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/ 4 September 2005
Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the United States Gulf Coast this week, has incited a storm of enthusiasm among Islamic bloggers who claim the destruction was sent by God to torment the American empire. ”Katrina, a soldier sent by God to fight on our side … the soldier Katrina joins us to fight against America,” said one website.
A group calling itself the Organisation of al-Qaeda Jihad in Europe, also identified in some reports as the Secret Organisation of al-Qaeda in Europe, claimed Thursday’s attacks in London and threatened similar strikes in Italy, Denmark and other "Crusader" states with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Iraq’s most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has been wounded, his al-Qaeda front group said on its website on Tuesday in a statement that could not be verified. Zarqawi is Iraq’s most wanted man with a -million United States bounty on his head. His group has claimed a string of devastating attacks, assassinations and kidnappings.
Lawyers representing Saddam Hussein plan to sue the British tabloid that published intimate photos of the deposed Iraqi dictator, Al-Jazeera television reported on Friday, quoting the head of the defence team. The photos appeared in The Sun, one showing Saddam wearing only his underpants.
Africa should unite to ensure that it secures the two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council rather than fighting ”like dogs for a bone that cannot be seen”, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Wednesday. ”We will not bad-mouth other countries to get the seats,” she said.
World number one Lindsay Davenport launched into a criticism of Wimbledon on Monday, the day that equal prize money for women was unexpectedly announced at a Middle East tournament. Dubai is only the third tournament on the world circuit that has equal prize money — the others are the US Open and the Australian Open.
Venus Williams lost in the first round for the first time in four years when she was upset by Silvia Farina Elia of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (6) in the Dubai Women’s Open on Monday. Williams’ previous first-round defeat was at the 2001 French Open to Barbara Schett. Williams also lost her first match at Moscow in October 2002 to Magdalena Maleeva but after a first-round bye.
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/ 24 January 2005
Supporters of Iraq’s most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, executed an Egyptian driver on a street in broad daylight, accusing him of working with United States-led forces, according to an internet video on Monday. On Friday, Zarqawi’s group posted a video on an Islamist website showing the beheading of two Iraqis.
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/ 17 January 2005
An Indian man who beat his wife in the belief that uncomplimentary SMSes she had sent to friends regarding her dog were about him, has been fined by a Dubai court, local newspaper Gulf News reported on Monday. ”He doesn’t listen to me. He doesn’t like the food I give him,” said one of the SMSes.
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/ 8 November 2004
While the United States government says Osama bin Laden shouldn’t be allowed time on the airwaves, media executives around the world say he’s a newsmaker. The BBC, Sky News and CNN were among television stations quick to pick up the latest video from the September 11 mastermind after it was aired last month on Qatar-based Al-Jazeera.
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/ 2 November 2004
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Deputy President Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashed al-Maktoum, who is also ruler of Dubai, has taken over the reins during the transition following the death on Tuesday of President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan. President Thabo Mbeki expressed South Africa’s ”deepest condolences”.
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/ 6 September 2004
A statement posted on an Islamist website, purportedly from the captors of two French journalists in Iraq, gave France 48 hours on Monday to accept three new conditions — agreeing to a recent truce offer by Osama bin Laden, payment of -million ransom and a pledge not to get involved in Iraq.
A spokesperson for radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on Wednesday on Muslims worldwide to intervene urgently to save the holy Iraqi city of Najaf and warned United States soldiers against entering the sacred Imam Ali Shrine, Al-Arabiya television reported.
A purported al-Qaeda statement posted on an Islamist website threatened Europe with a ”bloody war” following the expiry of a July 15 deadline set by Osama bin Laden for European states to pull troops out of Muslim countries. ”Today, we declare a bloody war on you. We will not stop our raids until you return to reason,” said the statement.
Saudi authorities on Monday launched a manhunt for three terrorists who fled after a weekend of appalling violence in which they killed 22 civilians in a hostage drama in the eastern Saudi city of al-Khobar. Checkpoints have been set up and security has been intensified in the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh.
Chaotic Saudi hostage rescue
Images of death and destruction from a wedding video were aired on Arab television channels on Monday as the United States military admitted its insistence that foreign fighters had been killed in an airstrike was inconsistent with Iraqi claims that a marriage party had been hit.
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/ 10 February 2004
An Iranian plane crashed on Tuesday near an upper-class residential neighbourhood as the Kish Air Fokker 50 prepared to land at Sharjah airport in the United Arab Emirates, killing 43 people aboard, Emirates officials said. Three survivors were being treated at a local hospital.
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/ 22 September 2003
As The Netherlands announced â,¬2,5-billion over five years in education aid, South Africa said a global trade system that was "fairer" to poor countries would help even more. Ministers from the two countries sparred at a news conference regarding the United Nations goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=20848">World Bank looking to revive trade talks</a>