>  Africa: IMF Boss Moots New Approach to Helping Poor Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In a break with past policies, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may be prepared to step in with short-term emergency measures to help poor countries face rising food and fuel prices.

>  Africa: Continent Warned On Commercial Loans [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African countries have been cautioned against rushing for foreign commercial loans to avoid accumulating debts.

>  Africa: Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis ’Knows No Boundaries’ - U.S. Representative Payne [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Congressman Donald M. Payne, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, hosted a press conference to launch the World Health Organization’s (WHO) groundbreaking report entitled ‘Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance in the World.’ This report, the first ever, details the threat drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) poses around the world.

>  Africa: U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Approves Renewal of Major Aids Bill [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Acting Chairman Howard L. Berman today led the House Foreign Affairs Committee in approving ground-breaking legislation to extend and to expand the U.S.-funded global HIV/AIDS initiative that, during the past five years, has saved millions of   lives -- but has also shown to be in need of changes to adjust to the realities of implementation.

>  Africa: Violence Against Women Must Stop Now - UN Chief [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Violence against women is an issue that cannot wait. A brief look at the statistics makes it clear. At least one out of every three women is likely to be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime.

>  Africa: AU Ambassadors Endorse AU Stance On EPAs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African group of ambassadors who on Friday met in Brussels expressed satisfaction at declaration of the AU assembly of heads of state and government on EPA negotiations The Ambassadors met to take cognizance of the Decisions and Declarations of the January- February Assembly of the African Union, particularly the Declaration on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) which are being negotiated between the European Union (EU) and the different African Regions.

>  Africa: Journey Down Memory Lane - As CBAAC Commemorates Black History Month [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As the Centre for Black and African Art and Civilisation gathered last week at the anquette/Conference Hall of the National Theatre at Orile Iganmu to celebrate the Black History month, memories were relieved again about the immense contributions of the black man to world history and civilisation.

>  Africa: Bosso Secure US$40 000 for Trip [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There was huge relief in the Highlanders camp yesterday when the Bulawayo giants finally secured the US$40 000 they needed to enable them to fulfil their Caf Confederation Cup fixture in Mozambique on Sunday.

>  Africa: Sound Pre-Season Preps Vital [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the week that Harare giants Dynamos will play their first African Champions League home game in nine years - a preliminary round tie against Swaziland police outfit Royal Leopards - we caught up with one of the survivors of that class of 1999, striker Murape Murape.

>  Africa: Brazilian Artist to Hold Exhibition At Africa University [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Brazilian fine artist Casimiro Gomes de Oliveira Junior's works will be on display at the fourth annual arts and culture festival at the Africa University beginning today.

>  Africa: Country Saves Seeds in Global Bank [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Seeds of all major crops in world are now safe even if a global catastrophe were to strike.

>  Africa: Aureos Capital Raising Sh27.6 Billion for Continental Fund [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A new Sh27.6 billion (US$400 million) Africa Fund is being raised by Aureos Capital - a private equity fund management company - to invest in emerging and frontier markets as a global economic downturn looms.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Kosovo Revives Hopes for Secession [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The recognition of Kosovo by some of the West’s major powers is boosting the hopes of secessionist movements across Africa, judging by their websites.

>  Africa: Activists Call on France to Boost Aid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ACTIVISTS have called on French President Nicolas Sarkozy to use his two-day state visit to SA, which starts tomorrow, to reaffirm France's commitment to spend 0,7% of its gross national p roduct (GNP) on aid to Africa by 2012.

>  Africa: Kikwete Backs ICTR Work [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Chairman of the African Union (AU), President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, has commended the work accomplished in the past 14 years by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), trying key suspects of the 1994 genocide.

>  Africa: Continent Can Withstand Recession - Survey [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African economies are likely to withstand the impact of a looming global recession because they are now able to withstand external shocks better than in the past, an International Monetary Fund survey has found.

>  Africa: Governments and Companies Must Deliver on Global Transparency Initiative [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Governments and companies signed up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) must now deliver concrete results towards making revenues and payments from oil, gas and mining transparent and accountable, said the global civil society coalition Publish What You Pay (PWYP). Seven resource-rich countries were approved as EITI candidates by the EITI Board in Accra, Ghana on Friday 22 February, bringing the total number of EITI candidate countries to 22. [1]

>  Africa: Climate Change Affecting Fish Stocks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Climate change is emerging as the latest threat to the world's fast declining fish stocks, which could affect millions of people who depend on the oceans for food and income, says a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

>  Africa: Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis on the Rise Worldwide [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is at the highest rate ever seen in the world, according to the largest ever survey on drug resistant TB.

>  Africa: Pepfar Reauthorization Bill ’A Bold Plan’ to Fight Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Physicians for Human Rights applauds tomorrow's introduction of the United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 (also known as PEPFAR 2) in to the House of Representatives and strongly supports the bill's call for at least $50 billion over five years. The bill was developed under the leadership of the late Rep. Tom Lantos, and passing it would be a tribute to a great champion of global health and human rights.

>  Africa: U.S. President Bush Discusses Trip to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Following is the text of a speech by United States President George W. Bush at Leon H. Sullivan Foundation in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 2008 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel:

>  Africa: Global Fertilizer Supply Expected to Outstrip Demand [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World fertilizer production is expected to outstrip demand over the next five years and will support higher levels of food and biofuel production, FAO said in a new report entitled "Current world fertilizer trends and outlook to 2011/12" published today.

>  Africa: EU Still Pushing Offensive Interests in Trade Talks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

[Part 2] 

>  Africa: Trade Deals Born of EU’s Concern With China Influence [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The European Union (EU) is concerned about competing with China for access to resources and markets in Africa, which partly explains its drive to hook African states into the trade deals called economic partnership agreements (EPAs).

>  Africa: EU Aims to Rope in States Resisting EPAs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The European Union is determined to get those African countries on board which have so far kicked against the economic partnership agreements (EPAs). At the end of 2007, only 35 out of 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries had initialled EPAs.

>  Africa: UN Campaign to End Violence Against Women [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has unveiled a global campaign bringing together the United Nations, governments and civil society to try and end violence against women, calling it an issue that "cannot wait."

>  Africa: Tool to Help Countries Choose Between Food, Fuel Production [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As more countries weigh the pros and cons of biofuel production, a new decision-support tool has been developed to ensure they do not compromise their food production and security.

>  Africa: International Call for Action Against EPAs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African and international civil society organisations have adopted a call for action, urging the rest of the world to redouble its efforts to stop the European Union's drive to institute economic partnership agreements (EPAs).

>  Africa: U.S. Committed to Solidifying Africa’s Progress, Says Bush [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United States (US) is committed to pursuing a successful Doha Round of talks to help solidify the progress already achieved by Africa countries, says President George W. Bush.

>  Africa: France Promotes New Relationship With Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

After a brief stop in Chad last week, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France went on to make visits to two countries not traditionally part of the French area of influence in Africa – South Africa and Angola. The trip was made against the backdrop of a complete overhaul of France's Africa policies, in which Sarkozy is proclaiming partnerships with equal nations instead of relations based on old colonial ties. Romy Chevallier of the South African Institute of International Affairs explains the background.

>  Africa: SA to Participate in Nordic/Africa Meeting [AllAfrica News: Africa]

South African Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is to lead a South African government delegation to the 7th Informal Nordic-Africa Foreign Ministers meeting.

>  Africa: Dembare’s Emotional Return [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Exactly nine years after their last home match in the African Champions League, domestic powerhouse Dynamos return to Gwanzura tomorrow hoping to revive the wild days and nights when they took their loyal fans down the road to Dreamland.

>  Africa: Rift Widens Over Nile Basin Pact [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Disagreements on River Nile security have split the Nile basin member countries as deadline to sign the Cooperative Framework Agreement nears.

>  Africa: Sarkozy Unveils Investment Package [AllAfrica News: Africa]

France was not disengaging with Africa but was intensifying its engagement, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday in announcing a package of investments for sub-Saharan Africa of more than R100bn over the next five years.

>  Africa: Wrangle On Gays Divides Church [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A mass boycott of the Anglican Church to the 10-year gathering is imminent following sharp criticism of the church's leadership by leading clerics in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria Rwanda and Australia.

>  Africa: Make Or Break for WTO Doha Round [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Trade Organisation's beleaguered Doha Round could either be wrapped up in the next two to three months or be stalled for an indefinite period of time.

>  Africa: Proposed Tariff Cuts Will ’Destroy’ Industrial Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Doha Round negotiations on industrial products have once again come under fire at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with developing countries such as South Africa saying that the proposed tariffs cuts will spell the end of their industrial development.

>  Africa: Ten UN Agencies Launch Global Campaign to Eliminate Female Cut By 2015 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ten United Nations bodies have pledged to end female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2015 in many countries of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

>  Africa: Endemic Cholera Burden ’Highest in Young Children’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Researchers estimating cholera incidence in endemic areas have found that the disease has a substantial burden, with the highest impact on young children.

>  Africa: France to Review, Publish Military Agreements [AllAfrica News: Africa]

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced in the South African parliament that France will overhaul and publish full details of all its military agreements with African countries.

>  Africa: Neglected Worm Infections Affect Millions [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The majority of counties in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia and South America are burdened by parasitic diseases referred to as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) because, despite causing a significant burden to about two billion people, NTDs do not attract much attention in terms of funding.

>  Africa: Earth Sciences Need a Higher Profile [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Let's encourage the mood of political cooperation on the big issues during the International Year of Planet Earth, says Nasser Ennih.

>  Africa: UN - Action Needed Against Unproven HIV/Aids Treatments [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations and its member states are failing to address serious threats to life and health posed by the promotion of unproven AIDS "cures" and by counterfeit antiretroviral drugs, Human Rights Watch said today.

>  Africa: ECA, AU to Host Conference On ’Science With Africa’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Economic Commission of Africa, in collaboration with the African Union are organizing an international conference entitled "Science with Africa" in Addis Ababa from 4 to 7 March 2008 with a view to foster scientific development and research in Africa.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Heads of Mission Societies Named for Sierra Leone, Gambia, Kenya [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Ivan Dias, has appointed two new national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies for Kenya and Sierra Leone and Gambia for five years.

>  Africa: Continent’s Lutheran Church Grows By Two Million Members [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa's Lutheran churches saw their total membership increase over the past year by just under two million.

>  Africa: Church Should Drop Its ’Ambulance Theology’ in HIV/Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

If African churches are to be "AIDS competent", their pastors must be trained to equip members with "sharp minds, keen ears, warm hearts, quick feet and loud voices", a Zimbabwean scholar said.

>  Africa: Powering Continent By Nuclear Energy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A sustainable energy supply is fundamental to industrialization, economic growth and total human development.

>  Africa: Radio, TV Channels Rapidly Increasing [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A rapid increase in the number of radio and TV channels in Africa over the last three years has piqued interest in the continent by international media players. A recent report, African Broadcast and Film Markets, published jointly by Balancing Act and InterMedia, has documented this growth.

>  Africa: Abia to Host African Wrestling Title Defence [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Abia State Government has set up a Local Organising Committee (LOC) ahead of the World Wrestling Professional (WWP) African Heavyweight title defence, scheduled to hold in the state on April 29.

>  Africa: UN Inaction Threatens "Mass Killings" on Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The international failure to respond aggressively to the killings in Sudan, and more recently in Kenya, is threatening the spread of genocide and ethnic cleansing in other parts of Africa, a London-based human rights organisation warns.

>  Africa: Aureos Capital Eyes High Returns On Funds in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Aureos Capital, a private equity fund management firm, is looking for high returns on funds it seeks to invest in Africa.

>  Africa: Less Rainfalls Predicted for Most of Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The greater horn of Africa is set to receive depressed rainfall over most of the region, says the director of the Centre for Climate Predictions and Applications, Professor Laban Ogallo.

>  Africa: Continent Must Wake Up And Smell the Opportunities [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ON THE road from Entebbe's airport is a billboard that reads: "The Right Quality; The Right Quantity; The Right Price."

>  Africa: The ’Crimes of Soccer’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Mmegi Staff Writer, LETSO MPHO examines the just-ended AFCON 2008 and argues that participating teams committed the 'crimes of soccer'. He says African teams must improve if they entertain hopes of winning the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

>  Africa: Americans Shouldn’t Give Up on Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The news Americans hear about Africa these days is mostly bad – the periodic outbreak of violence, the worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, runaway inflation in Zimbabwe, and the devastating impact of malaria and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

>  Africa: The Ability to Abuse is a Vote Winner [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Dear Tingasiga: Political candidates in USA, who use tough language to describe their opponents, are promptly accused of having "gone negative." And that can cost one a lot of votes. John McCain, the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, holds the record of master-whiner in the current series of presidential primaries.

>  Africa: Differences in Nigerian And Kenyan Poll Row [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It is inevitable that parallels and analogies will be drawn between the widely disputed General Election in Nigeria in April 2007 and Kenya's December duel.

>  Africa: Africa Please Wake Up - Kaura [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The President of the DTA Katuutire Kaura said unity in Africa on the continental level is the only hope for the upliftment of Africa out of the swamp of civil wars, ignorance, disease and poverty.

>  Africa: Gladiators Suffer Crushing Defeat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Namibia's fairytale run in the Africa Women's qualifiers came to a premature halt when the Brave Gladiators suffered a 7-1 hammering at the hands of Nigeria's Super Falcons at the National Stadium in Abuja on Saturday.

>  Africa: Local Billionaires Join Mega-Rich List [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA has two new billionaires on the block, both of whom are black.

>  Africa: ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly Set for Namibia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE First Southern African Regional Assembly meeting of the African Caribbean and Pacific European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly will be held in Namibia next month.

>  Africa: PPP to Gain From AVCA [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative could benefit significantly from the upcoming 7th African Venture Capital Association (AVCA) conference that will be hosted by Botswana in just under two weeks.

>  Africa: Shortage of Anaesthesiologists Highlighted at Conference [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The need for a global effort to address the shortage of anaesthesiologists in Africa was highlighted over the past week during the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists -- which took place in Cape Town, South Africa.

>  Africa: Continent Needs World Trade Deal, Says WTO Chief [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The first international trade negotiations which proclaim as one of their objectives reducing discrimination against developing countries in the global trading system are entering a critical few months.

>  Africa: UN Urges Governments, Societies to Invest More in Women and Girls [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Governments and societies should do more to include the contribution of women in finding solutions to global challenges, the United Nations appealed as the world prepared for the International Women's Day on Saturday.

>  Africa: Agriculture Talks Stuck On Import Surge Safeguard [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Group of 33 developing countries has denounced the draft text on the special safeguard mechanism in the current Doha Development Round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks as "extremely inadequate stringent, restrictive, burdensome (and) ineffective".

>  Africa: Anaesthesiology On Life Support [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A discussion about anaesthesiology and anaesthesiologists is something that could bring on drowsiness, even sleep Until, that is, the talk turns to shortages of anaesthesiologists in Africa and how this can increase surgical mortality. Statistics on this matter are frightening enough to keep anyone awake.

>  Africa: Why Food Import Surges Are an Issue At the WTO [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Food import surges have had devastating consequences for the rural poor and local economies in Africa. Such surges have taken place with alarming frequency in the past decade or two.

>  Africa: Plan to Tackle Global Health Worker Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The first-ever global meeting to address the shortages of health workers has endorsed a plan of action to resolve a crisis which affects nearly 60 countries and threatens to undermine critical advances in improving the health and well-being of millions.

>  Africa: After Mau Mau, December Polls Second Lesson [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Since the 1950s when the vast shadow of Mau Mau fighters urged Africa to engage in a mass revolt as a way of winning back dignity for the black man, the fright that Kenya's general elections in 2007 gave Nigeria may turn out to be her second major service to Pan-Africanism. And the first in the 21st Century.

>  Africa: Human Rights Protections Urgently Needed for Female HIV Patients [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is launching a platform on women, HIV and human rights to draw attention to the appalling toll that AIDS is taking on women in sub-Saharan Africa and its link to the overall poor status of women in many countries. The platform, available at www.physiciansforhumanright.org is entitled, "Health Rights=Healthy Women," and outlines some of the main issues which lead to HIV infection among women.

>  Africa: Growth of Media on Continent Attracts Global Partners [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A rapid growth in the number of radio and television channels in Africa has spurred global media's interest in the continent, creating new business opportunities in the industry, a new report says.

>  Africa: Coffee Overtakes Nile Perch As Top Export to Germany [AllAfrica News: Africa]

One big concern to the recent Tanzania business and investment mission to Germany must have been the slump in fish export earnings from the world's third largest economy.

>  Africa: Football a Key Ally in Fight Against Hunger, Says UN [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today highlighted the crucial role that football can play in tackling poverty and hunger, applauding a new agreement signed between the agency and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

>  Africa: Convergence - Getting to Grips With the Contours of the New Media Landscape With Real Data [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Convergence has been creeping up on the telecoms and Internet sectors in Africa. Orange has been quietly promoting its Livebox product in a widening range of countries and Telkom will shortly launch IP-TV services through Telkom Media. Gateway Communications set up GTV to compete with DStv in the satellite Pay TV market. However, up until now there has been little data to work out what any of this might mean. In a world in which telcos are becoming broadcasters and broadcasters may yet return the favour by offering voice and Internet services, telcos and ISPs need to know what their peers in the broadcast sector are doing.

>  Africa: International Women?s Day [AllAfrica News: Africa]

International Women’s Day is an important occasion to examine the various forms of discrimination and violence against women committed by the State, within the community or in the private sphere. Indeed, OMCT considers that celebrating International Women’s Day has a meaning only if this celebration contributes to the enjoyment of fundamental rights by women on an equal footing with men. This, in turn, implies that every State address the question of violence against women as a human rights violation and unconditionally reject any justification of such acts on the basis of morality, family values, honour, ideology or culture.

>  Africa: Development Without Damage [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Don McKinnon has urged Commonwealth members to "sow the seeds of good environmental stewardship" by pursuing development without damaging the environment.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Holy See And Muslim Scholars Create Interfaith Forum for Dialogue [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Holy See has formed a joint forum with Muslim scholars to further explore interfaith relations, following a March 4-5 meeting of representatives of the two faiths.

>  Africa: UNEP Launches Green Passport Campaign [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Green travel tips for the world’s growing number of international tourists were launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

>  Africa: Football Promotes Peace And Development, Says Dr. Diouf [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"FAO has always set great store by the power of sport in general, and professional football in particular, as a tool for peace and development and a means to mobilise political will and resources in the fight against global hunger."

>  Africa: Cosafa Cup U20 Results [AllAfrica News: Africa]

South Africa and Zimbabwe have dominated the U20 Cosafa Cup since its inception in 2000.

>  Africa: Namibians in Nigeria [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Namibia's womens' national team has arrived in Nigeria ahead of tomorrow's Africa Women Championships qualifier against Nigeria's Super Falcons.

>  Africa: Countries Must Expand Services to Protect Mothers and Children from HIV/Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Countries must address the critical need to scale up services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and expand pediatric care for children living with the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation at the conclusion of a global meeting on HIV/AIDS today in Washington, D.C. To achieve this, the organizations urged countries to prioritize PMTCT and pediatric care, support and treatment in their grant proposals for Round 8 of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which started accepting applications this week.

>  Africa: Urgent Action Crucial for Continent to Meet Its Development Targets - Ban Ki-Moon [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged scaled-up action - including raising agricultural productivity across Africa - so that the continent can meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target date of 2015.

>  Africa: EU Not Alarmed About China [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The European Union does not feel threatened by China's economic presence in Africa, contrary to common perception, says an expert. The EU's basic concern is that Africa is able to benefit from the new economic interest.

>  Africa: Go Green, Save the Indigenous [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African indigenous peoples are important custodians of their natural environments with valuable local knowledge and skills, but are struggling to survive, according to a report.

>  Africa: Colonial Rule Never Served Interest of Africans [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Paramount Chief of the Mpohor Traditional Area, Osabarimah Kwaw Entsie, has stated that colonialism and its imperial consequences have affected the growth and well-being of the people of Africa.

>  Africa: Leaders in Agribusiness to Push the Case for Investment in Agric [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In response to Africa's increasing economic growth potential, The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) will convene agribusiness leaders at the 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum to discuss and exchange ideas around investing in agricultural production, processing and marketing of food, fuel and climate change commodities, it was announced today.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Lagos, S’Africa Partner on Tourism [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The efforts of the Babatunde Fashola administration of Lagos State to develop tourism in the State has gained yet another major mileage.

>  Africa: Continent Urged to Fight Modern Slavery [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Some fifteen musicians and two visual artists from sub-Saharan Africa and the UK have called on Africa to unite and fight modern forms of slavery.

>  Africa: Bank Seeks Support for Finance Sector [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Chief Executive of Oceanic Bank International Plc, Dr. (Mrs.) Cecilia Ibru has called for a global support for further deepening of the African financial sector.

>  Africa: Africa Must Resist Terminator Technologies [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African countries must resist pressure from powerful agro-business multinationals to introduce terminator technologies in the agricultural sector as this has serious implications on biodiversity, the environment and the livelihoods of farmers on the continent.

>  Africa: Focus on Continent’s Writers - Where is Ayi Kwei Armah? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

At the mention of the name Ayi Kwei Armah, most students of literature are wont to remember the quite impressive book, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born.

>  Africa: African Peer Review Mechanism is Non-Partisan - Adjepong [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the National African Peer Review Mechanism (NAPRM-GC), Reverend Professor Samuel Adjepong, has said the APRM which is a process to facilitate good governance, is non-partisan, and also not for any particular government, but for the development of all Africans.

>  Africa: Refugee Activist Wins U.S. International Women of Courage Award [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky today marked International Women’s Day 2008 by presenting the second annual International Women of Courage Award to eight women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and advancement. This is the only Department of State award paying tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide and offering a unique opportunity for transformational diplomacy in the field of international women’s issues.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: All Africa University Games Get Aid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE organising committee of the Africa University Games due July 6-16 at Makerere has secured international support from the world university games governing body.

>  Africa: Europe Can’t Take Continent for Granted - Sarkozy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AS WE LOOK BACK AT THE 20th century, we see that it was one of mankind's most brutal: Two world wars, a genocide, the Holocaust, dictatorships and exiles.

>  Africa: Firms’ Financial Results Unveiled [AllAfrica News: Africa]

SHAREHOLDERS of various African and global companies now have the opportunity to access financial reports of their companies on AfricanShareholder.com and AfricanFinancials.com, based on the internet.

>  Africa: US Donates Vehicles to AU’s Strategic Planning Unit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United States government on Thursday donated two sport utility vehicles amounting to fifty thousand US dollars (US$ 50,000), to the African Union's Strategic Planning and Management Unit (SPMU).

>  Africa: AU, EU Pledge $ 600,000 for Ethiopia’s Fight Against AHI [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Union ( AU) and European Union on Thursday pledged an amount of 600,000 USD to help Ethiopia's endeavor in the prevention of the spread of Avian and Human Influenza (AHI).

>  Africa: Embrace More Open Telecoms Trade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the last 10 years Internet use has increased by 1,500 per cent. Mobile phone subscribers have increased 20 fold and world teledensity has moved from below 15 per cent to over 60 per cent.

>  Africa: Happy Birthday As Maritime Watchdog Turns 60 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) that champions the campaign for a clean and safe shipping environment has turned 60 -years- old.

>  Africa: The Commonwealth of Values, the Commonwealth of Its Times [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House in London on 11 March 2008, Don McKinnon reflected on his eight-year tenure as Commonwealth Secretary-General.

>  Africa: Continent’s Top Young Leaders Named [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Twenty-three Africans are among 245 executives, scientists, journalists, sports stars and other public figures named by the World Economic Forum as "Young Global Leaders" for 2008.

>  Africa: World Body Names 23 Young Global Leaders from Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Economic Forum announced today the Young Global Leaders for 2008. This honour is bestowed each year by the World Economic Forum to recognize and acknowledge the top 200-300 young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. The Young Global Leaders 2008 include 121 business leaders, as well as leaders from government, academia, the media and society at large from 65 countries. The new class represents all regions, including East Asia (64), Europe (58), Middle East and North Africa (12), North America (45), South Asia (24), sub-Saharan Africa (21) and Latin America (21).

>  Africa: Child-Soldiers in the Making? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

FRANCIS AYIEKO writes that counsellors are worried that children below 18 are becoming loyal to militia leaders - such as those of the proscribed Mungiki and Taliban - which are flourishing in the guise of self defence.

>  Africa: Nigeria ’Critically Weak’, Says Brookings Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A new report by the Brookings Institution ranking 141 countries according to their performance in critical areas says Nigeria is not a failed state but still classified as "critically weak."

>  Africa: Finance Ministers ’Must Boost R&D Spending’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African finance ministers and private companies have been urged to significantly increase funding for research and development (R&D) to build strong innovation systems in their countries.

>  Africa: Expert Cautions Leaders From Liberalising Their Markets [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Though the World Bank has renewed its commitment to help develop agriculture in Africa, experts fear it could have implications for the continent.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Holy See New Sins List Includes Pollution, Drugs, Social Injustice [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Holy See says polluting the environment, drug pushing and genetic manipulation are some of the new grievous, or mortal sins.

>  Africa: Urgent Action Urged for Continent to Meet Its Development Goals [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ahead of a United Nations meeting on Africa in September, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged scaled-up action so that the continent can meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target date of 2015.

>  Africa: Holy See Announces Major Conference On Inter-Faith Relations [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A major conference on inter-faith relations in Africa organised by the Holy See will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from April 16 to 20, 2008.

>  Africa: Air Uganda to Fly to Zanzibar and Khartoum [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Uganda's flag carrier, Air Uganda, is adding two new routes to its network, after taking delivery of the first of a pair of McDonnell Douglas-MD87 aircraft last month.

>  Africa: Continent’s Fading Cultures [AllAfrica News: Africa]

After seven years as a front-line photographer, Elizabeth Gilbert decided she wanted to find the Africa that had not yet been affected by foreign empires, by war, or by the modern world. MIKE ELDON reports.

>  Africa: An Eye-Opening Malaria Map [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A TOTAL OF TWO BILLION PEOPLE are vulnerable to malaria and at least one billion are at a serious risk of contracting the disease globally, according to a map drawn up by the ingeniously named Malaria Atlas Project (MAP).

>  Africa: CAF Accept Kenya Involvement [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zones

>  Africa: UK Envoy Calls for Urgent Citizen Advocacy on Trade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Paul Boateng, the British cabinet minister who left that post to become his country's high commissioner to South Africa, has been visiting the United States with the declared aim of pressing for an agreement in the Doha Round of international trade talks that would open markets in developed countries to goods from African and other developing countries. Although he acknowledges that trade negotiations rarely spur broad interest or engagement, he argues that everyone who cares about Africa's future or an efficient global economic system should become informed and involved as public citizens.

