Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ex-warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba, accused of treason after his militia fought government forces, is expected to travel to Portugal this weekend but has no deal for exile there, the Portuguese ambassador said on Friday.
Michael Phelps scooped up his fifth gold medal at the World Swimming Championships on Friday but is still to face his toughest test. The 21-year-old American stayed on course to win an unprecedented eight titles in Melbourne when he made it five from five with victory in the 4×200 metres freestyle relay.
The Western Force notched a club-record third straight victory with a gritty 22-12 Super 14 win over the often undisciplined Coastal Sharks at Subiaco Oval in Perth on Friday. The result in front of a noisy crowd of 28Â 400 kept the Force right in the hunt for a finals berth in just their second season in the competition and confirmed their status as the leading Australian contender.
Rebels shot down a helicopter gunship in Mogadishu on Friday in a second day of battles as Ethiopian and Somali forces sought to crush an insurgency by Islamists and clan militia. At least 30 people, and probably far more, have died. Shells rained down on the capital and deafening tank fire shattered homes.
The Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) decision to appoint President Thabo Mbeki as mediator in Zimbabwe was both lauded and ridiculed on Friday. ”The Inkatha Freedom Party [IFP] welcomes the SADC’s decision to call on President Thabo Mbeki …,” IFP spokesperson Ben Skosana said in a statement.
Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa remained silent on the future of the national lottery on Friday afternoon — with only a day left before Uthingo’s licence expires. Uthingo is the current lottery operator. Save to say the minister would announce his decision before midnight on Saturday, officials of his department still could not indicate when an announcement would be made.
South Africa recorded a smaller-than-expected trade deficit of R2,7-billion in February, down from R11,94-billion in January, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) said on Friday. Sars said exports rose 23% while imports fell 5%, compared with the previous month, thanks to a decrease in imports of mineral products including oil, base metals and machinery.
More than 50 people, most of them foreigners, have been killed in clashes between al-Qaeda-linked militants and Pakistani tribesmen on Friday, Pakistan’s interior minister said. Fighting in the South Waziristan tribal region broke out earlier this month between foreign fighters, most of them believed to be Uzbeks, and Pashtun tribesmen.
South African private-sector credit demand accelerated in February, denting expectations that the central bank will not need to raise interest rates next month. Reserve Bank data showed on Friday that private-sector credit extension grew 26,12% year-on-year (y/y) in February, from 24,83% in January, clouding the interest-rate outlook in Africa’s economic powerhouse.
Greece on Friday suspended all team sport matches for two weeks after a fan died in a pitched battle outside Athens, an incident casting doubt on measures taken against the violence that has plagued sport in the country for decades. The 25-year-old fan was killed in an arranged clash between about 300 hooligans of Greek arch-rivals Olympiakos Pireaus and Panathinaikos Athens.