Seoul  - South Korean GDP growth is expected to slow down from the 3.7-per-cent forecast for 2008 to 2 per cent in 2009, the central bank said Friday.

The central Bank of Korea (BoK) blamed the global economic downturn - which has curtailed the country's exports and cut down domestic consumption - for the lowest growth forecast since 1998.

"The Korean economy is unlikely to recover its growth momentum before 2010 as it undergoes a slowdown both in exports and domestic spending amid the global economic recession," said Kim Jae-Chun, a senior official at BoK.

The current account forecast by the BoK predicts a reversal from a deficit of 4.5 billion dollars in 2008 to a surplus of 22 billion dollars for 2009.

Durban, South Africa  - An invasion of Zimbabwe or tougher sanctions to dislodge President Robert Mugabe are not on the cards, a senior official in South Africa's ruling party said in Durban on Thursday.

"I don't think invading Zimbabwe or sanctions would work," African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Gwede Mantashe told journalists and editors at a breakfast in Durban.

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.