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/ 23 January 2007

Bush fights for Iraq strategy, political life

United States President George Bush, politically weaker than ever, is to mount what could be a last-stand defence of his unpopular Iraq strategy on Tuesday in his annual State of the Union speech. Speaking for the first time to a US Congress controlled by opposition Democrats, Bush is also to lay out broad health care, environment and immigration reforms.

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/ 23 January 2007

Plan to increase Jo’burg metro police for 2010

The Johannesburg metro police will employ 500 officers a year until 2010 to ensure safety in the city during the Soccer World Cup, Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said on Tuesday. They will be deployed on the city’s roads and busy areas. ”In addition to that, more surveillance cameras will be installed to ensure that people are safe.”

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/ 23 January 2007

On-the-spot check for C-Max

Parliament’s correctional services committee is to find out for itself on Thursday how Annanias Mathe escaped from Pretoria’s C-Max prison late last year. Head of the portfolio committee Dennis Bloem said on Tuesday the visit will not replace an existing probe into the serial offender’s escape from the prison’s maximum-security section in November last year.

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/ 23 January 2007

Mbeki gears up for year ahead

President Thabo Mbeki and top decision makers in the government gathered for a meeting to discuss the state’s programme action for the year at the Presidential Guesthouse on Tuesday. The reason for the meeting is partly to decide on the contents of Mbeki’s State of the Nation address next month, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported.

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/ 23 January 2007

Funds crunch for SA’s World Cup cities

South African cities due to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup complained on Tuesday of funding shortfalls of millions of rand to build stadiums for the continent’s biggest sporting event. Estimates have swelled due to inflation and exchange-rate fluctuations, officials told a parliamentary sport committee.