Africa News - AFP

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's attorney-general has been suspended on misconduct charges after he met a former banker who is on the police wanted list, a state daily reported Saturday.

ALCALA DE GUADAIRA, Spain (AFP) - Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi arrived Saturday in Spain from France for a four-day visit facing renewed criticism for his human rights record.

KINSHASA (AFP) - Troops loyal to a renegade former general retreated from hills ringing a key town in the Democratic Republic of Congo's conflict-torn east on Saturday after occupying them for four days, the UN said.

LAGOS (AFP) - Gunmen in oil-rich southern Nigeria have seized a senior official of Rivers state electoral agency and have demanded a ransom for his release, police said Saturday.

LIBREVILLE (AFP) - African ministers Saturday underscored their commitment to a continental aviation watchdog that has been in crisis since the threatened pullout of two member states.

ABIDJAN (AFP) - Reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly said Saturday he had "no regrets" after being barred from entering Senegal following criticism of President Abdoulaye Wade.

HOLETA, Ethiopia (AFP) - The smell of flowers is displacing the aroma of coffee as a driving force in the Ethiopian economy.

NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenyan wildlife authorities have arrested a suspected poacher for the killing some 55 dikdiks -- a type of antelope -- in the coastal Tana River district, an official said Saturday.

PAARL, South Africa (AFP) - England's Oliver Wilson defied the windy conditions experienced at treacherous Pearl Valley Golf Club Saturday on his way to a five-under-par 67 and a one-stroke lead in the South African Open.

POLOKWANE, South Africa (AFP) - Tensions mounted Saturday on the eve of a crunch conference of South Africa's ruling party which could see President Thabo Mbeki ousted as ANC leader.

TUNISA (AFP) - A brawl between defendants and security guards and a walkout by most of the defence team marked the resumption of a trial Saturday of 29 Tunisians charged with trying to topple the government.

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Two Somali women were killed by crossfire in Mogadishu Friday, bringing the civilian death toll to 19 after two days of gun battles in the ravaged capital, a witness said.

ALGIERS (AFP) - The leader of a party calling for independence for Western Sahara stressed the need for armed struggle against Morocco, as the group began a party congress Friday, the APS newsagency reported.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - President Thabo Mbeki staged a last-ditch defence of his leadership Friday, acknowledging allegations that he ruled by fear could undermine his bid to remain head of South Africa's governing party.

GENEVA (AFP) - The UN's Human Rights Council on Friday sought to pressure Sudan to prosecute those responsible for atrocities in Darfur and renewed the mandate for its special rapporteur in the African nation.

NAIROBI (AFP) - The UN Children's Fund on Friday children are the hardest hit by fighting raging in western Kenya that has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands.

KAMPALA (AFP) - Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday continued negotiations on divvying up oil resources discovered in a border lake, officials said Friday.

BUHIMBA, DR Congo (AFP) - The head of the UN refugee agency arrived in the strife-torn east of Democratic Republic of Congo Friday, where fighting has displaced 170,000 people in recent months, the UN said.

NDJAMENA (AFP) - Lawyers for six French charity workers, three Chadians and a Sudanese filed an appeal on Friday against criminal charges that they staged a bid to fly 103 children to France.

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe said Friday that he is certain win a presidential election next year for which his ruling party has just endorsed him.

EAST LONDON, South Africa (AFP) - Veteran South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock sent the West Indians crashing to a narrow defeat against a Makhaya Ntini Invitation XI in a rain-affected opening match of their tour at Buffalo Park Friday.

POLOKWANE, South Africa (AFP) - President Thabo Mbeki made a thinly-veiled swipe Sunday at his corruption-tainted challenger for his post as head of South Africa's ruling ANC, urging the party to pick an ethical leader.

POLOKWANE, South Africa (AFP) - A conference of South Africa's ruling ANC which could see President Thabo Mbeki toppled as party leader was formally opened in the northern city of Polokwane on Sunday.

POLOKWANE, South Africa (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki will open a conference of his ruling ANC on Sunday in what could be his last act as party leader.

N'DJAMENA (AFP) - Chadian police searched the offices of a weekly newspaper Saturday, the day after arresting the publisher, the paper's editor-in-chief said.

SEVILLE, Spain (AFP) - Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi arrived Saturday in Spain from France for a four-day visit facing renewed criticism for his human rights record.

PARIS (AFP) - Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi headed for Spain Saturday after a state visit to France marred by a barrage of criticism over his human rights record and President Nicolas Sarkozy's decision to invite him.

COTONOU (AFP) - The west African country of Benin Saturday confirmed bird flu outbreaks at two suspect southern sites, where more than 240 chickens were culled and burnt this week.