Johannesburg - South Africa's Department of Agriculture announced Thursday it was suspending imports of all meat and dairy products from the European Union due to the discovery of dioxin in Irish meat products.

"Due to concerns regarding 'soft borders' within the EU and the wide distribution of animal feed between EU member states, a decision has been taken to suspend all imports of meat and dairy products and other edible animal products (including pet food) from the EU to South Africa," the department said in a statement.

Dioxins have been found in Irish pig meat and animal feed produced in Ireland.

Perth, Dec. 11 : South Africa''s plans for next week''s first Test have been upset by an injury to pace bowler Morne Morkel during today''s tour game against Western Australia.

The tall right-armer was introduced to the attack in the 11th over of Western Australia''s innings and collapsed on the pitch as he attempted to bowl his first delivery, appearing to twist an ankle.

The 24-year-old, who has taken 37 wickets at 30.43 in Tests in 2008, immediately left the field, walking off slowly and gingerly.

The first Test between Australia and South Africa starts at Perth''s WACA Ground on December 17.

Johannesburg - A 15-year-old angler in South Africa's Western Cape province wrestled with a 2-metre-long ragged-tooth shark for over an hour after inadvertently reeling in the big fish that then swung around and bit him, leaving him in need of 47 stitches.

In a tale reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, in which an elderly Cuban fisherman struggles with a giant marlin, the teenager caught a shark while fishing in Plettenberg Bay on the very south-western tip of South Africa late Wednesday night.

Johannesburg - The British government minister responsible for Africa, Mark Malloch Brown, was due to hold talks with South Africa's Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Thursday about the situation in neighbouring Zimbabwe, where a cholera outbreak has killed close to 800 people.

South Africa's foreign ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa confirmed that Malloch Brown would be visiting Dlamini-Zuma before later meeting Zimbabwean refugees at a church in downtown Johannesburg.

Malloch Brown's visit comes after South Africa this week ruled out taking part in any military intervention in Zimbabwe to depose President Robert Mugabe.

Johannesburg - The critics have been silenced, organizers of the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa said on Wednesday.

"Plan B is dead," Danny Jordaan, head of the World Cup local organizing committee told reporters in Johannesburg in a year-end review of preparations for the tournament.

Jordaan was referring to speculation earlier this year that the world football body FIFA could yank the World Cup from South Africa if the country was deemed ill-prepared to become the first African host of the tournament.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter's admission in June that FIFA did have a Plan B when it came to the host nation - in the event of a major upset - was grist for the rumour mill.

Johannesburg - Visitors needing visas to visit South Africa for the 2010 World Cup will be issued with a special event visa, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Tuesday.

"This will be the first time that such a visa will be used by a country hosting a major world event," he said.

The event visa will apply mainly to African visitors from non-Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries who would normally require visas to enter South Africa.

It will also be issued for the Confederations Cup next year.