In Brief

THREAT-Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi at the weekend told ZimOnline that he was considering banning opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party from meeting supporters until he stops calling for anti-government protests.

AS GOOD AS-Women who give birth over the age of 50 are both physically and mentally as “capable” as younger women of being good mothers, a US study has concluded. Californian scientists found the women did not have higher stress levels or health risks than younger mothers.AMBITION-Democrat Barack Obama has acknowledged he has considered running for US president in 2008, despite earlier claims he would serve as senator until 2010.BAN-More than 7 000 farmers in the Indian state of Rajasthan have been banned from cultivating poppies used for the legal production of opium.Officials said they were growing poppies of inferior quality.ON THE RISE-Statistics released by the Home Office show that the number of registered sex offenders in England and Wales has increased by nearly 4 per cent.ATTACK-Afghan militants are planning to launch deadly attacks on civilians in Europe in revenge for the 2001 invasion by United States-led forces, a Taliban commander said on Sky News television yesterday.BEWARE-Hurricane Paul gained strength yesterday as it headed across the Pacific toward the posh beach and golfing resorts on the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, the US national hurricane centre said.DROWNED – A river ferry packed with dozens of people capsized in a river in central Bangladesh after hitting a cargo boat yesterday, leaving two dead and several missing, news reports said.Rescuers recovered two bodies after the small ferry carrying about 70 people went down in the Meghna River in Munshiganj district, 32km southeast of the national capital, Dhaka, United News of Bangladesh said.THEFT – Iraq’s former finance minister alleged in a US television report on Sunday that up to $800m meant to equip the Iraqi army had been stolen from the government by former officials through fraudulent arms deals.Reuters-AFP-BBC-ZimOnlineCalifornian scientists found the women did not have higher stress levels or health risks than younger mothers.AMBITION-Democrat Barack Obama has acknowledged he has considered running for US president in 2008, despite earlier claims he would serve as senator until 2010.BAN-More than 7 000 farmers in the Indian state of Rajasthan have been banned from cultivating poppies used for the legal production of opium.Officials said they were growing poppies of inferior quality. ON THE RISE-Statistics released by the Home Office show that the number of registered sex offenders in England and Wales has increased by nearly 4 per cent.ATTACK-Afghan militants are planning to launch deadly attacks on civilians in Europe in revenge for the 2001 invasion by United States-led forces, a Taliban commander said on Sky News television yesterday.BEWARE-Hurricane Paul gained strength yesterday as it headed across the Pacific toward the posh beach and golfing resorts on the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, the US national hurricane centre said.DROWNED – A river ferry packed with dozens of people capsized in a river in central Bangladesh after hitting a cargo boat yesterday, leaving two dead and several missing, news reports said.Rescuers recovered two bodies after the small ferry carrying about 70 people went down in the Meghna River in Munshiganj district, 32km southeast of the national capital, Dhaka, United News of Bangladesh said.THEFT – Iraq’s former finance minister alleged in a US television report on Sunday that up to $800m meant to equip the Iraqi army had been stolen from the government by former officials through fraudulent arms deals.Reuters-AFP-BBC-ZimOnline