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/ 20 October 2003

Pakistan eye big cricket win

Danish Kaneria and Shoaib Akhtar rattled South Africa with spin and pace on Monday, bringing Pakistan close to a big victory on the fourth day of the first cricket Test. Akhtar (4-36) polished off the top order, while Kaneria (5-46) mopped up the tail to dismiss the Proteas for 241 in the second innings and set up a victory target of 161 runs.

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/ 19 October 2003

Cops dispute Guinness record rape figures

The police have disputed the Guinness Book of Records and Interpol allegations that South Africa is the country with the highest rate of rapes, many of them against children. Assistant Commissioner Joseph Ngobane took issue with remarks made on Friday by Carol Bower of Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Rapcan) who told a conference in Cape Town:

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/ 19 October 2003

Bin Laden urges terror blitz

The world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, has mounted an unparalleled propaganda offensive calling for renewed attacks on the West and on American and British troops in Iraq. The Saudi-born leader of al-Qaida has simultaneously released two audio tapes, a series of videotaped threats and several filmed statements by his group’s suicide bombers who died in an attack on Riyadh in May.

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/ 19 October 2003

Randgold set to table counter-bid for Ashanti

Randgold is expected to table a counter-bid this week for Ashanti, the Ghanaian gold mining company, valuing it at up to -billion. There were unconfirmed reports in South Africa, where Randgold’s holding company is based, that chief executive Mark Bristow may seek a merger partner from among Canadian mining groups such as Placer Dome or Barrick Resources.

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/ 19 October 2003

Afghans uncover lost treasure

It lay hidden for 2 000 years in Afghanistan, eluded the Taliban and escaped dozens of adventurers and bounty hunters. Now the Bactrian hoard, one of the world’s greatest archaeological collections, has been found. President Hamid Karzai discovered the 20 000 gold coins and artefacts, worth tens of millions of pounds, in a sealed vault under the main palace in the capital, Kabul, after ordering it to be opened earlier this year.

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/ 19 October 2003

Tongans denied by rattled Welsh

Tonga outscored Wales by three tries to two in Canberra on Sunday but were unlucky to be edged out 27-20 by an unconvincing Welsh side in their Pool D clash. Tonga’s sole consolation was picking up a bonus point for losing by seven points while Wales owed a lot to former captain Martyn Williams who came on to score eight points in the second-half.