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/ 28 November 2007

Sudan charges UK teacher with insulting religion

A British teacher detained in Sudan after her class called a teddy bear Muhammad was charged on Wednesday with insulting Islam in a move that sparked a diplomatic row. Gillian Gibbons (54) was also charged with inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs. If convicted, she could face 40 lashes, a fine or one year in jail.

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/ 28 November 2007

Zuma takes battle to Constitutional Court

African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma on Wednesday applied to the Constitutional Court for permission to challenge aspects of the investigation against him by the national director of public prosecution (NDPP). Zuma plans to challenge the issuing of a letter of request secured by the NDPP to get documents from Mauritius.

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/ 28 November 2007

Bush launches Middle East talks amid scepticism

United States President George Bush invited Israeli and Palestinian leaders to the White House to renew long-stalled peace talks on Wednesday but faced deep scepticism over chances for a deal. Finally embracing a hands-on approach, Bush will ceremonially inaugurate the first formal Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations in seven years.

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/ 28 November 2007

Senegal wants Africa to end Zim-UK row

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade said on Wednesday he would push to create a group of African leaders to resolve a stand-off between Zimbabwe and Britain, which has cast a shadow over a European Union-Africa summit. Wade arrived in Harare after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would boycott the planned December 8 to 9 Lisbon summit.

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/ 28 November 2007

SA disappoints in global literacy study

Ten-year-olds in Russia, China’s Hong Kong and Singapore show the greatest reading ability among their peers, according to a global literacy study released on Wednesday. The worst performances came from South Africa, Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar, Indonesia, Iran, Trinidad and Tobago, Macedonia, Georgia and Romania.

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/ 28 November 2007

Watchdog slams Somali media restrictions

An international media watchdog condemned as ”ridiculous” and illegal on Wednesday the Mogadishu mayor’s banning of media interviews with Somali insurgents and other tough restrictions on local journalists. Mayor and former warlord Mohamed Dheere called media heads in this week to impose the restrictions.