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/ 24 January 2006

Hero of democracy exits political arena

Veteran politician Mario Soares, who steered Portugal from dictatorship to democracy, is set to bow out of the political arena he has dominated for decades following a crushing defeat in a weekend presidential election. The 81-year-old former Socialist prime minister finished third behind the winner and sole centre-right candidate, Anibal Cavaco Silva.

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/ 24 January 2006

Gunmen attack Nigerian oil facility

Gunmen mounted on speedboats stormed a riverside oil facility in the southern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt on Tuesday and opened fire on the police, killing several of them, a witness said. An oil industry security source said that reports indicated that seven policemen and two civilian workers, including an expatriate, had been killed.

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/ 24 January 2006

Judgement day looms for judiciary

The new year promises to be important for our legal system. For starters, Jacob Zuma faces two trials that are likely to test the mettle of the presiding officers. The rape trial appears to be a he-said-she-said case in which the credibility of the protagonists will determine the outcome. In addition, the introduction of the 14th Constitution Amendment Bill will raise the judicial temperature.

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/ 24 January 2006

A DRC president by May

The transitional government in the Democratic Republic of Congo has wasted no time in moving from the chaotic but successful constitutional referendum last month to full-blown elections by the end of April. Results released recently show that 62% of the 25-million registered voters turned out in the referendum, delivering a resounding 84% vote in favour of the new basic law.