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/ 11 May 2006

From complainant to accused

For some, the long-term significance of the case has little to do with the law and much to do with the prospects of an ambitious politician who wishes to be president of the republic. Historians and political scientists can be left to analyse whether it was this trial or other reasons that finally sunk the Zuma battleship or resurrected his prospects.

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/ 11 May 2006

Divisive and difficult

A total of 174 pages, prompting 174 000 opinions. Monday’s judgement in the <i>State v Jacob Zuma</i> has been like the trial itself: divisive and difficult. The not-guilty verdict is one we respect; the reasoning in the judgement is thorough and well-researched, if conservative.

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/ 11 May 2006

US rejects calls for Guantánamo closure

The United States state department on Thursday rejected British Attorney General Lord Goldsmith’s calls for the Guantánamo Bay detention camp to be closed down. Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said Washington would ”like nothing better than to close down Guantánamo”, but that it could not be done at present.

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/ 11 May 2006

Aspirin, red wine may combat hearing loss

Aspirin, red wine and green vegetables, already famous for helping the heart, may also delay the onset of age-related deafness and reduce hearing loss caused by powerful antibiotics and loud noise, suggests the New Scientist. Indirect evidence for this comes from research into the effect of antioxidants on hair cells, the delicate hairs of the inner ear that are essential for hearing.

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/ 11 May 2006

Bleed them dry

Since London began enforcing its central congestion zone, motorists have been coughing up for the right to drive and park in the heart of town. But some motorists — those in bullet-proof Beemers — still think English law doesn’t apply to them. According to The Independent, among the worst repeat offenders in terms of not paying- congestion tariffs and fines are foreign embassies.

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/ 10 May 2006

Odi pitch ‘promising’ for crunch PSL encounter

The state of the Odi Stadium pitch for the crunch Castle Premier Soccer League (PSL) deciding encounter between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates on Saturday has been called ”promising” by acting stadium manager Jerry Moumakwe, who also revealed that no Premier League official had come to inspect the pitch and the stadium prior to the venue being confirmed.

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/ 10 May 2006

Fresh fighting rocks Mogadishu

Fresh factional fighting rocked the lawless Somali capital on Wednesday as a tentative truce failed to hold and Islamic militia and gunmen loyal to a United States-backed warlord alliance battled for a fourth day. Heavy machine gun, artillery and rocket fire resounded through streets of bullet-scarred Mogadishu after the collapse of the truce.