are a very principled department and believe we cannot pre-empt the process,” said departmental spokesperson Nkosana Sibuyi.
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/ 22 December 2004
The latest instalment in the Harry Potter series won’t hit stores for more than six months but it has already topped at least one bookseller’s most wanted list and is racking up thousands of advance orders, retailers said on Wednesday. It shot to number one on online bookseller Amazon.co.uk‘s Hot 100 book list.
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/ 22 December 2004
Niger police acknowledged on Wednesday that officers had toured the capital, Niamey, this week to remove all copies of the independent weekly Testimony (Le Temoin) ahead of the inauguration of re-elected President Mamadou Tandja. Tandja was inaugurated on Tuesday after his second-round victory on December 4.
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/ 22 December 2004
British Prime Minister Tony Blair pursued his quest to bring peace to the Middle East on Wednesday, unveiling plans for a conference to help prepare the Palestinians for statehood after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. Meanwhile, opposition to the Gaza pull-out is gathering steam among the settlers.
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/ 22 December 2004
South African banking group Nedcor on Wednesday announced the sale of the corporate law advisory and consultancy business of Edward Nathan & Friedland (ENF), acquired by the group in October 1999. ENF has been sold, with effect from October 31 2004, for a cash consideration of R50-million to Edward Nathan.
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/ 22 December 2004
The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday threatened to take measures against Sudan, blaming it for the ”serious degradation of the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and repeated violations of the ceasefire”. The council condemned ceasefire violations and the shooting at an African Union helicopter.