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/ 18 March 2008

Indian lessons in busting cartels

South African mobile operators are charging up to 1 000% more than Indian mobile operators for a minute-long call. A comparison between one of MTN’s standard pre-paid packages and Indian operator Reliance Mobile’s standard packages showed that mobile call rates in South Africa are exorbitantly overpriced.

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/ 18 March 2008

A(nother) vital succession race

Justice Albie Sachs will be missed when his term at the Constitutional Court comes to an end next year. Indeed, September 2009 will be a very important milestone for the court. Along with Sachs, three others of the original court that was appointed late in 1994 will move on.

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/ 18 March 2008

Hybrid African rice to the rescue

PhD student Yonelle Moukoumbi (34) has been awarded a L’OrĂ©al/Unesco for Women in Science fellowship to fund her studies of the genetic diversities of new varieties of rice. Fifteen fellowships are awarded every year to female scientists. Moukoumbi, a citizen of Gabon, is the first researcher from her country to receive this award.

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/ 18 March 2008

Gauging children’s rights to care and protection

In celebrating Human Rights Day on Friday, we reflect on considerable progress made regarding children’s rights in the past year. The Children’s Amendment Bill is anticipated to be signed by the president soon and will provide, together with the principle Children’s Act, a new, comprehensive law for the care and protection of children.

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/ 18 March 2008

Speedo slows down

Ten months after he came barnstorming to power, Nicolas Sarkozy is in some trouble. The tactician who sapped the strength of the French left by offering right-wing socialists a seat in his government or on the International Monetary Fund is now finding his own weaponry used against him.

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/ 18 March 2008

Owen goal saves point for Newcastle

Newcastle United drew a scrappy Premier League relegation clash 1-1 at Birmingham City on Monday leaving coach Kevin Keegan still without a win in eight league matches since returning to the club. James McFadden opened the scoring for the home side with a well taken goal after muscling Abdoulaye Faye out of his way.

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/ 18 March 2008

A small masterstroke

The tax reforms announced in the latest budget are like the prophet taking a few resigned steps towards the mountain. The South African Revenue Service was never going to win the paperwork battle with South Africa’s substantial informal sector without completely destroying it.