>  Africa: Rising Incomes to Grow Private Health Sector [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The private healthcare industry is projected to grow steadily in the next eight years, driven by rising incomes and demand for services.

>  Africa: Refining - South Africa to Aid Country With Technology [AllAfrica News: Africa]

South Africa yesterday, promised to make cutting edge technology available to Nigeria, to enable the country transform from importation of refined petroleum products to fully refining its crude locally.

>  Africa: Vatican is Bored by ’Reverend Showman’ and His Antics [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Vatican is unimpressed by popular but unapproved worship practices sometimes seen at mass in Africa, a high-ranking official suggested in a public lecture here.

>  Africa: Self Reliance Key to Africa’s Survival - Tinubu [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Unless African countries develop local capacity for research, investment and industry, the African continent cannot grow its economy or satisfy the needs of her people.

>  Africa: Too Early to Gauge If MDGs Will Be Met [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Can Africa fulfil the MDGs by 2015? That's a question that is often asked anytime there is a discussion about millennium development goals. It was on many lips during the celebration of the International Women's Day this month. Behind the question of course is a lot of cynicism by the questioner(s).

>  Africa: Use Intangible Wealth to Develop Poor Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Is there really a difference between the first world and third world? Why would a Malian willingly risk death to traverse the treacherous Strait of Gibraltar? What makes a Haitian board a flimsy canoe in the remote hope of reaching Miami?

>  Africa: Africa Needs Technology to Fight Hunger [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Thanks to a Business Daily reader; the Capital Markets Authority and political elites must have smiled all the way to the banks of goodwill, when I erroneously argued that they gave Kenya a blank cheque. Point is, they have given us a bad one hence the urgent call for reform on both financial and political institutions to limit individual whims derailing Kenya's vision to gain first world status.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Bayiga, Alobo Qualify for Africa Championships [AllAfrica News: Africa]

EXPERIENCED female sprinters Justine Bayiga and Sarah Alobo over the weekend booked their places on the team for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships due April 30 to May 4 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

>  Africa: Blue Enters Nigeria Financial Market [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Blue Financial Services (Blue) and Nigeria's largest bank, Intercontinental Bank (ICB), have joined forces to introduce micro-financing services and products into Nigeria's retail market.

>  Africa: Private Security Firms Look to Continent for Recruits [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Namibia's independence war ended nearly 20 years ago, but the experience gained by many soldiers during the conflict has made the country a fertile hunting ground for private security companies seeking recruits for the world's 21st century wars.

>  Africa: Africom vs. Peacekeeping [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Bush administration budget for fiscal year 2009 (Oct 2008 to Sep 2009), yet to be approved by Congress, allocated $1,300 million for bilateral military programs related to Africa, including $400 million for the new AFRICOM military command, covering all of Africa except Egypt.

>  Africa: Liberalisation Eroding Poor Countries’ Advantage [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The trade liberalisation of the past couple of decades is eroding the advantage that least developed countries (LDCs) enjoy in export markets as duty and quota free access has become less valuable.

>  Africa: AU to Review Continent’s Elections [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The flawed Kenyan presidential election that resulted in widespread chaos and killings has prompted the African Union to call for a review of electoral procedures in the whole continent.

>  Africa: U.S. Representative Payne Champions United Nations International Year of Sanitation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Congressman Donald M. Payne, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, today introduced a concurrent resolution supporting the United Nations’ declaration of 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation.

>  Africa: Gadaffi Urges African, Arab Youth to Unite [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Youth in African and Arab nations should consolidate partnership between them for unity, peace and sustainable development in their respective countries, Libyan President Colonel Muammar Gadaffi has said.

>  Africa: Bekele and Dibaba Named in Strong Ethiopia Squad [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya's biggest athletics rivals, Ethiopia, have named a strong team to the World Cross Country championships, to be held in Edinburgh, Scotland on March 30.

>  Africa: Bulldogs Eye Malawian Centre [AllAfrica News: Africa]

National volleyball champions Winstonian Bulldogs are on the verge of signing Malawian centre Edward Samurombe as they prepare for the African Club Championships.

>  Africa: High Heart Disease Rates Expected for Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It's estimated that within the next 20 years, about 1.3 million people per year will be affected by heart disease in Africa, says Wits Professor Karen Sliwa-Hanhle.

>  Africa: Torture Debate a Mockery to Africans [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When activists were tortured at the hands of the South African Apartheid state police, we looked to the democratic countries of the world to condemn police brutality and call on our government to abide by internationally recognised human rights.

>  Africa: Financing Women’s Access to Justice [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Amina sat in a village court-room in Cameroon, listening quietly to the heated exchange between her husband, and Vera Ngassa, a tough-talking state prosecutor. Amina, who is in her early 40s, is a battered wife who bravely brought her husband to court in order to seek a divorce.

>  Africa: Privatizing Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There has been considerable progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals since their inception in 2000. But, despite the best efforts of governments, reaching those goals by the 2015 target date still remains a distant prospect for many countries, not the least of in Africa.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Post-Colonial Education And Chaos in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I still gape how a highly educated society like Kenyan could cascade into anarchy and carnage. Referring to the on going impasse in Kenya, one can see what I mean.

>  Africa: Climate Change -- a Defining Development Challenge [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Climate change may be the defining development challenge of the 21st Century, Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Head of Economic Affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat said at a public lecture at Philips College, Cyprus on 13 March 2008.

>  Africa: Leaders Realise They Can’t End Poverty, So They Build Palaces [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Last week, it looked like President Yoweri Museveni was about to be given the refurbished domestic terminal at Entebbe Airport for his exclusive use.

>  Africa: How Rwanda Topped Africa At the Berlin Tourism Fair [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rwanda has again emerged as the best African exhibitor in the just concluded annual world's biggest tourism fair held in Berlin, Germany.

>  Africa: Africa Faces Identity Loss, Says Osana of Keana [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Osana of Keana, Senator Emmanuel Onyatikpo Elayo has said Africa faces imminent loss of identity because traditional values are fast fading away.

>  Africa: Super Falcons Bury Black Queens, Berth in Beijing [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa Footballer of the Year, Cynthia Uwuak found her rhythm twice rounding out Memunatu Suleiman in goal for the Black Queens to end Ghana's Beijing dream but fetched Nigeria the ticket for her third consecutive appearance in Olympics women soccer fiesta.

>  Africa: Columbia Business School Identifies CWG as Driver of African Entreprenuership [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Columbia Business school has identified Computer Warehouse Group , (CWG) as the driver of African entreprenuership in the Financial Times Europe recetly

>  Africa: Africa/Stars Disciplinary Saga Continues [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Despite the Namibian Football Association's Disciplinary Committee's outright dismissal of the prolonged case involving Black Africa and African Stars and the subsequent Appeals Board decision to uphold the ruling - the case is far from over.

>  Africa: Muslim Leaders Support Inter-Faith Dialogue [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Leaders of Muslim nations attending the Organisation of the Islamic Conference here pledged to preserve world peace and security and ensure development of member countries.

>  Africa: Health Delegation in Washington Advances Pepfar and Partnerships [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A delegation of senior health officials from nine African nations visited Washington last week, advocating personally for PEPFAR’s reauthorization and expansion, as well as stronger partnerships with diverse stakeholders to bolster the region’s healthcare systems.    The delegation of leaders, on the front-line of Africa’s battle against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases, was hosted by The Whitaker Group.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: MDGs - African Prescription for Rapid Realisation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

At a meeting chaired by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon last week in New York, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Africa Steering Group made various recommendations on how to achieve the eight goals on the continent before 2015, the target year. Abimbola Akosile highlights arising issues for overall development

>  Africa: ICT Makes Impact On African MPs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Members of the Pan-African Parliamentary Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resource have been impressed by Information and Communication Technology development in Rwanda's education sector.

>  Africa: ’Take Leading Role in Protecting Natural Resources’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Chiefs have been challenged to take a leading role in protecting natural resources through enforcing existing traditional and legal channels.

>  Africa: MTN to Spend R30bn on Continent’s Network [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA's dominant cellular operator, MTN, will spend up to R30,5bn in capex this year, after admitting its networks in SA, Nigeria and Ghana in particular do not meet an acceptable standard .

>  Africa: Bba’s Code a Proud Pappa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ON entering their Mandala Flat, it is clear that this is the home of a newborn baby, clean nappies and other clothes to keep the baby warm are neatly piled on a table.

>  Africa: Southern Africa Should Pursue People-Driven Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Countries of southern Africa should seek development alternatives that are more people-driven and sustainable instead of the neo-liberalism of capitalism, a researcher has recommended.

>  Africa: ’Africans Must Rise Above Artificial Borders’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Governor Sule Lamido has urged Africans to take advantage of the socio-cultural affinities existing across international borders in the continent to establish relationships which would ultimately "strengthen the black race."

>  Africa: Provide Water for All, Says UN Chief [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Excerpts of the message from UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, on World Water Day, to be observed tomorrow

>  Africa: Silencing of Journalists With Criminal Defamation Laws Continues in 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In January 2008, the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN released a report on how criminal defamation legislation is used in Africa to silence print journalists who report on corruption, mismanagement and other abuses of power.

>  Africa: Continent Shouldn’t Wait for a Climatic Armageddon [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa is vulnerable to present, foreseen and unforeseen, natural and man-made calamities. Of great concern currently is the impact that climatic change due to global warming will have on the richly endowed continent, which, ironically, is the poorest.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Public Health & Education

>  Africa: Review of the African Blogosphere - March 20, 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The blog on natural resource issues in Liberia by Dibussi Tande reprints an article which questions why American presidential candidates are ignoring Africa:

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Public Health & Education

>  Africa: Africa And the Global Agenda (2) [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In effect, African countries are using their meager resources- often from foreign and ostensibly aimed at 'capacity building'- to train graduates and professionals who end up in Europe or North America…This includes the graduates and professionals in all fields, but is most extreme in health sector. No African country can afford to lose a single health-care professional. The US has 937 nurses per 100,000 people, Uganda has 61. Canada has 214 Physicians per 100,000 people; Ghana, one of the continent's more stable countries, has 15. Collectively, African countries already fall far short of the WHO minimum standard of 250 health-care workers per 100,000 people, while the brain drain continues to suck doctors and nurses out of Africa and into the developed world", Gerald Caplan laments.

>  Africa: New Review Aims to Ensure Universal Coverage of Human Rights [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Commonwealth Secretariat has facilitated discussions aimed at helping countries prepare human rights reports for a new review mandated by the United Nations General Assembly.

>  Africa: Truth Commissions And Prosecutions - Two Sides of the Same Coin? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Yav Katshung Joseph argues that as truth commissions multiply around the world it is important to look at their relationship to prosecutions and justice in an immediate and historical sense. Are TRC's designed to generate more truth, more justice, reparations, and genuine institutional reform? Or are they designed to undermine the State's and society's legal, ethical and political obligations to their people?

>  Africa: Women - Violence in War And in Peace [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Marie Claire Faray-kele argues that even though the bodies of Congolese women were used as battlefields in the DRC war, they are now being excluded from peace process.

>  Africa: Lack of Proper Toilet Cause of Some Diseases [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A preliminary report by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation shows that 62 percent of people in Africa do not have access to a proper toilet.

>  Africa: Pope Appoints New Bishops in Sierra Leone And DR Congo [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Fr. Charles Edward Tamba of Kenema and rector of St. Paul's Major Seminary in Freetown, as Archbishop of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone).

>  Africa: Pope Appeals Again for Peace in Darfur And Somalia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Pope Benedict in his Easter message urged troubled nations around the world, including Sudan and Somalia, to seek peaceful and just solutions to their crises.

>  Africa: Continent Wants India to Invest in Mining Industry [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa and India have been doing business for centuries and now African countries are courting the Asian giant to diversify its investment portfolios to mining, where it has to compete with another Asian giant, China.

>  Africa: Exim Bank of India to Give $30m Credit Line to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE Exim Bank of India has signed a memorandum with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to extend a $30m line of credit to finance Indian exports to Africa.

>  Africa: UN Chief Under Fire Over Secretariat Restructuring [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The 130-member Group of 77 (G77), the largest single coalition of developing nations, is challenging Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's decision to realign two key posts, one dealing with Africa and the other with the world's poorest nations, into a single mega entity.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: Asian Giants to Share Expertise With Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa can learn a lot from Japan in terms of economic, human resource and skills development, says Foreign Affairs Deputy Director-General for Asia and the Middle East Ambassador Jerry Matjila, Tuesday.

>  Africa: Declaration to Strengthen Africa, India Relationship [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa and India are to adopt a declaration to reinforce their existing relationship at the Africa-India Forum Summit to be held next month in India.

>  Africa: Making Country Africa’s Business Hub [AllAfrica News: Africa]

All too soon we have arrived at yet another conference organised by the section on business law aimed at raising the standard of business law practice in Nigeria. The theme for this year's conference is law and development in a globalised economy.

>  Africa: Africanise Church, Says President [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President  Mugabe has called for the Africanisation of the Church, saying doing so goes a long way to assert the total independence of the country.

>  Africa: Kora-All Africa Music Awards Revived [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Kora-All Africa Music awards have been revived after a two-year lapse owing to logistical problems.

>  Africa: U-17 Selection for This Week [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Selection for the provisional U-17 national team will be done later this week ahead of the African Youth Championship qualifiers set to start next month.

>  Africa: France to Push for Extension of EU Farm Subsidies [AllAfrica News: Africa]

France is expected to push for the further entrenchment of trade-distorting agricultural subsidies when it ascends to the presidency of the European Union (EU) on July 1 this year.

>  Africa: Continent Has Highest Cases of Tuberculosis, Says Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa has the highest incidence of Tuberculosis rate per capita (363 per 100 000 population).

>  Africa: Experts Record Rise in Deadly Disease Strains [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An unprecedented rise in multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB) has been registered globally.

>  Africa: EU in U.S.$247m Global Food Aid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

All East African Community (EAC) countries but Rwanda are lined up for a massive food relief programme by the European Commission (EC) on the back drop of a detailed assessment on the levels of food insecurity.

>  Africa: China Ushers in a New World Order [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Whatever people in the developed world may think about China today, there is no doubt that there is a new sun rising in the East.

>  Africa: Athletics - Kiplagat Gets Africa Javelin Qualifying Mark [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Cecilia Kiplagat of Kenya Prisons on Saturday attained the qualifying mark for the Africa Championships when she hit 50.42 metres in winning the javelin competition during the New KCC Athletics Kenya second weekend track and field meeting at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium.

>  Africa: Enyimba, Gombe Eye Lucrative Stage [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Two Nigerian clubsides will this weekend file out against their opponents in CAF champions league fixtures. Two time CAF champions league winners, Enyimba of Aba, will slug it out against Simba SC of Tanzania, while new entrants, Gombe United, will be up against Coton Sport of Cameroon all tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.

>  Africa: Term Limits Have Roots in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

While closing the second Afro-Arab Youth festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Tuesday last week, President Gadaffi of Libya made many statements that are selectively historical, anti-democracy and one-sided.

>  Africa: National League Put on Hold [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The national football league has been put on hold to allow the national team prepare for the forthcoming Africa Nations Championship assignment.

>  Africa: Continent’s Leaders Must Now Wake Up to Water, Sanitation Problems [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The curtain rolls on the week today as the world marks two crucial days. Some countries chose to mark the World Water Day - when we reflect on the global problem of lack of access to clean water - on Thursday because of the Easter celebrations.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: U.S. $1 Billion Kick Start to Get Children Into Education [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The UK government today pledged to increase spending on education in Africa to $1 billion in 2010, to ensure 8 million children in Africa have access to education.

>  Africa: Media Freedom: Lessons From Zimbabwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Hillary Kundishora looks at the state of electronic and print media in Zimbabwe and argues that far from the media being the people's watchdog, it is the propaganda arm of the state machinery. With independent media harassed or banned, the promise of democracy has already been undermined

>  Africa: Ecobank Wins Best Emerging Market Bank in Côte d’Ivoire [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ecobank group's outstanding commitment in the African continent has earned it the position as the Best Emerging Market Bank in Cote d'Ivoire.

>  Africa: Dictatorships Overwhelm Democracy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ZIMBABWE is holding important elections tomorrow but that Libyan tyrant, Muammar al-Gaddafi, president of "the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya", whatever that is, does not want Mugabe "to be bothered with elections" because "Mugabe should just rule until he dies."

>  Africa: Africa And the Global Agenda (3) [AllAfrica News: Africa]

According to writer Tony, "Debts are generally incurred by undemocratic Western-supported governments to pay for infrastructure that benefits multinationals and military expenditure to protect their investments. [There are] many self-congratulatory pronouncements about debt relief, but the amounts involved are no more that a drop in the ocean and are conditional on the implementation of poverty-increasing privatization and austerity".

>  Africa: Indongo Outpunches South Africa’s Mbira [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Namibia's Julius Indongo gave a brilliant performance to beat South Africa's Owethu Mbira in a lightweight fight at the AIBA African Olympic Games qualifying tournament on Tuesday.

>  Africa: Zim Inflation Sparks Exodus of Foreign Students [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As one of the few Zambian children whose parents were working in Botswana but sent us to some of the best schools in Zimbabwe, I find the collapsed economy and political stalemate there very distressing.

>  Africa: Mothiba, Bok Bow Out in Namibia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Botswana has got off to a bad start at the ongoing African Olympic qualifiers in Windhoek, Namibia with two of the six boxers falling at the preliminary stages. Moabi Mothiba (69kg) and Kgomotso Bok (51kg) lost their chances to represent Botswana at the Olympics slated for Beijing, China in August when they were beaten by opponents from Tunisia and Zambia respectively during the Easter holidays.

>  Africa: Italian Court Gives Mistresses the Right to Lie Under Oath [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ALL TOO OFTEN, WHEN WE in Africa are battling hunger, war, corrupt politicians and disputed elections, and look at the parts of the globe that are settled and concerned with lifestyle issues, like the cost of plastic surgery, we tend to think the world is very different.

>  Africa: Economic Trends in Small States Analysed in Commonwealth Publication [AllAfrica News: Africa]

'The Small States Economic Review and Basic Statistics,' a new publication by the Commonwealth Secretariat, provides a detailed analysis of the economic trends in small states in 2006, with particular emphasis on how many small states are coping with their vulnerabilities.

>  Africa: Making Communication Cheaper, Faster And More Transparent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

One of the key indicators of good governance is the extent to which citizens are able to participate in decision-making in a country.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: Kosovo Vote Could Impact Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When South Africa takes over leadership of the United Nations Security Council next month it faces a decision which could have far-reaching consequences for Africa: whether to recognise Kosovo's recent declaration of independence. For although the issue concerns the former Yugoslavia, recognition of Kosovo could set a precedent for secessionist movements elsewhere. Leaza Kolkenbeck-Ruh of the South African Institute of International Affairs examines South Africa's choices.

>  Africa: India to Launch New Partnership With Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Union said on Sunday Africa and India were geared to adopt a declaration aimed at reinforcing their existing relationship come the Africa-India Forum Summit scheduled to be held next month in India.

>  Africa: Ensuring That the Origin of Life Isn’t Also the End of It [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"Water is the origin of life I come from Central Africa where we have a lot of water, but it was when I came here that I really understood the meaning of this expression," says Antoinette Dinga Dzongo, the African Development Bank's representative in Burkina Faso, in reference to the need for improved water provision in this West African country.

>  Africa: USAID Reviewing Food Aid As Costs Soar [AllAfrica News: Africa]

After a recent announcement that it will cut the amount of food aid it gives poor countries, the United States is likely to shift most of its focus to emergency needs, the American government agency responsible for humanitarian aid has hinted.

>  Africa: French Vets to Help FAO Fight Against Transboundary Diseases [AllAfrica News: Africa]

French veterinary experts will help FAO fight transboundary and other animal diseases under a partnership agreement signed here today.

>  Africa: Most Patients Not in Control of Their Diabetes [AllAfrica News: Africa]

More than two-thirds of type 2 diabetes patients in Africa and the Middle East are failing to keep their blood sugar under control, increasing their risk of debilitating complications such as strokes and blindness, new research has shown.

>  Africa: New Human Rights Court to Open [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Arusha-based first African Human Rights Court is expected to start its operations after June, according to the Court's President, Professor Gerard Niyungeko.

>  Africa: Continent Can Meet And Shoot Past MDGs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Can Africa fulfill the Millennium Development Goals by 2015? There is a generalised doubt that the MDGs, may not be met on schedule in a majority of African states. Official reports and anecdotal evidence suggest that at the current pace even by 2050 the goals may still remain unmet by these states.

>  Africa: Country to Lead AU Sudan Ministerial Committee [AllAfrica News: Africa]

South Africa is to lead an African Union (AU) Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Committee meeting this week.

>  Africa: AfDB to Put water at the Center of Africe’s Socio-Economic Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Opening the First African Water Week, in Tunis, the African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Donald Kaberuka, made a strong call for more effort to achieve water security in Africa at the national and regional level.

>  Africa: Investments in Agricultural Water Critical to Achieve the MDGs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Development Bank (AfDB), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and the World Bank today called for an increase in funding and a renewed focus on agricultural water management in Africa, including irrigation, drainage and rainwater harvesting.

>  Africa: China Still a Small Player on Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Firoze Manji argues that in comparison to Europe and the US, China in Africa is still a small player. While keeping an eye out on China, Africans should not be distracted from paying attention to the West's continued exploitation of the continent including the use of military might to protect its economic interests.

>  Africa: Global Recession May Hamper Continent’s Journey to Meet MDGs - UN [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global recession may prove an obstacle standing on Africa's path towards attaining UN-set Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a senior UN official said on Wednesday.

>  Africa: AU, Partners Sign Accord to Aid Transition Process [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Union Commission (AUC) on Thursday said it signed a financing arrangement with a group of international partners aimed at supporting the Pan African body's endeavor to transform in to a Union.

>  Africa: Clause Holds Key to New Nile Treaty [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Scholars and politicians in the River Nile Basin are puzzled over the controversial Nile River Treaty signed in 1929 between the British and the Egyptian governments.

>  Africa: Real Change for World’s Poor Requires Greater Efforts - Top Official [AllAfrica News: Africa]

With the global scorecard for reaching the bold pledges world leaders made to halve poverty and other social ills by 2015 showing mixed progress among countries, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today called for accelerated action to achieve real change for the world's poor.

>  Africa: U.S.$30 Billion Spent On Peace Issues [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Samuel Ato Duncan, Executive President of Center of Awareness (COA), a non-governmental organization (NGO), based in Cape Coast, has revealed that the United Nations (UN) has spent $30 billion, in the past 15 years, on peace-related issues in Africa.

>  Africa: Democracy Threatened - The Legitimacy of Elections [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The following is the text of a speech by United States Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield at Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center on March 12, 2008.

>  Africa: Teen Leaders from Around the World Travel to New York for ’Just Peace’ Summit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Three Dot Dash, a global initiative of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) designed to recognize and support the efforts of teen leaders around the world, will hold its first annual Just Peace Summit in New York City from March 29 - April 4, 2008. Carefully selected Global Teen Leaders from around the world will unite at this weeklong summit to share experiences from their efforts to promote a more peaceful society by addressing issues related to the basic human needs—food, water, health, shelter, safety and education—learn how to communicate their global message through creative communications and collaborate on a multi-platform public service campaign that will be distributed globally to promote their work.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Food Inflation is Huge Minefield for African Governments [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African governments, which often face catastrophic droughts, floods and crop failures, are now confronting spiralling inflation and creeping deficits as they seek to contain popular anger over rising food prices.

>  Africa: Bush Leaves Behind Bitter Legacy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When President George W. Bush finally leaves office in November, he will have left the world grappling with the bitter legacy of one of the most militarist, exclusionist and short-sighted presidencies.

>  Africa: Pitfalls of Export Processing Zones [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Under AGOA, Ramatex Textile & Garment Factory, a Malaysian company moved to Namibia. Herbert Jauch looks at the cost of allowing companies to operate without government regulation, tax exemption and government sanctioned suspension of worker rights in Export Processing Zones.

>  Africa: What is Africom Really About? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

These following notes, written by Daniel Volman, are based on the Conference on "Transforming National Security: Africom--An Emerging Command" Organized which was organized by the Center for Technology and National Security Policy of the National Defense University in Virginia from 19-20 February 2008.

>  Africa: What Does China Think? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Stephen Marks argues in this extended review of recent publications about China that there are few other important global players whose affairs are so exclusively analysed on the basis of ignorance and stereotype. There is little understanding outside China about the differences of perspectives of Chinese intellectuals - they are far from being a homogeneous group.

>  Africa: E.Africa to Lead Continent With 6.6 Percent Growth Rate in ’08 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

East Africa is expected to continue to lead the five region of the continent with a growth rate of 6.6 percent, survey predicts.

>  Africa: China/Africa Trade May Hit $100bn in 2010 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Author of China/Africa: the Dragon and Ostrich, Mr Adama Gaye, yesterday said trade level between China and Africa has gradually increased from $10 billion in 2000, to an estimated $55 billion.

>  Africa: AU Observer Team Hails Peaceful Environment [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE African Union election observer team has said the situation in Zimbabwe is conducive for free and fair elections, joining the long list of observer teams that have predicted tomorrow's polls will be transparent.

>  Africa: Bizimana Beaten At Africa Junior Championship [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rwanda's only representative at the 31st ITF/CAT African Junior Championships, Mele Bizimana was knocked out of the tournament's second round on Wednesday.

>  Africa: Kasuto Reaches Semi-Finals [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Namibia's Mejandjae Kasuto reached the semi-finals of the AIBA African Olympic qualifiers when he beat Tunisia's Merdessi Rached 6-3 on points on Wednesday.

>  Africa: Country Now Africa’s Largest Telecom Market [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nigeria has been officially declared Africa's largest telecom market, due largely to convergent services deployed by operators in the industry.

>  Africa: It’s a Question of African Unity At What Cost [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In love with unity, we co-founded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.

>  Africa: NTN to Present Every Year, Every Day [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Franco Namibia Cultural Centre (FNCC) in collaboration with the National Theatre of Namibia is proud to present Every Year, Every Day, a powerful drama about refugees with Jennie Rezneck and Faniswa Yisa from South Africa. This production will be presented at the National Theatre of Namibia next Tuesday.

