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/ 19 November 2006

Flood-ravaged Somalia appeals for help

Somalia’s government on Sunday appealed for urgent international help to avert a humanitarian catastrophe from deadly floods rampaging through the nation. Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, whose administration is beset not only by the floods but is also girding for war with a powerful Islamist movement, made the appeal as torrential rains exacerbated already devastating damage.

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/ 19 November 2006

Polls open in Mauritania’s landmark elections

Mauritanians began voting on Sunday in the Islamic republic’s first elections since the end of 21 years of authoritarian rule in a bloodless coup 15 months ago. Voting commenced at 7am local time and Mauritanians have 12 hours to cast their ballots at 2 336 polling stations scattered across this mainly Sahara desert country straddling West Africa and Arab North Africa.

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/ 19 November 2006

Cruise, Holmes marry in Italian castle

Actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were married in a medieval castle near Rome on Saturday in a Scientology ceremony attended by a galaxy of Hollywood stars. With torches burning from the battlements of the 15th-century castle, the couple exchanged vows out of sight of the thousands of onlookers and paparazzi camped outside or perched on window ledges and balconies.

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/ 19 November 2006

Apec leaders wade into trade, North Korea

Asia-Pacific leaders promised progress on freeing up global trade at a summit in Hanoi dominated, as in previous years, by diplomatic manoeuvring over North Korea. Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet read a ”Hanoi Declaration” that detailed issues that members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum agreed on, including economic security threats and free trade.

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/ 19 November 2006

Man arrested for carrying human head in luggage

A 24-year-old man was arrested in Butterworth for carrying a human head in his luggage at a bus rank in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, police said. Captain Jackson Manatha said the man was arrested around 11am after a tip-off. The man had already been on a bus when police found him and was taken to the police station where a human finger was found in his pocket.

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/ 19 November 2006

Russia, US sign bilateral WTO deal

Russia and the United States on Sunday signed a deal on bilateral terms for Moscow’s entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), removing the last major obstacle in Russia’s 13-year-old bid to join the WTO. The agreement was signed by Russia’s Economy Minister German Gref and US trade representative Susan Schwab.

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/ 19 November 2006

Labourers left dead after attack by Iraq bomber

At least 17 people were killed on Sunday when a suicide bomber exploded his vehicle among day labourers waiting to be hired in the central Iraq city of Hilla, scene of some of the deadliest sectarian bomb attacks. Police in the mainly Shi’ite city 100km south of Baghdad said 49 people were wounded in the early morning blast.

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/ 19 November 2006

Ship of misery continues to sink for Pirates

The Orlando Pirates ”Ship of Misery” continued to sink into a sea of soccer oblivion at Ellis Park on Saturday night as The Buccaneers tumbled out of the Telkom Knockout competition while going down 1-0 to Santos. And elimination at the quarterfinal stage followed the same uncanny path as most of Pirates’ other setbacks this season.

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/ 19 November 2006

Sundowns singing in the rain

The rain gods might have provided welcome relief in abundance to an arid Atteridgeville on Saturday afternoon, but they produced few favours for Black Leopards as they slithered out of the lucrative Telkom Knockout at the quarterfinal stage after a 3-1 defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns at the Super Stadium.