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/ 13 February 2008

Venezuela halts oil supplies to Exxon Mobil

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez stopped oil exports to Exxon Mobil on Tuesday, escalating a multibillion-dollar fight with the United States company two days after threatening to cut off all supplies to America. The anti-US president’s retaliation for Exxon’s legal offensive pushed oil prices higher in late trading.

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/ 13 February 2008

Rainbow nation wrestles with race

South Africa has been plunged into a fresh debate over the racial make-up of its sports teams 14 years after the country emerged from apartheid. As the cricket squad prepared on Wednesday to fly to Bangladesh after a furious row over the dearth of black players in its line-up, white rugby legends protested against government pressure on selectors to put colour ahead of ability

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/ 13 February 2008

Tsvangirai robbed in Johannesburg

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was robbed at his Johannesburg offices on Tuesday evening. Police spokesperson Thembi Nkhwasu said Tsvangirai and two of his officials were in their offices in Homestead Avenue in Bryanston at about 6pm when they were confronted by three men armed with pistols.

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/ 13 February 2008

British diplomat visits Mann in E Guinea prison

A British diplomat on Tuesday paid a jail visit to Simon Mann, the suspected British mastermind of a failed 2004 coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea. The visit enabled David Harris to ”see for himself the quality of care Simon Mann has been receiving daily since his arrival” in Malabo, where he was imprisoned, the radio report said.

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/ 13 February 2008

Power cuts take toll on mines, factories

Manufacturing slowed in December and mining output also fell, official data showed, fanning concern the economy’s two main power consumers will suffer from electricity constraints this year. At the same time, the Bureau for Economic Research warned that power shortages may trim the pace of economic growth to 3,4% this year.

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/ 13 February 2008

Obama sweeps Potomac primaries

Barack Obama easily won three more Democratic nominating contests on Tuesday, extending his winning streak over rival Hillary Clinton and building momentum in a hard-fought United States presidential race. Obama rolled to decisive victories in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, running his hot streak to eight consecutive wins.