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/ 28 January 2005

Palestinian police deploy in Gaza Strip

Hundreds of Palestinian police deployed in the Gaza Strip on Friday, a day after the new Palestinian leadership banned civilians from carrying weapons and Israel’s prime minister said conditions are ripe for a ”historic” breakthrough toward peace.
But the ruling Fatah party was overwhelmingly defeated by the militant group Hamas in local elections on Thursday.

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/ 28 January 2005

‘All they ever do is make promises to Africa’

While the world’s richest and most powerful meet in the snowcapped mountains of Switzerland to lament Africa’s dead and starving, the people here advise them to save their breath — they’ve heard it all before. ”It should not be just talk, talk, but do, do something,” said Charles Davies, a newspaper editor in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

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/ 28 January 2005

Death toll rises after Madagascar cyclone

The death toll from the strong tropical storm Cyclone Ernest, which hit Madagascar at the weekend, has risen to seven, with the recovery of the bodies of four more fishermen off the island’s southern coast, officials said on Friday. The death toll is likely to grow given that 79 fishermen, whose boats capsized in the storm, are still missing.

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/ 28 January 2005

Beer rules the roost in South Africa

Beer remained the fastest-growing and top-selling alcoholic beverage in South Africa in 2004 — with the premium beer segment posting excellent growth of about 18%. The segment lifted its share of the total liquor sector to more than 80% (by volume in litres) and took away market share from all other drinks, apart from flavoured alcoholic beverages.

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/ 28 January 2005

‘Racial bean-counting’ damaging SA’s sport

South Africa has sacrificed the nation’s sporting potential once before under apartheid, and the country should not make the same mistake again, says official opposition leader Tony Leon. ”If the state applies racial criteria to cricket and rugby, what is next? Will there be quotas for bridge and lawn bowls?” Leon asked in his weekly newsletter.

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/ 28 January 2005

Hoon and Rumsfeld agree Iraq exit strategy

The United States and Britain have privately agreed an exit strategy from Iraq based on doubling the number of local police trainees and setting up Iraqi units that would act as a halfway house between the police and the army. The agreement was reached on Monday between the US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, and his British counterpart, Geoff Hoon.

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/ 28 January 2005

Strongman Allawi to tough it out

In a sudden, last-minute burst of election campaigning dozens of political posters have appeared on walls, bridges and lampposts across Baghdad. One of the most prominent shows Ayad Allawi, the current Untied States-appointed prime minister, with the slogan ”Strong leadership, safe country”.

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/ 28 January 2005

Ogilvie grabs PGA lead

Joe Ogilvie fired a nine-under par 63 in California on Thursday to grab a three-stroke lead after the second round of the 90-hole PGA Bob Hope Classic on Thursday. The American stood on 17-under par 127, leading after 36 holes for only the second time in his career after a round that included eight birdies and an eagle.