JUMPING down from steps after posing for a Nato family portrait in Strasbourg, France, are British prime minister Gordon Brown (left), US president Barack Obama (third left), French president Nicolas Sarkozy (third right) and German chancellor Angela Merkel.
AT HOME
National Prosecuting Authority acting head Mokotedi Mpshe announces all fraud and corruption charges against Jacob Zuma have been dropped, clearing the way for the ANC leader's near certain election as SA president after the April 22 polls. Sars says SA's trade deficit shrank from January's record R17,4bn to R571m in February. Standard Bank gets a US$400m credit line from the World Bank to boost trade in Africa as part of the bank's $50bn trade financing programme. The FNB/BER consumer confidence index rose from -4 in Q4 last year to 1 in Q1 this year. De Beers halts exploration in the DRC as a result of falling gem prices. Aggregate new vehicle sales in March fell 30,3% year on year, says Naamsa. New car sales in March were 21 282 - 23,4% down on March 2008.ABROAD
Asian markets rally for the fourth week, buoyed by stimulus measures adopted at the London G20 summit and hopes for growth. Japan calls for a special meeting of the UN Security Council after North Korea's "provocative" rocket launch, which the US says failed. US president Barack Obama, ahead of his trip to Turkey - his first visit to a Muslim country - urges the EU to admit Turkey as a full member. Obama hails the G20 agreement, and, at his first Nato summit (and on its 60th anniversary), calls for a nuclear-free world. He demands more resources from Europe to help defeat al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. An earthquake in central Italy leaves at least 92 people dead and 1 500 injured. Australia's jobless homeowners are to get mortgage waivers, says its government. Kenya's coalition crisis worsens after President Mwai Kibaki and premier Raila Odinga fail to heal rifts. US treasury secretary Tim Geithner says executives of banks that need exceptional aid could be ousted. HSBC raises $417,7bn as its existing shareholders take 97% of its new share offer. Zimbabwe's unity government adopts a 100-day revival plan to rebuild relations with Western countries. Ireland's economy could shrink by as much as 12%, its central bank says. The OECD blacklists Costa Rica, Malaysia and Philippines as non co-operative tax havens. Federal marshals seize Bernard Madoff's assets. Doctors may soon be able to patch up damaged bones and joints with a simple shot in the arm. A team at Keele, UK, is testing magnet-controlled injectable stem cells that can be guided to where their help is needed and encouraged to grow new cartilage and bone.SPORT
SA win the second ODI against Australia by seven wickets to level the series 1-1. Jenson Button (Brawn) wins the rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix, called off after 32 laps, followed by Nick Heidfeld (BMW-Sauber). Tennis world No 4 Andy Murray beats third-ranked Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5 to win the Miami Masters, his third title of the season.
