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/ 7 September 2004
An unemployed Czech man has been given a job by the mayor of the north-eastern town of Stramberk after threatening to commit suicide in a cellphone text message, daily Pravo reported on Tuesday. Mojmir Havrlant (40), sent a message to the mayor, threatening to throw himself off a 30m tower because he could not find a job.
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/ 7 September 2004
Clashes between armed men and United States-Iraqi forces in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City resulted in 18 killed and 136 wounded, an Iraqi Health Ministry official said on Tuesday. Witnesses said clashes in Sadr City were ongoing and that US forces were using tanks to respond to gunshots from armed men.
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/ 7 September 2004
Hurricane Ivan strengthened on Tuesday as it passed near Barbados, with hurricane-force winds bending palm trees and blowing off roofs just days after Hurricane Frances tore through the Caribbean. Ivan raced toward the Windward Islands with sustained winds of 175kph, making it a category-three hurricane.
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/ 7 September 2004
Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade has launched an urgent appeal to fight West Africa’s worst locust plague in 15 years, the Spanish daily El Pais said on Tuesday. Wade spoke to journalists during a visit to the cultural festival Forum 2004 in Barcelona.
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/ 7 September 2004
Plans to eradicate alien weeds infesting Southern Africa’s rivers have been ”indefinitely” derailed by administrative delays, a World Bank official confirmed on Wednesday. A multimillion-dollar Southern African Development Community anti-infestation project was due to start last year, but has been delayed.
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/ 7 September 2004
At least eight people were killed in southern Japan on Tuesday as the powerful Typhoon Songda left a trail of destruction in its wake after making landfall early in the day. News channel NHK estimated that at least 580 people had been injured in the storm, with up to 100 buildings totally destroyed.
China floods kill 114
Hong Kong probes airport tornado
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/ 7 September 2004
An investigation began on Tuesday into a freak tornado that struck Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok International airport, overturning a delivery vehicle on the airport’s cargo apron. The mini-twister struck 2km south of the control tower on Monday afternoon, injuring the van driver and spilling fuel over a large area.
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/ 7 September 2004
The appointment of Eastern Cape tourism board CEO Glenton de Kock has been put on hold after the Eastern Cape tourism board resigned en masse this weekend in protest against his appointment. However, Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC Andre de Wet says he hopes to have a new board by the end of this month.
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/ 7 September 2004
The operating profit of petrochemical giant Sasol fell by 22% owing to the strength of the rand, the company said at its annual results presentation on Tuesday. The negative effect of the rand was cushioned by the beneficial high oil prices and management initiatives to streamline the business, Sasol chief executive Pieter Cox said.