He looked stunned, without almost any reaction at all except, perhaps, awe or even fear of the moment.

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While the case plays out in court, on the streets of nearby Johannesburg, stunned incredulity is the common reaction.

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Matthew Langston's first-half header stunned Leeds and prompted an angry reaction on the final whistle from the travelling supporters at the Glass World Stadium.

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Yet, judging by the reaction of various officials in Damascus, the regime does seem stunned by this shock to its system, having been living in denial about the evolving situation it created.

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