Johannesburg - Cuban President Raul Castro on Thursday kicked off a state visit to oil-rich Angola, a longtime ally of the Communist island, where he was due to hold talks with President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

Angola's state press agency Angop reported that Castro, 77, who replaced his ailing brother Fidel Castro as president last year, was to receive the official welcome given heads of state at the presidential palace in Luanda.

Castro, 77, was due to give a speech at the official opening of talks with dos Santos, before later addressing an extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

Johannesburg  - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma was back in court again Wednesday in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg over a long-running corruption case that has muddied his path to the presidency.

Zuma slipped in through a back door into Pietermaritzburg High Court, which is expected to set dates in his trial for alleged corruption, racketeering, money laundering and fraud relating to a 1990s state arms deal.

Port Elizabeth, South Africa - The Chief Executive Officer of the local organizing committee of the 2010 World Cup (LOC) Danny Jordaan said on Tuesday that he was satisfied with the progress being made in the completion of the stadium in Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth.

The stadium was last year controversially scrapped as one of the venues for this year's Confederations Cup when officials were worried that it would not be ready in time.

Jordaan, who was on a visit to his home town and inspected the stadium, said that he was happy with the progress being made.

Dortmund - South African footballer Delron Buckley has left Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund for second division Mainz 05, Dortmund announced on Tuesday.

Johannesburg - ­ Two train accidents within 12 hours of one another left more than 250 passengers wounded in the greater Johannesburg area Monday.

More than 100 people were injured when two passenger trains collided head-on at the Springs West train station reported the South African news agency SAPA, citing emergency medical services.

Earlier around 160 commuters, including a pregnant woman, were injured when two passenger trains rear-ended each other between the Lenasia and Midway stations early Monday morning, reported SAPA.

Perth, Jan. 31: South Africa batting legend, Barry Richards, received a commemorative cap in Perth on Friday to mark his induction into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

After presenting the cap, ICC President David Morgan said: "The word `great' is often over-used but it applied to Barry, a wonderfully gifted player"

Richards said he would cherish what he called "the ultimate accolade".