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/ 11 May 2006

Aristocrat accused in new Kenya slaying

A British aristocrat who escaped murder charges in Kenya after killing a game warden on his family’s ranch last year shot another man to death on the premises on Wednesday, police said. Thomas Cholmondeley, son of the Fifth Baron Delamere and great-grandson of Kenya’s most prominent early British settler, told authorities he fired at a suspected poacher on the ranch in the central Rift Valley.

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/ 11 May 2006

Baidu launches Chinese Wikipedia

China’s biggest internet search engine has launched an online encyclopedia modelled on the US-based website Wikipedia, which is blocked by Beijing. Entries on Baidupedia, the new service from Nasdaq-listed <i>Baidu.com</i> launched last month, are however censored by the Chinese government.

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/ 11 May 2006

Thailand launches radio show for dogs

Inspired by a United States radio show for pets, a Thai dog lover has launched a round-the-clock online music radio programme for canines, a report said on Thursday. <i>DogRadioThailand.com</i>, which made its debut on Wednesday, offers both vocal and instrumental music for dogs, the English-daily <i>Bangkok Post</i> said.

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/ 11 May 2006

Divisive and difficult

A total of 174 pages, prompting 174 000 opinions. Monday’s judgement in the <i>State v Jacob Zuma</i> has been like the trial itself: divisive and difficult. The not-guilty verdict is one we respect; the reasoning in the judgement is thorough and well-researched, if conservative.

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/ 11 May 2006

From complainant to accused

For some, the long-term significance of the case has little to do with the law and much to do with the prospects of an ambitious politician who wishes to be president of the republic. Historians and political scientists can be left to analyse whether it was this trial or other reasons that finally sunk the Zuma battleship or resurrected his prospects.

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/ 11 May 2006

You say you’re Christian …

"For some time now I have been thinking, how one can justify the undeniable contradictions that exist in the international arena — which are being constantly debated, specially in political forums and among university students. Many questions remain unanswered," writes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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/ 11 May 2006

Bleed them dry

Since London began enforcing its central congestion zone, motorists have been coughing up for the right to drive and park in the heart of town. But some motorists — those in bullet-proof Beemers — still think English law doesn’t apply to them. According to The Independent, among the worst repeat offenders in terms of not paying- congestion tariffs and fines are foreign embassies.

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/ 11 May 2006

Aspirin, red wine may combat hearing loss

Aspirin, red wine and green vegetables, already famous for helping the heart, may also delay the onset of age-related deafness and reduce hearing loss caused by powerful antibiotics and loud noise, suggests the New Scientist. Indirect evidence for this comes from research into the effect of antioxidants on hair cells, the delicate hairs of the inner ear that are essential for hearing.