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A South African court has refused permission for President Jacob Zuma and prosecutors to appeal against its ruling that he should face corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal worth billions of dollars.

There were "no merits" in the argument requesting an appeal, it ruled.

In April, the court said a 2009 decision to drop the 783 charges against Mr Zuma was irrational.

He has always denied taking bribes over the arms deal.

National director of public prosecutions Shaun Abrahams had asked the court for permission to appeal against the earlier ruling, saying prosecutors should be able to exercise discretion over whether an investigation should continue.

Rejecting the request, High Court Judge Aubrey Ledwaba said: "We seriously considered whether the appeal would have reasonable prospects of success and came to the conclusion that there are no merits in the arguments."

The ruling is a blow to Mr Zuma's efforts to avoid standing trial, repo