>  Africa: Festus Mogae is a Political Icon of Africa - Levy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa has paid tribute to out-going Bostwana President Festus Mogae for his immense contribution to the socio-economic development and stability of that country and the African continent as a whole.

>  Africa: Idols’ Hour of Reckoning At Hand [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Do you think you have what it takes to be an idol, then fine-tune your voice and performance, because the time you have been waiting for has arrived.

>  Africa: Botswana Fall in ITF/Cat African Junior Championships [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Once again, hosts Botswana has failed to deal with the tough competition at the on-going International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) African Junior Championships.

>  Africa: More Funds for Water Management in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Development Bank (AfDB), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and the World Bank urged for increased funding on agricultural water management in Africa. Water management in Africa would include irrigation, drainage and rainwater harvesting.

>  Africa: Africa Media Summit Focuses On Emerging Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rebranding Africa's image and the dissemination of information about the new and emerging Africa was the main theme of the 3rd Africa International Media Summit held over the weekend.

>  Africa: Safic Set to Expand Into Rest of Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

DIVERSIFIED industrial group Safic Holdings, which changes its name to Accentuate next month, is making small steps into the rest of Africa after winning a R9m flooring contract for a hospital in Nigeria last week.

>  Africa: Are the British Entirely to Blame for Africa’s Rigged Elections? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"When we are sick in fortune, often the surfeit of our own behaviour", said Edmund the bastard in King Lear, "we make guilty of our disasters the sun the moon, and the stars: as if we were villains by necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on: an admirable evasion".

>  Africa: Kenya Beat Team in Africa’s New Tournament [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Francis Ouma came off the bench to head Harambee Stars to a 1-0 win over Tanzania in the first leg of the newly-created Africa Nations Championship at the Nyayo Stadium.

>  Africa: B. Africa Triumph Over Arrows [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Black Africa continued their good run in knock-out competitions after the Katutura giants claimed the scalps of coastal outfit Eleven Arrows in a tense penalty shootout after a goalless stalemate at the Kuisebmond Stadium in Walvis Bay yesterday.

>  Africa: Summit to Cement Continent’s Ties With India [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Indian traders once sold glass beads to an eager African market, now its expertise centers on science and technology. China's inroads into Africa are well known, India's approach has been much quieter. The India-Africa Forum meets for the first time in New Delhi at the India-Africa Summit from 4-8 April 2008, offering a fresh insight into this modern-day scramble for Africa.

>  Africa: Stanchart Boss Reveals New Plans for Africa Banks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Standard Chartered head of consumer banking, Africa region, RAHEEL AHMED is touring countries in the continent where the bank has operations. He was in Botswana this week and spoke to Staff Writer, BRIAN BENZA in Gaborone.

>  Africa: Dictatorships Overwhelm Democracy in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabwe is holding important elections tomorrow but that Libyan tyrant, Muammar al-Gaddafi, president of "the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya", whatever that is, does not want Mugabe "to be bothered with elections" because "Mugabe should just rule until he dies."

>  Africa: Tap Into $330m [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The annual International Water Week came and passed, evidently noticed by a few, perhaps just the experts. Yet the time to speak out on what is perhaps our greatest natural gift that even makes up the most competent of our bodies must never be postponed.

>  Africa: Rwanda, Where Aid Debate And Theory Meet [AllAfrica News: Africa]

RWANDA has emerged as a new focal point of the aid and development debate. Following a devastating history that culminated in genocide just 14 years ago, the Rwandan government has earned a reputation as one of the most effective and progressive governments in Africa, making it the darling of western aid agencies and a real-life development experiment for the many organisations and advisers seeking a silver-bullet solution to end poverty forever.

>  Africa: Adopt Open Skies Policy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In what has opened yet another possibility of Africa being left way behind the ongoing race towards open markets and the benefits that come with it , Europe and the United States on Sunday opened their airports to airlines coming from both sides of the Atlantic.

>  Africa: Ban Ki-Moon Envisions ’African Century’ - If Development Goals Are Met [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Marking the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for accelerated efforts to reach international development goals to usher in a century of flourishing on the continent.

>  Africa: Adada Holds Talks with Representatives of the World Council of Churches [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The UN/AU Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, received in Khartoum, on Friday, a delegation from the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC), currently visiting Sudan.

>  Africa: SAT3 to Get a Competitor - Infinity Set to Finalise $865 Million Financing [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the coming week the Infinity Worldwide Telecom Group of Companies (IWTGC) looks set to finalise the funding of its first phase build for its international fibre route from Portugal to South Africa along the west coast of the continent. Once built, it will be the first independently operated competitor for the incumbent monopoly-controlled SAT3 cable. Russell Southwood looks at what's involved.

>  Africa: 330 Million Africans Will Own Cellphones in 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa is projected to experience a 22 per cent jump in its mobile phone subscriber base during 2008, with the number of people owning a phone increasing from the current 270 million to 330 million.

>  Africa: Obasanjo - International Community, Africa Failed Somalia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The rising death toll of innocent Somali citizens could have long been nipped, but for a deliberate turning away by the international community, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said in Nairobi.

>  Africa: Continent Needs to Weigh the Benefits of Using Biofuels [AllAfrica News: Africa]

WITH THE ATMOSPHERE choking under carbon emissions, and crusaders of the green planet shouting from the roof-tops, who can resist the allure of a product that promises to drive the economy while at the same time cleaning our environment?

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: N500m Scam - OAU Medical Director Granted Bail [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It would be recalled that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) had arraigned Prof. Akinola , his Director of Administration, Dr. Lofinyeye Ilesanmi, and Mr. Nathaniel Idowu, now deceased, for alleged on a 20- count charge of conspiracy, falsification of documents, and fraud totaling N500 million.

>  Africa: FIFA Endorses Africa’s First Medical Sports Centre [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine (CESSM) at the University of Witwatersrand received the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC) stamp of approval on Monday.

>  Africa: "A World ’Unfit’ for 2.2 Billion Children" [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Interview with Agneta Ucko, director of Arigatou International

>  Africa: Economic Growth Still Strong But Development and Aid Lag - UN Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African economies are forecast to grow by an average of 6.2% in 2008 after a strong 2007, but the struggle against extreme poverty and international support for systemic improvement lag behind, according to a United Nations report released today.

>  Africa: Human Rights Court Urges Speedy Ratification of Protocol [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The President of Arusha-based African Human Rights Court, Professor Gerard Niyungeko, has called on member states to speedily ratify the protocol establishing the continent's first judicial organ.

>  Africa: PHR Positions on the Current Pepfar Reauthorization Bills [AllAfrica News: Africa]

PEPFAR reauthorization legislation has now been introduced into both Houses of Congress. Below is a summary of PHR's positions on some of the salient provisions of the two bills. The bills are similar, but not identical. Both are named the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. The Senate bill number is S.2731; the House bill number is H.R. 5501.

>  Africa: Church Looks to Continent As Muslims Outnumber Catholics [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The number of Catholics in the world has for the first time been overtaken by that of Muslims, the Vatican says.

>  Africa: South Africa On a Regional Mission [AllAfrica News: Africa]

No doubt! As the 2010 World Cup nears, South Africa is intensifying its mission to sell the country to the southern African region.

>  Africa: Why is the Continent Too Rich Yet Too Poor? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Two weeks ago there began the Sports Relief activities in Britain in which many sports people, celebrities and others are involved in raising money for the disadvantaged especially in Africa.

>  Africa: Poor Nations Must Lobby Decision Makers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It is often the case that when civil society actors mention the words World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and, increasingly, the current United States Government, it is to highlight failed policies affecting millions of people around the world.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Across The Nation

>  Africa: Minister Seeks Improvement of Africa’s Air Safety [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Minister of State, Air Transport, Mr. Felix Hyat, has lamented the rate of plane accidents in Africa and attributed it to poor maintenance culture, noting that consistency in aircraft maintenance will improve air safety in the region.

>  Africa: Rautenbach Scores First World Rally Championships Points [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabwe African Rally Champion Conrad Rautenbach scored his first World Rally Championships points since turning professional at the beginning of the season when he finished fourth in the Argentina Rally at the weekend.

>  Africa: West Sworn to Deposing Zim Govt [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African people let's wake up! Just as they did three years ago detractors of Zimbabwe's governing party Zanu-PF and President Robert Mugabe are already forecasting that the election in Zimbabwe is rigged.

>  Africa: Ashoka Honours Continent’s Entrepreneurs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Twenty leading social entrepreneurs from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Zimbabwe, are being inducted as Ashoka Fellows on May 9, in Dakar, Senegal.

>  Africa: BA Returns to League Action [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Third placed Black Africa will be looking at closing the gap between the early pace setters as the race for the coveted MTC Namibia Premiership intensifies this weekend.

>  Africa: Economic Growth to Remain High in 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African economies are forecast to grow by an average of 6.2% in 2008, according to the latest edition of the Economic Report on Africa (ERA 2008), the annual joint flagship publication of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union (AU), launched today.

>  Africa: FAO Expects Rice Production to Rise By 1.8 Percent in 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World rice production is expected to increase in 2008 by 12 million tonnes or 1.8 percent, assuming normal weather conditions, FAO said today. Production increases would ease the current very tight supply situation in key rice producing countries, according to the first FAO forecast for this year. International rice trade is expected to decrease, mainly due to restrictions in main exporting countries.

>  Africa: U.S. House of Representatives Approves Pepfar Renewal, Tripling [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Thanks to a bipartisan compromise brokered by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-CA), the House today voted overwhelmingly to expand the landmark U.S. effort to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide that, during the past five years, has saved millions of lives.

>  Africa: Meeting to Examine Impact of New Trading Regime On ACP Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Top trade policy experts from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are to meet in Cape Town, South Africa, to assess the implications of the new European Union trading regime - Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - on their member countries.

>  Africa: Continent Needs Better Meteorological Monitoring for Development - UN Official [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Given Africa's vulnerability to climate change, variability and extreme weather events, better meteorological services are crucial for its development and the struggle against poverty, the head of the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said today.

>  Africa: U.S. Representative Smith’s Floor Statement on Pepfar Reauthorization [AllAfrica News: Africa]

US Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health today gave excerpts of the following remarks during House floor debate of HR 5501 the “Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008:

>  Africa: Committee Chairman Berman’s Statement on the U.S. Pepfar Reauthorization Act [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Following is the floor statement of United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman on the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5501) on April 2, 2008 verbatim, as delivered:

>  Africa: Sovereign Wealth Funds Should Invest in Continent - World Bank President [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick outlined a plan today for sovereign wealth funds to invest one percent of their holdings in equity in sub-Saharan Africa as a way of tapping long-term global liquidity to boost investment opportunities and development.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: New Website Offers Career Advice to Young Africans [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africacareerguidance.com was set up with support from the Commonwealth Connects Programme and the Commonwealth Business Council

>  Africa: Microfinance Has a Bright Future in Continent’s Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IN THE EARLY 1900s, OIL MAGNA-te J. Paul Getty was once quoted as saying: "If you owe the bank $100, that's your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem." Little did he know that barely 100 years later, a revolutionary banking model would turn his perceived world view on its head.

>  Africa: President Blasts Football Administrators [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Paul Kagame has blasted local football administrators, Ferwafa in particular for mismanaging the national team.

>  Africa: Rwanda in Weather Forecast Revival [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rwanda has joined twelve countries in Africa as a member of RANET, an international program that makes weather, climate and other related issues more accessible to the population. This was revealed to The New Times by Rwanda Meteorology Service last week.

>  Africa: Strong African Growth Continues, Says Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

FORECAST growth for African economies will be an average 6,2 per cent in 2008, according to 'Economic Report on Africa' (ERA 2008), an annual joint flagship publication of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union (AU).

>  Africa: Nigeria - Leading Communications Revolution in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In this report, Efem Nkanga looks at how Nigeria can leverage on its growing importance in the global economy especially in the light of its emergence and recent official endorsement as the largest telecoms market in Africa

>  Africa: U.N. Aims for an Aids-Free Generation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations is intensifying its worldwide efforts to help create a new generation of children who will be born free of HIV/AIDS, a disease that has particularly devastated parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

>  Africa: Continent Steps Up Plans for Common Stock Exchange [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Buoyed by improved liquidity triggered by a huge foreign investment inflows, Africa is now fast-tracking plans for a common exchange to trade its listed stocks.

>  Africa: Chad, Central African Republic, Darfur Must Be Tackled Together - Ban Ki-Moon [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The flare-up of civil strife, cross-border tension and displacement involving Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan should be addressed in a unified manner that is outside the mandate of the mission currently being deployed by the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a report released today.

>  Africa: World Bank Puts in a Good Word for Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Recent statements attributed to Robert Zoellick, the President of the World Bank, mean a lot for Africa. The New York Times stated that the Bank's President called on sovereign wealth funds owned by the major governments of Asia and the Middle East to invest in Africa.

>  Africa: Unicef Report Demonstrates Great Progress and Great Need [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Statement of Pamela W. Barnes, President and Chief Executive Officer:

>  Africa: U.S. Congressional Committee Passes Legislation To Expand Debt Cancellation, Reform IMF/World Bank Lending [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of more than 80 religious denominations, development agencies and human rights groups, today heralded the passage by voice vote in the House Financial Services Committee of the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation (HR 2634).

>  Africa: Investments in Agriculture Key to Reducing Poverty - UN Official [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A senior United Nations official has called for greater investments in agriculture and rural development to boost economic growth and reduce poverty in Africa, both of which are critical to achieving the global target of halving poverty and hunger by 2015.

>  Africa: More HIV-Positive Children And Pregnant Women Getting Aids Treatment [AllAfrica News: Africa]

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

>  Africa: Ogun Plans Big for Cricket Party [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In preparation for the North West Africa Cricket championship, which started yesterday in Lagos, co-host, Ogun State has commissioned a new cricket oval and pavilion at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.

>  Africa: Editors Charged to Foster India-Africa Cooperation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The First India-Africa Editors Conference opened yesterday in New Delhi, India with a call on journalists from Africa and India to help in fostering relations and cooperation between the two blocks and bridge the information and knowledge gaps between them.

>  Africa: Buying Rules Limit Spread of New Technologies [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The buying of technology should be exempted from public procurement rules and procedures, an industry expert has said.

>  Africa: Address Sanitation to Break Cycle of Poverty [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Let me go straight to the point. An estimated 40 per cent of the world's population lives without one of the basic amenities of modern life: a toilet.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Growth not Translated into Social Development Gains [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Despite strong economic performance for the third consecutive year with an average growth rate of 5.8%, this has not been translated in to meaningful gains in terms of social development, the 2008 Economic Report on Africa said.

>  Africa: Russia Pledges U.S$500 Million in Dev’t Assistance [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Russian Federation is to provide development assistance amounting to over 500 million USD in Africa, one of the main priorities of the Russian foreign policy, the country's ambassador said on Wednesday.

>  Africa: The Challenges of Eventing in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Working across borders is always a challenge. There are cultural, language and climate differences to overcome. Dealing in more than one financial currency adds to the complexities - but is doable - but more challenging on a fundamental level is being faced with a society that values and places emphasis on things that you may not. And then there is organising an event in Africa.

>  Africa: Hitman/Alfaro Clash Off [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The much trumpeted and eagerly awaited WBA Lightweight World title fight between current champion Jose Alfaro and Namibia's WBA Pan-African champion Paulus "The Hitman" Moses is off, at least for the time being.

>  Africa: Obedient Servants of Their Masters [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I Cannot but add my humble view to the ongoing debate on veterans of the liberation struggle, especially on whether former members of Apartheid South African Defence Force (SADF) and its Namibian territorial extensions, the South West Africa Territory Force (SWATF) and the special unit of South Africa's armed forces in Namibia, which went by the nom de guerre of Koevoet, also constitute veterans of the liberation struggle or not and should thus be accommodated in any project to the benefit of veterans of the liberation struggle.

>  Africa: A Prosperous DRC is Vital for Africa - Mbeki [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The success of the post-conflict reconstruction development process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is vital for the continent as a whole, says President Thabo Mbeki.

>  Africa: High Food Costs Hurt the Poor [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Only five months ago, I visited the West African countries of Mali and Senegal. At the time, the local newspapers were interested in only one story - the price of a loaf of bread.

>  Africa: U.S. Holocaust Museum Launches World is Witness in Google Earth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum today launched World is Witness, a new initiative that opens a window into the lives of people affected by genocide and its long-term consequences.

>  Africa: Mine Ban Treaty Facing Its Acid Test [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It is unlikely that the majority of the 20 countries supposed to clear all their mined areas by 2009 as signatories to the Mine Ban Treaty will make the cut, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said in a statement on 4 April.

>  Africa: Economic Growth Strong But Development Poor, UN Says [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A forecast on the growth of African economies has been put at an average of 6.2 percent in 2008 after a strong 2007, but the struggle against extreme poverty and international support for systemic improvement lag behind.

>  Africa: Rich Country Pledges On Aid in Serious Doubt As Spending Falls for the Second Year [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rich country aid to the developing world has fallen for the second consecutive year, according to statistics released today. The latest figures represent the clearest sign yet that governments are badly off track for meeting G8 and EU goals for increasing aid spending, and are therefore in serious danger of breaking their promises to the developing world.

>  Africa: We Work Towards Making AES Sonel a Role Model - Regional President [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The President of Europe, Africa and the Community of Independent States, CIS, of AES Corporation, John McLaren, has declared that AES SONEL is not only committed in providing quality services to the country, but also in making the company a role model in Africa.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Have African Americans Lived the American Dream? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

April 4 2008 will mark the 40th anniversary of the murder of the Afrikan-American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King jnr.

>  Africa: Soul Searching for Women Activists [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Salma Mlidi uses the 20th year anniversary Tanzania Media Women's Association (TAMWA) to reflect on African women's activism

>  Africa: Tribute to a Man of Honour - Captain Diagne Mbaye [AllAfrica News: Africa]

François-Xavier Nsanzuwera reflects about Captain Diagne Mbaye, a true exemplar of Pan-Africanism who dies in Rwanda as he fought against the 1994 genocide

>  Africa: African Court Urged to Take Custody of ICTR Archives [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The newly established African Court for Human Rights has been urged to initiate dialogue with the United Nations with view to acquiring the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) when the latter closes down towards the end of the year .

>  Africa: ’Quiet’ India Could Offer Lessons to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Several African leaders travel to New Delhi this week for the inaugural meeting of an Africa-India Forum Summit, organized by the African Union and the government of India. Citing Mahatma Gandhi's observation that future African-Indian commerce would focus on "ideas and services" rather than raw materials and manufactured goods, guest columnists Alex Vines and Elizabeth Sidiropolous write that India could offer Africa important lessons and experience.

>  Africa: Climate Change Threatens Health [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World Health Day (April 7) focuses on health threats posed by global warming.

>  Africa: Differing Views on a ’New Deal’ to Counter Soaring Food Prices for the Poor [AllAfrica News: Africa]

With soaring food prices expected to continue for the foreseeable future, the World Bank is calling for a "new deal" of long-term measures, ranging from increased investment in African agriculture to genetically engineering fuel-producing plants.

>  Africa: Continent Has Been Harsh to Her Sons [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The 50th anniversary of the African classic, Things Fall Apart, was greeted with newfound excitement coupled with a flurry of fiery reviews reflecting upon it.

>  Africa: Continent’s Despots [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa this week showcased its best and worst as a continent of dramatic contrasts.

>  Africa: Rudy Cleared for Pearl of Africa Rally [AllAfrica News: Africa]

FLYING HIGH: Rwanda's Rudy Cantanhede flies his machine on day three of the Mountain Gorilla Rally last year.

>  Africa: Pitfalls of Democracy in Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

By early last week, reports from Zimbabwe were suggesting that Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's one-time liberator, had finally been brought down by arch-rival Morgan Tsvangirai. Finally Mugabe's rural strongholds seemed to have revolted.

>  Africa: Africa is Not All That Dead; It Can Still Rekindle Her Pride [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I have just watched a BBC World Debate, chaired by Matt Frei, the presenter of BBC World News America, which was taped on February 27th at the recent TED [Technology, Entertainment, Design] Conference in Monterey, California.

>  Africa: Koba Register for African Championship [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kutama Old Boys Association Volleyball Club became the second Zimbabwean side to register for the 2008 edition of the men's African Clubs Champions Championship set to take place in Misurata, Libya.

>  Africa: Idols Reality Show Begins [AllAfrica News: Africa]

But who should have limited their singing to the shower? And who did the right thing by heading off to the auditions?

>  Africa: The Bachwezi Were Egyptians [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE first group of people (Bachwezi) who descended on the Great Lakes Region in 1,350BC were rulers, physicians, sages and sorcerers.

>  Africa: WHO Raises Hope On River Blindness [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World Health Organi-sation (WHO) has said a new study has shown that Oncho-cersiasis (River Blindness) could be eliminated in Africa.

>  Africa: KLTA Calls for Training Centre Within East Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Setting up an East African tennis training centre seems to be the panacea for Kenya's lacklustre performance as witnessed at the just concluded International Championship of Botswana and African Junior Championships, Kenya Lawn Tennis Federation chairman Francis Mutuku has said.

>  Africa: Economies to Grow 6 Percent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African economies are predicted to grow by an average of 6.2% this year, a seemingly continuous growth trend from previous years, the latest Economic Report on Africa (2008) says.

>  Africa: WB Highlights Continent’s Top Needs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank Group is proposing a robust economic package detailing measures to help African countries counter growing challenges mainly arising from escalating food and commodity prices.

>  Africa: Virgin Raises Stakes to Outdo Competition [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Virgin Antlantic is raising the stakes in air travel comfort over the African skies to another level as stiff competition mounts within the industry.

>  Africa: African Copper Heads for First Production [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Emerging copper firm African Copper, which hopes to produce the first concentrate at its flagship mine in Botswana next month, will publish plans for underground mining at the operation in the coming weeks, CEO Joseph Hamilton said on Tuesday.

>  Africa: Junior Golfers Got for World Event [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A four-member golf team leaves the country on Sunday for the Africa World Junior Championship qualifiers in Mbabane, Swaziland.

>  Africa: First Cut: Rowe is not Taking us Anywhere [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When the Botswana Football Association (BFA) hired Colywn Rowe as national soccer coach, I was one of the people who were not convinced that he was the right man for the job.

>  Africa: Soaring Food And Fuel Prices May Hurt Growth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Tayech Ali arrived half an hour before the grain distribution centre in Gojam Berenda, in the capital, Addis Ababa, opened, but still had to queue for three hours before she could buy some wheat.

>  Africa: UN Warns Over Looming Global Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations is appealing to donors for $500 million in emergency funding to help feed displaced Kenyans and other Africans in increasing danger of going hungry.

>  Africa: Road Deaths to Rise 80 Percent By 2020 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The necessity of tackling the crisis on Africa's roads has been illustrated by the latest statistics, which show that the fatality rate across the continent is now experiencing the second highest increase worldwide.

>  Africa: Continent Rejects Sections of Trade Deal With Europe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Negotiations for comprehensive trade deals between Europe and Africa are headed for another bumpy stretch as finance and trade ministers from Africa sought to remove certain clauses from interim pacts signed between the two blocs.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: KFF Dreams of 2016 Africa Cup [AllAfrica News: Africa]

KENYA FOOTBALL FEDERATION'S campaign to bring the 2016 Africa Cup of Nations to the country has begun in earnest.

>  Africa: A Disease of the Third World [AllAfrica News: Africa]

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, struggling under the burden of bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis, are more in need of antibiotics than ever. But issues such as proliferation of counterfeit drugs, poor prescribing practices and a lack of regulations and guidelines are fuelling the growth of resistance to these much-needed medicines.

>  Africa: Continent Must Rescue Zimbabwe Too [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Forty years ago last Friday, Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

>  Africa: African Writing is Dying [AllAfrica News: Africa]

CHINUA ACHEBE IS PERHAPS the biggest man in African literature. As was once said of the British poet John Betjeman, it is now true that if you want two African readers to physically fight, mention Achebe's name.

>  Africa: Country Wins Amputee African Nation Cup [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Lone Star Amputees football has lifted this year's edition of Amputee African Cup of Nations. The Liberian side piped their counterpart of Sierra Leone 1-0 in the grand final of the tourney, which was played at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) in Monrovia.

>  Africa: CAF Holds Workshop to Review Ghana 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) is set to organise a workshop in Egypt for all head coaches of its 53 affiliated nations, from April 21 to April 23 as part of its efforts towards developing the game.

>  Africa: No Deal in Sight At Stalled Doha Talks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Not long ago it was thought that senior officials of 25 to 30 countries would descend on Geneva for the horizontal talks around mid-March, so that the mini-Ministerial can be held by mid-April, before the UNCTAD XII in Accra (20 to 25 April).

>  Africa: Are Journalists Falling Short of Their Calling? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nicholas Sarkozy and his new wife, former model Carla Bruni's recent state-visit to England was unprecedented in many ways.

>  Africa: UN Peace Missions Falter [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations remains virtually crippled as two proposed peacekeeping missions -- one in Darfur and the other in Somalia -- are making little or no progress.

>  Africa: ’Let Them Eat Subsidies?’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Food prices have the potential to change regimes and the course of history. When Marie Antoinette allegedly said, "Let them eat cake" in 1789, she was wondering why higher bread prices were causing so much trouble in Paris.

>  Africa: It’s Time for the Continent to Take Her Own Blame [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Since my article last week, 'Why Africa is too rich yet too poor', my inbox has been inundated with responses from all over the world.

>  Africa: Is China the Greedy Tiger It’s Often Portrayed to Be? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Open any newspaper and you would get the impression that the African continent, and much of the rest of the world, is in the process of being "devoured" by China.

>  Africa: Agric, Energy, Security to Dominate India-Africa Summit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As the first forum of India-Africa Leaders opens this morning in New Delhi, India, challenges posed by agriculture, human resources development, telecommunications and Internet technology as well as climatic change and energy security will dominate the talks.

>  Africa: Dembare Need to Rectify Flaws [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Harare giants Dynamos will have to race against time in working on their shortcomings before they engage African Champions League holders Etoile Sportive Sahel of Tunisia in the capital in two weeks time.

>  Africa: Return of the ’98 Dance [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It's all shaping into a journey down memory lane for Dynamos - with each step in their African Champions League campaign a stunning reminder of the dream journey that took them to the grand final 10 years ago.

>  Africa: Food and Energy Top Spring Meetings [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Impact of high food and energy prices, status of the Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs) and fragile and post-conflict states, will be the Africa focus of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring meeting, taking place this weekend in Washington, D.C.

>  Africa: India-Africa Summit to Forge Strategic Economic Relations [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The first India-Africa summit is currently underway in the India capital, New Delhi, with the aim of forging a strategic economic partnership between the two regions.

