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/ 4 September 2007
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While most French presidents have avoided sport, Nicolas Sarkozy prides himself on televised jogging sessions, cheering the Tour de France and appearing in the stands of the Paris Saint Germain football team. Now he is reinventing himself as a rugby fan to take maximum political advantage of the World Cup that begins in France on Friday.
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/ 4 September 2007
The vast majority of Chinese schoolchildren chose to stay home and surf the internet during the summer holidays rather than play outside, state media said on Tuesday. The poll of 103 children aged four to 14 found that just 4% chose to do outdoor activities during the holidays and only 9% took part in summer educational camps
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/ 4 September 2007
The senior Malawian child welfare official who was to go to London to assess whether Madonna could adopt a little boy from the Southern African country has been removed from the high-profile case following allegations he solicited money from the singer for the trip.
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/ 4 September 2007
Two bombs exploded in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi during the morning rush hour on Tuesday, killing 24 people and wounding 66, and at least one of the blasts was caused by a suicide attacker, officials said. The blasts come at a time of deepening political uncertainty in Pakistan, with the army chief and President, General Pervez Musharraf, preparing to try to secure a new term.
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/ 4 September 2007
Zimbabwe is likely to offer tax relief in a supplementary budget on Thursday but may have to print more money to keep cash-strapped government departments running ahead of elections in 2008. The Southern African country is suffering inflation of more than 7 000%, fast eroding income for workers struggling to feed their families.
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/ 4 September 2007
South African international midfielder Gift Leremi (22) was killed after he lost control of his car and was flung out of his vehicle, Ekhuruleni Metro police said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Inspector Jimmy Maboko said Leremi was driving his BMW along the R556, between Vaal Road and Brackendowns, Alberton, at 9pm on Monday, when he lost control.
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/ 4 September 2007
South African banking group FirstRand plans to reduce its stake in health insurer Discovery Holdings, giving its shareholders a direct stake in the company, it said on Tuesday. The unbundling, for which FirstRand will seek shareholder approval, will improve Discovery shares’ liquidity on the Johannesburg bourse.
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/ 4 September 2007
Stinky tofu, a south China delicacy loved by some and detested by others, finally wore out its welcome in one Taiwan neighbourhood. Environmental authorities got the high court’s permission on Monday to fine a suburban Taipei restaurant for exceeding the stench limit by three times, a county official said on Tuesday.
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/ 4 September 2007
Gaz de France and Suez on Monday agreed to create the world’s third-largest listed power and gas company after President Nicolas Sarkozy stepped in to prevent the 18-month old deal from collapsing. The politically charged ”merger of equals”, delayed by disputes over valuation and control, will be on the basis of 21 Gaz de France shares for 22 Suez shares.
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/ 4 September 2007
United States President George Bush paid a surprise visit to a US military base in Iraq on Monday, in a piece of stagecraft intended to bolster support in Congress for the administration’s war strategy, only days before a crucial report on the success of the American troop ”surge”.