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/ 25 January 2006
The Russian Parliament is to discuss spying allegations against four British diplomats who had allegedly channelled funds to NGOs in Russia. The Federal Security Service on Tuesday briefed the Duma over suggestions that the diplomats were undercover agents who had hidden a transmitter in a rock in a Moscow suburb to liaise via palmtop computer with agents in Russia.
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/ 25 January 2006
Canada’s Conservative leader, Stephen Harper, celebrated election victory on Tuesday promising lower taxes and better relations with Washington, but he fell far short of a parliamentary majority, limiting his ability to make radical changes. The Prime Minister, Paul Martin, handed his resignation to Canada’s governor general and announced he would step down as head of the Liberal party.
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/ 25 January 2006
If the Thai masses won’t come to Buddha then Buddha will come to the Thai masses by video, an alliance of monks, Buddhism experts and a devout businessman announced on Tuesday. The group is seeking to arrest the declining popularity of Buddhism and materialism’s seemingly unstoppable rise by using 21st-century technology to reach the masses in a way they can relate to.
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/ 25 January 2006
Record-breaking gains on the JSE are passing unit trust investors by as they shun equities in favour of less risky asset classes, newly released figures show. South Africans are investing heavily in unit trusts — the industry netted R58-billion of inflows last year, a 40% increase on 2004. But investors have continued to choose low risk funds.
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/ 25 January 2006
For several years, the United States Agency for International Development has been under growing pressure to adopt a more long-term approach to its support of science and technology in developing countries. The agency now supports a wide spectrum of activities, but many feel that all these could benefit from a more coherent commitment.
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/ 25 January 2006
International companies operating in South Africa are gearing up for intense debate over codes governing the implementation of black economic empowerment (BEE). Multinational firms and foreign chambers of commerce informally surveyed last week identified a raft of problems, ranging from concerns around ownership requirements to costs and compliance issues.
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/ 25 January 2006
Fiery German Nicolas Kiefer clinched his first Grand Slam semifinal appearance with an epic five-set win over Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean at the Australian Open on Wednesday. The 21st seeded Kiefer won a volatile quarterfinal, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, 6-7 (1/7), 8-6 in the longest match at the Australian Open in 15 years at four hours and 48 minutes.
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/ 25 January 2006
”Never pick a fight you know you cannot win. Or so I was told. Pick an argument if you must, but not a fight. Nothing I have read or heard in recent weeks suggests that fighting Iran over its nuclear enrichment programme makes any sense at all.” Washington’s knee-jerk belligerence ignores Tehran’s influence and the need for subtle engagement, writes Simon Jenkins.
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/ 25 January 2006
I’ve never been big on breasts. At first I shunned them. Then I strapped them down in puberty’s equivalent of a straightjacket. And as a teenager, I often left them hanging. Only now as an adult am I paying them the respect they deserve by cupping them in imported cotton from lingerie boutiques with names like French confectionaries.
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/ 25 January 2006
Didier Drogba scored again and Côte d’Ivoire are through to the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations. Egypt and Morocco will have to wait to find out which of them will advance. Drogba scored his second goal in two games and the Elephants edged Libya 2-1 on Tuesday.