>  Africa: Adamu Makes Ethiopia a Must for Fasuba, Others [AllAfrica News: Africa]

National Sports Commission director-general, Amos Adamu has made the African Championships billed for April 30, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia a must for Nigeria's top athletes.

>  Africa: Continent is Leading the World in Mobile Banking [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IN A move to accelerate the global roll-out of mobile wallets, Fundamo, a local mobile banking and transaction solutions provider, has entered into a partnership with Accenture, a global management consulting and technology services company.

>  Africa: Food Chain Spreads Its Wings Globally [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Shoprite is doing better in Africa than in Asia.

>  Africa: UNHCR and Google Unveil New Map Programme for Humanitarian Operations [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Representatives of Google and the UN refugee agency on Tuesday unveiled a powerful new online mapping programme that provides an up-close and multifaceted view of some of the world's major displacement crises and the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the victims. www.unhcr.org/googleearth

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: As IMF Faces Structural Adjustment Measures, Global South Activists Demand Accountability [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Following the International Monetary Fund’s announcement of proposed staff cuts and sales of gold about $11 billion, civil society groups reacted with demands for further accountability.

>  Africa: India Unveils New Plan for Partners on Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

India unveiled a bag of goodies for African partners attending the first India-Africa summit signalling the extent it is ready to go to win hearts in the natural resource-rich continent.

>  Africa: Progress Toward Development Goals Off Track - World Bank Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A new World Bank-IMF report warns that most countries will fall short on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight globally agreed development goals with a due date of 2015. Though much of the world is set to cut extreme poverty in half by then, prospects are gravest for the goals of reducing child and maternal mortality, with serious shortfalls also likely in primary school completion, nutrition, and sanitation goals.

>  Africa: It’s Time Africans Took Control [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya's inability to agree on government structure; Zimbabwe's inability to conclude ballot tallies; drumbeats of fear on South Africa's political future; food riots in West and North Africa clearly call for continental rebirth.

>  Africa: Searching for the New Version of Internet [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Internet. Now that you are used to it, a group of researchers would like to take it away from you. For good.

>  Africa: A Challenge to Economic Statecraft [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Last October, shortly after joining the World Bank Group, I proposed a vision to guide our work: to help build an inclusive and sustainable globalisation - to overcome poverty, enhance growth with care for the environment, and create individual opportunity and hope.

>  Africa: Expert Wants Continent to Devise Security Code [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An international security expert is calling on African countries to establish a common maritime defence and security policy.

>  Africa: AU Ministers Call for EPA Trade Reviews [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICAN Union (AU) trade and finance ministers want the recently initialled trade deals between the European Union (EU) and African countries to be re-negotiated in the context of a comprehensible full agreement saying it has contentious issues.

>  Africa: Economies Forecast Growth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICAN economies have been forecast to grow by an average of 6.2 per cent in 2008, according to the latest edition of the Economic Report on Africa (ERA 2008). The report is the annual joint flagship publication of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union (AU), launched in Addis Baba on April 1 2008.

>  Africa: African Languages Absent in Cyberspace [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In a continent woefully short of almost its entire languages in the Virtual World, 23-year-old Deogracious Kiganira Kijambu has a dream to access the Internet in his indigenous language of Lusoga to expand his e-commerce business.

>  Africa: Welcome Mat Worn Thin in South Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Recent attacks on Somali, Zimbabwean and Mozambican migrants in South Africa have been labeled xenophobic: but could the violence point to a much bigger problem than fear of the foreign, a problem much closer to home?

>  Africa: Zambia, SA Committed to Promoting Peace in Region [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The governments of Zambia and South Africa have reiterated their commitment to providing peace and stability in the region and the African continent.

>  Africa: Ndlovu’s Strike Propels Team Into Third Round [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Veteran Warriors striker Peter Ndlovu's romance with the Africa Champions League reached another level when he fired South African side Mamelodi Sundowns into the third round at the weekend.

>  Africa: Nepad Council Organises Europe Africa Business Summit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

New Economic partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) council, has concluded all arrangement to host Europe Africa Business Summit between 28th and 30th April 2008 in Hamburg- Germany

>  Africa: Trade Experts Seek Greater Information Sharing Among ACP Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Participants call on Commonwealth, ACP to support sensitisation of officials on new trading regimes

>  Africa: Botswana - Continent’s Shining Star? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Botswana once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most stable democracies on the African continent when she displayed yet another smooth transfer of power.

>  Africa: Strategy to Improve Food Security Plans in the Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A three-day meeting on food security is expected to unveil a five-year strategy to scale up food security programmes in 15 African countries, including Ethiopia.

>  Africa: Davis Cup - Bulgaria Denies Super Eagles Players Visa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nigeria's quest to storm back to Euro/Africa Group Two may have been dashed for now following the refusal of Bulgarian Embassy to grant entry visas to the players and officials presented by the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) last week.

>  Africa: Walking to Free Country From Tuberculosis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Penultimate Friday, the acting Minister of Health led other important dignitaries on a three-kilometre walk in Abuja to draw attention to the tuberculosis burden in the country. After the energy-sapping walk, stakeholders in TB control in the country reiterated their resolve to combat the menace. Godwin Haruna writes

>  Africa: DEVT - Africa Must Take Charge -Jonathan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the opening of the first India-Africa Summit in New Delhi, India, admonished Africa to take utmost responsibility for its development, saying the destiny of the continent was in its hand.

>  Africa: Insurance Industry Needs Image, ICT and PR - FANAF Boss [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Mr Protais Ayangma Amang, the new president of the Federation of Insurance Companies in Africa (acroymn FANAF) was elected in Bamako, Mali recently at the 32nd FANAF General Assembly and conference held in Mali.

>  Africa: Rich Must Pay Climate Change Health Costs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Countries, mostly in the developing world, could spend between US$6 to $18 billion a year by 2030 to manage additional costs to health services as a result of climate change, according to independent research cited by a World Health Organisation (WHO) official, hence the need for rich countries responsible for global warming to help pay towards these additional health costs.

>  Africa: India, Continent Pledge to Expand Co-Operation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Thabo Mbeki returns to South Africa on Thursday after concluding a successful official visit to India which saw the strengthening of co-operation in many areas between Africa and the sub-continent.

>  Africa: Urgent Measures Required to Reduce Impact of High Food Prices On the Poor [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Urgent measures are needed to ensure that short-term adverse effects of higher food prices do not impact even more alarmingly on the very poor, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said today.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Drug Access

>  Africa: Journalists to Give Greater Voice to Environment [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Asian and African journalists agree that they must shift their focus away from politics and give a greater voice to environmental issues to encourage their communities to take better care of the environment.

>  Africa: Deputy Spokesperson Appointed to Education Award Jury [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Commonwealth Secretariat Deputy Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu has been appointed to the judging panel of the Africa Education Journalism Award

>  Africa: How to Plant And Care for Tropical Trees [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization published in 2005 shows that we are cutting down trees in the tropics faster than we are planting them. An estimated 13 million hectares of forests are cut down every year. South America loses the most trees (some 4.3million hectares) while about 4 million hectares of forests are cut down in Africa each year.

>  Africa: Kenya Should Not Let Down Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE situation in Kenya is fast degenerating into chaos, following the collapse of talks between president Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga over a power-sharing deal.

>  Africa: Developing Countries Have Increasing Share Of Global Output - World Bank [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Developing economies now produce 41 percent of the world's output, up from 36 percent in 2000, according to the World Development Indicators 2008, released today. The combined output of the world's economies reached $59 trillion in 2006. Using new measurements that take into account the differences in price levels between countries, China now ranks as the second largest economy in the world, and 5 of the 12 largest economies are developing economies. Strong growth over the period has increased the shares of all developing regions except Latin America and the Caribbean, while the share of high-income economies fell by 5 percent.

>  Africa: U.S. Trade Representative Lauds Regional Integration [AllAfrica News: Africa]

At a meeting today with a delegation from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John K. Veroneau commended COMESA’s work in advancing economic integration in sub-Saharan Africa .

>  Africa: Groups Oppose World Bank’s Proposed Climate Funds [AllAfrica News: Africa]

While welcoming increased international attention to the climate crisis, civil society groups from the global South and global North today are calling on the World Bank to withdraw its proposal to establish climate investment funds.

>  Africa: United States Wants Stable Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE US Africa Command (AFRICOM) will work for a militarily stronger continent where national armies have the capacity to prevent or stop conflicts.

>  Africa: Eat Local Produce, Help Farmers, Says FAO [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rely more on local produce to cut food import bills and provide subsidised inputs to boost production, advised the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as it announced measures to help poor countries, many of which will now have to pay 74 percent more for food - up by US$6 billion from February 2008.

>  Africa: EITI++ Extends Oil And Mining Transparency Agenda [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Publish What You Pay (PWYP), the global civil society coalition campaigning for transparency in the extractive industries, welcomes the World Bank’s effort to extend transparency in this sector beyond revenues through its new EITI++ initiative. EITI++ includes disclosure along the spectrum, from the licensing of concessions all the way to government spending. In order for this initiative to be credible, PWYP calls on the World Bank to implement it effectively across the globe and to meaningfully involve civil society throughout the entire process.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Continent And India Demand Action to Rein in Oil Price Hike [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa and India have jointly demanded urgent global intervention to rein in the crude oil price hike, which they said was hurting their economies.

>  Africa: Poorest Countries’ Cereal Bill Continues to Soar [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The cereal import bill of the world's poorest countries is forecast to rise by 56 percent in 2007/2008. This comes after a significant increase of 37 percent in 2006/2007, FAO said today.

>  Africa: Blog Review - Focus On Zimbabwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This week, many African bloggers focused on the twin elections in Zimbabwe, analyzing and commenting on the competing claims of victory, the rumors and sometimes outlandish allegations that have been coming from that country.

>  Africa: A New Philanthro-Capitalist Alliance in Continent? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Bill Gates has called for "creative capitalism" - that is a philanthropy spurred on by profit. But Galés Gabirondo unmasks creative capitalism to reveal it as philanthro-capitalism. She uses the Bill Gates/Rockeffeler initiative, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, to show just how devastating it can be when good-will meets a corporate driven and market hungry capitalism

>  Africa: AGRA, Bio-Piracy And Food As Social Justice [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In this wide ranging Pambazuka News interview, Mariam Mayet, the director of the African Center Biosafety speaks about biopiracy, which she calls "the last frontier", the Alliance for a Green Revolution and its impact on Africa, and food and agriculture as social justice justice.

>  Africa: AGRA And Knowledge Systems [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Regassa Feyissa in this interview talks about the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the fallacy of food aid, knowledge systems in relation to traditional versus scientific and the need to create alternatives to AGRA

>  Africa: How Healthy is Agra for Continent? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Carol B. Thompson argues that the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa will undermine nutrition, destroy indigenous seed varieties and knowledge systems and create dependency on patented seeds. She calls for a debate so that all the stakeholders can be involved in the future of food production in Africa

>  Africa: Global Food Prices Worry World Bank [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank yesterday expressed concern over rising global food prices and urged the international community to fill the gap of about $500 million worth of food which the United Nations' (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) said is required to meet emergency needs.

>  Africa: ’God Should Be So Kind That I Can Have Contraceptives’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

For many of Africa's women, getting access to family planning services is difficult at the best of times. When war intervenes they can find themselves without any services at all, even as they become more vulnerable to sexual violence -- the situation in northern Uganda being a case in point.

>  Africa: IFC and World Bank Organize Health in Africa Forums to Support Health Sector April 14 to May 5, 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IFC and the World Bank are organizing five Health in Africa Forums to discuss how they can better support the health sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. The meetings will be held from April 14 to May 5, 2008, as follows:

>  Africa: Continent, India Agree On Framework of Cooperation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA and India have agreed on a wide-ranging framework for their future engagement contained in two documents dubbed the 'Delhi Declaration and the Africa India Framework of Co-operation.

>  Africa: Economy to Improve Despite Global Slump [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Analysts see sub-saharan Africa's economy recording robust growth despite a bleak global outlook led by a recession in the US.

>  Africa: Population Set to Double By 2036 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa's population is growing at twice the rate of other regions. In the following interview, John May, a demographer at the World Bank, discusses the effects of population growth on Africa's development agenda and what the Bank is doing in response.

>  Africa: Hopes Rise for Global Trade Deal [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The current round of international trade talks, the "Doha Round," which many Africans hope will open new markets for them in developed countries, enter a crucial few weeks in which it appears there is a real chance of reaching agreement on trade in agricultural and industrial goods.

>  Africa: Why Rush to the Continent? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In recent years, we have witnessed a growing scramble for Africa by the big global players, each trying to become the best partner of the world's poorest continent.

>  Africa: Country Pledges Assistance to Regional Aviation Organisations [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Minister of state for air transportation, Mr. Felix Hassan Hyat, has said that Nigeria would double its assistance within its limited resources to regional regulatory aviation organisations such as African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Agency of Air Aviation Safety in African and Madagascar (ASECNA).

>  Africa: Country Joins Africa Finance Corporation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Sierra Leone has become the newest member of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a press release from the Corporation Wednesday states.

>  Africa: African Leaders Responsible for Poor Health Status - Lawan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Lack of commitment and insincerity of African leaders has been linked to the continued staggering poor health indices, plaguing the continent.

>  Africa: Meeting to Focus On Continent’s High Food, Fuel Prices [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The impact of high food and energy prices, among others will be Africa's focus of the World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring meeting in Washington this weekend.

>  Africa: Life and Works of Nobel Literature Winner [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Nobel Prize Winner, Nadine Gordimer by Karina Magda-lena Brink over the next few weeks. The paper was presented at the University of Namibia on April 3.

>  Africa: Lebo to Bring Glamour to Show [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabwean Lebogang Mzwimbi, the Idols presenter is counting his blessings after landing the big role, which would either break or make the show.

>  Africa: White Power, Black Power And Power Shortages [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa Insight

>  Africa: Dembare See Red Over Gate Takings [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Harare giants Dynamos have demanded an urgent review of the ticketing system used by Zifa for the African Champions League matches which they believe is flawed and could have prejudiced them a fortune.

>  Africa: Low Agricultural Output Blamed On Policies [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Use of inappropriate technology and mismanagement of agricultural systems is to blame for the slow rate of Africa's growth in productivity, experts said.

>  Africa: Hat-Trick Hands Rammies 2nd Defeat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Stars' red hot striker Silver Suriyari scored a rare hat-trick in top flight football when the 10-man Reds downed an out-of-sorts Ramblers outfit in an MTC Namibia Premiership 4-goal thriller at the Khomasdal Stadium in Windhoek on Friday evening.

>  Africa: Black Africa Dominate Netball Opener [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Black Africa's dominance in domestic netball appears to have no bounds after "Auntie Ricky's Babes" easily waltzed past their opponents to win the Khomas Region Netball League pipe opener at the Khomasdal Stadium netball courts on Saturday.

>  Africa: E-Schools Business Plan to Be Rolled Out in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The NEPAD e-Schools business plan is to be rolled out throughout Africa after it will be adopted at the e-Schools Stakeholders' Conference on Wednesday.

>  Africa: IMF Forecasts 9 Percent Growth for Nigeria [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The International Mon-etary Fund (IMF) yesterday forecast nine per cent economic growth and single digit inflation for Nigeria in its newly released Regional Econ-omic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa.

>  Africa: NGO Lauds Bayelsa Over Transparency [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A non-governmental organisation, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), has commended Bayelsa State government for initiating the Bayelsa Expenditure and Income Transparency Initiative (BEITI).

>  Africa: Ace Inzikuru Welcomes Olympic Torch to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

DORCUS Inzikuru was among thousands of people who received the Olympic Torch on its journey of harmony in the Tanzanian city of Dar-es-Salaam.

>  Africa: Continent Must Re-Think the Principle of Non-Interference [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Almost all the headlines carried by media houses are about the possibility of power sharing between Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga. This was a result of the disputed December 27, 2007 elections, which the opposition believes were rigged by Kibaki's party.

>  Africa: India-Africa Summit Fosters Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Yoweri Museveni attended the India/Africa Partnership Summit Forum in New Delhi, India, last week. He made the following speech on April 8:

>  Africa: Food Alarm And New Proposals [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This is the season for economic reports, and, as usual, the message is mixed. The World Bank and the Food and Agriculture are stressing the structural crisis caused by rising food prices, and propose some new remedies, both immediate and medium-term.

>  Africa: Economic Outlook [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This is the season for economic reports, and, as usual, the message is mixed. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cite 2007 growth rates of 5.8% for Africa and 6.5% for sub-Saharan Africa, respectively. Both note, nevertheless, that few African countries are on track to halve poverty by 2015. The IMF predictably proposes a privatesector emphasis in response, while the ECA lays out a wider range of actions.

>  Africa: M- Money Services - the Rise And Rise of the Continent’s ’Killer-App’ for 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the first four months of operation, from March to June 2007, M-Pesa, the mobile phone enabled payment system set up by Safaricom in Kenya, gained 150,000 customers. By December 2007, just before conflict erupted over the elections in December 2007, it had achieved 1 million customers who had made US$7 million in transactions. By January 2008, it had gained 1.6 million customers. This is the breakthrough moment for mobile-enabled cash transaction services, writes Russell Southwood.

>  Africa: Discord At Trade Talks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

TALKS aimed at securing a comprehensive trade deal between Africa and Europe are headed for the rocks as it emerged that finance and trade ministers from Africa sought the removal of certain clauses from interim pacts signed between the two blocs.

>  Africa: Kony Not Serious-Museveni [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Yoweri Museveni has accused fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony of not being serious about peace talks.

>  Africa: FG Clarifies Nigeria’s Status in OIC [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nigeria has been a member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) since 1986, Alhaji Tijjani Kaura, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs (1) said yesterday.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Election 2008

>  Africa: Continent’s Growth to Stay Robust [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s Spring 2008 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, has indicated that the region's growth is expected to remain robust, although global developments could cloud prospects.

>  Africa: Nepad Implementation Committee to Meet in Dakar [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) implementation committee will meet in Dakar on Tuesday to put this African Union initiative into the "right path", according to an official source.

>  Africa: Professional Football Against Hunger [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Association of the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) today signed in Lisbon (Portugal) a cooperation agreement to promote a series of initiatives aimed at sensitizing the public on issues related to food security and the fight against hunger.

>  Africa: Will Africa Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1st Conference of Indpendendent African States - 15 April 1958 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Eight independent African states comprising Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and United Arab Republic (Egypt), gathered in Accra, Ghana, from April 15 to 22, 1958 to dedicate themselves to the cause of total political and economic liberation and unification of the African continent and the uplift of the African Personality. It was at this conference that the principle of "one man one vote" was adopted to provide cohesion and direction for the liberation movements. Moral and material support was promised the freedom fighters.

>  Africa: S&P’s Moves to Gauge Continent’s Equity Markets [AllAfrica News: Africa]

With the financial markets in more developed economies hit by a global credit crunch Standard & Poor's, the world's leading index provider, recently announced the launch of three new benchmarks.

>  Africa: Airlines to Set Higher Charges As Jet Fuel Gets Expensive [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Airlines to Entebbe International Airport are set to increase freight and flight charges as the industry takes a knock from the rising jet fuel price.

>  Africa: Continent Grapples With Infrastructure [AllAfrica News: Africa]

During the maiden African Water week conference in Tunis, Tunisia recently, African Development Bank President Dr Donald Kaberuka talked to Simon Kasyate on various economic and development issues. Excepts:

>  Africa: Journalists Urged to Specialise in Environmental Reporting [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Director of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication emphasises the importance of analysing the environmental debate from the perspective of a developing country

>  Africa: World Bank in Drive to Fight Poverty [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa was once again the main focus in a meeting of the world's Finance Ministers and Central Bank governors organised by the World Bank.

>  Africa: Commodity Prices Boom to Be Used to Aid the Poor [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank Group is seeking to develop ability to transform the boom in commodity prices and growing revenue streams into fighting poverty, hunger, malnutrition, illiteracy, and disease.

>  Africa: Let’s Return to Working Political Parties [AllAfrica News: Africa]

For the past two years Abuja-based Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has been working towards developing a Political Parties Index (PPI) for West Africa.

>  Africa: Climate Change Debate Cries Out for Commitment [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Old unresolved issues have re-emerged while new complicated issues have just come up to cloud the international talks on how to deal with climate change.

>  Africa: Global Hot Spots of Hunger Set to Explode [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As food prices continue to escalate worldwide, some of the poorest nations in the developing world are in danger of social and political upheavals.

>  Africa: ’Increase Agricultural Productivity While Reducing the Environmental Footprint’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Over the past few years, Robert Watson has had what must qualify as one of the world's tougher assignments: heading an initiative to help agriculture cope with the substantial challenges it faces presently, and the even bigger hurdles ahead.

>  Africa: Reinventing Agriculture [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The results of a painstaking examination of global agriculture are being formally presented Tuesday with the release of the final report for the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD).

>  Africa: Mwana Africa Suffer Second Defeat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Former Premiership soccer side Mwana Africa suffered their second defeat of the season when they lost 2-0 to newcomers Felfar Stars in a Pacific Northern Region Division One match at Gwanzura on Saturday.

>  Africa: Uganda 3rd Freest Economy in Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

UGANDA was ranked third most free economy out of 40 countries in sub- Saharan Africa but corruption weighs down the favourable business environment, a report has shown.

>  Africa: When Africa’s Population Doubles in 2036 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In a recent interview, leading World Bank social demographer, John May, said Africa's population is growing at twice the rate of other regions and the projections are that at the current growth rate of 2.5 per cent, it would double in the next 28 years. Kunle Somorin examines the implications.

>  Africa: Move Over, Shaghai, Dubai And Singapore, Lagos Arbitration Hub Cometh! [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A critical step in the development of Lagos State as a hub for commercial and legal activity in the African continent has been taken by the adoption by the State government of a far reaching plan to reform the regime for arbitration and alternative dispute resolution within the territory of state.

>  Africa: Summit to Discuss Global Challenges Facing Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Review Summit is to discuss global challenges that are facing the continent such as poverty and underdevelopment.

>  Africa: World Parliaments Launch Plea for Action on Zimbabwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Parliamentarians in Africa and the rest of the world should not remain silent about the situation in Zimbabwe, where a democratic process had "gone wrong", a leader of a world parliamentary organisation meeting in South Africa said yesterday.

>  Africa: Africans Lost in ’The Promised Land’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The young man who agreed to be called Hamed has come a long way to do nothing. The Ivoirian would prefer to work but, after sneaking into Israel from Egypt about a month ago, he's got nothing better to do than sit in a park everyday in central Tel Aviv, wait, and hope for a government decision on his refugee application.

>  Africa: U.S. Senate Passes Measure Calling for Resolution to Crisis in Chad, Central African Republic, and Sudan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The U.S. Senate passed a resolution authored by U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, calling on governments, multinational bodies, and non-state actors in Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Sudan to implement a comprehensive peace process to end the violence.   The bipartisan resolution recognizes that the conflicts in Chad, CAR, and Sudan are intricately related and require increased cooperation and commitment from the national governments, backed by the wider international community.   Despite agreements to cease support to rebel groups, these countries continue to suffer cross-border attacks by armed militants, which have already displaced thousands and left millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance.   Feingold’s resolution is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and 19 other senators.

>  Africa: Farming Fails to Reach Potential [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Agricultural output in Africa south of the Sahara will not produce larger harvests without greater use of fertilisers, says a report commissioned by the World Bank and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation. Agriculture accounts for an average of 32% of the region's GDP, but overall per capita yields declined from 1970 to 1980 and since then have stagnated. Soil moisture stress affects more than 80% of Africa's agricultural land, limiting nutrient uptake. So both water and soil organic matter need to be conserved together.

>  Africa: WB Wants Wealth Funds to Put $30b Into Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank is asking the world's richest governments to divert one per cent of the money they have set aside for equity investments to equities in Africa.

>  Africa: Public-Private Ventures Key to Growth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Public private partnerships in Africa can be an effective tool of developing infrastructure, but political interference limits their usefulness, experts say.

>  Africa: Forget About Reform, the World Only Wants Continent’s Natural Riches [AllAfrica News: Africa]

If you want to gather the largest number of African leaders under one roof, ask the Chinese to do it.

>  Africa: So, Butiama Meeting Was Just a Ploy to Buy Time [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Chama cha Mapinduzi's Central Committee and National Executive Council met in Butiama last month to thrash out sticky issues and chart the way forward. No doubt the party already has its eye fixed on the 2010 elections.

>  Africa: Endangered But Nearly Unknown [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IF YOU THINK THAT ONLY THE AFRICAN RHIno and elephant are endangered or a target of poachers, you are wrong. There are many other animals threatened with extinction who, unfortunately, are little known and rarely heard of.

>  Africa: Donors, States Commit $12.13m to Great Lakes Special Fund [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Special Fund for the Great Lakes Region initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has so far obtained $12.13 million.

>  Africa: AU Human-Rights Court Struggles to Make an Impact [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Court of Justice has failed to make an impact on human rights abuses on the continent, two years after its inception.

>  Africa: UN Scientists Say Industrial Agriculture Has Failed [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As Africa prepares for its own version of the "green revolution" being championed by US-based foundations, a new UN report paints a gloomy future for industrial farming.

>  Africa: Making Partnerships Work Against Malaria [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kent Campbell is program director for Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA). The organization was launched in 2005 to partner with the government of Zambia and its Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partners to accelerate national malaria prevention and control efforts. MACEPA also works to strengthen global malaria advocacy. MACEPA is a program of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), an international non-governmental organization that works to find innovative solutions to improve global health.

>  Africa: President Sirleaf Commends Cuba For Its Interest In Country [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commended the Government of Cuba for its interest in Liberia's development. She says Liberia can learn many lessons from the Cuban experience as far as staying the course of development is concerned.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: Workplace Attitudes to HIV/Aids Vastly Improved, Reports UN Labour Agency [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Effective HIV policies have led to more supportive attitudes at the workplace towards co-workers living with the virus, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) says in a new report.

>  Africa: Aid Needed to Fight Drug Smuggling, Says UN Anti-Crime Chief [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Smuggling routes in the sub-Saharan Sahel region of Africa that were traditionally used for cigarettes, arms and illegal migrants are now becoming highways for cocaine, heroin and hashish, with kidnapping and banditry rife, the United Nations chief crime fighter warned today.

>  Africa: Open Civil Society Letter [AllAfrica News: Africa]

15 April 2008

>  Africa: Continent to Grow 6 Percent - IMF [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA'S economic growth is to expand by 6.5% in 2008 fuelled by a surge in oil exports, but the global economy slowdown pauses a risk, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.

