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/ 21 September 2004

Maradona back in Cuba for drug treatment

Former soccer great Diego Maradona returned to Cuba on Monday to resume treatment for cocaine addiction after a relapse confined him to a psychiatric hospital in his native Argentine and sparked unsuccessful attempts by his family to keep him at home. Maradona was greeted by dozens of journalists after arriving in Havana.

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/ 20 September 2004

Anything ‘decent’ goes for Gay Pride march

Face paintings, wigs and men wearing dresses will be allowed at Saturday’s 14th annual Gay Pride march in Johannesburg, as long as it is ”decent”, city police said on Monday. Spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said: ”People will be able to wear masks, but the mask must be of such a nature that the wearer is identifiable.”

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/ 20 September 2004

IMF to close Zimbabwe office

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is due to close its offices in Zimbabwe at the end of October because it no longer has a resident representative, a local official said on Monday. The IMF’s last representative to Harare left a year ago at the end of his term and no replacement has been appointed, the official said.

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/ 20 September 2004

Numsa president hits out at negative publicity

National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) president Mtutuzeli Tom has reproached members who, he said, use the media to discredit the union.
”It is our revolutionary duty to defend and protect the integrity of the union from reckless and careless negative media publicity,” he told Numsa’s congress in Midrand.

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/ 20 September 2004

Israel braces for militant attacks

The Israeli government said on Monday it expects an upsurge in militant attacks ahead of its Gaza withdrawal, as the United States insisted the pull-out should be consistent with the international road map for peace. ”Hamas will want to portray the Gaza withdrawal as escapism on our part,” said a senior Israeli government official.

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/ 20 September 2004

Botswana works to contain anthrax outbreak

Botswana’s wildlife authorities have closed Chobe National Park to tourists after an anthrax outbreak that threatens buffalo and elephants in one of the country’s largest game reserves, a spokesperson said Monday. By Friday, game rangers had found the carcasses of 68 buffalo and one elephant in the park.

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/ 20 September 2004

Nine die in Limpopo platinum mine

Nine miners died at the Northam Platinum mine near Thabazimbi after a fire broke out underground early on Monday, the company said. A spokesperson said 46 workers, who were working on the 13th level of the mine about 2 100m underground, were safely evacuated after the blaze was detected.

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/ 20 September 2004

Betel-nut beauties told to cover up

Taichung police has ordered the city’s scantily clad betel-nut saleswomen to dress more conservatively to help reduce car accidents, it was reported on Monday. Under the new dress code, women peddling spicy chewing betel nuts at roadside stands are barred from revealing their bodies in sexy transparent clothes.

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/ 20 September 2004

China hydro project to be world’s largest

China’s Three Gorges Project (TGP) on the Yangtze river will be the world’s largest hydro-electric plant when it is finally completed in 2009 after work started in 1993. Apart from the electricity generated, the TGP has two other main benefits: flood control and a higher carrying capacity for the Yangtze river.