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Written by Reuters -
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Former South African President Jacob Zuma attends the memorial service for Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini in Nongoma, South Africa, 18 March 2021 - Reuters
Former President Jacob Zuma’s legal team has quit less than a month before he goes on trial on corruption charges, local publication News 24 said on Wednesday.
Zuma and French arms company Thales are due in court on 17 May on charges related to a $2 billion arms deal from the 1990s, when he served as deputy president.
Zuma is being tried on 16 charges of racketeering, fraud, corruption and money laundering. He denies wrongdoing in the case. Thales has said it has no knowledge of any transgressions committed by its staff over the awarding of the contracts.
South African ex-President Zuma s legal team quits ahea dailymaverick.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymaverick.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thales Laser on Mars 2020 Mission: Three Days to Touchdown
On 18 February, when the Perseverance rover lands on Mars, the Thales laser will enter service as part of SuperCam, the eyes of the rover, to determine the chemical and organic composition of Martian rock samples.
The Thales laser at the heart of the SuperCam instrument, which is even more powerful than the laser that has been operating for the last eight years on the Curiosity mission, will help to look for potential signs of life on the Red Planet.
On 18 February, the Perseverance rover a key component of the Mars 2020 mission will touch down on the Red Planet after a long seven-month voyage. SuperCam, one of seven strategic onboard instruments, is a powerful combination of technologies designed to analyse, characterise and select Martian rock samples. SuperCam is the result of close collaboration between