>  Africa: How Africa’s Problems Can Be Resolved, By Djan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The leader of the June 4th, 1979 revolution in Ghana, Major Osahene Boakye Djan yesterday condemned the use of violence in solving political crisis in Africa. He said that the era of military intrusion into politics has become old fashioned globally.

>  Africa: Cosua to Be Officially Launched [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The unique Pan-African project aimed at mobilising support for African teams at the 2010 World Cup will move a gear up next month when the Coalition of Supporters' Unions of Africa officially launch their operations in Johannesburg, South Africa.

>  Africa: Graves are not yet full [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Walk with me down memory lane. The time: 1968. In 30 months, one million dead. The setting: a dusty camp in Biafra where survivors waited and hoped for peace.

>  Africa: Critical Health Care Fails to Reach Most Women and Children [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Leading global health experts, policy-makers and parliamentarians are convening in Cape Town today to address the urgent need for accelerated progress to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths, if internationally-agreed targets are to be met.

>  Africa: Summit to Discuss Global Challenges Facing Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Review Summit is to discuss global challenges that are facing the continent such as poverty and underdevelopment.

>  Africa: Democracy Unfinished [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A new report by the Geneva-based Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) has shown that women are changing the priorities and sometimes the tone of legislatures around the world. But, it also highlights the slow pace at which the number of parliamentary seats held by women is increasing.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: 2008 World Business and Development Awards Launched [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) are pleased to open nominations for the 2008 World Business and Development Awards in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The awards recognize the contribution of the private sector to help achieve the MDGs through their core business.

>  Africa: Costly Food Opportunity to Review Aid Responses [AllAfrica News: Africa]

High food prices have brought social unrest but they have also provided a "window of opportunity" to review global policies on the response to food insecurity, said a leading food aid analyst as experts and aid agencies began an unprecedented strategic re-think at a three-day meeting in Rome on 16 April.

>  Africa: Ending Conflicts Must Remain Priority for UN And AU - Ban Ki-Moon [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Preventing and resolving conflicts peacefully must remain high on the shared agenda of the United Nations and the African Union, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a high-level Security Council meeting today at UN Headquarters, calling for deeper cooperation between the two institutions.

>  Africa: Journalists Urged to Report Objectively On Climate Change [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Indian climate expert says journalists should scrutinise all new scientific research on climate change and other environmental threats

>  Africa: Continent Needs Reliable Energy Supply [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Last month I travelled to Nigeria to meet President Umaru Yar' Adua to discuss ways to support the country's energy development plan. The implementation of the plan is a vital step to help Nigeria to improve its power sector, help its people access electricity and improve the quality of life.

>  Africa: NAAZ Name Provisional Squad [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabwe have named a provisional 15-member squad for the African Athletics Championships scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from April 30 to May 4.

>  Africa: Kmal to Invest in Mentor Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kingdom Meikles Africa Limited is to invest in Mentor Africa - a sub-Saharan investment vehicle created by former Mvelaphanda executives.

>  Africa: AITEC Regional Banking Technology Conference Holds in Lagos [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Leading suppliers of banking technology and solutions have announced their sponsorship of the Third African Banking Technology Conference expected to hold in Lagos between May 6-8, 2008.

>  Africa: Big Brother Africa’s Back [AllAfrica News: Africa]

After the huge success of the first two series of the reality television show 'Big Brother Africa', M-Net has moved quickly to begin work on a new season of the popular show.

>  Africa: Business Chief Takes Stand on Zimbabwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Leading Namibian business personality has come out with all guns blazing, saying it is high time businesses in Africa stand up and take a firm stand on Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: Big Brother Africa III Coming [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Big Brother Africa fans are in for another treat as the popular reality television show hits the screen in August this year.

>  Africa: Experts Seek Increased Budget for Health Sector [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Governments of West African countries have been asked to dedicate 15 percent of their budget towards revamping the health sector.

>  Africa: Essien to Play "Champions Game for Africa" [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ghana midfielder, Michael Essien has accepted an invitation to play for an African-select side in a charity match in aid of children on the continent and in honour of Sevilla defender, Antonio Puerta, who died last year.

>  Africa: Country Willing to Help Find Solutions to Conflicts in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Angolan government on Wednesday, in New York, reiterated its commitment to working devotedly and disinterestedly in the African Union (AU)'s Peace and Security Council and in the sub-regional organisations it is part of, to find peaceful solutions to the conflicts that still persist in some countries of the continent.

>  Africa: Country to Host 2009 Africa Amputee Nations Cup [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nigeria has won the rights to host the 2009 edition of the Africa Amputee Nations Cup.

>  Africa: Katto Seeded Fourth for KCB Rally, Singh to Lead the Way [AllAfrica News: Africa]

EMMA Katto has been seeded fourth in next week's KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda rally. Katto, the highest seeded local driver, lies behind regular Africa Rally Championship campaigners Muna Singh of Zambia, Japanese Hideaki Miyoshi and Ugandan turned Kenyan Riyaz Kurji.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Peer Review Mechanism - Lessons From Kenya [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"There is a need for a healing of the nation. The process of national healing and reconciliation is unlikely to proceed as long as society is still polarized. In addition, without also addressing past crimes, corruption, marginalization and poverty, it is unlikely that reconciliation can be achieved."

>  Africa: UN Chief Calls Food Crisis An ’Emergency’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The rapidly escalating crisis of food availability around the world has reached emergency proportions. The World Bank has indicated that the doubling of food crisis over the last three years could push 100 million people in low-income countries deeper into poverty.

>  Africa: Report Shrouds Gender Parity in Parliaments [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A new report by the Geneva-based Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) has shown that women are changing the priorities and sometimes the tone of legislatures around the world.

>  Africa: UN Economist Calls for Govt Involvement [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Lack of government involvement in marketing chains between farmers and traders has led to frequent collapse of markets in developing countries like Uganda, a United Nations Economist has said.

>  Africa: Insight - In ’African Democracy’ the Big Men Believe in Choosing Their Own Voters [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African leaders exhibit a wide array of unethical ways when it comes to the capturing, retention and exercising of political power, the long-term result being the tendency by a people denied the right to a free choice of their leaders to write electoral lists in blood, writes THANDIKA MKANDAWIRE

>  Africa: Dealing With New Scramble for the Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Industrial Europe and later America was built on African natural resources and labour whether as slaves or freemen but earning slave-wages especially in the colonies.

>  Africa: Political Crisis - Time to Rethink Western Democracy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Democracy is derived from the Greek word Kratos, meaning power or rule. Democracy thus means "rule by the demos. (Demo referring to "the people"; although the Greeks originally used this to mean "the poor" or "the many." The problem with democracy is it has no agreed meaning- it can mean anything to anyone and therefore risks having no meaning at all. Bernard Crick (1993) has described democracy as "perhaps the most promiscuous word in the world of public affairs."

>  Africa: Scramble to Defuse World Food Price Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

STAPLE food prices continued to soar on world markets yesterday as governments moved to head off a global food crisis.

>  Africa: Infrastructure - Continent Needs $22bn Yearly - Ezekwesili [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World Bank's Vice-President, Africa Region, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, has disclosed that Africa needs an investment of 22 billion dollars (N2.6 trillion) on "annual basis" for infrastructural development.

>  Africa: Big Brother Africa 3! [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IT would seem that it does not matter what ethics minister, Dr James Nsaba Buturo thinks. The people have spoken and M-Net is returning yet another season of their popular and phenomenally successful reality TV show, Big Brother Africa (BBA) 3!

>  Africa: Kenya Calls for Increased Intra-Africa Trade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya has called for an increase in intra-Africa trade in order to provide a market for exports from the African countries. Kenyan Trade and Industry Ministry Permanent Secretary, David Nalo said this will in turn help boost economic development on the continent.

>  Africa: Access to Global Trade - Challenges And Opportunities for Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

With increasing globalization, trade liberalization and export development, the so-called 'open-door policy' of borders for new trade and investment opportunities, especially by emerging markets, has become widespread in creating a need for agreements that ensure fair and efficient trade based on considerations of equity and fair access to markets.

>  Africa: World Bank Moves to Steer Media Involvement in Africa’s Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The new World Bank External Affairs Manager, Eric Chinje, is championing the search for concrete ways of enhancing the media's participation in African development.

>  Africa: Continental Body Boosts African Championship Team [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rwanda athletes are set to have a training stint in Ethiopia courtesy of the Confederation of African Ministries of Sport ahead of the African Senior championship due in Addis Ababa from April 30-May 5.

>  Africa: Genocide Survivors Should Be Given Fundamental Right to Live [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rwanda like most African countries is undergoing a remarkable change in many fields. Though not immune to some challenges, Rwanda has also managed to establish good governance and democracy.

>  Africa: Move to Help Poor Countries Benefit More From Gold-Mining [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Mali and Ghana are Africa's second and third largest gold-producing countries, but with most of the income leaving the country they remain entrenched in poverty.

>  Africa: Bobby’s Babes Out to Tame Young Zebras [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The expression on Bobby Samaria's face earlier this week revealed how much he really wants to progress to the next round of the African Youth Championship at the expense of Botswana, when his young brigade confronts the Young Zebras in the first leg of the continental qualifiers, at the Khomasdal stadium in the capital tonight (19h00).

>  Africa: EU Embarks On EPA Charm Offensive [AllAfrica News: Africa]

After attracting a steady flow of criticism for its handling of trade talks with Africa, the European Commission has gone on something of a charm offensive lately.

>  Africa: Care and Oxfam Call for Fundamental Changes in Tackling Global Hunger and Food Price Hikes [AllAfrica News: Africa]

CARE and Oxfam today said the international aid system not fit for purpose and called for fundamental changes in order to tackle the challenge of food price hikes and impending food crises in East and West Africa. The call comes at the end of a conference on how best the world can address global hunger attended by some 30 leading UN and aid agencies in Rome.

>  Africa: AU Commissioner Denounces Impunity [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Julia Dolly Joiner, Commissioner for Political Affairs at the Africa Union, has called on everyone to collectively fight against impunity, end discrimination and promote gender equality on the continent.

>  Africa: Yahsat Reveals Complete Satellite Coverage [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Yahsat will provide complete interconnectivity on C Band to Africa from the Middle East and Europe.

>  Africa: ITC Helps Put "Ethical" Fashion on Development Agenda at UN Accra Meeting [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Top African fashion designer Alphadi, a familiar name on the catwalks of London, Paris and New York, will be among experts taking part in a special forum on “ethical” fashion on Tuesday at a United Nations conference on development in Accra, Ghana.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Experts And Leaders Discuss Cutting Maternal And Child Deaths [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Leading global health experts, policy-makers and parliamentarians are convening here to address the urgent need for faster progress in reducing maternal, newborn and child deaths to meet internationally-agreed targets.

>  Africa: ’Zimbabwe Worse Than War-Torn Iraq’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

DOING business in Zimbabwe is tougher than doing business in Iraq. At least that is what the World Bank says in its 2008 "Doing Business" report.

>  Africa: World Bank Commits to Deepen Reforms to Better Serve Middle-Income Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank Group reiterated its commitment to reduce the non-financial costs of doing business with it and to expand the menu of products and services to better serve middle-income countries (MICs) in Africa.

>  Africa: Deox Flying High in the Apprentice Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Action ensues at The Apprentice Africa. The contestants were for the first time saved the intimidating presence of Mr Shobanjo. The C.E.O sent them a video message instead.

>  Africa: Zimbabwe Not On Summit Agenda [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Norway and the European Union on Sunday urged southern African leaders to resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe as their credibility was at stake.

>  Africa: AU Ministers Condemn Foreign Indictments [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ADDIS ABABA - African ministers of Justice and Attorneys General have slammed the recent indictments issued by foreign judges to African leaders saying it was an attack on the sovereignty of states.

>  Africa: U-20 Date Lesotho in Youth Tourney [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Four years after their last meeting in the same competition, the Zimbabwe Under-20 team take on Lesotho in an African Youth Championships preliminary round qualifier in Maseru tomorrow, writes Augustine Hwata.

>  Africa: UN Addresses Poverty, Growth at Major Summit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) meeting currently underway in Accra, Ghana, takes place amid rising global fears that global financial turmoil and economic slowdown in the developed countries would affect economic growth in the developing world.

>  Africa: 30 Million Children Could Die in the Next Seven Years - WHO [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned African Heads of State that the continent could lose about 30 million children in the next seven years if they did not curb the rising child mortality rate.

>  Africa: Bobby’s Babes Fail At First Hurdle [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Namibian Under-20 football team will face a mammoth task when they travel to Botswana for their 2nd leg of the African Youth Cup qualifier in two weeks' time.

>  Africa: Economic Summit Will Make Lagos Continent’s Model Mega City, Says Akabueze [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The fourth Lagos Economic Summit tagged Ehingbeti 2008, has been described as a veritable platform through which the state can attract significant direct foreign investment (Fdi) and generate new ideas on how to deal with the challenges of a mega city.

>  Africa: From the Continent’s Bushes to Slum Life [AllAfrica News: Africa]

According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Africa now has a larger urban population than North America and has 25 of the world's fastest growing large cities.

>  Africa: I Am Available , Says Striker Ssepuuya [AllAfrica News: Africa]

CRANES FIXTURES

>  Africa: TZ Beats EAC Countries in Reducing Child Deaths [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Unlike Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi which are doing badly, Tanzania could attain the Millennium Development Goal for child survival (MDG 4) if its trend of improved child survival are sustained.

>  Africa: URA Dumps Villa, Hippos Hold DRC [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Results

>  Africa: Anglican Women to Publish Prayer Book On Millennium Goals [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Anglican women and girls are uniting to make their voices heard on issues of poverty and empowerment by contributing to a new book of women's prayers.

>  Africa: World Bank’s Media Officer Parleys With African Editors [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Editors across the African continent were recently engaged to an international interactive video conference to explore a better system of information dissemination for Africa through the World Bank.Coming on the heels of the assumption of duty of the new African regional manager, external affairs communication, Eric Chinje, the live video conference was conducted from the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC in the United States in an interactive session with media editors spanning across Africa including Nigeria, South Africa, Liberia, Rwanda, Sudan, and Zambia amongst others. According to the World Bank scribe, the aim of the interactive session was aimed at exploring how the bank can help the African media towards achieving an effective information dissemination mechanism on the reportage of the bank's programmes in such a way that would impact directly to the intended beneficiaries, thereby creating a structure that would carry the press along. Nigeria's representation during the lively session included the LEADERSHIP'S editor, Malam Ibrahim Sheme, who contributed by advising that the World Bank should consider expanding the scope of its language bulletin format beyond English and French, which has become dominant , in order to accommodate other local languages across the continent in order to directly reach the target audience.

>  Africa: Namibia, Botswana U20s Draw At Home [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Namibia's national Under 20 soccer side gave a disappointing performance as they were held to a 1-all draw by Botswana in Windhoek on Friday night.

>  Africa: Athletics Team for African Champs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Athletics Namibia (AN) has named the athletes who will compete at the forthcoming CAA Senior African Track and Field Championships, scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 28 April to 4 May.

>  Africa: National Assembly Speaker Returns From IPU Gathering [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Angolan National Assembly Speaker, Roberto de Almeida, arrived Sunday night in Luanda, after attending the 118th inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Conference, held in Cape Town, South Africa, on April 14-18.

>  Africa: Young Warriors Fall to Lesotho [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Lesotho Under-20...(0) 1 Zimbabwe Under-20.....0 A NINE-MAN Zimbabwe Under-20 soccer team left Setsoto Stadium in Maseru yesterday with their heads high after restricting the home side to this narrow victory in the first leg of the African Youth Championships qualifier.

>  Africa: UN Food Agency Faces $750m Shortfall [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As the world grapples with shortages in the food supply chain, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it needs more than $750 million (N8.7 billion) to meet its commitment to feed the world's 73 million hungry people this year.

>  Africa: Rising Food Prices Could Affect WTO Talks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The rising food and fuel prices, with related social destabilisation, may necessitate a "course correction" in the liberalisation talks on industrial goods and agriculture, the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of nations told World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy at the end of last week.

>  Africa: Blow to Democracy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This year will go down as one of the saddest for African democracy. Results of the presidential election in Zimbabwe have yet to be released, over three weeks since Zimbabweans cast their ballots, and there is nothing to suggest that the outcome will be known any time soon.

>  Africa: Lamy Pushes Ahead With Services Liberalisation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy announced at the end of last week that there will be a limited ministerial "signalling" conference on services trade chaired by himself.

>  Africa: Rich Countries Must Deal With Climate Change [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The rich countries created the problems of climate change, and the rich countries bear the main responsibility for solving them, declared Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday.

>  Africa: Internal Displacement Update [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In 2007, close to half of the 26 million internally displaced people worldwide were in 20 African countries, according to the annual survey released on April 17 by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) of the Norwegian Refugee Council. The countries most affected by new displacement in 2007 were Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while the countries with the highest totals of displaced people were Sudan, Colombia, Iraq, the DRC, and Uganda.

>  Africa: ’Rethink Unfair EU Trade Deals Before It’s Too Late’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The EU will do irrevocable damage to the development prospects of some of the poorest countries in the world unless it overhauls free trade deals due to be finalised this year, said Oxfam in a report published today.

>  Africa: Large-Scale Biofuel Production May Increase Marginalization of Women [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rapid increases in the large-scale production of liquid biofuels in developing countries could exacerbate the marginalization of women in rural areas threatening their livelihoods, according to a new FAO study.

>  Africa: The Battle for Mindspace - Mobile Operators Get Serious About Branding [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This week has seen the launch of the rebranding of Mauritius Telecom's products under the Orange brand. Branding is ad-men speak for that curious alchemy of emotional and rational responses that we all feel for the products and services we buy. If the coverage and price of Africa's mobile operators is more or less the same, how do potential users tell the difference between them? The answer is branding that captures mindspace: another whizzy piece of jargon that identifies how many people remember your brand and maybe identify with it. Russell Southwood looks at how branding can define both what you do and how you're seen.

>  Africa: ’Between Implementation and Planning, There Is a Disconnect’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Accounting for about a third of the gross domestic product in sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture clearly plays a significant role on the continent. But, figures only tell part of the story. A review of Africa produced under the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) notes that agriculture is also "woven into the fabric of most societies and cultures in the region."

>  Africa: Globalization Pushes More Women Into Informal Economy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It emerged at a forum by CSOs to herald the UNCTAD conference that Sub-Saharan Africa in particular is experiencing a growing informalization of labour relations with dire consequences for women.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Across The Nation

>  Africa: I Support Obama to Win Only If He Promises to Leave The Continent Alone [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Apart from a few people like former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, I have great difficulty finding politicians who excite me.

>  Africa: Mbeki Gives Africa Bad Name [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It's unreal. I could not believe my eyes and worse my ears this weekend. There was a whole President of a serious country like South Africa telling the world "There is no crisis in Zimbabwe".

>  Africa: A Plea to Notwane Officials [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Notwane used to be a household name in Botswana football, winning everything on offer. They even reached the quarterfinals of the then African Cup Winners Cup in 1996. But since then, Toronto's fortunes have been dwindling and this season, things seem to be worse. Staff Writer TSHEPO MOLWANE looks at the problems at the club.

>  Africa: Africans Tired of Giving Absolute Power [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I have to begin this week's column with an open apology to a dear brother and comrade, Thomas Deve. He was one of the 'original politburo' of seven idealistic young men (unfortunately we were all men) who masterminded the organisation of the 7th Pan African Congress in Kampala in 1994.

>  Africa: Credit Ratings Attract Investors to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This is the first of a two-part series on credit rating, a trend that has been fully embraced in Kenya. Credit rating is expected to stimulate investment in Kenya from international financial markets. The second part will be published next week.

>  Africa: How UNECA Plans to Sort Continent’s Economic Troubles [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) whose mission statement has been limited to Regional Integration and meeting challenges of Africa in the 21st century. East African Business Week's BOSCO HITIMANA interviewed Mr. Patrick Bugembe, the Director of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in the Sub Regional Office for Eastern Africa (UNECA-SRO-EA) based in Kigali, on the role his office will play in enhancing the sub regional economy.

>  Africa: African Softball Body Holds Inaugural Meeting [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The newly formed African Softball Confederation (ASC) holds its first meeting in Lusaka, Zambia tomorrow to elect an executive committee and to discuss the format of its competitions.

>  Africa: Trade And Investment Keys to Spurring Growth, Says Ban Ki-Moon [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Increased trade and investment, particularly in agriculture, are crucial if Africa is to achieve the kind of growth needed to meeting its development targets, as well as to address the current global food crisis, which threatens to undo the gains made so far, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

>  Africa: Millions of Children Falling Through the Cracks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A significant proportion of the world's 2.2 billion children, many of whom are victims of violence, sexual abuse, labour exploitation and preventable diseases, are from the crisis-plagued African continent.

>  Africa: Peace is a Major Concern for UN [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the 15 months I have served as Secretary-General, I have devoted more time to African issues than to those on any other continent - from peace and security to the Millennium Development Goals. I have visited 11 African countries, and I am currently visiting more.

>  Africa: Development Aid Should Be Reoriented for Food Security - UNCTAG SG [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, Supachai Panitchpakdi, has expressed the need for the international community to re-orientate development aid to agriculture if the current world food crisis has to be tackled.

>  Africa: Beyond Basic Schooling [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa has made considerable progress towards fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in education, with access to primary-level education significantly expanded, particularly in the sub-Saharan region.

>  Africa: ’Africa Needs Technology Development Fund’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA will not develop unless the political leaders give priority to the development of science and technology, the chairman of the Ghana Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, has said.

>  Africa: The Millennium Devt Goals and the Poverty Problem in Africa (2) [AllAfrica News: Africa]

TO impoverish is thus defined as:-to make poor; to reduce to poverty or indigence; to exhaust the strength, richness or fertility, to cause to deteriorate.

>  Africa: Wango Launches ZIP in Accra [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Africa Secretariat of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organisa-tions (WANGO) has slated Saturday April 26 for the public presentation and flag-off of Zero Illiteracy Project (ZIP), a press release signed by Mohammed Bougei Attah, the Africa Regional Coordinator has disclosed.

>  Africa: ’A Collective Ignorance About How Agriculture Interacts With Natural Systems’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Representatives from countries, civil society and the private sector are meeting this week in Johannesburg, South Africa, to review the findings of the three-year International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD).

>  Africa: Brazil Shares Technology With Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The people of Brazil have reason to believe that they are making a real contribution to reducing hunger and environmental threats in the world by developing agricultural technology that has begun to be shared with poorer countries.

>  Africa: ’Increase Agricultural Productivity While Reducing the Environmental Footprint’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Over the past few years, Robert Watson has had what must qualify as one of the world's tougher assignments: heading an initiative to help agriculture cope with the substantial challenges it faces presently, and the even bigger hurdles ahead.

>  Africa: Zimbabwe - Tsvangirai Meets Obasanjo, Seeks AU’s Support [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe would not concede defeat without the intervention of the African Union, the president of the Movement for Democratic Coalition (MDC) and opposition leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, said in Ota, Ogun State, yesterday .

>  Africa: WFP Says High Food Prices A Silent Tsunami [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today that high food prices are creating the biggest challenge that WFP has faced in its 45-year history, a silent tsunami threatening to plunge more than 100 million people on every continent into hunger.

>  Africa: On Earth Day, Africa Action Calls for U.S. to Support Sustainable Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In recognition of Earth Day, Africa Action today released a new resource entitled A Strategy of Extraction examining the oil industry in Africa using the case study of Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. Because of poverty and geography, Africa will be disproportionately impacted by climate change. Africa Action urged leaders to prioritize sustainable, people-driven development in U.S.-Africa relations.

>  Africa: Continent Hosts Historic Conference on Primary Health Care to Renew Commitment to Health for All [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Thirty years after the emergence of the slogan "Health For All", the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with development partners and the Government of Burkina Faso, is organizing a major conference from 28 – 30 April in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to renew commitment to primary health care as the means to achieve improvements in health outcomes for the people of Africa.

>  Southern Africa: Time for Continent to Maximize Resources [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A region that has vast resources of oil reserves, diamonds, gold, copper and other economically important minerals besides the abundant water resources and fertile soils is still wracked by high poverty levels.

>  Africa: UN Secretary-General Calls for Free Trade On Global Market [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Secretary-General of United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has stressed the need for more free trade in the global economy to boost the economies of poor countries.

>  Africa: Nations Lag Behind in Millennium Goals, Says UN Chief [AllAfrica News: Africa]

None of the sub-Saharan African countries are on course in meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon said Monday.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Muslim-Christian Dialogue is Noble And Urgent for Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Catholic bishops and other officials from sub-Saharan Africa met in Nairobi last week to evaluate the Church's progress in its relations with other religions, especially Islam. The conference, opened by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue at the Vatican, took place against a backdrop of growing realization of the need for better understanding and collaboration between Muslims and Christians.

>  Africa: We Should Strive for Servant Leadership [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Finally, the long term was about to end. The excitement in the air was palpable amongst the kids as they jumped into their squeaky beds, eagerly looking forward to returning home, that night. Soon darkness settled over Nassolo Dormitory and tired snores tore through the thin blankets.

>  Africa: African Govts; Stop Robbing the Sick [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There are many people who used to be firebrand revolutionaries before who retreated into NGOs, often ambushing governments and others who hold power.

>  Africa: Guns in Continent Have Militarised Politics [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A Chinese ship carrying arms to Zimbabwe left the South African waters on Friday after a court refused to allow the weapons to be transported across South Africa. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union must be commended for their activism, especially in the face of President Thabo Mbeki's quiet diplomacy toward Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: Nigeria Is India’s Biggest Trading Partner on the Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nigeria emerged India's biggest trading partner on the African continent during the 2006/2007 trading year, THISDAY can reveal.

>  Africa: West Should Stop Blocking Zimbabwe’s Way Forward [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The West, particularly the Anglo-American establishment, should stop insisting that President Mugabe and Zanu-PF can not be part of a future prosperous Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: ’Africa is Financially Ignorant’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA should urgently address the lack of financial literacy if regeneration of wealth is to be achieved, Patterson Timba, the chief executive officer of Renaissance Holdings, said last week.

>  Africa: Etsu of Kwali, Others for African Merit Award [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Etsu of Kwali Abuja, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Shaban Audu Nizazo 111, former Governor of Yobe State and Senator of the Federal Republic, Dr. Bukar Abba Ibrahim and Professor Ebon Thomas Eshett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, FUTO, Owerri, are among dignitaries expected at the maiden edition of the African Merit Gold Award scheduled for Thursday, April 24 at the Excellence Hotel and Conference Centre, Ogba, Lagos.

