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/ 11 December 2006

Zim budget gloom

There are rumours that treasury boss Dr Herbert Murerwa and central bank chief Dr Gideon Gono are at one each other’s throats. They reportedly regularly have SMS wars, with a defiant Gono reminding his boss that they are ”working for the same government, and that he [Murerwa] should be patriotic and listen to him,” treasury insiders say.

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/ 11 December 2006

To be, or not to be, an African

I have a good dose of melanin, making me one of the darker people prowling the streets of Johannesburg. I was born and brought up in Kenya. I carry a Kenyan passport and have official recognition as a Kenyan citizen. I can vote, run for political office and join the Kenyan army — if I want to. I love ugali, the Kenyan, harder version of pap.

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/ 11 December 2006

Rebels threaten aid supply

Widespread insecurity in eastern Chad is putting a severe strain on humanitarian operations, with rebel activity rendering large parts of the terrain impassable. Aid workers were already struggling to cope with 230 000 refugees as well as 90 000 internally displaced Chadians, when rebels stepped up their offensives in the area two weeks ago.

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/ 10 December 2006

Augusto Pinochet dead at 91

Former dictator Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990 and spent his old age fighting human rights, fraud and corruption charges, died on Sunday. He was 91. Pinochet, who was diabetic and had been in frail health for years, suffered a heart attack last week and underwent an angioplasty. His son then said the surgery had brought him back from the brink of death.

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/ 10 December 2006

Vaughan rules out Ashes comeback

Michael Vaughan has conceded he has no chance of making an unlikely Ashes comeback down under. Talk of the 2005 Ashes hero, who is on the comeback trail after knee surgery earlier in the year, returning late in the current Ashes series gathered momentum when he played in two one-day matches for the England Academy in Perth last week.

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/ 10 December 2006

Ferguson salutes true grit of Red Devils

Alex Ferguson has saluted the spirit and determination of his Manchester United squad after watching them end a gruelling week with victory in the derby clash with Manchester City. Goals from Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a 3-1 win and increased the pressure on champions Chelsea, who were due to kick off against Arsenal on Sunday nine points behind the league leaders.

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/ 10 December 2006

Shambolic Sundowns crash to Ajax

Going from bad to worse, a shambolic Mamelodi Sundowns conceded two goals in the final 10 minutes and crashed to their second defeat against Ajax Cape Town within the space of a week on Saturday night. Looking disjointed and dispirited throughout, the Brazilians gained a fortuitous lead in the 73rd minute through the enigmatic Lerato Chabangu.

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/ 10 December 2006

SA failing its children, says AU report

South Africa has failed to provide its children with a way out of poverty, damning them to a life of violence and deprivation, a new report cited by a Sunday newspaper said. The report by the African Union’s (AU) Peer Review panel found that children in the country were facing an uphill struggle as families and schools disintegrate, leaving them without social support structures.