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/ 27 January 2006

India media condemns US envoy for Iran comments

Indian newspapers hit out on Friday at the United States envoy to New Delhi, who warned a landmark nuclear deal could be scuppered if India votes against referring Iran’s nuclear programme to the United Nations Security Council. <i>The Hindu</i> newspaper said US ambassador David Mulford had "outrageously crossed the line of diplomatic propriety".

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/ 27 January 2006

Travel flattens the fiscus

I was hoping that I would be able to avoid writing about the now scandalous R700 000 "Gravy Plane" holiday trip to the United Arab Emirates, taken recently by our highly regarded Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, her husband, the wife of a Cabinet minister and several of Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka’s own and her secretary’s children.

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/ 27 January 2006

Democratic mirage

The <i>Mail & Guardian</i>’s series on the axing of Travelgate whistle-blower Harry Charlton bears witness to the weakening of commitment to a key democratic institution. Since 1999, we have witnessed the steady undermining of Parliament as a watchdog and tribune of the people.

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/ 27 January 2006

‘Who guards the guards?’

In his masterful treatise on democracy, <i>The Future of Freedom</i>, Fareed Zakaria of <i>Newsweek</i> writes: "The ‘Western model of government’ is best symbolised not by the mass plebiscite but the impartial judge." Impartial judges, independent public institutions, a free press — all these, Zakaria argues, are the best guardians of democracy.

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/ 27 January 2006

JSE eyes slimmer, sexier Anglo

Anglo American has seen its value rise by 10,4% — R30-billion — since its big R90-billion sale plans were announced last October. Anglo’s market cap has risen from R290-billion to R320-billion in the three months since Anglo announced its intent to restructure, said a JSE official.