South African president Thabo Mbeki was regularly informed of the progress of an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea which was also sanctioned by the United States, Britain and Spain, a state witness testified today.

ZIMBABWE has freed 62 men linked to a plot to overthrow the government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea that also implicated the son of Britain’s former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

Sixty alleged mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in the West African nation of Equatorial Guinea are due to be deported to South Africa today after spending more than a year in a Zimbabwe prison.

More than 60 South Africans jailed in Zimbabwe last year for their involvement in a botched coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea are due to be released following a court decision to reduce their 12-month sentence.

Sir Mark Thatcher left court a South African court today expressing confidence he had cleared away suspicions he had any role in a foiled coup plot featuring wealthy European financiers, soldiers of fortune and an African dictatorship.

Mark Thatcher avoided jail in South Africa after striking a plea bargain over his alleged role in a coup plot in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

Britain's European Union commissioner Peter Mandelson may be questioned by South African police over his knowledge of an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea, it was claimed today.

Mark Thatcher appeared in court in Cape Town today for the start of his trial on charges of helping to finance a foiled coup attempt in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. The case was immediately postponed until April 8.

Mark Thatcher has been charged with involvement in a coup plot in oil rich Equatorial Guinea, prosecutors confirmed today.

LAWYERS defending Mark Thatcher against charges he helped finance a coup attempt in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea yesterday challenged the legality of a South African government subpoena to question him.

Sir Mark Thatcher, son of the former British prime minister, appeared in a South African magistrates’ court today for a televised hearing on charges that he helped bankroll a failed coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.

Sir Mark Thatcher has arrived at a magistrates’ court in South Africa for a hearing on charges that he allegedly helped bankroll a coup attempt that failed in Equatorial Guinea.

South African television won permission today to broadcast a hearing this week on a request by Equatorial Guinea to question Mark Thatcher about an alleged coup plot in the oil-rich nation.

Two South Africans convicted in Zimbabwe on minor charges in connection with an alleged plot to stage a coup in Equatorial Guinea returned to South Africa today after being released from prison.

Lawyers for Margaret Thatcher's son Mark are taking steps to prevent him answering questions under oath about his alleged involvement in a failed coup plot in Equatorial Guinea.

BRITISH mercenary leader Simon Mann, with whom Mark Thatcher is allegedly involved in a coup plot, was jailed for seven years in Zimbabwe yesterday for conspiring to buy weapons.

British mercenary leader Simon Mann, a neighbour of Mark Thatcher, was jailed for seven years in Zimbabwe today for conspiring to buy weapons of war.

Mark Thatcher has been subpoenaed to appear before a magistrate to answer questions related to his alleged financing of a failed coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, a lawyer said today.

Mark Thatcher is likely to be questioned within days over his alleged involvement in an attempt coup in Equatorial Guinea.

Frederick Forsyth wrote it up as The Dogs of War, and set it in Equatorial Guinea: A rag-tag band of mercenaries, recruited by a British elite, tries to seize control of a mineral-rich, African backwater.

Equatorial Guinea said today it had requested international arrest warrants for Mark Thatcher, son of the former British prime minister, and other Britons implicated in a coup plot.

THE alleged ringleader of a plot to topple the government in Equatorial Guinea was convicted yesterday of trying to buy weapons from Zimbabwe’s state arms manufacturer, but 66 other suspected mercenaries were acquitted of the charge.

Most of the 70 suspected mercenaries accused of participating in a foiled plot to overthrow the government in Equatorial Guinea were acquitted today of charges that they conspired to buy weapons from Zimbabwe’s state arms manufacturer.

MARK THATCHER was planning to leave South Africa when he was arrested, authorities said yesterday.

Hatched by Old Etonians and other members of the British political and financial elite, an alleged scheme to seize control of Equatorial Guinea flush with petrodollars was no ordinary African coup plot.

MARK THATCHER, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret, was charged yesterday with violating South Africa's anti-mercenary law in connection with an alleged plot to topple the government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

A trial in Africa’s biggest mercenary case in decades was set to open today in the rain-streaked capital of Equatorial Guinea, with soldiers of fortune from Europe, Africa and Asia accused in an alleged plot to take control of the country’s oil wealth.

Prosecutors in Zimbabwe today dropped firearms charges against three of 70 suspected mercenaries who are accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea.

The alleged leader of 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea has pleaded guilty to attempting to buy weapons in Zimbabwe, but denied they were for use in the takeover attempt.

A former captain in the SAS, accused by Zimbabwe of leading 70 suspected mercenaries in a coup plot against Equatorial Guinea today admitted attempting to possess dangerous weapons and faces ten years in prison.

The head of the defence team for 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea has withdrawn from the case.

ALL but three of 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea pleaded guilty to lesser charges in Zimbabwe in hopes of early release from prison.

All but three of 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea pleaded guilty to lesser charges in Zimbabwe in hopes of early release from prison.

Sixty-seven suspected mercenaries detained in Zimbabwe along with their three-man flight crew face additional charges of plotting to kill the president of the oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, their lawyer said today.

Sixty-four suspected mercenaries detained in Zimbabwe this week were hired to help overthrow the government in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea with the assistance of British, American, and Spanish intelligence agencies, the Zimbabwe government claimed.