>  Africa: Continent’s Modernisation Facade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

How intrinsic is the African governments' quest to push their countries to greater height of economic and cultural development? Seems obvious that our governments work overtime to integrate the continent into the global economy; truth is they are all working to accumulate private wealth and have little time for greater Africa!

>  Africa: Maputo Hosts 2008 Biennial On Education in Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, is to host the Biennial on Education in Africa, scheduled to hold from May 5 to 9. The Biennial is the most important meeting in Africa in the field of educational cooperation, organised every two years by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA).

>  Africa: Why China Interest in Continent Should Be Treated With Care [AllAfrica News: Africa]

CHINA IS RAMPAGING, AND the West is restive. In the last few years, Western media propaganda has focused on China's role in the Darfur crisis, accusing Beijing of propping up the el-Bashir dictatorship which is waging ethnic cleansing in which over 200,000 people have died since 2003.

>  Africa: Oxfam Tells Poor Nations to Shun EPAS [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Oxfam International has called on African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries not to make their interim economic partnership agreements (Epas) with the European Union (EU) legally binding.

>  Africa: Pressure Piles On African Union Chairman Over Zimbabwe Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Jakaya Kikwete faces another Herculean task as chairman of the African Union (AU) after a resolve by civil societies around the continent to petition him this week to act over the looming political crisis in Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: Africa, The Oasis for Mauritian Investment [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Black continent is set to become the ray of hope for Mauritius Inc. With its limited resources and restricted market, Mauritius has no other alternative than to look to its neighbour, which provides myriad opportunities. We are bound to take the road to investing in Africa; it will be a hard, exciting journey and, above all, one with hopes of exceptional returns.

>  Africa: Conference to Examine Ways of Improving Strategic Leadership [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A conference for Secretaries of Cabinet is to examine ways and means of improving strategic leadership and managerial performance.

>  Africa: Trade Policies Need to Incorporate a ’Gender Lens’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Increasing capacity among policy makers to ensure they apply a 'gender lens' at all levels of trade policy formulation, implementation and negotiation was one of the key recommendations which emerged from an event organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

>  Africa: Commonwealth Awards to Highlight ’Good Practices’ in Education [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Education Good Practice Awards will be launched on 30 April at Marlborough House in London

>  Africa: Views Clash At Unctad Over What’s Best for Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"Africa is not a basket case. The continent is just suffering from the effects of events that it has no hand in and cannot control."

>  Africa: Novartis Announces 20 Percent Average Reduction in Price of Malaria Drug Coartem [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Novartis has announced a 20% average reduction in the price of Coartem® tablets (artemether/lumefantrine 20 mg/120 mg), the state-of-the-art artemisinin-based combination treatment (ACT) for malaria. Starting this Friday, which is World Malaria Day, this price reduction will increase access to Coartem for millions of malaria patients, especially children in low income regions of Africa.

>  Africa: China Earmarks U.S.$5 Billion for Food Production on Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A visiting Chinese delegation headed by the Chief Executive Officer of China-Africa Development Fund says about 5 billion United States dollars have been earmarked for the production of food and cash crops in Liberia and other African countries over a 50-year period.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Continent ’Needs Attention’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

India's Minister for Trade and Commerce, Kamal Nath has stressed the need for Africa to be given the needed attention to develop.

>  Africa: Japan Sees Continent of Hope [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In spite of the teething problems that Africa is confronted with, the Japanese government still has hope in the continent.

>  Africa: EU and U.S. Failing Poor Farmers, Says ActionAid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ActionAid has hit out at resistance by the EU and the US to demands by G77 for a stronger role for UNCTAD to regulate trade in agriculture commodities. The EU and US are also accused of starving UNCTAD of resources and limiting its mandate.

>  Africa: Path Applauds New U.S. Congress Malaria Caucus [AllAfrica News: Africa]

First Lady Laura Bush announced today the creation of the Congressional Malaria Caucus, which will provide an important forum for new and enhanced congressional leadership in the effort to strengthen the global fight against malaria. Congressmen Donald Payne (D-NJ) and John Boozman (R-AR) will co-chair the new caucus.

>  Africa: Meet the ’Unsung Heroes’ Behind Trade Negotiations [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The 'Hub and Spokes' project aims to strengthen the ability of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to formulate and implement trade policies

>  Africa: 72 Million Children Still Not in School - EFA Chairperson [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Madam Adelaide Sosseh, chairperson of the Education For All Campaign Network, The Gambia, has disclosed that seventy two million children globally are currently without an education, noting that, girls and disabled children of those living in the areas of conflict are most at risk.

>  Africa: Support for Education Waning, Warns UN [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As the Government banks on at least five billion shillings in donor funding for the education sector in the coming financial year, a UN agency is warning of stagnating aid commitments to developing countries.

>  Africa: WTO Members Want Agreement Revised [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A majority of WTO members are now supporting the proposal to amend the WTO's TRIPS agreement so as to include a disclosure requirement for patent applications relating to genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

>  Africa: 100 Million People Face Hunger, Says UN Agency [AllAfrica News: Africa]

High global food prices have increased poverty and vulnerability, the World Food Programme has said.

>  Africa: New Push For Bed Nets to Prevent Malaria Deaths [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations has teamed up with religious, business and sports leaders in a new effort to send insecticide-treated bed nets to Africa to prevent millions of deaths from the disease, ahead of the first-ever World Malaria Day on Friday.

>  Africa: Surging Prices an Opportunity for Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Farming in Africa has always been a risky business, at the mercy of bad weather, droughts, low productivity, bad politics and non-remunerative, fluctuating farm product prices.

>  Africa: European Trade Deals ’Disintegrating Africa’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The European Union push for speedy signing of trade deals with individual African countries has 'shattered regional integration efforts', the campaign organization Oxfam has said.

>  Africa: Local Businesses Must Compete Internationally [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African countries must assist local business to compete internationally, says North West MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Darkie Africa.

>  Africa: Developed World Contributing Less Resources to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, whilst on an official visit to China, highlighted that developed nations were committing too little resources to the development of Africa.

>  Africa: ’Pay for Publicity’ Industry is Alive and Well [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The cause of press freedom, vital to building democracy in Africa, is being damaged by journalists who accept payment from their sources for covering the news. AllAfrica guest columnist Faten Aggad discusses the problem.

>  Africa: Conflicting Views on Trade in French Government [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As it prepares to assume the presidency of the European Union in July one of the main issues on France's agenda will be the economic partnership agreements (EPAs). But with less than three months to go, France's official position concerning EPAs is still surprisingly unclear.

>  Africa: AU Regional Experts Meet in Kampala to Review African Governments? Commitment to Social Protection [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Representatives from governments across Eastern and Southern Africa will join civil society groups, NGOs, faith based organisations, and multilateral and bilateral agencies in Kampala from 28-30 April for a Regional Expert Meeting hosted by the Ugandan Government to review the progress of African governments’ commitment to social protection.

>  Africa: Unctad Hears Gender Inequality Becoming Worse - And Better [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The only way that the poor, particularly women, will benefit from all the efforts that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has put into improving global trade is to ensure that power inequalities are redressed.

>  Africa: ITU Telecom Africa 2008 Begins May [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African telecoms ministers , regulators, top government officials, CEOs oftelecoms companies, equipment manufacturers and vendors, financing institutions, and participants from all parts of the world are billed to gather at the International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Cairo, Egypt, when the International Telecommunications Union, ITU-organized Telecom Africa Exhibitions and Forum 2008 kicks off on May 12, 2008.

>  Africa: Thueringer Hof in New Ownership [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE United Africa Group (UAG) and Namib Sun Hotels group (NSH) yesterday announced the sale of a Windhoek landmark, the Thueringer Hof hotel, to the Protea Hotels Group Namibia.

>  Africa: BBA 3 Countdown! [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ONLY seven more days to go if you plan to apply to be on Big Brother Africa 3! The popular reality television show is due to hit a small screen near you on August 24.

>  Africa: Activist Praises Europe, Slams U.S. on Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Stephen Lewis is a renowned and vigorously outspoken Canadian diplomat who has worked extensively to reduce the impact of HIV/Aids in Africa and to advocate for those living with the disease.

>  Africa: U.S. Congress and Laura Bush Launch New Malaria Caucus [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Today, Congressman Donald M. Payne, was joined by First Lady Laura Bush, at the official launch of the Congressional Malaria Caucus, which he will co-chair.   Other participants in the event with Representative Payne, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, included caucus co-chair Congressman John Boozman (AR-3), Admiral Ziemer, Coordinator of the President’s Malaria Initiative, Ray Chambers, United Nations Special Envoy on Malaria, and American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle.

>  Africa: Youssou N’Dour and World Bank Highlight Malaria Successes, Challenges [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank and partners in the global war against malaria are calling for an intense push to eliminate malaria as a major public health problem and end deaths from this ancient disease. This week, the Bank invited world music superstar Youssou N'Dour to perform before African ambassadors, Roll Back Malaria partners, Bank staff, and other distinguished guests. The occasion? World Malaria Day - an opportunity to focus attention on the challenge and opportunity malaria presents for those most directly affected and those able to help do something about it.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Africom Is Historic Step in U.S.-Africa Relationship [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The U.S. military's Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, is "history in the making" and, like the creation of the Africa Bureau at the U.S. Department of State 50 years ago, it is a vital step in an ever closer relationship between the United States and Africa.

>  Africa: Big Brother Africa 3 Launch Date Set [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFTER the unprecedented success of the second Big Brother Africa show last year, M-Net has announced plans to launch a third season of the popular reality series in August, bringing together 12 contestants from across the continent for Big Brother Africa 3.

>  Africa: Company to Forge Partnership in Water Management [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Rwandan electricity and water utility company, ELECTROGAZ, has signed a memorandum of cooperation with its Ugandan sister company, National Water and Sewage Cooperation (NWSC) to strengthen the water efficiency and supply in Rwanda.

>  Africa: Emma Katto Will Break His Pearl Rally Duck [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THIS year's KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda rally has the highest entry of foreign drivers in a long time, and all the ingredients of a thrilling showdown. I have successfully predicted the past three winners, but this one is too close to call because any of the top five is capable of winning this event.

>  Africa: Golf - Kenya Third in Zambia Contest [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya's national golf team lost easy matches in the final singles round of the 2008 Africa Zone Six Golf Championship at Ndola Golf Club in Zambia Thursday.

>  Africa: Malaria Has Remained Among the Most Devastating Diseases in Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

MALARIA has remained among the most devastating diseases on the African continent with hundreds of thousands of fatalities attributed to the disease each year.

>  Africa: Bad Constitutions Breed Instability, NCC Delegates Told [AllAfrica News: Africa]

DELEGATES to the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) were yesterday told that the majority of African countries are unstable because of enacting bad constitutions and it was, therefore, important that they took the NCC deliberations seriously.

>  Africa: Prof. Nyong’o Tasks African Leaders On Electoral Process [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The electoral process in Africa is responsible for the failure of democracy to provide its benefits to the people, Professor Peter Anyang Nyong'o, has said.

>  Africa: CBN, AFC And the Season of Probes [AllAfrica News: Africa]

If you were unfamiliar with Nigerian politics and you just came into the country to learn about the various probes going on at the federal levels, you would have thought there is no relationship between the present government and the one it succeeded.

>  Africa: NFA Confident of Falcons’ Chances [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Although the Olympic female football draws were not kind to Nigeria's Super Falcons, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) is still confident that the African champions can still ruffle a few feathers in Beijing.

>  Africa: Is Africa Ready for Malaria Vaccine? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A vaccine against malaria, something that a few years ago we could only dream about, could be a reality in the next five years. Are we ready to decide whether this vaccine is right for infants and children in Africa and to determine how it should be used within our health system? Given the magnitude of malaria and lack of a malaria vaccine, every person in the country is at risk-and given the traditional delays between the introduction of new medical solutions and their implementation, our country must begin to prepare for malaria vaccine introduction now.

>  Africa: Botswana’s Education System - Good Example to Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Botswana has set a good example to other African countries for investing more in education, says North West MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Darkie Africa.

>  Africa: Honouring Africa’s Social Entrepreneurs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Leading African social entrepreneurs with innovating solutions for the world's most urgent social problems would be honoured in Dakar, Senegal next month in what is expected to be a defining moment for the continent. The organisers, Ashoka since 1981, have elected nearly 2,000 leading social entrepreneurs as fellows. Its primary objective is to create communities of innovators while on the other hand, build a vibrant citizen sector that supports those creating changes in the world today.

>  Africa: New Stadium Set to Open [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Minister for Information, Culture and Sports, George Mkuchika, has said the Sh56.4 billion new National Stadium would be available for use next month.

>  Africa: Tanzania People’s Defence(TPDF) Mourns Drowned Soldier As Troops Return [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Tanzania People's Defence(TPDF) mourns drowned soldier as troops return

>  Africa: Ethiopia, Nigeria to Strengthen Trade Ties [AllAfrica News: Africa]

All is now set for Ethiopia and Nigeria to strengthen their trade relationship which has not been good overtime, the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Suleiman Dedefo said yesterday.

>  Africa: As Siasia’s Stance Stuns Ivorien Media [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The reverberations from Samson Siasia's decision to exclude John Obi Mikel from his Olympic team have echoed in far away Cote d'Ivoire with Ivorien media expressing surprise.

>  Africa: Food Crisis - ECOWAS Ministers Meet in Abuja [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Regional ministers of trade and industry are scheduled to hold an extra-ordinary meeting in Abuja, on May 8, 2008, to discuss the spiraling cost of basic food items and its impact on West Africa.

>  Africa: ILO Director-General Calls for Strong Support for Social Dialogue [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In an address at the headquarters of the African Union, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Mr. Juan Somavia, called today for a stronger commitment to reinforce "African tripartism" and social dialogue throughout the continent.

>  Africa: U.S. Senator Feingold Calls for Action on Malaria [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In honor of World Malaria Day today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, made the following statement in which he urged Senate leadership to quickly take up legislation to provide resources to combat the disease in Africa where 85% of the world’s malaria deaths occur.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: Malaria Campaigns Ramp Up Focus On Bed Nets [AllAfrica News: Africa]

With a million people a year still dying from malaria, the United Nations is leading a new campaign to provide universal coverage of essential malaria control measures -- particularly bed nets -- in Africa by the end of 2010.

>  Africa: Snapshot - China’s Verbal Acrobatics On Sports And Politics [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Never before has there been such a heated and widespread controversy surrounding a sporting event as has been the case with the upcoming Beijing Olympics, which has been dogged by disruptions of the itinerary of the Olympic Torch and strident calls by human rights activists worldwide for a boycott of the games.

>  Africa: On World Day, Unicef Issues Call to Curb Malaria [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF ) is marking World Malaria Day today by calling for accelerated efforts to tackle the disease, which kills more than one million people – mostly children – every year.

>  Africa: Step Up Malaria War [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Malaria Day was marked yesterday in style and the high point was the launch of anti-mosquito spraying campaign in Rachuonyo District. The campaign, dubbed Indoor Residual Spraying, will be rolled out to other 16 districts that are prone to malaria.

>  Africa: Apprentices Betrayed Oscar Kamukama [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The eighth episode of The Apprentice Africa was frustrating because homeboy Oscar Kamukama was betrayed and appealing because contestants were given a very stimulating task.

>  Africa: Will the Continent Be Ready for Malaria Vaccine? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A vaccine against malaria, something that a few years ago we could only dream about, could be a reality in the next five years.

>  Africa: ACP Countries Warned to Resist Economic Partnership Accords [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Civil society organisations have warned African Caribbean and Pacific, ACP, countries to resist Economic Partner Accords, EPAs, since they have failed to advance development in Africa.

>  Africa: Faith Leaders Press Mugabe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African religious leaders have reminded President Mugabe and his government that they have a specific responsibility to restore peace and stability to the country and to respect the human rights of all citizens.

>  Africa: AU to Merge Human Rights Courts [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Court of Justice of the African Union (AU) are to be merged in a move to integrate justice.

>  Africa: World Malaria Day - Will Africa Be Ready for a Malaria Vaccine? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A vaccine against malaria, something that a few years ago we could only dream about, could be a reality in the next five years.

>  Africa: Joint Regional Security Efforts Face Tough Challenges [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the midst of contentious domestic politics in many African countries, a quiet continent-wide revolution has been in process since the first years of the new millennium.

>  Africa: Great Lakes Region Agree on Common Defense Pacts [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Defence and security experts from an 11-nation member regional organization have agreed to strengthen bi-lateral and multilateral co-operation to help address the problem of negative forces holed up in some of their territories.

>  Africa: Highlanders Meet El Merreikh [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Bulawayo giants Highlanders face the biggest hurdle of their Confederation Cup campaign when they clash against seasoned African football campaigners El Merreikh of Sudan at Gwanzura this afternoon.

>  Africa: Ultimate Test for Country Giants [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Veteran Dynamos midfielder Desmond Maringwa says he has utmost respect for Etoile Sportive du Sahel, but insists the African champions are not invincible and can be beaten at Gwanzura tomorrow.

>  Africa: Idols Judges Humiliate Yulith [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Yulith Ndlovu, who is widely regarded as one of the country's most promising female musicians, was recently humiliated by judges of the M-Net Africa's Idols talent search show.

>  Africa: Rwanda Bundle Kenya Out of Under-17 Action [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya crushed out of the Africa Under-17 Championship on Saturday after they lost to Rwanda 1-2 at Nyayo National Stadium and 4-3 on aggregate.

>  Africa: We Must Read Our History Right to Correct Injustices [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Historical injustices" is a term that is now very much in vogue, even though those bandying it about do not sound like they know much history beyond the ramblings they hear in bar-rooms and political meetings.

>  Africa: West African Gas Pipeline Will Supply 475m Cubic Ft of Gas Daily [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The West African Gas Pipeline when fully operational will supply about 475 cubic feet of gas daily, the managing director of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Jack Derickson has disclosed.

>  Africa: Why Must I Sing a ’Western Song’ to Become an African Idol? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Don't we all love reality TV with such captivating shows like Big Brother Africa, Deal or no Deal, and The Apprentice Africa? The African TV viewer has never had it this good.

>  Africa: Injury Denies Kipsiro Chance to Compete [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Moses Kipsiro has opted out of the Africa Senior Championships due next week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia because of a nagging back strain.

>  Africa: ’W’Bank Committed to Africa’s Devt’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World Bank Group has said it was committed to expanding its products and services to serve middle income countries (MICs)in Africa better.

>  Africa: Former World Bank Chief Tasks Africa On Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa must reduce the multiplicity of decision centres, 53 states, 53 ministers of finance, and interlocutors and integrate its development programmes for the continent to achieve meaningful development, the former World Bank President, James Wolfensohn, said at the weekend in Tunis.

>  Africa: ’Banking Technology Conference Looks At Borderless World’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The theme for the forthcoming African Banking Technology Conference which is scheduled to hold from May 6-7 next month at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, is: 'Competing in a borderless world.'

>  Africa: Top Africa Catholic Thinker And Rights Campaigner Dies [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa lost a leading Catholic thinker and human rights crusader following the death last weekend of Fr Dr John Mary Waliggo.

>  Africa: Football - African Confederation Inspectors Expected [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An inspection mission with the African Football Confederation (CAF) is expected between Monday and Tuesday to assess the level of fulfilment of the tasks under the holding of the African Nations Cup that Angola is to host in 2010, ANGOP has learnt.

>  Africa: Continent Must Unite in Fighting Malaria [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Despite the terrible impact of HIV, malaria remains the biggest killer of young children in sub-Saharan Africa and in our battles against the new disease we must not forget that we have yet to win against the old.

>  Africa: Africa, World’s Fastest Growing Mobile Market [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There were 231.21 million mobile subscriptions in Africa by the end of June 2007. This represents an increase of 45.02 per cent year-on-year, a rate that has made the continent the world's single fastest-growing regional mobile market.

>  Africa: FG Pledges U.S. $1 Million World Heritage Fund [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Federal Government has pledged $1 million as its commitment to African World Heritage Fund (AWHF).

>  Africa: Will the New IMF Programme Help Or Hurt Africa’s Chances of Meeting Poverty Goals [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Under fire from both rich and poor countries for its strict policies, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) launched a new programme, called a Policy Support Instrument (PSI) in 2005, as a "non-financial mechanism."

>  Africa: The West Has Warped Immigration Laws - Hanson [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Victor Davis Hanson is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, a professor emeritus at California University, Fresno, and a nationally syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services.

>  Africa: Father of ’Negritude’ Restored Black Pride [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The death of Aime Cesaire, the Martinique poet recognised as the father of Negritude, evokes memories of a war against racism fought on the front of the written word.

>  Africa: Tribute to the Great Poet, Politician And Philosopher [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"We belong," Cesaire once wrote in his trademark revolt and fiery missionary zeal, "to those who say no to darkness". Saying no was the hallmark of the rebel-poet-turned-politician who was also an unflinching surrealist and consummate West Indian.

>  Africa: EU Ponders Next Move On Trade Deals [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The European Union is contemplating the way forward following the reluctance of the majority of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) they have been negotiating, five months after the expiry of the December 31 deadline set by the World Trade Organisation.

>  Africa: Review - ’It Always Rains in April!’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Between Kigali and Arusha two areas that share the monsoon seasons which come every fourth-month of the year, April usually spells heavy rains, bitter memories and the biting question 'Why?' Why were the killings allowed to take place in the first place?

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: African Empires And Their Locations [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In 217BC, African armies commanded by one of the greatest generals of all time, Hannibal Barca, defeated the mighty Roman armies in one of the greatest military loss ever.

>  Africa: Continent is Angry, Hungry, Violent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A Parliamentary caucus of the ruling National Resistance Movement party recently requested the Government to make deliberate pro-active actions to address the ever-increasing cost of food and consumer commodities. The caucus specifically requested the Government to waive Value Added Tax on food products. The concern expressed by the NRM MPs feeds into what is now viewed as a global food crisis. Although sections of the international media have blamed this crisis on bad governance in developing countries, food shortages have been reported in most parts of the world.

>  Africa: Emerging Markets Drive Mobile Shipments [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Demand from the emerging markets of Africa and Asia may have pushed mobile phone shipments to about 14 percent growth rate for the first quarter of 2008, says a report from a research firm, Strategy Analytics

>  Africa: Viability of Refineries Under Scrutiny [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The performance of the sub-Saharan Africa's refining industry is at a crossroads: One path, involving reforms, holds the prospect of new investment for more viable refineries. The other-the status quo, threatens extinction of the facilities. For now, most refiners have joined forces with the World Bank to study the benefit of reforms.

>  Africa: Investors Come Knocking On Continent’s Doors [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the last two years, the shifting focus to new markets has brought investors knocking on the doors of Africa.

>  Africa: Food Price Hike - Oxfam Condemns the West [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Renowned Aid Agency, Oxfam International, has condemned biofuel production in advanced countries, including the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), which has caused increase in global food prices.

>  Africa: Yogi’s Tunisian War Cry [AllAfrica News: Africa]

David Mandigora, basking in the glory of DeMbare's sensational victory over African champions Etoile du Sahel, believes his side can do more and book their place in the money-spinning mini-league phase.

>  Africa: Whyte Establishes Self Among Top Rally Drivers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabwe's Jamie Whyte firmly established himself among the continent's top motor rally drivers when he won the second leg of the 2008 Africa Rally Championship - the KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally - in the East African country on Sunday.

>  Africa: Africa’s Failing Infrastructure Renders Compulsory Licensing Pointless [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Switzerland is about to become ground zero for the future of health policy in Africa. Next week, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Intergovernmental Working Group will convene in Geneva to discuss public health, medical innovation, and intellectual property.

>  Africa: Malaria Expedition Reaches Mombasa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A GRAND expedition across Africa by road to raise awareness in the fight against malaria has reached Mombasa.

>  Africa: A Leadership Culture Will Make South Africa Great [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It's been an interesting year for South Africans so far. Between political uncertainty, unstable power supply, rising inflation, traffic congestion and a perception that crime is out of control, many of us are feeling gloomy, panicked and ready to pack up and go.

>  Africa: FG Hands Out N120m for Aviation Safety [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The federal government donated N120 million for the regional implementation of the Plan for Aviation Safety in Africa (AFI Plan), the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Harold Demuren , has said.

>  Africa: Jean Ping Takes Over AU Commission From Konaré [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Former Malian President Alpha Ouma Konare, who has served as chairman of the African Union Commission (AUC) since 2003, handed over power to Jean Ping, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Gabon yesterday at the headquarters of the Union.

>  Africa: No Sponsors Yet for Africa Nations Tourney [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has its back against the wall over those that would sponsor its newly introduced Africa Nations Championship, slated for Cote d'Ivoire next year.

>  Africa: African Union Under New Leadership [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Union Commission yesterday acquired a new leadership following the official handing over of authority under the new AU chairman, President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

>  Africa: World Bank in New Action Plan for Middle-Income Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank is expanding its menu of products and services in order to offer better services to middle- income countries (MICs) in Africa.

>  Africa: World Must Go Beyond Palliatives in Malaria Fight [AllAfrica News: Africa]

April 25 has this year been declared World Malaria Day. Since 2001, April 25 has been observed as Africa Malaria Day, commemorating the signing of the historic Abuja Declaration by 44 African malaria-endemic countries at the African Malaria Summit held in 2000.

>  Africa: Abject Intellectual Surrender [AllAfrica News: Africa]

LAST WEEK, THE CURTAIN finally came down on one of the most remarkable intellectual movements of our time.

>  Africa: Transparency International Calls for Revenue Transparency [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Transparent International (TI) on Monday announced that leading oil and gas companies have done little to save resource-rich countries from poverty.

>  Africa: Poor And Hungry Cannot Afford to Wait, World Bank President Says [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The following is a statement on the global food crisis made today by World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick after a meeting in Berne, Switzerland of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination:

>  Africa: International Conference on Primary Health Care and Health Systems Opens in Ouagadougou [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The international conference on Primary Health Care (PHC) and health systems in Africa opened Monday in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with host    President Blaise Campaoré calling on African countries and their development partners to establish a forum for exchanging information on best practices in the area of health.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Drug Access

>  Africa: Japan to Build 1,000 Schools [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Japan has announced an ambitious plan to build 1,000 schools in Africa over the next five years.

>  Africa: Why Continent’s Poverty is Only Artificial [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Our poverty is indeed artificial. The 'Creative Economy Report 2008' by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development is an indictment to intellectuals and policy makers in Africa who have failed to tap into the abundant resources in the continent.

