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/ 19 December 2005
Australia set South Africa a near-impossible target of 491 to win in the first Test in Perth on Monday after declaring their second innings closed just before tea on the fourth day. Test newcomer Brad Hodge crafted an unbeaten 203 to steer the Australians to a massive 528 for eight before captain Ricky Ponting made the declaration.
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/ 19 December 2005
The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’s highest court, ruled on Monday that Uganda violated the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by sending armed troops into the country. However, the judges ruled that the Ugandan government did not carry out ”a deliberate policy of terror”.
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/ 19 December 2005
French MPs this week are to examine a Bill that, if passed, would impose tough restrictions on digital copies of music, software and films, despite an outcry from consumer groups that fear ordinary internet users would be punished. The draft law is to be debated by the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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/ 19 December 2005
The grave of Harry Potter, flying frozen chickens, invisibility charms and grunting tennis stars: alongside tragedies, wars and natural disasters, the year just ending brought its share of unusual, outrageous, tragi-comic and just downright silly news items. We present a selection of the stranger items.
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/ 19 December 2005
Voters in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were still going to polling stations on Monday for the second day of a poll where most politicians hope they will approve a new, post-war Constitution. The referendum is a key step in restoring peace and democracy to the DRC.
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/ 19 December 2005
The British Father Christmas who lost his Santa of the Year world crown lashed out on Sunday, citing a suspected campaign to stop him from winning again that has damaged "Santa morale". Ron Horniblew (70) is part of the elite international Santa circuit who take part in the Santa Winter Games.
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/ 19 December 2005
Zimbabwean police on Monday released three journalists working for a Dutch-based independent radio station following their arrest for breaching the country’s strict broadcasting laws, their lawyer said. The journalists, of the Voice of the People radio station, were arrested on Thursday when police raided their office.
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/ 19 December 2005
Hundreds of young Israeli women hoping to find themselves a husband have been placing their underwear on the tomb of a venerated rabbi in the hopes that their marriage prayers will be answered. About 400 pairs of knickers and bras have been collected by the authorities charged with preserving the tomb.
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/ 19 December 2005
Never tired of sampling new ways to travel, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi whizzed around the grounds of Parliament on Monday in an eight-wheeled car billed as the world’s fastest electric sedan. "It is comfortable to ride in," Koizumi said after being taken for a 10-minute spin in the vehicle, dubbed the Eliica.
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/ 19 December 2005
Chinese broadcasters have tidied up Wisteria Lane, the fictional suburban setting for the American comedy series Desperate Housewives, an official said on Monday. A Chinese-dubbed version of the show was to debut late on Monday on China’s state-run CCTV8 channel.