Drugs threaten Africa's security

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UN urges African action on drugs

A UN report says drug traffickers, exploiting what it calls the special vulnerability of West Africa, pose a serious threat to security and it urges a regional response.

The report calls for states under attack to have their defences strengthened. It says development and the rule of law must be bolstered to enable West African countries to withstand the onslaught of drugs and crime.

West Africa has become a major transit point to Europe for cocaine from South America, and government ministers from across the region are meeting today in Cape Verde to discuss the issue.

	Kim JonG Il

North Korean leader "in hospital"

The Japanese Prime Minister, Taro Aso, has said he has information that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, is probably in hospital, but is still capable of making decisions.

Mr Aso told a parliamentary committee in Tokyo that the North Korean leader's condition was not good, and he was being treated by a French brain surgeon.

The health of Kim Jong-il, who is sixty-six, has been the subject of intense speculation since he failed to appear at a key anniversary parade in September.

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