Zuma Setback in corruption case

The country’s highest court upheld earlier rulings allowing prosecutors to present documents seized from Mr Zuma’s home and other locations. Mr Zuma is accused of racketeering, corruption, money laundering and fraud in connection with a giant arms deal.

The favourite to succeed Thabo Mbeki as president, he denies the charges. South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) said it respected the court’s decision, but doubted whether Mr Zuma would get a fair trial. South African ruling party leader Jacob Zuma has lost a legal bid to stop documents being used as evidence in his forthcoming corruption trial.

Mugabe rival ’satisfied’ at talks

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said he is “fairly satisfied” with power-sharing talks aimed at ending the country’s crisisThere are, like in any negotiations, sticking points that need to be unravelled,” he said.During a visit to Senegal, he also suggested the two-week deadline for concluding the talks could be flexible.

Earlier, Mr Tsvangirai said he hoped President Robert Mugabe would make an “honourable exit” after the talks. Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) accuses Mr Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party of stealing Zimbabwe’s presidential election.On Wednesday, South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has led negotiations over Zimbabwe’s crisis, said the parties were determined to find a solution within a two-week timeframe.

UN Council braced for Darfur vote

The UN Security Council is expected later to renew the mandate for peacekeeping troops in Sudan’s Darfur region for another year. The decision has been affected by the International Criminal Court’s move to seek the arrest of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir for alleged genocide.

The resolution notes an African Union request for the Council to postpone the ICC’s work, but does no more than that. Earlier, a report found the UN-African Union force lacked vital equipment. The UN estimates five years of conflict in Darfur have left 300,000 people dead and more than two million homeless.

Karadzic appears at Hague court

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has appeared at a UN war crimes court after 13 years on the run. He has been indicted on 11 counts of war crimes in connection with the 1990s Bosnian conflict, including genocide and crimes against humanity.

Mr Karadzic said he had an “invisible adviser” but had decided to represent himself during the trial. He was given 30 days to decide how to plead. The tribunal judge in The Hague adjourned the hearing until 29 August. Alphons Orie said Mr Karadzic would be held in a Dutch detention centre until the next hearing, but could file for provisional release.

Fresh record for euro inflation

Eurozone inflation jumped to 4.1% in the year to July, the highest since the measurements began in 1997, according to EU statistics office Eurostat. Inflation in June in the 15 nation bloc was 4.0%, also well above the European Central Bank’s 2.0% target.

Meanwhile, unemployment in the euro zone has unexpectedly risen, a sign that economic growth is slowing. Balancing the risks of rising prices and a downturn pose a challenge for European Central Bank policymakers.

Russia hit by doping suspensions

Seven Russian athletes have been provisionally suspended for doping offences, the International Association of Athletics Federations has announced. Five of the seven - Yelena Soboleva, Tatyana Tomashova, Yulia Fomenko, Darya Pishchalnikova and Gulfiya Khanafeyeva - were bound for the Beijing Olympics.

The other two athletes are Svetlana Cherkasova and Olga Yegorova. Romania have dropped Elena Antoci and Cristina Vasiloiu from their Olympic team because of suspicion of doping.