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/ 2 February 2006

Enron boss ‘tried to stifle critical voices’

Former Enron chairperson Ken Lay, who is facing a raft of fraud charges relating to one of the United States’s largest corporate collapses, asked one of his senior lieutenants if a Wall Street analyst could be excluded from meetings with management after the analyst asked difficult and probing questions, a court in Houston heard.

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/ 2 February 2006

UN: 40m in sub-Saharan Africa need food aid

Sub-Saharan Africa is in the grip of an extraordinary hunger crisis, with more than 40-million people needing emergency food aid across 36 countries, according to United Nations figures. The crisis has been made worse by East Africa experiencing an unusual drought that has coincided with Southern Africa’s ”hunger gap”.

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/ 2 February 2006

Kenyan minister quits over corruption claims

The Kenyan finance minister resigned on Wednesday after being named in a corruption scandal involving millions of pounds allegedly stolen by senior members of the government. David Mwiraria, a close friend and political ally of President Mwai Kibaki, insisted he is innocent and said he is stepping aside while inquiries take place.

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/ 2 February 2006

Anger as papers reprint cartoons of prophet

Newspapers in France, Germany, Spain and Italy on Wednesday reprinted caricatures of the prophet Muhammad that first appeared in Denmark, escalating a row over freedom of expression that has caused protest across the Middle East. There were protests in several countries on Wednesday, as well as a boycott of Danish goods.

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/ 2 February 2006

Iran’s message to West: Back off or …

Iran’s foreign minister on Wednesday threatened immediate retaliation over a move to refer its nuclear weapons activities to the United Nations Security Council in comments that deepen his country’s confrontation with the international community. He also accused the United States of manufacturing the crisis.

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/ 2 February 2006

No arrests after Kebble raids in Johannesburg

Nobody was arrested or taken into custody when police raided two residences in Johannesburg early on Wednesday in connection with the Brett Kebble murder, police said. Earlier, radio reports had said that an advertising man — identified as the Kebble hit man — and his girlfriend had been questioned, and that the man had been arrested.

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/ 2 February 2006

Stofile ‘can no longer work with that man’

South African Rugby Union (Saru) vice-president Mike Stofile has vowed to resign if beleaguered president Brian van Rooyen is re-elected on February 24 at the organisation’s annual general meeting. ”If he [Van Rooyen] is re-elected, I will resign immediately. I can no longer work with that man,” said Stofile on Wednesday.

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/ 2 February 2006

Destructive Overberg fires put out

Fires that caused havoc and extensive damage in the Overberg area in the Western Cape were put out during Wednesday night, Gansbaai police said. Constable Sanele Mantanbo said on Thursday morning the fires were completely out and the road between Gansbaai and Hermanus has been reopened for traffic.

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/ 2 February 2006

Unions hand memorandum to Transnet

As the strike by Transnet employees in KwaZulu-Natal ended on Wednesday, four trade unions handed over a memorandum to Transnet management. In the memorandum, directed to Transnet CEO Maria Ramos, the unions urged management to respect processes and structures established for the purposes of negotiating.