Staff Reporter
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/ 16 March 2008

Huxley resigned to never playing again

Australia utility back Julian Huxley has conceded he will never play rugby again after confirmation he needs surgery to remove a brain tumour. Huxley discovered he had a benign tumour while undergoing scans after he began convulsing on the field during a Super 14 match for the ACT Brumbies earlier this month.

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/ 16 March 2008

Burundi rebels say army kills five commanders

Burundi’s last remaining rebel group accused the army of killing five of their commanders and kidnapping five more fighters in clashes that threaten to undermine a shaky peace process. A military spokesperson denied the allegations. A a spokesperson for the Hutu Forces for National Liberation said the fighting took place on Friday in the rebel stronghold of Musigati.

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/ 16 March 2008

Sexwale tells Mbeki to come clean on arms deal

Senior African National Congress leader Tokyo Sexwale has called on President Thabo Mbeki to explain his involvement in the controversial multibillion-rand arms deal, a media report said on Sunday. Sexwale made an impassioned plea to a hushed ANC national executive committee meeting on Friday for Mbeki "to take the ANC into his confidence".

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/ 16 March 2008

Beijing locks down Lhasa as crisis grows

China flooded the streets of Lhasa with riot police on Saturday as the international community urged an end to the bloodshed in Tibet that has already claimed at least 10 — possibly dozens more — lives. Thousands of protesters smashed government offices in Xiahe after marching through the streets chanting support for the Dalai Lama.

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/ 16 March 2008

China names premier, top judge and prosecutor

China’s Parliament re-elected Wen Jiabao as premier on Sunday, but a next-generation leader was passed over for promotion to a top military job. The rubber-stamp National People’s Congress gave Wen, ranked third in the Communist Party hierarchy, a second five-year mandate with 2 926 votes for, 21 against and 12 abstentions.

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/ 16 March 2008

Wet weather ahead: Jo’burg drivers told to slow down

Heavy rains, cold weather and strong winds will continue in Gauteng for the rest of the week, the South African Weather Services (SAWS) said on Sunday. This was due to a cold front passing through the area, said SAWS forecaster Evert Sholtz. He said rain and heavy winds would continue on Sunday and Monday would see strong winds blowing throughout Gauteng.

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/ 16 March 2008

The surreal tale of OJ: The Sequel

It was a sight many in America have longed to see: OJ Simpson wearing a blue jail-issue jumpsuit, his hands cuffed at his waist, being led before a judge by police officers. Simpson looked tired and forlorn in a courtroom packed with members of the media and curious public onlookers, all come to see the man most Americans believe brutally murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.

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/ 16 March 2008

Glaciers melt ‘at fastest rate in past 5 000 years’

The world’s glaciers are melting faster than at any time since records began, threatening catastrophe for hundreds of millions of people and their eco-systems. The details are revealed in the latest report from the World Glacier Monitoring Service and will add to growing alarm about the rise in sea levels and increased instances of flooding, avalanches and drought.

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/ 15 March 2008

Tornado-hit Atlanta braces for more storms

A violent tornado blasting winds up to 200km/h wreaked havoc through downtown Atlanta, Georgia, toppling trees on to homes, blowing windows out of high-rises and injuring 30 people, city officials said Saturday. A second tornado in north-west Georgia killed two people and injured others on Saturday, officials said.

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/ 15 March 2008

Sharks fight hard to stay unbeaten

The Coastal Sharks maintained their impressive start to this year’s Super 14 competition with a hard-fought 16-8 win over the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday. With five victories out of five, the men from Durban moved back into second spot on the southern-hemisphere rugby championship points table.