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/ 7 February 2007
Morocco’s multibillion-dollar cannabis crop, the biggest in the world, has shrunk by almost half over three years due to a government eradication campaign and drought. But the next step — convincing farmers in the poor northern Rif region to seek other livelihoods — needs heavy support from the European Union.
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/ 7 February 2007
It was a myth that participants in microbicide trials are encouraged to have unprotected sex, the Treatment Action Campaign said on Wednesday. ”This myth has been perpetuated by at least two senior South African politicians and we have encountered journalists who have mistakenly believed it,” the organisation said.
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/ 7 February 2007
Portugal beat Brazil 2-0 in a friendly on Tuesday, ending Dunga’s unbeaten streak as manager of the South American side. Simao Sabrosa, one of five second-half substitutes for Portugal, and Ricardo Carvalho scored in the last eight minutes to give Dunga his first loss in six games. Both goals came from right-wing crosses.
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/ 7 February 2007
England All-rounder Andrew Flintoff is bowling and batting better since he’s been relieved of the England cricket captaincy, coach Duncan Fletcher said Wednesday. Flintoff performed well individually in the three tri-series matches when Michael Vaughan took over as skipper. England wins in two of those matches put them into the tri-series finals against Australia.
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/ 7 February 2007
Star all-rounder Andrew Symonds is set to be named in Australia’s World Cup squad after being thrown a selection lifeline by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Symonds seemed certain to miss the World Cup after undergoing surgery on Sunday to repair a torn bicep tendon. He was expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks.
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/ 7 February 2007
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday sacked Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa and promoted several deputies in a Cabinet reshuffle announced through state radio. Mugabe picked former minister of indigenisation Samuel Mumbengegwi as Murerwa’s replacement.
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/ 7 February 2007
Delegates to six-party talks began converging on the Chinese capital on Wednesday seeking to defuse North Korea’s smouldering nuclear crisis, but envoys and analysts cautioned that any final deal is a distant prospect. China’s chief delegate, Wu Dawei, has said the talks may last three or four days.
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/ 7 February 2007
Britain launched a £5-million fund on Wednesday to fight Muslim extremism at grassroots levels, calling it a "battle for hearts and minds". The need to counter Islamist militants was underlined by last week’s arrest of nine suspects in anti-terror raids in Birmingham, to foil an alleged "Iraq-style" kidnap and beheading plot.
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/ 7 February 2007
The southern Afghan province of Helmand, where the Taliban have taken control of a district capital for several days, is at the heart of a drug empire that supplies Europe with most of its opium. And the growing cultivation of opium poppies mirrors the rise in the Taliban-led insurgency that is funded by the narco-traffic.
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/ 7 February 2007
Mixed reaction continued to be expressed on Tuesday following weekend reports that First National Bank had shelved its anti-crime campaign that invited people to write to President Thabo Mbeki. Most Gauteng newspapers condemned the withdrawal the bank’s multimillion-rand campaign as a cowardly act.