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/ 21 November 2007
When the first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930 only 13 teams participated in the finals and every country that wanted to play in the tournament was welcomed with open arms. Since then, the competition has grown in leaps and bounds and more than 200 countries have entered the first World Cup on African soil.
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/ 21 November 2007
A whale that got lost and swam about 1 300km up the Amazon River died after a failed effort to capture it and transport it back to the ocean, an official said on Wednesday. The 5,5m minke whale had become stranded on sandbars at least twice since it was spotted last week in the Tapajos River.
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/ 21 November 2007
South Africa’s preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup were dealt a new blow on Wednesday by a fresh bout of strike action by construction workers at one of the host stadiums. The latest strike came as thousands of delegates and journalists began arriving in South Africa ahead of this weekend’s draw in Durban.
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/ 21 November 2007
South Africa captain John Smit and star wing Bryan Habana are among nine members of the Springboks’ victorious World Cup final starting XV named to face Wales in Saturday’s one-off rugby union international at the Millennium Stadium. Although several players are missing from the two-match tour, the side still contains plenty of experienced campaigners.
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/ 21 November 2007
This was a bug that you’d have to look up to and definitely couldn’t step on. British scientists have stumbled across a fossilised claw, part of an ancient sea scorpion, that is of such large proportion it would make the entire creature the biggest bug ever. How big? Bigger than you, about 2,5m long.
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/ 21 November 2007
China’s capital has registered 973 new HIV/Aids cases so far this year, a jump of more than 50% from 2006, state media reported on Wednesday.
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/ 21 November 2007
Umaru Yar’Adua looks serene in the official portrait hanging in a courtroom where lawyers in black robes are trying to unseat him as president of Nigeria. But his position may be less secure than the photograph. The presidential tribunal is a special electoral court empowered to hear petitions against his victory in April by losing candidates.
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/ 21 November 2007
Edgars Consolidated Stores has been appointed the official operator for the 2010 Fifa World Cup stores in South Africa, the soccer body announced on Wednesday. The official event stores will be in 160 branches of Edgars throughout the country, with the first shop scheduled to open later in November to coincide with the preliminary draw in Durban on November 25.
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/ 21 November 2007
Eritrea said on Wednesday arch-foe Ethiopia had ”long since declared war” on Asmara by refusing to implement a five-year-old border ruling marking their shared frontier. Analysts and diplomats fear heightened tensions on the Horn of Africa rivals’ frontier could erupt into a new conflict seven years after they fought a war.
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/ 21 November 2007
England’s Ricky Hatton is in the best shape of his career for his showdown with fellow unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on December 8 for the World Boxing Council welterweight crown. ”He is stronger than he has ever been. I think a lot of guys are going to be shocked at Ricky’s strength,” said Hatton conditioning coach Kerry Kayes.