>  Africa: The Plight of the Disabled HIV/Aids Patients [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Eye complications is a rising issue affecting people living with HIV. Despite the growing international attention to desisabled people's rights, African governments and Aids policy makers rarely consider disability issues when formulating their strategic plans, writes Bamuturaki Musinguzi

>  Africa: NFA Disappoints Emordi [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Home-based Super Eagles coach, Okey Emordi is disappointed at the lack of seriousness to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against Burkina Faso which holds this weekend

>  Africa: EDET Tips Fasuba to Win Gold [AllAfrica News: Africa]

All eyes will be on reigning African king of the tracks, Olusoji Fasuba, as the crème de la crème of the continent's athletes converge on Ethiopia in search of honour at the All African Athletics Championship, which starts Wednesday and will run till Saturday.

>  Africa: Plea to Continent Over Exports [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African countries risk losing out in the global commodity boom unless they add value to their exports.

>  Africa: Rufaro Reopening Set for June [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Harare City Council have set mid-June as the date by when they will reopen Rufaro and end the long-dragging process of installing an artificial surface at the ceremonial home of football.

>  Africa: Jendayi’s Safari Exposes Western Hypocrisy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When the Zimbabwe Election Support Network released their "projected" 2008 presidential result, little did they know the impact they would have on Zimbabwe's bumpy political terrain.

>  Africa: PLS Games to Go Ahead [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As Warriors camp is disrupted ZIFA have acceded to the Premier Soccer League's demands to have the top-flight league -- battling against a fixture congestion - to stage mid-week games and disrupt the ongoing Warriors camp.

>  Africa: Dembare Game Grosses $2 Trillion [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Harare giants Dynamos may have grossed a record $2 trillion from their latest African Champions League match but as has often been the case with the local game, direct match expenses have left the Zimbabwe soccer kings in the red.

>  Africa: Zim Under Scrutiny At ACP -EU Meeting [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Zimbabwe, Joy Bimha, has acknowledged that President Robert Mugabe has not won the March 29 presidential election, but added that because there was no clear majority winner for any of the presidential candidates in the race, a run-off would be announced.

>  Africa: Warriors Hit By Double Blow [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It never rains but only pours for the Namibian football team the "Brave Warriors" as the outfit prepares for its penultimate first leg match against Zimbabwe in the maiden edition of the African Nations Championships in Harare on Sunday.

>  Africa: Bba3 Entry Deadline Extended [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Multichoice Namibia yesterday said it has extended the entry date for Big Brother Africa III to May 7.

>  Africa: Govts Resolve to Improve Transitions of Power [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African governments have resolved to deepen research and development of cabinet transitional documents for the smooth transfer of power between outgoing and incoming governments as a result of democratic elections.

>  Africa: African Scientists Close to Malaria Vaccine [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African research scientists are close to discovering "a safe and effective malaria vaccine," according to a WHO consultant in Accra.

>  Africa: Allocate 15 Percent of Budget to Health, African Govts Told [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African governments have been called upon to make good their pledge to allocate fifteen per cent of their national budgets to addressing health issues in their respective countries; in a bid to help boost development all over the continent.

>  Africa: Fight Food Prices by Freeing Up Trade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Barriers to free trade are exacerbating the current global food crisis, making the conclusion of the Doha round of global trade talks being conducted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) not a luxury but a matter of real urgency, writes Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

>  Africa: World Press Freedom Day Events [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Many of our African members will be in Maputo, Mozambique for official UNESCO events. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the Media Foundation for West Africa, the Africa Free Media Foundation, Media Rights Agenda from Nigeria and the Africa Office of the International Federation of Journalists will all be speaking on the weighty theme of access to information and empowerment (see the programme here: http://tinyurl.com/5bktgv ).

>  Africa: Expert Seeks Prohibition of Torture in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Government at all levels all over Africa have been called upon to initiate and sustain steps to prohibit and prevent torture of citizens; using the Robben Island Guidelines (RIG) as an ideal tool.

>  Africa: Press Freedom Declines Across Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Press freedom in Africa declined in 2007 due to a misuse of libel laws and an increase in political conflict, Freedom House, a United States-based organization, wrote in its annual report released Tuesday in Washington, DC.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: The CYP in Action [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Young people across the Commonwealth world are reporting similar problems: Unemployment, substance abuse, increasing crime and violence and the ever-present threat of HIV/AIDS.

>  Africa: New UN-Backed Network to Link Development Partners [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations agency tasked with tackling rural poverty announced today that it will help finance a new knowledge network connecting development partners in sub-Saharan Africa.

>  Africa: How African Country Folk Hit Back At Urban Snobs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

MORE THAN A MONTH later, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has refused to release the results of the presidential election that he is presumed to have lost to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

>  Africa: Why Continent May Never Produce a Facebook [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Randall Pinkett is a nice guy. You've probably heard of him. He's the savvy Rhodes MBA scholar, self-made millionaire entrepreneur, author, coach and motivational speaker who beat 17 other contestants to clinch the plum job in the fourth season edition of Real Estate tycoon, Donald Trump's famed and widely syndicated 'Apprentice' reality TV show.

>  Africa: The ’Silent Tsunami’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As the current global food crisis threatens to compound the poverty and hunger situation, Nigerians have urged governments at all levels to take immediate action to check the situation.

>  Africa: Big Brother Africa Back On DSTV On Popular Demand [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The heat raised in the last two editions of the M-Net screened Big Brother show appears to have been doused as plans have been concluded to go on air again with the very much criticized show.

>  Africa: NIC Parent Expands to Rwanda [AllAfrica News: Africa]

INDUSTRIAL and General Insurance (IGI), the parent company of the National Insurance Corporation (NIC), has acquired a 35% stake in Rwanda's largest insurance company; Society Nouvelle d'Assurance du Rwanda (SONARWA).

>  Africa: Africa Rice Centre Moves to Boost Rice Farming [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As the world struggles to ease soaring prices of cereals, the Africa Rice Centre, Warda, has announced short-term comprehensive strategies to boost rice production.

>  Africa: Illegal Fishing Costs Continent U.S. $1 Billion Per Year [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The scale of illegal fishing across Africa is now so serious that it is in danger of decimating stocks across the continent, a new report says.

>  Africa: A New Deal for Global Food Policy to Fight Hunger [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The disturbing images of food riots in Haiti, protests in Egypt, and violence in many other countries around the globe should be spurring the global community to action. Hardest hit by the crisis are the world's poorest people. The World Bank Group estimates doubling of food prices over the last three years could potentially push 100 million people in low income countries deeper into poverty.

>  Africa: Major Japan Health Prizes Go to Two Pioneers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Government of Japan announces today its decision to award the inaugural Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prizes to Brian Greenwood and Miriam K. Were.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Science & Medicine

>  Africa: Is Re-Colonising the Decaying Parts of the Continent the Solution to Its Woes? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As Africa's budding democracies like Kenya emerge from ethnic violence, cynics are entertaining the idea of a new scramble for Africa which would entail re-colonisation and loss of sovereignty.

>  Africa: Emirates Records 62 Percent Profit Growth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Emirates Airline weathered increased fuel prices to record a 62 per cent profit in the last financial year.

>  Africa: Anti-Patent Crusaders Aren’t Helping [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Should poor governments be allowed to break drug patents for humanitarian reasons? That question is front-and-centre at a major public health conference sponsored by the World Health Organisation that started on 28 April in Geneva.

>  Africa: SN Brussels Faces Tough Times As Fuel Costs Rise [AllAfrica News: Africa]

High fuel prices, growing inflation and increased competition is expected to impact negatively on SN Brussels airline this year.

>  Africa: Raila Flies to South Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Prime Minister Raila Odinga flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday after a successful eye surgery in Germany.

>  Africa: India-Africa Summit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An impressive number of African delegations attended the first India-Africa Summit recently convened in Delhi by the government of India. Although China similarly attempted to strengthen its economic and diplomatic ties with African countries two years ago, Indian officials were keen to stress that the Delhi summit was more than an attempt to counterbalance China's growing influence in Africa. There is little doubt however that the increasing focus of Asia's emerging giants is predicated on a renewed scramble for Africa's natural resources, for hydrocarbons in particular, as well as their mutual determination to counter each other's influence in the region. India is reported to be especially worried about China's "encroachment" on the African rim of the Indian Ocean which Delhi has long considered its strategic backyard.

>  Africa: Review of Blogs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

One month after Nigerian passengers were kicked off a British Airways flight for protesting against the inhumane treatment of a deportee, the outrage has not subsided, particularly on the blogosphere where there are numerous petitions and articles calling for the boycott of BA.

>  Africa: Mbeki’s Aids Denial - Grace Or Folly? Part III [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Pambazuka News continues to serialize William Gumede's chapter on Mbeki and the controversies surrounding his AIDS policies. This is from his book "Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC." Be sure to look for parts four and five in upcoming issues.

>  Africa: New Green Revolution And World Food Prices [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It was just a matter of time... and not long at that. The world food crisis and the explosion of "food riots" across the globe has been turned into an opportunity. By whom? By the same institutions that created the conditions for the crisis in the first place: proponents of the new Green Revolution.

>  Africa: Africa’s Leadership Crisis the Case of Zimbabwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE crisis in Zimbabwe goes on without abatement.

>  Africa: The African Union Must Review Its Ambitions [AllAfrica News: Africa]

EARLIER this week, Jean Ping, who incidentally completed his doctorate in economics at the Sorbonne, reported for office as President of the African Union Commission.

>  Africa: Anyaoku in South Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Chief Chukwuemeka Anyaoku who holds some of Nigeria's most prestigious national honors-

>  Africa: Kaunda’s Tirades Against Brown Underscore Africa’s Nonchalance [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The sadistic collusion of African leaders in prolonging the Zimbabwean crisis and therefore the suffering of the people has been underscored once more through the convoluted utterances of ex-Zambian president, Kenneth Kaunda.

>  Africa: The Rise of Video Booths [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa’s cinemas saw the decline in audiences experienced elsewhere in the 1970s but failed to have a resurgence in the following years.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Country Reports on Terrorism - Africa Chapter [AllAfrica News: Africa]

U.S. law requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation. This annual report is entitled Country Reports on Terrorism. The Section on Africa follows below:

>  Africa: Mines Remain Theatres for Foreign Operators [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA is and for a long time will remain one of the major mining areas of the world and its position in the geography of global mining in terms of resources, production and trade appears quite strong.

>  Africa: Time for Fans to Give Akon a Break? the Man Can’t Show Up [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As Kenyan fans continue to curse Senegalese musician Akon for failing to perform in Nairobi twice, Ugandans who initially felt lucky after he promised to perform in Kampala are deeply disappointed. The guy just didn't show up. No. This was not the first time he had stood up Ugandans. You guessed right. It was the second.

>  Africa: AfDB Fights Food Crisis With Fresh $1bn [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Development Bank (AfDB) said in Tunis, weekend, that it was committing an additional $1 billion to fight the current food crisis in Africa and member countries.

>  Africa: Lawyers to Sue China Over Zimbabwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Lawyers from East Africa and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) are seeking legal action against the Chinese government over arms supplies to Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: Weight Loss And Fever As Telling As Lab Tests [AllAfrica News: Africa]

CLINICIANS TREATING MILlions of people living with HIV/Aids in poor countries in Africa and Asia can now rest assured that simple signs of deteriorating health such as weight loss or fever are almost as effective as advanced laboratory tests.

>  Africa: High Food Prices Could Benefit Farmers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The urban poor, who have to purchase their food, are facing considerable difficulties due to high prices of global cereal grains, especially rice, wheat maize.

>  Africa: Zimbabwe ’Crisis’ And the Uganda ’Success’ Story [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As I focus these days on the dark deception at the international level, we turn today to the most extreme example: Zimbabwe. I have followed extensively world media reports but there is something I have not once heard asked or discussed, which is why is Zimbabwe, once one of Africa's most promising countries, is where it is today , or more pointedly, reported and portrayed to be where it is today?

>  Africa: Football - CAF Inspectors Pleased With Conditions in Benguela Province [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The inspectors of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) expressed this Sunday satisfaction at the works that the Angolan government is carrying out in the construction of stadiums and hotels for matches of the African Nations Cup (CAN) of 2010, in the southern Benguela province.

>  Africa: Bayiga, Kabasindi in Last Chance Saloon At Africa Championship [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Uganda's top female sprinter Justine Bayiga will be seeking to make up for her earlier pitiable performance in the quarter mile when she competes in the shorter 200m at the Addis Ababa stadium today.

>  Africa: University of Malawi Challenges Strathmore [AllAfrica News: Africa]

One of the delights in watching the Celtel Africa Challenge is seeing an underdog like the University of Malawi beat an overconfident opponent like Kenya's Strathmore University.

>  Africa: Conflict Resolution to the Rescue [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African ethnic groups and clans have shared overlapping boundaries, spirituality, miseries and peace since the dawn of mankind.

>  Africa: Christian-Muslim Study Agrees Faith And Reason Non-Violent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Participants in the sixth meeting of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation of Tehran, Iran , agreed that faith and reason are non-violent.

>  Africa: World Christian Communicators Urge Defense of Free Press [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, the World Association for Christian Communication has called for greater protection for journalists and for communicators to challenge the impunity that shields human rights violators.

>  Africa: China Urged to Venture Abroad in War On Hunger [AllAfrica News: Africa]

China should set up farms abroad to produce extra food for its huge population, said agricultural officials recently.

>  Africa: Alarm Over High HIV Prevalence [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African scientists have challenged governments to revamp primary healthcare in the continent.

>  Africa: Tanzania Beats Country in Africa Champs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

GOALKEEPING blunders by Sam Kawalya yesterday complicated Uganda's pursuit of a place in the inaugural Africa Nations Cup Championship finals.

>  Africa: Africa Moving Away From Dictatorship, Says Ghana’s President [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africans now enjoy democracy as they move away from the era of dictatorship, President John Kufuor of Ghana has said.

>  Africa: Zim Dominates M-Net Idols [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabweans dominated the M-Net Idols (East and Southern Africa) theatre auditions in Nairobi, Kenya with eight contestants making the top 24 out of the original group of 13.

>  Africa: Big Brother Deadline Extended [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Big Brother has spoken. And the news is good! M-Net has announced that it is extending the deadline for entries for Big Brother Africa 3.

>  Africa: Espn Classic Launches on DSTV [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ESPN and MultiChoice Africa this week announced the launch of ESPN's second sports channel on DStv, ESPN Classic.

>  Africa: Will Developing Economies Survive the Financial Quakes in the West? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The recent financial problems experienced in the western world, and which arose from problems in sub-prime mortgage markets of USA has raised questions as to whether these could soon spread in DCs (Developing Countries).

>  Africa: Poor Planning By NAAZ Leaves Country Athletes Stranded [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabwe's athletes have missed out on a golden opportunity to compete at the 2008 edition of the African Athletics Championships in Ethiopia amid revelations that poor planning by the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe left the team stranded in Harare.

>  Africa: Dembare’s Gravy Train [AllAfrica News: Africa]

l Bloated delegation set for Tunisia l Officials set to earn a little fortune Premiership champions Dynamos want to send nine club officials, in what is effectively a dream all-expenses-paid-for Mediterranean holiday experience, to Tunisia next week on a transcontinental trip expected to gobble a staggering US$102 000.

>  Africa: Food Crisis Increasing Poverty [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The rising price of food is sending shivers down the spines of many world leaders who are aware that the skyrocketing prices have the potential effect of causing a "real economic and humanitarian tsunami in developing countries".

>  Africa: On the Road to Fight Looming Hunger [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Even as poverty tightens its grip on Africa, a group of eight young people have cycled through half the continent, starting from the north, raising awareness - and money - to help the poor.

>  Africa: African Leaders Should Value Life [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A look at several events across Africa shows that ours is a continent in which life is disgracefully and heartlessly despised.

>  Africa: Why I Am Bothered by Neo-Colonialist NGOs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Soon after the real colonialists had left Africa, a new breed of Western colonialists emerged: the statist Non-Governmental Organisations that want to save us from everything from genetically-modified food to globalisation--and growth.

>  Africa: Africa Continues to Grapple With Environmental Problems [AllAfrica News: Africa]

FOR Mabvuto Banda of Chongwe district, every day is a business day as he goes about cutting down trees to use for producing charcoal using a kiln (Chibili) in local dialect, made out of mud.

>  Africa: Are Judges in Talent Search Competitions Too Harsh? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

You could have been forgiven for thinking that she had lost a loved one. As she left the audition room, she kicked out her high heels and launched into uncontrolled wailing. She thrust her handbag onto the pavement and leaned onto a concrete pillar, as friends rushed to console her.

>  Africa: Rowing - Lidaywa Bags Silver in Africa Championship [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya's sole rowing qualifier for the Beijing Olympics, Mathews Lidaywa, bagged two silver medals at the just-completed first African Indoor Rowing Championships held in Cairo.

>  Africa: Continent Can Move Out of the Classic Tragedy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa is a continent of stark contrasts. While other continents have remarkably moved forward in the past three decades, Africa remains on a retrogressive path.

>  Africa: Rice Imports to Increase As Food Prices Continue to Rise [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As world food prices continue to soar, African rice breeders are casting their nets wider to find remedies to bolster local production of the cereal whose local consumption is growing faster than any other major staple food on the continent.

>  Africa: IMF Works On Food Price Policies [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The IMF is working with vulnerable member countries to assess the fiscal, balance-of-payments, and income effects of higher food prices and of higher commodity prices more generally.

>  Africa: EU to Give $187.2 Million Food Aid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The European Commission (EC) last week unveiled plans to release further Euros117.25 million (US$187.248 million) food aid for the world's most affected people. This is in response to the controversial increasing global basic food prices.

>  Africa: Rice Breeders Raise Hope On Food Security [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has said African rice breeders have made some appreciable progress toward ensuring self-sufficiency and boosting production.

>  Africa: Opposition Politics on the Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa it has been said is the most abused and manipulated continent. While this may be the case, it does not mean that Africans as a people are themselves not to blame.

>  Africa: Poverty the Greatest Threat to Stability of African States [AllAfrica News: Africa]

That Kenya and other African countries in general are faced with monstrous challenges associated with poverty is not in any doubt.

>  Africa: Kenyan Martyrs in Apprentice Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFTER last Sunday's episode of Apprentice Africa, you can only wonder what is wrong with the Kenyans. If you hadn't yet known, Eddie Mbugua was fired and, like the other Kenyan martyrs, Joyce Mbaya and Anthony Migui, it was for the same flimsy reason of "dying" for their team and taking responsibility for loss.

>  Africa: Grannies Help Grannies Cope with Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In the last of a three-part series interviews with AllAfrica, Stephen Lewis, formerly special envoy for HIV/Aids in Africa for United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, tells Cindy Shiner of the resilience of Africans fighting Aids and of the work of his foundation.

>  Africa: Lessons From China’s 20 Years of Reforms [AllAfrica News: Africa]

China's economic development over the past two decades has been likened to a miracle by many Economists.

>  Africa: Countries Want More Effective Aid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Although Africa receives inadequate aid, the recipients want it used effectively without donor pressure on how to spend it. This call was made last week in Kigali during a consultative workshop in preparation for the Accra, Ghana High Level Forum on aid effectiveness, to be held from September 2-4.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Canada to Provide Cash, Not Commodities in Switch of Food Aid Policy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Canada is the latest major donor country to break the link between overseas food aid and supporting its own farmers.

>  Africa: After China, India, Japan Calls On Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

WORLD economic powers are jostling to establish a strong presence in Africa.

>  Africa: Bank Raises Sh65 Billion to Check Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has stepped in with Sh65 billion in new money as part of a short-term action to help address the food crisis in Africa.

>  Africa: Failing Infrastructure Renders Compulsory Licensing Pointless [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) Intergovernmental Working Group is currently meeting in Geneva to discuss public health, medical innovation, and intellectual property.

>  Africa: Ban Ki-moon Recommends Replication of Success Stories [AllAfrica News: Africa]

One of the propositions during a meeting on Trade and Development for Africa's Prosperity, Actions and Directions, presided by UN Secretary General, Ban ki-Moon, is that African countries have to emulate other succeeding countries.

>  West Africa: Yar’Adua Urges Region to be Alert to Terrorism [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Umaru Yar'Adua has challenged Heads of the Committee of Intelligence and Services of West Africa to map out strategies of checking the spread of divisive extremist ideologies, by elements and interests external to the region.

>  Africa: FAO Director Welcomes U.S. Commitment [AllAfrica News: Africa]

At the joint press conference in Bern on Tuesday 29 April, following a meeting of the Heads of the Secretariat, the Agencies, Funds and Programmes, the United Nations Secretary-General and the Director-General of FAO, who jointly appoint the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, fulfilled their obligations by strongly supporting full funding of the emergency requirements of US$755 million for the World Food Programme.

>  Africa: Telecoms, Media And Technology Fund to Invest U.S. $75 Million in Its Chosen Sectors Plus an SME Fund [AllAfrica News: Africa]

US Government investment agency OPIC recently agreed to put US$50 million into the African Telecoms, Media and Technology Fund, the first of its kind on the continent.

>  Africa: World Bank, IFC Seek Investors in Off-Grid Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An international campaign to bring modern lighting to one-fourth of Africa's people enters a new phase this week with talks to draw investors to markets beyond the reach of the continent's outdated power grid.

>  Africa: Deadline for Big Brother 3 Extended [AllAfrica News: Africa]

MNet has announced that it is extending the deadline for entries for Big Brother Africa 3, until May 7. The original deadline was April 30.

>  Africa: Will Africa Be Ready for a Malaria Vaccine? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A vaccine against malaria, something that a few years ago we could only dream about, could be a reality in the next five years.

>  Africa: Nigerian Speaker Tasks Leaders on Democracy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole yesterday urged African leaders to provide solid foundation for democratic institutions in the continent.

>  Africa: Bank Raises Shilling 1.2 Trillion for Food Output [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has raised funding to agriculture by $1 billion (about Sh1.25 trillion) to solve critical food shortage in Africa.

>  Africa: Safeguard Own Economic Interests, Africa Urged [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA must safeguard its economic and social interest at the forthcoming ninth Conference of Parties to the Convention of Biological Bio-diversity and ensure that industrialised countries in the North do not sideline its concerns on agriculture, food security and agricultural bio-diversity conservation.

>  Africa: Food Crisis May Affect Education [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The current world food crisis presents a serious challenge to education in Africa, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Koichiro Matsuura, has warned.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: UN And British Government Launch Business Push for MDGs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A dozen international companies announced concrete initiatives to apply business expertise to tackle poverty at an event hosted in London today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the British Government.

>  Africa: One in Three Malaria Drugs Failing [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Some 35% of antimalarial drugs sold in six major African cities failed basic quality tests according to a study published today in PLoS ONE, a peer-reviewed open-access journal.

>  Africa: Continent Fast Integrating With Global World of Trade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The losing team will come back to the board-room where someone will be fired!" A very familiar phrase now among lovers of reality TV, a reality finally in Africa Boardrooms. In downtown Lagos, Africa's capital of dynamic chaos and cut-throat competition, The Apprentice Africa has been happening for some time now.

>  Africa: We Must Act On Food Crisis Now [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Worldwide, too many people still go hungry. More than half a million women die, needlessly, in childbirth each year. Some 10 million children die every year from preventable diseases, half of them in Africa. This is deplorable and unacceptable.

>  Africa: Firms Attracting Investors in Droves [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Interest in Africa's prime investments is expected to peak this year as international investors ventures into frontier markets.

>  Africa: Investors Should Support Lighting Africa Campaign [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An international conference that brings together representatives of the global lighting industry opened yesterday in Accra, Ghana. It could not have come at a critical time.

>  Africa: Free Continent From ’Imperialism’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Journalist Robert Mukombozi is deported from Rwanda, Andrew Mwenda is arrested in Uganda and his newspaper The Independence impounded. Zimbabwe joins the Kenyan queue on vote tallying fiasco.

>  Africa: Poor Leadership Slowing Continent’s Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Abridged version of a speech delivered at the brand launch of the Strathmore Business School (SBS), Strathmore University, Nairobi.

>  Africa: Kagame Changes Africa for the Better - British Premier [AllAfrica News: Africa]

LONDON - The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has hailed President Paul Kagame as one of the African Presidents changing the continent for the better.

>  Africa: Foreign Minister Attends African Union Meeting [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A governmental delegation, led by Foreign minister João Bernardo Miranda, left Luanda on Tuesday to participate at an extraordinary meeting of the African Union (AU) Foreign Affairs Committee, on May 06-07, in Arusha, Tanzania.

>  Africa: Greed of Leaders, Military, Bane of Africa’s Development-Gowon [AllAfrica News: Africa]

FORMER Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (RTD) has come hard on present and past African leaders especially the military saying that their greed kept the continent from developing, several decades after political independence.

>  Africa: Bank PHB Launches Banker’s Club, As Stakeholders Commend Apprentice Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Consistent with its Retail Banking focus and in keeping with its growing reputation as Nigeria's Most Innovative Bank, Bank PHB has concluded plans to launch a unique and innovative concept called the BankPHB "BANKERS CLUB".

>  Africa: Dembare, Bosso Trips in Doubt [AllAfrica News: Africa]

foreign currency reforms hit Zim giants Zimbabwe soccer giants Dynamos and Highlanders were last night facing a crisis after their trips to Tunisia and Sudan were thrown into doubt due to problems over foreign currency which are threatening to scupper their participation in the continental game.

>  Africa: African States Frustrated With Aid Conditions [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African development experts have expressed disappointment over conditions set by donor countries before getting aid.

>  Africa: Expert Advises On Quality of Education [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AFRICA should not compromise quality for quantity in the bid to provide basic education for all, a World Bank education specialist has said. Jacob Bregman, the lead education specialist for Africa, said the millennium development goal for universal education is good but it had put pressure on other levels of education.

>  Africa: African Power Firms to Meet in Nairobi [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Power distributors and suppliers across Africa will be converging in Kenya next month for their 16th union meeting.

>  Africa: Gazing At East Africa Through a Crystal Ball [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The year is 2013 and the region has just entered a period called the 'Great Grab' of the EAC that will stretch to 2025.The ceremony is being broadcast live through an internet-based video link enabled after the 2010 completion of high speed fibre optic cable connecting Zanzibar, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Kigali and Bujumbura.

>  Africa: Zimbabwe Tops Agenda As AU Ministers Meet [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Zimbabwe political crisis is to feature in the extra-ordinary session of African Union foreign ministers meeting which opened here yesterday.

