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/ 26 January 2007

Optimism in Davos snow, but do dark clouds loom?

It is hard not to be a bit jolly when you are surrounded by peers in a Swiss ski resort, but the world’s business leaders have been remarkably optimistic at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos. The problems of the future are taken seriously, but there is little in the way of hand-wringing. This may be because the global economy appears relatively robust.

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/ 26 January 2007

Farmer unions walk out of meeting with minister

The two unions representing most of the country’s commercial farmers said they hope President Thabo Mbeki will intervene in a dispute between them and Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana. AgriSA and TAU SA walked out of a meeting with Xingwana on Friday where they wanted to discuss tensions between them and her.

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/ 26 January 2007

Mayan madness

<b>NOT EVEN VAGUELY THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK:</b> Descendants of the Maya have already objected strenuously to Mel Gibson’s version of the facts about the May in his new feature, <i>Apocalypto</i>, writes Shaun de Waal.

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/ 26 January 2007

AU presses African states on Somali peacekeeping

The head of the African Union urged member countries late on Thursday to speedily supply troops to a peacekeeping mission to Somalia, ahead of a high-level AU summit next week. The AU is trying to cobble together an 8 000-strong force to prevent a possible security vacuum in the Horn of Africa nation as Ethiopian troops are set to withdraw.

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/ 26 January 2007

Gonzalez stays hot to destroy Haas

Chilean Fernando Gonzalez continued his rich vein of form to demolish German Tommy Haas 6-1 6-3 6-1 on Friday to reach the Australian Open final. The 10th seed produced another sublime performance against 12th seed Haas to advance to his first Grand Slam final in which he will play world number one Roger Federer on Sunday.

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/ 26 January 2007

Beirut curfew lifted day after clashes

A curfew slapped on Beirut after street battles between the government and opposition supporters left four people dead was lifted on Friday, but the army warned it could be re-imposed if fighting flared again. An uneasy calm prevailed in the streets of the capital after the overnight curfew was lifted at 6am local time.

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/ 26 January 2007

Leon: SA avoids human rights issues

South Africa’s United Nations vote on Burma earlier this month is not an anomaly in its human rights record under the Mbeki presidency, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Tony Leon said on Friday. ”It is consistent with a larger pattern in which South Africa, through its deeds, if not words, eschews human rights issues,” he said.

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/ 26 January 2007

SA won’t send troops to Somalia

South Africa will not contribute troops to an African peacekeeping force in Somalia, but will study other ways to help stabilise the war-ravaged country. Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota made the decision after reviewing South Africa’s overseas peacekeeping commitments, which include forces in Burundi, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.