AT HOME
Free State PM Beatrice Marshoff fires two MECs: environment & economic affairs' Benny Malakoane, and agriculture & tourism's Ace Magashule, who was last year overwhelmingly elected ANC provincial chairman.
The SA Communist Party may field its own candidates for the 2009 general election.
The Chamber of Mines says 2004 gold output fell 8,8% to 342,7 t, the least since 1931.
Social development minister Zola Skweyiya says 41 000 civil servants are being investigated for allegedly improperly paying themselves cash meant for social grants.
GMSA wins a six-year R18bn contract to build the new Hummer 3 4x4 for GM US.
The new owners of Jo'burg's Melrose Arch announce a R5bn development plan.
Aspen Pharmacare plans a joint venture with India's Matrix to make active pharmaceutical ingredients, including antiretrovirals.
The NNP federal council votes 88-2 to disband the party after the next local elections.
Ex-Anglo Platinum CE Barry Davison's divorced wife Sally is awarded a R15m settlement in a Pretoria court, double the R7,5m he offered.
At a meeting in Pretoria mentored by Thabo Mbeki, Ivory Coast's civil war adversaries agree to peace "once and for all".
The AU monitoring mission finds several "disturbing" aspects to the Zimbabwe poll.
Zim's first tobacco auction of the season is cancelled as farmers protest at low prices.
ABROAD
The Iraqi parliament finally elects a president: veteran Kurdish leader Jalal Talabni (72), with Sunni Ghazi Yawer and Shi'ite finance minister Adel Abdul Mahdi as VPs. Shi'ite leader Ibrahim Jaafari is nominated as PM.
UK PM Tony Blair calls a general election for May 5.
In regional elections, Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi's alliance loses six of the eight it controlled and now rules only two out of 13.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams appeals to the IRA to drop violence and embrace a political solution to achieve its aim of ending UK rule in Northern Ireland.
Mauritius announces ambitious plans to become the world's first duty-free island in a bid to become a tourist "shopping paradise".
Jordan's King Abdullah swears in a new cabinet of economic reformers.
Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel says the ruling coalition will stay in office despite the defection of Freedom Party founder Jörg Haider and some supporters.
The IMF says the world faces a "permanent oil shock" and will have to adjust to sustained high prices. European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet says high oil prices are "very unwelcome for global economic growth".
The Lloyd's of London insurance market's pretax profit slid in 2004 because of heavy claims from hurricanes that hit the US last autumn, to £1,36bn (2003: £1,89bn).
London's International Petroleum Exchange is to close its trading floor after 17 years and move online.
Cablevision Systems bids US$16,5bn for Adelphia Communications, hoping its cash will be preferred to a cash-plus-paper $17,6bn bid from Time Warner and cable firm Comcast.
MCI says it favours a lower bid from Verizon to rival suitor Qwest because Verizon will make a stronger competitive partner. Verizon buys investor Carlos Slim's 13% stake in MCI for $1,1bn.
The last UK-owned car maker, cash-strapped MG Rover, goes into financial administration after a proposed takeover deal with a Chinese firm falls through.
Prince Charles marries long-time paramour Camilla Parker Bowles, in a civil ceremony delayed for a day so he could represent his mother at the pope's funeral - during which he's "taken by surprise" and shakes hands with Robert Mugabe.
DEATHS
Edwin Fox (82), former chairman of OK Bazaars holding company Federated Stores, who negotiated its sale to SAB in 1973 in SA's then biggest-ever takeover.
The toll in Angola's Marburg outbreak reaches 203.
Canadian-born Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winning US novelist Saul Bellow (89), whose books included Herzog and Henderson the Rain King; prince Rainier III (81), ruler of Monaco since 1949, a span exceeded only by the king of Thailand; feminist US author Andrea Dworkin (58).
The toll of the December 26 tsunami falls to 217 000 after Indonesia drastically cuts its number of missing. Nepali soldiers kill at least 50 Maoist rebels after an attack on an army base. At least 42 Zambian pupils die when their truck overturns.
SPORT
In the second test in Trinidad, Brian Lara scores 196, his 27th century, to go ahead of Sir Garfield Sobers' Windies record. But 148 by Graeme Smith steers SA to a 51-run first-innings lead.
Australia beat India in the final of the women's cricket world cup at Centurion.
Tiger Woods beats Chris DiMarco in a play-off for the Masters at Augusta, his ninth major title. Retief Goosen is joint third, Trevor Immelman joint fifth and Ernie Els 47th.
