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/ 9 November 2004

‘Much lower’ Telkom tariffs to be announced

Telkom, South Africa’s partially privatised fixed-line telephone company, will announce its proposed tariffs for next year on Monday, says Telkom CEO Sizwe Nxasana. "With inflation being where it is, we can expect Telkom’s tariffs to be even much lower [sic]," Nxasana told the National Assembly communications portfolio committee on Tuesday.

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/ 9 November 2004

Back to Italy for Palazzolo prosecutors

Italian prosecutors are hoping that a former South African police officer now in a psychiatric clinic may be able to testify in Italy at alleged Mafioso Vito Palazzolo’s trial in absentia. The police officer, Abraham Smith, broke down last week when he took the stand.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-National&ao=125190">Count Agusta link probed</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-National&ao=125163">Failed bid to charge Palazzolo</a>

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/ 9 November 2004

Circumcision season starts in E Cape

A traditional surgeon who allegedly performed an illegal circumcision on a 48-year-old man is to be prosecuted, the Eastern Cape health department said on Tuesday. Kupelo said the circumcision season has just started, with more than 30 boys in the Port Elizabeth area queuing for pre-circumcision medical tests on Tuesday.

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/ 9 November 2004

Mbeki tackles Ivorian conflict

South African President Thabo Mbeki was on Tuesday to meet his C&ocirc;te d’Ivoire counterpart Laurent Gbagbo, hoping to ease tensions after a weekend of violence that has evoked fears of a return to the conflict that has split the West African state for two years.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Africa&ao=125194">Mbeki flies to restive Côte d’Ivoire</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Africa&ao=125187">500 wounded in Abidjan unrest</a>

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/ 9 November 2004

Snake-charmer quits after 50 years, 24 bites

It was the last fang for Malaysian snake-charmer Bidin Mat Hashim when a cobra bit him in front of a Korean television crew. After 24 snakebites in a 50-year career, he’s calling it quits. Bidin, who has been handling snakes since the age of 15 and appeared regularly on television, said: ”I have given serious thought to it and have decided to stop, once and for all.”

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/ 9 November 2004

A nation in an educational crisis

The country is in the midst of an educational crisis when it comes to mathematics and physical science. The lack of matriculants in these subjects is one of the biggest obstacles for African advancement. The <i>Mail & Guardian Online</i> spoke to an expert about teaching mathematics, and the role language plays.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-National&ao=124969">SA maths scores ‘near worst in world'</a>

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/ 9 November 2004

Archaeologists fear ‘looters’ charter’

Archaeologists were on Monday aghast over a plan by MPs loyal to Silvio Berlusconi to legalise the private ownership of archaeological treasures in Italy. One called the measure a ”looters’ charter”. At present, all antiquities found in Italian soil are deemed to be the property of the state and are meant to be handed over to the authorities.

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/ 9 November 2004

Jail corruption report on the way

A final report on the Jali Commission’s investigation into corruption and maladministration in prisons is being compiled, with gun smuggling one of the issues addressed. ”C-Max is one of the prisons that fall in the nine management areas we looked at,” said commission secretary Charles Frank on Tuesday.