Their leader, Yasser Arafat, is due to see Mrs Albright separately on December 18th in London.

ECONOMIST: Israel

Then on December 18th he abruptly resigned from the Board and tendered his resignation.

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After my December 18th interview with Ed Boyajian, president and CEO at EnterpriseDB, I was not surprised.

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On December 18th Maersk, the world's largest ocean carrier, announced it would leave Charleston by 2011, citing high costs and union intransigence.

ECONOMIST: Charleston

On December 18th, one member of the supervisory board suggested he quit.

ECONOMIST: Dresdner Bank

His foreign minister, Ariel Sharon, declared in Washington that the next phase of withdrawal, scheduled for December 18th, would not be carried out.

ECONOMIST: Israel

On December 18th he issued a decree authorising the armed forces to commandeer any ships, trucks or planes they needed in order to transport urgent supplies.

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Both Colin Powell, America's secretary of state, and Jacques Chirac, France's president, telephoned Mr Sharon on December 18th to ask him to give Mr Arafat the space to act.

ECONOMIST: Israel and the Palestinians

No, this is not South Africa, where the election of Jacob Zuma as president of the ruling African National Congress on December 18th dealt a shattering blow to his rival, Thabo Mbeki.

ECONOMIST: Democracy in Africa

Through 4 December, memorial photography, jewellery and handicrafts from the US and Europe dating to the 18th Century are on display as part of The Art of Mourning, a special showcase sourced from private collectors.

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