Officially, heads of state attending the African Union summit this weekend will be discussing plans for a United States of Africa, a continental body that does away with national borders. Unofficially, the key discussion will be about the things pulling Africa apart in Sudan’s Darfur region and Zimbabwe.
Côte d’Ivoire Prime Minister Guillaume Soro narrowly escaped a rocket attack on his plane on Friday that killed at least four people and dealt a blow to the divided country’s fragile peace process. The UN Security Council and secretary general condemned the attack and said they feared for the future of a negotiated peace plan.
United States troops killed an estimated 26 militants during fierce fighting in Baghdad’s Sadr City early on Saturday in one of the bloodiest clashes in the Shi’ite slum since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The US military said in a statement that American forces staged two separate raids into Sadr City.
Ireland’s first black mayor on Friday hailed his election as a symbol of how European countries can adapt successfully to rapid rates of immigration. Rotimi Adebari, who arrived seven years ago as an asylum seeker and became a councillor in 2004, has been chosen as the first citizen of Portlaoise, Co Laois.
President Thabo Mbeki departs for Accra in Ghana on Saturday for the African Union summit meeting, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The summit for heads of state and government runs from Sunday to Tuesday. The AU summit is due to discuss the political and economic integration of the continent.
A pilot had to be airlifted to hospital by helicopter on Friday afternoon after he crashed his light aircraft into a tree outside Tzaneen, said Limpopo police. Superintendent Ronel Otto said the pilot was practising for an annual air show in Tzaneen on Saturday when he developed problems with the plane.
Justine Henin and Serena Williams moved closer to another grand-slam quarterfinal, each easily advancing on Friday to the fourth round at Wimbledon. Martina Hingis enjoyed no such luck. The 1997 Wimbledon champion lost to Laura Granville of the United States 6-4, 6-2 on court two, the ”Graveyard of Champions”.
Sachin Tendulkar became the first man to score 15 000 one-day international runs as India beat South Africa by six wickets in the second one-day international at Stormont in Belfast on Friday. Tendulkar top-scored with 93 as India finished on 227 for four with five balls to spare, and so levelled the three-match series at 1-1.
The African National Congress’s (ANC) policy conference enters its final day well ahead of schedule on Saturday at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, with a closing address by party president Thabo Mbeki set for 10am instead of 3pm as originally planned. On Friday, there was a ”strong call” at the conference for a women’s ministry.
British police hunted on Saturday for the people behind failed attempts to carry out two car bombings in London’s nightclub district in what experts called Iraq-style attacks. Security officials and ministers in the new government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, meanwhile, prepared to hold a second meeting to deal with the emergency.