Johannesburg  - South Africa was thrown into turmoil Sunday after the governing African National Congress (ANC) called on President Thabo Mbeki on Saturday to resign over evidence of political interference in a case against ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

The ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe told reporters the party's National Executive Committee had "decided to recall the president of the republic before his term of office expires".

Mbeki, who is in the final months of his second five-year term as president, has yet to indicate whether he is ready to accede to their demand.

Johannesburg  - The top decision-making body of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party began a three- day meeting Friday that will decide the fate of President Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki's neck has been on the ANC's chopping block since a court last week found evidence of political interference in the decision to prosecute ANC leader Jacob Zuma for corruption.

Mbeki and Zuma have been foes ever since Mbeki sacked Zuma as his deputy in 2005 on suspicion of corruption in an arms deal.

Zuma came back to trounce Mbeki as leader of the ANC last December, putting him on track to become president.

Tokyo - Taro Aso, who is likely to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, said Friday that Japan was destined to flourish together with China and South Korea although he also foresaw continuing bumpy relations with the countries Japan occupied before and during World War II.

"There will be problems between Japan and those two nations," Aso said at a press conference. "No need to be flustered, though, because Japan, China and South Korea 
- the three nations are destined to prosper together."

Aso, who serves as secretary general of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is seen as the front-runner in Monday's LDP presidential election after Fukuda announced his resignation September 1.

Johannesburg - Prosecutors in South Africa said Wednesday they would seek leave to appeal a court's ruling last week that corruption and fraud charges against African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma were invalid.

The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) refusal to drop the case against Zuma is likely to add to tensions between supporters of Zuma and arch-rival President Thabo Mbeki.

Zuma is expected to take over from Mbeki as president after general elections in April that the ANC is expected to easily win.

Yaounde - Large species such as gorilla and elephant could be wiped out within 50 years in Central Africa if bush meat hunting is not curbed but a blanket ban would be a disaster for the rural poor, a research body said Tuesday.

A report released by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) said that up to 1 million tonnes of bush meat is consumed annually in Central Africa.

Johannesburg - South Africa's ruling African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma was due to hear Friday whether his attempt to have the corruption charges that threaten to mar his path to the presidency quashed has been successful.

Pietermaritzburg High Court is due to rule on an application by Zuma to have his case for alleged corruption, fraud and racketeering thrown out of court on the basis that prosecutors did not follow proper procedure in indicting him.