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/ 3 March 2004

East African customs union established

Member states of the East African Community have signed a protocol for establishing a customs union that is expected to boost growth in the region. The agreement was initialled on Tuesday in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha by the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It will take effect in July this year.

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/ 3 March 2004

Rock of ages

The first hard evidence that water once flowed on Mars has been found. The Nasa rover Opportunity landed on a plane next to a stony outcrop that had been altered by liquid water, scientists announced on Tuesday night. The discovery confirms years of indirect, tantalising and sometimes furiously disputed evidence gleaned from satellite sensors.

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/ 3 March 2004

DA questions SABC motives

<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>The Democratic Alliance on Wednesday questioned the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s motives in declining to "take the lead" in organising the series of election debates between President Thabo Mbeki and DA leader Tony Leon as requested.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3_fl2.asp?o=40922">Special Report: Elections 2004</a>

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/ 3 March 2004

SA’s ‘security experts’ defy the law

In January, South African media estimated 1 500 former soldiers and police officers were operating in Iraq, in defiance of legislation forbidding the practice. Most are said to be members of former elite units, disbanded following the end of apartheid, their skills no longer required in the new South Africa.

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/ 3 March 2004

Pebco accused appears in court

Former security policeman Johannes ”Slang” van Zyl arrived at the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for an appearance in connection with the murder of three anti-apartheid activists known as the Pebco Three in 1985, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported.

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/ 3 March 2004

Swazi king postpones opening of Parliament

King Mswati III on Tuesday postponed the opening of Parliament in this tiny Southern African nation without explanation. No new date was announced. Mswati, Africa’s last absolute monarch, had been expected to preside over the opening session on Friday and address the nation on government plans for the year ahead.

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/ 3 March 2004

Let’s be friendsters

In the beginning, back in 1996, it was SixDegrees. Last year it was Friendster. Last week it was Orkut. Next week it could be Flickr. These websites, and dozens more, are designed to build networks of friends, and they are currently at the forefront of the trendiest internet development: social networking. These sites are spreading like a rash through the internet, but are they sustainable?