South African health chief: Swine flu likely to hit Africa hard; resources shouldn’t be wasted

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s health minister says that while swine flu has arrived late to the continent, it may hit harder here than elsewhere in the world.

Serenaded in South Africa, Hillary Clinton says strained ties between 2 countries on the mend

CAPE TOWN, South Africa —At a housing project for the homeless she once visited as first lady, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton basked in the cheers and serenade from an adoring crowd Saturday and pronounced U.S.-South African ties on the mend after years of strain.

Clinton meets new South African President Zuma, then travels to Cape Town

CAPE TOWN, South Africa —On a mission to improve ties with Africa’s most prosperous nation, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Saturday with South African President Jacob Zuma and later toured a housing project she had visited twice in the past.

Clinton meets new South African president with eye on improving strained ties

DURBAN, South Africa —U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with South African President Jacob Zuma Saturday in a bid to improve strained ties with the country.

Hillary Rodham Clinton to meet new South African president with eye on improving strained ties

DURBAN, South Africa —U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with South African President Jacob Zuma Saturday in a bid to improve strained ties with the country.

AP News in Brief at 5:58 a.m. EDT

Intel officials: Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud killed by US strike, already buried

Clinton says South Africa must lead, urges action on Zimbabwe

JOHANNESBURG — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday urged South Africa to take a leading role in driving economies across the world’s poorest continent and called on the country to do more to press for reform in neighboring Zimbabwe.

Clinton meets with Mandela, tours his archives in second stop of African tour

JOHANNESBURG — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton didn’t want to break the link with anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.

Clinton says South Africa must take leadership role in driving African economies

JOHANNESBURG — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday called on South Africa to take a leading role in driving slumping economies across the world’s poorest continent during the worldwide financial crisis.

Clinton urges South Africa to push political and economic reform in Zimbabwe

PRETORIA, South Africa — While praising South Africa as a leading nation the United States hopes to work with in Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday urged government officials in Pretoria to press for reform in neighboring Zimbabwe.

Clinton urges South Africa to push political, economic reform in Zimbabwe

PRETORIA, South Africa — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is urging South Africa to press for political and economic reforms in neighboring Zimbabwe.

Revered South African cleric praises president whose leadership skills he once questioned

JOHANNESBURG — Retired archbishop Desmond Tutu on Thursday praised South Africa’s president, ending an ugly rift dividing the leader of the country’s governing party and a widely beloved elder statesman.

Dubai World shelves multiple projects, including some tourism developments in Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The state-owned conglomerate Dubai World said Wednesday it is putting multiple projects in Africa and elsewhere on hold because of the global economic downturn.

South Africa: Developing world needs money from rich countries to cope with climate change

PRETORIA, South Africa — Developing countries won’t consider the next round of climate change talks successful unless rich nations set aside money to help them address global warming, South African officials said Tuesday.

Johannesburg’s trendy downtown cultural hot spot reveals city’s history and creative side

JOHANNESBURG — It’s gritty, it’s hip and it’s downtown in one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

SAfrica’s Zuma to address Zimbabwe’s political problems with Mugabe, other leaders in region

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s president says the problems in neighboring Zimbabwe are “weighty” but can be resolved.

Police officer dead in apparent suicide outside Mandela’s home; Mandela in no danger

JOHANNESBURG — Police say an officer guarding former President Nelson Mandela’s home shot and killed himself outside the anti-apartheid leader’s Johannesburg house Saturday.

Caterpillar to close plant in South Africa, 193 jobs affected

PEORIA, Ill. — Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. said Friday that it will close a manufacturing facility in South Africa as it realigns its operations with sagging global demand.

South African President Jacob Zuma wins damages from UK’s Guardian newspaper over rape claim

LONDON — South African President Jacob Zuma won damages Thursday from Britain’s The Guardian newspaper over an article that mistakenly claimed he was a rapist.

Keeping the peace in desperate South African squatter camp takes constant vigilance

PRETORIA, South Africa — Some of the shack dwellers of Jeffsville recently had an idea: Why not stage a march to demand government housing some had been awaiting for 18 years?

Roof of mine shaft collapses in South Africa, killing 9 workers

JOHANNESBURG — A company says nine of its workers have died when the roof of the mine shaft they were working in collapsed and trapped them about half a mile (1 kilometer) underground in South Africa.

South Africa launches AIDS vaccine trial in shadow of revelations of funding cuts

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa launched a high-profile trial of an AIDS vaccine created by its own researchers Monday, a proud moment in a nation where government denial, neglect and unscientific responses have helped fuel the world’s worst AIDS crisis.

South Africa tests AIDS vaccine its scientists developed with help from US

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa is launching clinical trials of the first AIDS vaccines created by a developing country, a feat by scientists who forged ahead even when some of their political leaders shocked the world with unscientific pronouncements about the disease.

World’s birthday gift to Mandela on his 91st: Helping elderly, children, other charity work

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Nelson Mandela’s fans celebrated the anti-apartheid icon’s 91st birthday Saturday by emulating him with good deeds, reading to the blind, distributing blankets to the homeless or refurbishing homes for AIDS orphans.

2 foreigners who filmed Namibia seal cull convicted of illegal entry into protected area

JOHANNESBURG — Two foreign journalists who were arrested in Namibia while filming the clubbing of seals were convicted Friday of entering a protected marine area without a permit.

Desmond Tutu: 2010 WCup in South Africa as important as Obama’s election

BERLIN — Archbishop Desmond Tutu believes the 2010 World Cup is a good chance to demonstrate the gains South Africa has made since the end of apartheid.

Striking World Cup workers say they struggle to survive as bosses seek billions in profits

JOHANNESBURG — Mildred Mpundo can only afford to serve meat to her family on Sundays. The rest of the week the mother of four scratches meals out of cornmeal porridge and spinach.

Nelson Mandela asks that people spend his birthday in the service of others

JOHANNESBURG — Former South African President Nelson Mandela is calling for people to celebrate his birthday in the service of others.

Bangladeshi banker Yunus: Global economic crisis can lead to positive social change

JOHANNESBURG — Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus says the global economic crisis can be an opportunity for positive social change.

Mandela distances himself from exhibition of disputed works at London gallery

JOHANNESBURG — Nelson Mandela has distanced himself from a London exhibition of disputed lithographs bearing his signature, his lawyer said Friday.