World News: Mugabe's wife 'had affair with president's best friend'

The wife of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe had a secret fling with his best friend, it has been claimed. In a scandal that has rocked Africa, a newspaper has reported that the 86-year-old premier's second wife Grace had a five-year affair with his personal banker Gideon Gono.

Mugabe, who is 41 years older than his wife, is said to have been left shattered by the revelations. It has been claimed that Gono and Grace would meet at her private dairy farm or in expensive hotels in neighbouring South Africa up to three times a month.

The pair reportedly grew close after Mugabe asked Gono to keep an eye on his wife after she admitted previous affairs.

It is reported that Mugabe found out about the affair in July when his sister Sabina revealed the scandal on her deathbed.

Since then his closest presidential bodyguard Cain Chademana - who is said to have told the president that he knew of the affair but decided to keep quiet - has lost his life amid suspicions that he was poisoned, it has been claimed.

Mrs Mugabe has previously been linked with two other alleged lovers. She was married when she first met her present husband.

Bolivian leader in Iran for talks

Bolivian President Evo Morales arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders expected to focus on energy, industry and trade.

State television said Mr Morales landed in Tehran early today and is expected to meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later in the day.

Siesta champ makes snooze

A 62-year-old Ecuadorian has snored his way to win Spain's first siesta championship.

Unemployed security worker Pedro Soria Lopez took the top prize of 1000 euro after sleeping for 18 minutes out of a maximum of 20 minutes in a busy Madrid shopping centre.

Five killed in shrine blast

A bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded at the gate of a famous Sufi shrine in central Pakistan during morning prayers today, killing at least five peopl.

The blast at the Farid Shakar Ganj shrine in Punjab province was the latest in a string of attacks targeting Sufi shrines in Pakistan. Islamist militants often target Sufis, whose mystical practices clash with their hardline interpretations of Islam.

The dead included at least one woman.

Fears volcano is set to erupt

Indonesia warned today that its most volatile volcano could erupt at any time, prompting calls for the evacuation of thousands of villagers living on the mountain's slopes.

Officials have raised the alert status for the 9737ft-high Mount Merapi to the most urgent level.

Foreign office is 'implicated in Holocaust'

Germany: A historian who helped prepare an official report on the German foreign office's involvement in the Holocaust has said the ministry was more deeply involved in the genocide of the Jews than previously known.

China: Security was tightened today at schools in western China following demonstrations by students who marched to protest reported plans to impose Chinese as the main language of instruction.