Thousands of soldiers and police were deployed in Iraq on Monday to prepare for a nationwide security clampdown in the run-up to Saturday’s referendum on a new Constitution. Extra patrols and checkpoints appeared in Baghdad, Mosul and Basra, as efforts began to ban movement between provinces and close foreign borders before polling day.

Scientists have called for a more balanced approach in distributing the billions of dollars available for controlling tropical diseases. In a paper published on Tuesday, they said a focus on the big three tropical diseases — HIV, malaria and tuberculosis — has left millions of Africa’s poorest people without treatment for a range of illnesses.

A ban on the import of live poultry and feathers from Turkey was imposed by the European Commission on Monday after 1 870 birds died of avian flu last week. Amid fears that migrating birds are carrying a deadly strain of the virus from east Asia, the restrictions were rushed into place on Monday night.

"It is a lie that the press operates freer here than in Zimbabwe," says Trevor Ncube, publisher of the <i>Mail & Guardian</i>. Charlene Smith probes why he says that, assesses the <i>M&G</i> at 20 years, and reflects on press freedom at SA’s weekly newspapers.

Out with the term "educator" and bring back "teacher". This is one of 40 recommendations contained in report entitled <i>A National Framework for Teacher Education in South Africa</i>. The report was produced by the ministerial committee on teacher education, initially set up in February 2003 to look at how current policies could be drawn into a unified system for teacher development.