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/ 5 July 2006

German aid vehicle attacked in Sudan, six dead

At least six people were killed and 11 wounded when gunmen ambushed a German aid-agency vehicle in southern Sudan, witnesses said on Wednesday, highlighting insecurity in the region. Five Sudanese teenagers riding in the back of a pick-up belonging to the German Agency for Technical Cooperation and one were shot dead in the incident.

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/ 5 July 2006

SA house-price growth slows even more

Banking group Absa says that house-price growth is at its lowest in four-and-a-half years. According to the latest Absa house-price index, nominal year-on-year growth of 13,6% was recorded in June this year compared with a growth rate of 14,3% in May. This was the lowest year-on-year growth since January 2002 when it was also 13,6%.

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/ 4 July 2006

DA demands crime-fighting plan from Nqakula

The Democratic Alliance has demanded that the Minister of Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula, and the national commissioner of police immediately make public the broad topics for discussion at their meetings and what steps they envisage in the fight against crime, DA spokesperson on safety and security Roy Jankielsohn said on Tuesday.

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/ 4 July 2006

Renowned record producer worked with legends

Renowned Turkish-American record producer Arif Mardin, who worked with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Queen and David Bowie, has died of pancreatic cancer in New York at the age of 74, his family said in Istanbul on Monday. Mardin produced music legends such as Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, the Bee Gees and Phil Collins.

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/ 4 July 2006

Striking labour staff given ultimatum

The Department of Labour has issued an ultimatum to its employees, who earlier on Tuesday embarked on an unprotected strike, to resume work or face disciplinary action. The staff members of the Compensation Fund and the Unemployment Insurance Fund have downed tools over the department’s decision to phase out an incentive bonus scheme.

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/ 4 July 2006

SA ready to cooperate in warship probe

South Africa is ready to cooperate with a German probe into alleged kickbacks paid in the sale of four warships to South Africa in 1999, Minister of Public Enterprise Alec Erwin said on Tuesday. He said South Africa will assist in the investigation if asked, but added he had received no formal notification on the issue.

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/ 4 July 2006

Johncom CEO suspended with immediate effect

Connie Molusi, the CEO of Johncom, has been suspended with immediate effect on full pay, pending the outcome of a hearing to consider his performance, to be convened in due course, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. "The executive directors … and divisional CEOs … are managing the affairs of the group," the statement added.

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/ 3 July 2006

Outbreak of avian flu in W Cape not H5N1

A small outbreak of avian influenza was detected on an ostrich farm about 30km west of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs said on Monday. Preliminary surveillance indicated that the outbreak was probably limited to the single farm on which it was detected and which had been put under quarantine, the department added.

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/ 3 July 2006

Lion tamer attacked by one of his charges

A lion tamer at a Moscow circus had to have 100 stitches after he was clawed and bitten by one of his charges during Saturday evening’s performance, Russian media said. The tamer at the Nikulin Circus, Artur Bagdasarov, sustained injuries to his head and one of his hands when he intervened to stop a fight between two of the 10 tigers on stage.

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/ 3 July 2006

NUM declares dispute with Implats

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) over the weekend announced that it had declared a dispute over maternity leave and housing with South Africa’s second largest platinum miner Impala Platinum. The declaration of the dispute followed a meeting between the two parties to address the implementation of existing agreements, NUM said.

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/ 2 July 2006

SA on shortlist for Turkey helicopter bid

South Africa’s Rooivalk helicopter has made it to the shortlist in Turkey’s $2-billion ATAK programme for 91 helicopters, senior officials at Denel said on Saturday. According to information released in Ankara on Friday, Denel will be called for further negotiations with the Turkish military procurement authorities.

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/ 1 July 2006

‘Safe sex has never been cheaper’

It will be cheaper to make love in Britain from Saturday thanks to a reduction in sales tax on condoms announced by the Treasury on Friday. Value-added tax on condoms and other non-prescription contraceptive products will be 5%, rather than the standard 17,5%, "leading to immediate reductions in the prices paid by consumers", it said in a statement.

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/ 30 June 2006

R7bn May trade deficit shocks economists

South Africa recorded a deficit of R7,005-billion for its trade with non-Southern African Customs Union trading partners in May after a deficit of R2,418-billion in April, according to Customs and Excise figures released on Friday. An economist said: "I can’t believe it — but the explanation for part of it is the imports of oil."

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/ 30 June 2006

Clearly a Merc man

"I think most people have a story to tell about bribery on the roads in South Africa. It’s almost offered as an option when you get stopped!" Rock singer Arno Carstens talks about cars and admits that he would prefer being driven around by a chauffeur.

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/ 30 June 2006

An SA nightmare: 50 new corpses a day

Jesters, the common wisdom insists, can say anything. Perhaps this is true; but whether they can and whether they should are sometimes two quite different things. In this instance, the jester is best spared. Sixty-four years ago, in a pretty chateau two hours from Paris, a Prussian major announced that an ironclad racial destiny required a show of ironclad will.

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/ 30 June 2006

Israel blitzes Gaza as Egypt reveals Hamas offer

Israel blitzed Gaza from the air overnight, setting the interior ministry ablaze and killing a Palestinian fighter in the latest offensive aimed at freeing a soldier held by Palestinian militants. As the international community appealed for restraint to prevent an escalation of the conflict, Egypt said on Friday the ruling Hamas movement had agreed to secure the release of the soldier.

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/ 30 June 2006

Thabo Mbeki axes judges Bills

Controversial draft legislation aimed at overhauling the structure of the judiciary has been shelved after the intervention of President Thabo Mbeki. Senior government and parliamentary officials say formal consideration of the proposed laws has been suspended, and will not begin again until they are redrafted.

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/ 30 June 2006

Separate the powers

Deep changes to the judicial system are urgently needed. Just about no one disputes that. Too many relics of the apartheid and colonial past persist in the structure of provincial divisions. And the absence of rigorous, credible and transparent mechanisms to hold judges accountable for their conduct is proving increasingly problematic for the administration of justice.

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/ 30 June 2006

Mlungus, ubuntu and abantu

<i>’Mhla kwahamba abelungu kulelizwe, amakhafula ayothi ‘Basi’ lapha kithi"</i> (when all the whites are gone from this country, kaffirs will say ‘Baas’ to us — the Mkhizes). I was about eight when I first heard one of my uncles make this bold declaration. UBab’ Omdala uMlamuli is now almost 90 years old and over the past 23 years, he has repeatedly assured me that his prophecy will indeed come true.

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/ 29 June 2006

Dutch government quits after immigration row

The Dutch government has decided to resign after losing the support of its junior coalition partner in a row over Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said on Thursday. The prime minister added that he would probably go to meet Queen Beatrix, the Dutch head of state, on Friday.