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/ 12 December 2007

Merkel defends attack on Mugabe

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday defended her attack on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s human rights record at the European Union-Africa summit in Lisbon, which saw her branded a racist by Harare. "Freedom and tolerance, democracy and human rights form the foundation for existing side-by-side in dignity," she said.

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/ 12 December 2007

Triple car bombing kills 40 in southern Iraq

Forty people were killed and more than 125 wounded when three car bombs exploded in quick succession in the Shi’ite city of Amara in southern Iraq on Wednesday, police said. The attacks in the capital of Maysan province were among the deadliest this year in southern Iraq and came as tensions ran high across the region.

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/ 12 December 2007

Load shedding continues

Eskom commenced load shedding during the peak period on Wednesday morning due to a continued shortage of capacity caused by both planned and unplanned maintenance, the power supplier said. Erica Johnson, director of operations and planning, said load shedding would continue throughout the day.

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/ 12 December 2007

Gauteng to clamp down on festive-season crime

Gauteng crime rates are still unacceptably high and the province will continue to implement safety strategies to combat festive-season crime, provincial minister of community safety Firoz Cachalia said on Wednesday. Briefing the media in Johannesburg on festive-season policing, he said crime-blitz operations, road blocks and searches would be conducted.

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/ 12 December 2007

Frantic search for Algiers bomb survivors

Rescuers on Wednesday kept up the search for survivors of two al-Qaeda bomb attacks as grieving families started funerals for dozens of victims. The United Nations said 11 of its staff were killed by one of the suicide bombers and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has ordered a worldwide security review after the attack.

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/ 12 December 2007

SA ‘stands ready’ to deliver on climate change

There is no longer any excuse for any country to ignore climate change and South Africa will contribute its fair share, Environmental Affairs Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Wednesday. Speaking at the United Nations climate-change conference in Bali, he said 12 years after the Kyoto Protocol the world was faced with further alarming scientific findings.

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/ 12 December 2007

Prosecutors seek meeting over Selebi

South Africa’s acting chief prosecutor is seeking an urgent meeting with the country’s justice minister over the possible arrest of police chief Jackie Selebi, a media report said on Wednesday. South Africa’s opposition has called repeatedly for Selebi to be sacked over the country’s high crime rates and his links to convicted drug dealer Glenn Agliotti.

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/ 12 December 2007

Kumble magic helps India clinch series

Anil Kumble raised visions of a dramatic Indian victory with a five-wicket haul before Pakistan managed to escape with a draw in the third and final Test on Wednesday. The veteran leg-spinner grabbed 5-60 with shrewd variations on a wearing track as Pakistan finished at 162-7 in fading light chasing an improbable 374-run target off 48 overs on the fifth and final day.