KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese rebels shelled the main city of the oil-producing South Kordofan state during a visit of Sudan's defence minister, Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, rebels and residents said.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Workers have reached a deal with Anglo American Platinum to reinstate 12,000 miners sacked for an illegal strike, which could end the last big industrial action rocking South Africa's mining sector.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners, join Syria's rebellion and to ensure Egypt implements sharia, SITE Monitoring reported on Saturday, citing a two-part film posted on Islamist websites.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A small fire broke out on Friday near Sudan's biggest arms factory in the capital Khartoum, a witness and state media said, two days after Sudan accused Israel of bombing the site.