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/ 28 October 2007

Retreating California fires leave smoke hazard

Firefighters tightened their grip on California’s wildfires with the help of cooler weather, but a threat remained on Sunday of health hazards from choking plumes of smoke over the region. Cooler temperatures, calmer winds and spots of drizzle allowed firefighters to staunch or contain most of the 23 fires that have erupted since last Sunday.

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/ 28 October 2007

US: 80 Taliban fighters killed

United States-led coalition and Afghan troops killed about 80 Taliban fighters in a six-hour battle following an ambush in southern Afghanistan, the US military said on Sunday. Taliban fighters opened fire on Saturday with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades on the joint coalition and Afghan army patrol from a trench near Musa Qala in Helmand province.

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/ 28 October 2007

England coach criticised over Cup

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio has criticised Brian Ashton, saying he did not have the managerial skills to be head coach at the World Cup. ”I hope I’m not going to lose a friendship over what I say about Brian, a good coach who I believe was in the wrong role,” Dallaglio says in his autobiography, serialised in the Sunday Times newspaper.

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/ 28 October 2007

United fly high as Chelsea hit City for six

Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez fired Manchester United back to the top of the Premier League on Saturday, as Chelsea served warning that their own title challenge is still alive after the departure of Jose Mourinho. United’s 4-1 demolition of Middlesbrough at Old Trafford continued a rich vein of form for the champions, who have won eight consecutive matches in the league.

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/ 28 October 2007

UK anti-abortion marchers demand change in law

British Pro-life campaigners rallied outside Parliament on Saturday to demand changes to the law they say has led to 6,7-million abortions since it came into force 40 years ago. About 500 men, women and children stood under a steady drizzle with banners reading ”Protect Life” and ”Women deserve better than abortion”.

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/ 28 October 2007

Turkey refuses to back down on threat to invade Iraq

Turkey sharpened its threat to invade northern Iraq on Saturday when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared its army ready to attack Kurdish rebels ”when needed”, regardless of international opposition. Erdogan has been under pressure from America, Iraq and other countries to pull back from a move that could further destabilise the region.

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/ 28 October 2007

Sudan govt declares truce at Darfur talks

Sudan’s government declared an immediate unilateral ceasefire at the opening of Darfur peace talks on Saturday, but the absence of key rebels cast doubt on whether the move could produce meaningful progress. One rebel leader who did attend the gathering in the Libyan town of Sirte voiced reservations about Khartoum’s move.