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/ 17 May 2008

US pledge to Saudis fails to win oil concession

The United States agreed on Friday to help Saudi Arabia protect its oil industry from terrorist attack, while offering to back conservative Arab countries resisting Iranian influence spreading across the Middle East — but King Abdullah was not persuaded to boost Saudi oil production to ease the effect of the -a-barrel price on the US.

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/ 7 February 2008

Mbeki to show he’s still in charge

President Thabo Mbeki will strive to show he is still in charge of the country on Friday when he makes his first State of the Nation address since being ousted as leader of the ruling party in December. Jacob Zuma, front-runner to succeed Mbeki as head of state, has already begun to eclipse his rival through control of the party.

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/ 29 January 2008

Opec set to resist pressure for more oil

Opec is widely expected to resist consumer calls for more oil when it meets on Friday, worried by a slowing United States economy and the onset of seasonally lower demand in the spring. Oil has fallen to around a barrel from a record ,09 on January 3, easing pressure on Opec to pump more.

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/ 29 January 2008

Power crunch raises infrastructure doubts

South Africa’s critical electricity crunch has raised doubts over whether infrastructure can keep pace with an economic boom while the country prepares to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament. South Africa is gripped by traumatic power cuts that have brought the mining industry, mainstay of the economy, to a halt.

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/ 28 January 2008

Wikia eyes public listing in long term

Wikia, a profit-oriented company set up by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, is aiming for a public listing in the long term. ”For Wikipedia itself I think we will always be a charity … but for Wikia, my for-profit company, yes, absolutely,” Wales said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos last week.

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/ 28 January 2008

China’s mobile network a surveillance tool?

Serious concerns were raised in Davos last week about the ability of the Chinese government to spy on the country’s 500-million cellphone users. China’s biggest cellphone company stunned delegates by revealing that the company had unlimited access to the personal data of its customers and handed it over to Chinese security officials when demanded.

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/ 27 January 2008

Zuma’s charm offensive in Davos

Jacob Zuma, who survived rape and corruption charges to become the president-in-waiting, has harsh words for Kenya and Nigeria, where recent elections were marred by alleged fraud, violence and disputed results. ”What has happened in Kenya I think is absolutely not right,” Zuma said on Saturday.

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/ 24 January 2008

Biofuel investments seen as good bet

Biofuels made from plants and waste will prove an increasingly efficient and cheap substitute for oil in many areas over the coming five years, industry analysts said. As long as crude sells at prices towards $100 per barrel, there will be strong demand for cheaper biofuels.