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/ 21 November 2005

Egypt polls claim first victim as violence spreads

The second round of Egypt’s parliamentary election was marred by deadly violence and voter intimidation on Sunday as the regime appeared bent on curbing the surge of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The polls that kicked off on November 9 claimed their first victim when the driver for an independent candidate was beaten to death by thugs hired by the ruling National Democratic Party, independent vote monitors said.

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/ 21 November 2005

Zuma ‘rape’ accuser won’t drop charges

The woman accusing African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma of rape has vowed not to drop the charges, media reports said on Monday. According to weekend reports, police have asked Zuma for blood samples to determine whether the former deputy president could be conclusively linked to the alleged rape.

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/ 21 November 2005

Bush provides China with lectures and a few laughs

In a visit to Beijing that veered between the solemn and the slapstick, United States President George Bush worshipped at a state-run church in an appeal for China to grant greater religious freedom to its citizens. Reflecting the White House’s policy of cautious engagement, Bush’s lectures about human rights were mixed with entreaties to Chinese President Hu Jintao for greater economic cooperation.

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/ 21 November 2005

Hey, really big JSE spender

Bigger even than Old Mutual, the government-controlled Public Investment Corporation now owns more than one in every 10 shares on the JSE. It has R460-billion in assets under management and is the country’s largest single investor. Yet its investment policies, largely in the "hot" areas of bonds and blue chip equities, appear conservative, to say the least.

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/ 21 November 2005

Inequality matters

Inequality matters. It is often thought that only absolute poverty is important and that if all members of society have a minimum standard of living, the relative distribution of wealth is of no consequence. However, inequalities in income, wealth and opportunity have been found to lead to political instability.

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/ 21 November 2005

The rise of Bush’s new enemy

I was dropped at Paradiso, the last middle-class area before barrio La Vega, which spills into a ravine as if by the force of gravity. Storms were forecast, and people were anxious, remembering the mudslides that took 20 000 lives. "Why are you here?" asked the man sitting opposite me in the packed jeep-bus that chugged up the hill.

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/ 21 November 2005

Kibaki’s ‘chicken shit’ broadside

Kenya’s 11,5-million registered voters go to the polls on Monday in the 42-year-old republic’s first referendum. But the economic hub of East Africa is tense ahead of the ballot on a controversial draft Constitution. Police have shot dead at least 10 people during violent protests against the document in the weeks leading up to the plebiscite.

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/ 21 November 2005

Little sign of electoral life

With just more than a week to the controversial Senate elections in Zimbabwe, there is little sign of campaigning or of the traditional acrimonious exchange that normally occurs between the ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

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/ 21 November 2005

Conservative Route

He says a conservative strategy has driven the group’s success, but what does Kagiso Media’s CEO Roger Jardine think about the view that his radio stations enjoy an entrenched monopoly and world-beating margins? And will Kagiso be going after the new commercial licences?