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/ 5 September 2007
A Polish crime writer has been jailed for 25 years after authorities found he had committed a murder that had been described in one of his thrillers, officials said on Wednesday. In his 2003 book Amok, Krystian Bala described in detail the brutal murder of a Polish businessman.
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/ 5 September 2007
One of Zimbabwe’s main bakeries has warned it has enough flour to last for just two more days, reports said on Wednesday. Lobels Bread has already sent hundreds of workers on forced leave and has almost exhausted its reserve stock of flour, a company executive was quoted as saying.
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/ 5 September 2007
Shares in South African black-owned mining group Exxaro slid on Wednesday after mining group Anglo American said it would sell 19-million Exxaro shares, nearly halving its stake. Exxaro shares were 4,5% lower at R74,50 by 8.10am GMT, having pared losses after earlier tumbling 6,4%.
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/ 5 September 2007
For those fed up with the family photos where one person is perpetually frowning, a new Japanese camera is said to automatically weed out pictures when a person isn’t smiling. Electronics giant Sony said on Wednesday it will begin sales this month of the compact "Cyber-shot T" series that can detect a smile and immediately drop the shutter.
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/ 5 September 2007
The KwaZulu-Natal department of education has sent a ward manager to Manhlenga High School to investigate a report that its pupils were suspected of setting two women alight over a witchcraft claim. Police spokesperson Captain Jabulani Mdletshe said a huge group of youths had dragged the women from their home to a sports field.
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/ 5 September 2007
Spain’s David Ferrer put in an inspired performance to upset second-seeded compatriot Rafael Nadal 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-2 in a US Open fourth-round encounter that finished well into the early hours of Wednesday morning. Ferrer’s stunning victory over the French Open champion earned him a quarter-final showdown against 20th seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.
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/ 5 September 2007
Livestock exports and money sent home by Somalis abroad have propped up the Horn of Africa nation’s economy despite a war over the New Year that gave way to an Iraq-style insurgency, the World Bank said on Wednesday. Somalia’s entrepreneurs have learned to thrive despite a lack of government, feuding warlords and an Islamist-led guerrilla war.
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/ 5 September 2007
The judge in the Boeremag treason trial on Wednesday ruled that enough evidence had been presented by the state on which a reasonable person might convict the 21 accused on charges of high treason, terrorism and sabotage. Judge Eben Jordaan dismissed applications by nine of the accused for their discharge on all of the 42 charges against them.
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/ 5 September 2007
For his first real taste of paid football, Gift Leremi, who was killed in a car accident on September 3, came on as a late substitute in a charity match against Kaizer Chiefs. Orlando Pirates, who had in the off-season promoted him to their first team, were trailing by a goal.
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/ 5 September 2007
Samoa has palm-fringed beaches, lagoons filled with wildly coloured fish and jungle-covered hills, but is only slowly coming out of the shade of better known South Pacific tourist destinations. The number of visitors travelling to the Polynesian nation of 180 000 for holidays jumped 23,6% last year to nearly 41 000.