Staff Reporter
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/ 20 February 2007

Real: Capello not quitting

Real Madrid have denied media reports that coach Fabio Capello handed in his resignation on Monday evening, just one day before their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich. ”The board is unaware of any resignation by Fabio Capello and we were very surprised by the reports that appeared in the media,” club spokesperson Miguel Angel Arroyo said.

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/ 20 February 2007

Analysts predict market-friendly budget

South African financial markets are generally expected to react positively when Finance Minister Trevor Manuel unveils his 2007/08 Budget on Wednesday, analysts say, with the JSE in particular seen benefiting. "Chances are that whatever the minister does, it will be good for equities," said Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt.

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/ 20 February 2007

Strong Indonesian quake sparks tsunami warning

A powerful earthquake in north-eastern Indonesia triggered a tsunami warning on Tuesday and caused panicked residents to flee shaking buildings, officials and media reports said. The tsunami warning was later cancelled. The United States Geological Survey initially put the temblor’s magnitude at 6,9, but later revised it to 6,5.

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/ 20 February 2007

Sin taxes likely to be increased

Although sin taxes — alcohol and cigarettes — have seen an upward tax increase in the past few years, tax specialists predict that Finance Minister Trevor Manuel will announce a further increase on these items in this year’s eagerly awaited budget. Durban-based BDO Spencer Steward KwaZulu-Natal tax director Graham Earle has predicted a substantial increase on excise duty on alcohol and cigarettes.

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/ 20 February 2007

Polish author Ryszard Kapuscinski dies

Polish author and journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski, several times cited as a likely candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature, died on January 22 at the age of 74, TVN24 television reported. Kapuscinski’s books have been translated into 30 languages, arguably more than any other Polish author.

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/ 20 February 2007

Mubarak’s spring chill

Ostensibly building on limited political reforms enacted in 2005, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has proposed more than 30 constitutional amendments to be decided by referendum in April. But the veteran president’s bid to nurture a second "Egyptian spring" faces deep-rooted public scepticism.

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/ 20 February 2007

Bidding frenzy for Britney’s locks

A seller in Germany claimed to have a few locks. Another in Australia was insistent that his was the real thing, while a vendor in Glasgow said that his friend had just returned from Los Angeles and had been lucky enough to pick up a few strands. By Saturday, a seller was offering strands of the singer’s dyed black hair, while another was offering clearly fake blonde locks.