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/ 16 December 2004
A key but controversial aspect of Britain’s post-September 11 security policy was dealt a blow on Thursday as the country’s highest court ruled that detaining terror suspects indefinitely without trial breaks human rights laws. It is a blow to Prime Minister Tony Blair, just hours after Home Secretary David Blunkett resigned following a personal scandal.
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/ 16 December 2004
Oil prices retreated on Thursday as traders took profits following a strong rally seen a day earlier in response to data showing a fall in United States heating oil stocks as the northern hemisphere winter sets in. New York’s main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in January, fell 44 cents a barrel to ,75.
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/ 16 December 2004
A man identified as Osama bin Laden bitterly criticised the Saudi regime in an audiotape posted on an Islamic website on Thursday. The speaker says that while Saudi leaders blame ”holy warriors” for trouble in the kingdom, ”the truth is that the whole responsibility falls on the shoulders of the regime”.
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/ 16 December 2004
Malnutrition is one of the main causes of death in prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a special United Nations report obtained by AFP on Thursday. The study by the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC found that more than 50 prisoners had died of starvation since March this year.
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/ 16 December 2004
President Thabo Mbeki gave South Africa’s reconciliation process a glowing report card on Thursday, saying black and white citizens are standing up for freedom together. ”We have begun to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood and sisterhood,” he said at Reconciliation Day celebrations in Pretoria.
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/ 16 December 2004
Rebel leaders on Thursday accused the Sudanese government of pursuing an offensive in the western region of Darfur despite an earlier promise to rein in its troops in order to revive stalled peace talks. The rebels said they will not return to African Union-sponsored negotiations until Khartoum calls off its alleged attack.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Africa&ao=176727">Sudan agrees to stop Darfur offensive</a>
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/ 16 December 2004
”Dear Santa, I want a man for Christmas.” Such requests mark a new trend on New Zealand Telecom’s Santaline, traditionally dominated by children seeking bicycles, dolls and toys. ”Listen Santa, I want a new man this Xmas. I broke the last one,” said one e-mail.
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/ 16 December 2004
Two great white sharks attacked and killed a teenage boy on a surfboard off a packed Australian beach as his horrified friends looked on Thursday, in the country’s second fatal shark attack in five days. The 18-year-old was being towed on a surfboard behind a speedboat off a beach in Adelaide when the giant man-eaters struck.
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/ 16 December 2004
In the past two weeks, two controversial issues hit the South African National Blood Service hard.