Staff Reporter
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/ 25 February 2008

Turkish jets pound Kurdish rebels in Iraq

Turkish fighter jets pounded Kurdish rebel positions for the fifth day running on Monday in the mountainous Hakurk region of northern Iraq, security sources said. Members of the Kurdish security force in the autonomous north of Iraq said the raids, which began at about 10pm local time on Sunday, continued overnight in and around Hakurk.

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/ 25 February 2008

SA lifts moratorium on elephant culling

South Africa is to cull elephants for the first time since 1995, lifting a moratorium on the practice to bring ballooning populations under control, the government said on Monday. Since the government introduced a moratorium on culling in 1995, the number of elephants has risen from about 8 000 to over 20 000.

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/ 25 February 2008

Madagascar cyclone death toll rises

A cyclone that hit Madagascar earlier this month has killed at least 44 people and left nearly 145 000 homeless, according to updated figures released by authorities on Sunday. The numbers are almost twice estimates released on Friday of 29 people dead and 70 000 homeless from the category-three cyclone.

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/ 25 February 2008

Global call for action against EPAs

African and international civil society organisations have urged the rest of the world to redouble its efforts to stop the European Union’s drive to institute economic partnership agreements (EPAs). The call for action was drawn up during a special review meeting of the Africa Trade Network in Cape Town from February 20 to 22.

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/ 25 February 2008

IMF praises Mozambique’s fiscal policies

Prudent fiscal and monetary policies during 2007 have kept inflation under control in Mozambique, the International Monetary Fund said in a statement on Monday. ”We congratulate the Mozambican authorities on their strong commitment to sound economic policies and for an impressive economic track record over the last years.

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/ 25 February 2008

Fewer people smoking in SA, says WHO

Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on Sunday welcomed a new World Health Organisation (WHO) tobacco report that indicates that consumption of cigarettes has declined in South Africa. The WHO report states that higher taxes are especially important for deterring tobacco use among the young and the poor.