Staff Reporter
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/ 20 February 2007

Beijing manners improve, but still a way to go

A campaign to improve the manners of Beijing’s queue-jumping residents ahead of the Olympics is showing results, although a gold-medal standard is still a long way off, state press reported on Tuesday. Incidents of littering, spitting, flaunting traffic rules and pushing ahead in queues have all started to decline since 2005, the Xinhua news agency said.

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/ 20 February 2007

Israel’s oldest kibbutz votes for privatisation

Nearly a century after it was founded, Israel’s first and most famous kibbutz has voted to give up its early socialist ideals and to privatise itself. The changes at Degania, which was founded where the Sea of Galilee meets the river Jordan, were agreed by a vote and come after a one-year trial in which residents for the first time received private salaries.

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/ 20 February 2007

Flower brothers rule out playing for Zim

Brothers Andy and Grant Flower are still not interested in returning to the Zimbabwe cricket team as long as the present administration remains. The pair was speaking on Monday after playing for the World XI against the West Indies All Stars as part of the reopening of Kensington Oval on Saturday.

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/ 20 February 2007

NZ ensure Australia’s slump continues

New Zealand completed a 3-0 whitewash in their one-day series against Australia after a thrilling one-wicket win in Hamilton on Tuesday. Australia had looked in command after totalling a massive 346-5, but the Kiwis stunned the world champions by posting the second-highest run-chase in one-day history to win with just three balls to spare.

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/ 20 February 2007

Royal faces the nation to revive campaign

Ségolène Royal mounted a determined effort on Monday night to revive her ambitions, appearing on primetime TV to defend her campaign to become France’s first female president. Three months ago, Royal (53) a mother of four and the Socialist head of Poitou Charentes region, appeared to represent an unstoppable new face in politics.

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/ 20 February 2007

Real: Capello not quitting

Real Madrid have denied media reports that coach Fabio Capello handed in his resignation on Monday evening, just one day before their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich. ”The board is unaware of any resignation by Fabio Capello and we were very surprised by the reports that appeared in the media,” club spokesperson Miguel Angel Arroyo said.

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/ 20 February 2007

Fifa delegation in SA

A high-powered Fifa delegation is in South Africa for a five-day venue-inspection tour ahead of the 2010 World Cup, the media reported on Tuesday. A tight lid was kept on the proposed arrangements for the tour, although the delegation was scheduled to inspect Ellis Park and Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday, it was reported.