>  Africa: Is Recolonising Continent the Solution to Its Woes? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As Africa performs below par due to poor governance, negative ethnicity, neo-imperialism manipulations, petty cross border differences and genuine ideological disagreements, the voices calling for the continent's recolonisation are as unfortunate as they are misinformed, writes policy analyst Peter Kagwanja

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Educating the Teachers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A new report, commissioned by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) will highlight key areas of concern in the provision of teachers and educational staff in Africa.

>  Africa: Power Suppliers to Address Challenges [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African power suppliers and distributers, still smarting from criticism over rising cost of electricity in most countries, have shifted focus to addressing key challenges facing the industry.

>  Africa: Continent Lags Behind in Access to E-Infrastructure [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Most African countries are slow in channelling information technology towards economic and social benefits, the latest global e-readiness report shows.

>  Africa: Why Entrepreneurs Need to Take Global Stage [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Truths must be told: Most African companies are only local champions.

>  Africa: Coca-Cola to Create Jobs With Network Upgrade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Soft drink maker Coca-Cola Africa, says it is enhancing its distribution network to create more employment on the continent.

>  Africa: Effective Strategies Needed to Combat Malaria [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya is one of the countries that have the best knowledge about malaria in the world today. Paradoxically, it is also one of the countries with the highest number of people who succumb to the disease.

>  Africa: Nine U.S. Ambassadorial Nominees Appear Before Senate Committee for Confirmation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nine nominees to serve as U.S.ambassadors in Africa appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday for confirmation.

>  Africa: FIFA Ranking - Nigeria Remains Fifth in Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The failure of the Super Eagles to make use of the last FIFA free day last month has ensured the country retained her 39th position and fifth best in Africa in the latest world football body's ranking that was released yesterday.

>  Africa: Women, Children Worst Hit By Cluster Bombs - NGO [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) said in Abuja that research on areas affected by cluster bombs in Africa showed that women and children were mostly affected.

>  Africa: When And How the Continent Went to the Dogs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The continent of Africa has for decades been the center of controversy.

>  Africa: AU Discusses Economic, Political Integration [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Executive Council of Foreign Ministers of the African Union (AU) met on Tuesday in Rusher, Tanzania, to make appropriate recommendations regarding the political and economic integration of the continent.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Toll-Free Mobile Service to Give Rural Africa Access to Medics [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A toll-free mobile service being launched in selected remote areas in Africa promises to save lives by connecting people with emergency medical cases to health personnel.

>  Africa: UN Wants African Farmers Empowered [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Donors should empower Africa in food production instead of focusing on food relief, a UN official has said.

>  Africa: UN And Computer Maker HP Partner to Boost IT Skills of Young People [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Hewlett-Packard (HP) have joined forces to help young unemployed people across Africa build their entrepreneurial and information technology (IT) skills, it was announced today.

>  Africa: Decline in Agriculture Must Be Stopped [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The food crisis, the problem of commodities, and how developing countries should preserve their space to choose between options in economic policies - these were some of the key issues that emerged at the recent United Nations' premier trade and development conference.

>  Africa: Electric Light Alternatives Could Help Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In many of Africa's towns and villages, smoky kerosene lamps are all that keeps the darkness at bay after sunset. However, kerosene is a dangerous and increasingly expensive source of light for Africans who do not have access to electricity -- about three-quarters of those living on the continent, according to the World Bank.

>  Africa: Blogging Roundup [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It's been a while since I have written a roundup for Pambazuka News and after browsing through the last couple of months I notice there has been an absence of news on what is happening at grassroots level in Africa and the Diaspora so I have focused on activist blogs or blogs posting on local community issues.

>  Africa: Emirates to Fly to South Africa Daily [AllAfrica News: Africa]

EMIRATES Airline is to introduce daily flights to Durban, South Africa, following its successful operations in Cape Town. Tim Clark, the carrier's president, disclosed that the new flights would start in December.

>  Africa: Unaids is Out of Touch With Reality And Should Be Closed Down, Says Expert [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The exclusive focus on HIV promoted by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is damaging health systems and distorting health financing, and UNAIDS should be closed down immediately, writes an expert in this week's BMJ.

>  Africa: Malawian Media Institutions Dominate Namisa Awards [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Malawi's two media institutions have dominated this year's National Media Institute of Southern Africa (NAMISA) awards which are held annually during commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day.

>  Africa: ’Nigerian Insurance Industry Most Capitalised in Continent’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The regulatory body for insurance practice in Nigeria , National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has confirmed that the capitalisation requirement in the country's insurance industry is the highest in the African continent.

>  Africa: Franco-African Relations - Who is Tired of Whom? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The news may have come as a surprise to the French, whose leaders are always talking about the influx of Africans, and the threat this "invasion" poses to their economy and culture.

>  Africa: Africa is Fertile for Investment, Says Okonjo-Iweala [AllAfrica News: Africa]

World Bank Managing Director and former Nigerian Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday said the success of indigenous African companies such as MTN, proves that investments in Africa are succeeding beyond expectations.

>  Africa: Soccer - Broke KFF Wants to Pull Plug on Stars [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenya's 2010 World Cup campaign appears to be doomed even before it has started following the admission by a top football official that there was no money to prepare the team.

>  Africa: Rugby - Makaka Returns After Two Years [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Allan Makaka will make a return to seven-a-side rugby after nearly two years when Kenya's Shujaa play Maroc Scolaire in Tanger, Morocco on Friday.

>  Africa: China And the ’Flame of Shame’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I WENT to the Paris Hotel de Ville (City Hall) a few weeks back to witness what was supposed to be a festive moment of camaraderie and friendship between nations.

>  Africa: Coca-Cola to Create Jobs With Network Upgrade [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Soft drink maker Coca-Cola Africa says it is enhancing its distribution network to create more employment on the continent.

>  Africa: Male Circumcision And Reducing Multiple Partners the Way to Go [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Top researchers have called for male circumcision and the reduction of multiple sexual partnerships to become the cornerstone of HIV prevention in Africa if a significant impact is to be made on the HIV epidemic.

>  Africa: Poverty Has Female Face - German Diplomat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Chargé D'Affaires at the German Embassy in Yaounde, Horst Gruner, says despite the fact women are those who generate riches, they are hardest-hit by poverty.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: ’Political Will’ Needed to Address Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The need to give agriculture top billing on governmental "to do" lists has been highlighted at a telephone briefing to discuss the current food crisis as it affects Africa.

>  Africa: Women Struggle to Secure Land Rights [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Felitus Kures is a widow living in Kapchorwa, northeastern Uganda. Her husband's death left her solely responsible for their children.

>  Africa: Safeguarding Children From Armed Conflict [AllAfrica News: Africa]

For several years after war erupted in Côte d'Ivoire in 2002, children were recruited to fight on all sides of the conflict.

>  Africa: Spurring Business to Invest in Continent’s Future [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Since the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in March 2007, Côte d'Ivoire has been healing the wounds of a civil war that divided the country for more than four years. Major challenges remain in reconciling different political and ethnic groups and in reviving the confidence of a vibrant business sector that once made the country one of West Africa's economic powerhouses.

>  Africa: More Policy Freedom Or Belt-Tightening? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rather than "graduating" from the much-criticized economic reform programmes promoted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a number of African countries are opting to sign on to an extended version.

>  Africa: Oratory And Debate in Democratic Process [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the two remaining candidates for nomination by the Democratic Party for the US presidency. If finally elected to the White House in November 2008, Clinton would be the first woman President of the USA. On the other hand, if it is Obama who enters the White House in January 2009, he would be the first Black President of the United States.

>  Africa: Search for New Reggae ’King’ Proves Elusive [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Tomorrow marks exactly 27 years since Bob Marley passed on the morning of May 11, 1981. Indisputably, the charismatic virtuoso appears to have defied the test of time.

>  Africa: Challenges Ahead Despite ’Very Good Progress’, Says UN Official [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa is making "very good progress," but must tackle challenges in areas including transportation, infrastructure and water, a senior United Nations said today, as the annual Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is under way in New York.

>  Africa: GDP Growth Expected to Continue in 2008, 2009 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Strong growth in Africa's gross domestic product is expected to continue in 2008 and 2009, according to Louis Kasekende, the chief economist at the African Development Bank (ADB).

>  Africa: Health Worker Migrations ’Crimes Against Humanity’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

SHOULD THE WORLD DEVELOP a global treaty to regulate the emigration of African medical personnel to the rich West?

>  Africa: Global Body Calls for More Investment in Agriculture Research [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The world must invest now and in the long term in problem-solving agricultural research, the only solution to the growing food crisis, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has said.

>  Africa: UK to Impose Stricter Immigration Rules [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE United Kingdom (UK) will be imposing stricter immigration rules come October.

>  Africa: Eritrean Nationals in South Africa And Botswana Reiterate Readiness to Enhance Contribution to National Development Endeavors [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Eritrean nationals residing in South Africa and Botswana reiterated their readiness to enhance their contribution to ongoing national development endeavors. They voiced their determination in a public meeting they held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

>  Africa: How Poor States Can Benefit From Rising World Prices [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The deterioration of terms of trade is one of the historic factors behind underdevelopment, which should be understood not as a stage of development but rather a specific and distorted form in which peripheral economies are inserted into the world capitalist system.

>  Africa: The Shame of Food [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Food security is about people having economic and physical access to basic food. However, across Africa, there is an outcry over the high prices of foodstuffs, which have soared beyond the reach of the ordinary man.

>  Africa: A Green Revolution for Africa - Can It Be Made in Austria? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A grand initiative to give food production and agricultural development in Africa a shot in the arm got underway last week with experts drawn from all over the world making suggestions on what needs to be given priority to achieve a Green Revolution in Africa.

>  Africa: Reclaiming Schools As Zones of Peace, Culture [AllAfrica News: Africa]

For Safia Ama Jan who championed education in Afghanistan for three decades, school was a sacred place. To her, the future of Afghanistan rests with ending the senseless violence and discrimination that keeps girls hostages of their own communities.

>  Africa: $220 Million But Still No Respite From Malaria Deaths [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IS THE CURRENT GLOBAL APPROACH to malaria treatment and prevention working? That is what two researchers at the University of Alabama's Birmingham School of Medicine, want malaria experts to consider, given the relentless toll taken by the killer fever.

>  Africa: Commodity Dependence [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"We are living in a confusing time in the history of commodity markets. Commodity prices are currently high. Yet producers in Africa and other parts of the developing world do not seem to be benefiting from these high prices. ... The rich industrialised North has set the rules of the game, but instead of holding its producers accountable to those rules, it is distorting markets in their favour. Meanwhile, African producers whose governments have accepted to play by the rules are losing out.- - Dede Amanor-Wilks, ActionAid International

>  Africa: UN Conference On Trade And Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"Attempts to take matters outside of the United Nations (UN), such as at G7/8 meetings or at the World Economic Forum, have not been inclusive or democratic. The UN, with all its weaknesses, is still the only multilateral intergovernmental democratic institution the world has, and UNCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development] is part of that machinery.... Unfortunately, UNCTAD seems to have been further compromised in Accra." - Yash Tandon, Executive Director, South Centre

>  Africa: Increasing Africa’s Food Security [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The most worrying scenario in Africa today, as the hike in food prices ravage the world's poor, is not in the price of the food, especially the imported kind per say, but is the underlying fact that Africa's population which is largely agrarian is still a net food importer, even after decades of attempts to kick start some sort of green revolution.

>  Africa: Valinhos Makes Few Changes to Warriors Squad [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Warriors coach Valinhos has rung a few changes from the squad that faced Namibia in the African Nations Championship last Sunday for the return leg in Windhoek next weekend.

>  Africa: Alphadi, JD7 Couture, Kwesi NTI, Others Shine At Tendances Party [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It was the gathering of the best hands in the fashion industry in Africa when the annual Afrik Fashion Show, otherwise known as the Tendances Party, took place last weekend at the Ivorian capital, Abidjan. Fourteen African designers from home and abroad converged at the dome-shaped Ivoire Hotel conference centre, venue of the third edition of the show. The event unveiled the huge talent in the designers as they brought to bear on their work a fusion of both the traditional and a touch of western influences.

>  Africa: 2010 World Cup Will Be a Huge Success - Blatter [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ever since Africa backed Joseph Sepp Blatter to clinch the position of FIFA President, the Swiss-born administrator has never hidden his love for the continent.

>  Africa: A Continent of ’Poor-But-Happy’ People [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Summer time, which is slowly but surely setting in, is fieldwork time for many scholars from western universities. Many of them are now packing their bags to head for developing countries.

>  Africa: Dembare’s Ultimate Test [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Zimbabwe soccer kings Dynamos face the defining moment of their return to the African Champions League when they engage holders Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the cauldron of the Stade Olympique de Sousse in Tunisia tonight.

>  Africa: MTN Confirms Takeover Bid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

After nearly two weeks of speculation and denials, the South African mobile network company MTN has said it is in 'exploratory' discussions with the New Delhi-based Bharti group for a possible takeover or a strategic alliance.

>  Africa: AU to Boost ICTS in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Union Commission (AUC) has initiated a process to engage development partners to fund nine of 11 flagship projects under the Africa Regional Action Plan on the Knowledge Economy (ARAPKE) programme.

>  Africa: 400 Million Africans Unemployed [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Acting Director, Department of Humanitarian and Social Affairs at ECOWAS Friday said that over 400 million Africans have been affected by employment crisis which has been manifested as a poverty crisis.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Child Diabetes Assumes Alarming Proportions [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In recent times, diseases that were associated only with adults have now become universal. Even children are getting diseases such as diabetes.

>  Africa: Continent Must Re-Adjust Economies to Compete Globally [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa must move with double speed to catch-up and re-adjust their poor economies in order to compete favourably in the cut-throat global economy, says Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena.

>  Africa: Scientists Seek Continent’s ’Einstein’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Physicist Steven Hawking, who has been described as "the most famous living scientist on the planet," gave his first public lecture in Africa in Muizenberg, Cape Town, on Sunday.

>  Africa: UN to Promote Reconciliation in Post-War Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Societies that have suffered conflicts and are undergoing post-war trauma will soon be relieved of the burden of rebuilding mutual trust, confidence and to promote reconciliation, human rights and the role of law.

>  Africa: Guard Against Allure of Foreign Favours [AllAfrica News: Africa]

George Washington of the United States and Kwameh Nkrumah of Ghana have a number of interesting things in common. Each successfully led his people against British colonialism and became the first president of a fledgling country trying to find space in the international arena.

>  Africa: Egypt Partners With Sudan to Grow Wheat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Egypt has announced that it is to partner with its southern neighbour Sudan to till up to two million acres of new land to grow wheat.

>  Africa: Continent Fastest Growing Market in Telecoms [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa has been the fastest growing market worldwide in communication technology over the past three years and will continue to emerge as an important market for the industry, according to the head of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

>  Africa: Institute Paves Way for Africa’s Einstein [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The next Einstein is in the preprimary class of a township school about 100km from Cape Town and will need the help of the Muizenberg-based Aims (African Institute of Mathematical Sciences) if she is to achieve her full potential.

>  Africa: Continent Must Produce Or Perish [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Imagine that it is May 25, 2063, the 100th anniversary of Africa Day, a day for reflecting on Africa's successes and failures. The newspaper headline announces, "Last Remaining Oilfield in West Africa's American Territory Dries Up."

>  Africa: Confed Cup - Kotoko Hammers Dolphin [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Asante Kotoko has advanced in the Confederation Cup Ghana's Asante Kotoko scored two late goals to beat visiting Dolphin of Nigeria 4-1 yesterday in the Confederation Cup. The win saw Kotoko complete a 4-3 aggregate win.

>  Africa: Joburg Prepares for Africa Day [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The City of Johannesburg is gearing for this year's Africa Day, on 25 May, which will see workshops and exhibitions exploring complex questions and concerns, while music, dance, poetry and arts and crafts will add a lighter note.

>  Africa: African Stars Hit Back [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The protracted off the field battle involving Black Africa and African Stars is far from over despite several attempts by the MTC Namibia Premier League to reschedule the ill-fated match.

>  Africa: Child Hunger, Poverty Must Be Eradicated in Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Girma Woldegoirgis of Ethiopia has stressed the need for urgent action towards eradicating child hunger and poverty in Africa.

>  Africa: Africa Fastest Growing Information Technology Market, UN [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa has been the fastest growing market worldwide in communication technology over the past three years, according to the head of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

>  Africa: Waste Headed for a Third World Bin [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Panamanian flagged ship Probo Koala unloaded more than 550 tonnes of toxic waste at Abidjan port in Cote d'Ivoire a month back. Emissions from that toxic waste have killed seven people and poisoned thousands.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: High Food Prices Renew Interest in African Farming [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa's agriculture sector is attracting new interest from donors and the international community as a global rise in food prices threatens to wipe out recent economic gains in developing countries.

>  Africa: Why Africa Has Awful Customers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

So, why are the Kenyan roads bad?" an international journalist posed. The gentleman had travelled on our roads, those of Somalia, Rwanda, Congo and Uganda and he wanted to get some Africa bad roads 101 from me! Guess my answer? Our roads are bad because we don't own them.

>  Africa: Sweden, Ireland, Britain Lead in Aiding Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Sweden, Ireland and Britain top an index of 21 rich countries that ranks their commitment to help develop African nations.

>  Africa: Glass House Searches for Name for Emordi’s Team [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Fired up by the impressive performance of the 'Home-base Eagles' in the opening match of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying match against Burkina Faso last Sunday in Calabar, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) is set to give a more befitting name to the team.

>  Africa: NFA Moves to Unbundle Assets, Alerts MTN [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nigeria's leading telecom network MTN is positioning to get a share of the country's football property after it was alerted by the underground moves of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to un-bundle its properties for marketing consideration when the deal with the current rights holder expires next year.

>  Africa: Continent Made $24.3bn From Tourism in 2007 - Yar’Adua [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A total of US$ 24.3 billion was derived by Africa from tourism in 2007, says President Umaru Musa Yar 'Adua.

>  Africa: Region Soars in Mobile Growth With Troubling Contradictions [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa, once regarded as a big headache to the international community is at least getting it right in one sector, becoming the fastest growing mobile market in the world by overtaking Asia and North America.

>  Africa: Seals Broadcast Deal With Daar Communication [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) yesterday in Abuja handed out the broadcast rights of the Super Eagles and all the other national teams and DAAR Communication (owners of Africa Independent Television and Ray-power Radio) A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was entered into yesterday ahead of the formal signing ceremony scheduled for next week Tuesday.

>  Africa: Group Seeks Enhanced Human Capital Devt [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A group, made up of Nigerian intellectuals under the Human Development Policy Commission of Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) is set to chart a new way of helping the country grow on its human capital development.

>  Africa: Africa Shifts Attention to Post Primary Education [AllAfrica News: Africa]

For five days, no fewer than 500 people, gathered at the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre, Maputo, Mozambique for the Eight Biennial Conference of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA). Bukola Olatunji was there

>  Africa: New HIV/Aids Infections Still Rising [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A new World Bank report launched today says African countries must continue to champion HIV prevention efforts to slow and reverse the rate of new HIV infections, and that HIV/AIDS will remain for the foreseeable future an unprecedented economic, social, and human challenge to sub-Saharan Africa. The region remains the global epicenter of the disease.

>  Africa: Vision to Funding Seminar Holds July 28 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Uturn Concepts, a consulting organization that empowers non-profit organizations and small corporations for effective social impact by helping to build credibility, capacity and attracting sustainable funding to achieve their objectives is to hold its seminar series in three African countries beginning with Nigeria on July 28.

>  Africa: Only the Cover is Green [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Notice how green the public relations campaigns of multinational corporations have become.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: U.S. Senators Block Key HIV/Aids Legislation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A group of United States senators is blocking a bill that would help HIV/Aids patients in Africa and around the world, and could postpone the bill's passage until next year.

>  Africa: Our Round One Victory Over Disability [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The entry into force on Monday of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol heralds a new dawn in the fight for the well-being of people with disabilities - a struggle rooted in the fundamental principle of universal human rights.

>  Africa: Ethiopia Dismisses New Border Deal With Sudan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ethiopia says a border demarcation with neighboring Sudan is underway although an agreement has not yet been reached.

>  Africa: Volunteers Provide Lifeline to Researchers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Time and again, "citizen scientists" - members of the public who voluntarily help scientific studies - have made a real difference to research, for example by meticulously collecting data.

>  Africa: Strong Signs of Record Rice Production [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Rice production in Asia, Africa and Latin America is forecast to reach a new record level in 2008, FAO said today, warning that world rice prices could remain high in the short term, as much of the 2008 crops will only be harvested by the end of the year.

>  Africa: Benchmarking Africa With the World [AllAfrica News: Africa]

We live in a global village where ICTs have a direct impact on a nation's ability to improve the economic well being of her people and compete globally.

>  Africa: 1bn Africans to Get Satellite Connectivity [AllAfrica News: Africa]

One billion Africans located in under-served rural and urban areas across the continent are set to benefit from an initiative powered by a non profit association of the international satellite industry called Global VSAT Forum to double the number of earth station terminals operating in Africa by 2012.

>  Africa: New Ideas to Boost the World Tea Market [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Just like for other tropical products, the world tea market has seen a tendency for increasing supplies to run ahead of demand growth, depressing prices and returns to producers in developing countries.

>  Africa: Africa Needs Investment, Not Charity-ITU [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As stakeholders gather in Egypt to seek Information Communications Technology solutions that will take the African continent to the next level of development, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union ITU, Dr Hamadoun Touré has stated that what Africa needs is more investment and not charity.

>  Africa: Lulu - No Compromise on World Cup [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Sanni Abdullahi Lulu has assured Nigerians that the FA would stop at nothing to ensure that the country qualifies for South Africa 2010 World Cup.

>  Africa: AFDB Grants $200m Loans to Nigerian Banks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Development Bank (AfDB) said yesterday that it has granted about $200 million credit facilities to some Nigerian banks for on-lending to the different sectors of the economy.

>  Africa: Cost of Broadband Bane of Africa - Osaikwan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The prohibitive cost of broadband in Africa, despite investments currently hitting 6.4 billion US dollars in the continent was the thrust of a paper presented by Eric Osaikwan, the Executive Secretary of African Internet Service Providers Association (AfrISPA) .

>  Africa: Economic Integration Requires New Strategies [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The long-held dream of integrating Africa economically remains elusive, and new strategies are required for realising it, writes guest columnist Nkululeko Khumalo ahead of an African Union meeting on the subject which begins in Abidjan on May 19.

>  Africa: EU Seeks to Subdue Competitive China [AllAfrica News: Africa]

With the ascendance of China as a robust force on Africa's economic and political scene, plans are afoot in the European Union (EU) to pre-empt the Asian nation's dominance on the continent by forming a trilateral partnership that places Europe squarely in the centre.

>  Africa: Integration Ministers Meet in Abidjan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Third Conference of African Ministers for Integration (COMAI III) will, from 19-23 May 2008, take place in the capital city of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Abidjan, under the theme: “How to successfully integrate Africa”.

>  Africa: Commonwealth Health Ministers to Discuss E-Health [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Faster, more efficient and universal access to health care will be debated at the annual Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva on Sunday, 18 May 2008, under the theme of 'E-Health: Challenges and Opportunities'.

>  Africa: Asset Managers Look to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

SOUTH African institutional asset managers are increasingly refocusing their attention to real estate acquisitions in the rest of Africa, says property services group JHI.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: World Bank Shifting Gears On Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank says it is recalibrating its financing for anti-AIDS efforts in Africa, which shoulders more than two-thirds of the world's HIV/AIDS burden.

>  Africa: Oxfam Lists EPAs Signing Ills for ACP Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Anti-Economic Partnership Agreements (Epas) campaigning resurfaced last week, with Oxfam International reiterating its desire to see African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries analyzing Epa impacts before turning their interim Epas with the European Union (EU) into legally binding arrangements.

>  Africa: Sweden, Ireland And the UK Lead Continent’s Aid Index [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AN INDEX of 21 rich states ranking their commitment to help African states shows Sweden, Ireland and Britain are the leading contributors to development on the continent.

>  Africa: Give The Continent a Break [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Listening to the news the other day, I was delighted to hear that Ghana had hit the jackpot of sorts. You see, almost one billion barrels of oil have been discovered in Ghanaian waters.

>  Africa: Keen On Business, China is Yet to Flex Its Formidable Military Muscle [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A489-foot Chinese freighter An Yue Jian docked at the port of Durban in South Africa last month with three million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3,000 mortar rounds and 1,500 rocket- propelled grenades destined for landlocked Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: African Blog Review - 05/15/2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Breaking News Kenya

>  Africa: Challenges of Democratic Transition [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The challenges confronting Africa's democratic experiments are many and complex and include entrenching constitutionalism and the reconstruction of the postcolonial state, writes Femi Falana.

>  Africa: Int’l Conference to Call for Action On PWDs, Poverty, Discrimination, Lack of Access of PWDs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An international conference scheduled to be held next week in Addis Ababa is expected to call for global action on poverty, discrimination and lack of access to basic services for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), organizers said on Thursday.

>  Africa: Why South Africa Will Never Be Like Zimbabwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

OUR government's stand on Zimbabwe has once again distressed many South Africans. How can President Thabo Mbeki say there is no crisis in Zimbabwe? He later claimed he was not talking about the social and economic reality but about the elections in Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: Jackee Budesta Batanda [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Jackee Budesta Batanda is a communications officer at of Refugee Law Project. She has been Writer-in-Residence at Lancaster University, England, and Peace Writer at the University of San Diego, California. Her short stories have been short listed for the Macmillan Writers Prize for Africa. She has published The Blue Marble, a children's book and currently working on a novel.

>  Africa: EPA Threatens to Tear Apart Oldest Customs Union [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The fate of the world's oldest customs union, the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), is hanging in the balance as a result of the economic partnership agreements that most SACU countries have signed with the European Union (EU).

>  Africa: Is This the End for Cluster Munitions? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Banning a military weapon said to inflict a 98 percent civilian casualty rate is seen by many as an open-and-shut case, but for two weeks government representatives and interested parties will be guided by the phrase "cluster munitions that have unacceptable humanitarian consequences" in formulating a convention to curtail use of these weapons or totally getting rid of them.

>  Africa: Botswana And Cape Verde Join the Ranks of the Real VOIP Legalisers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Agencia Nacional de Communicacoes of Cape Verde has signalled intention to legalise VoIP. It will licence international VoIP service providers offering cheap calling and offer two classes of numbering. It has also licensed another Triple Play operator which will take advantage of the change in regulation to offer IP-TV, Internet and voice services. It joins the last real legaliser Botswana's BTA which also opened the door to international VoIP service providers at the end of last year. Russell Southwood caught up with these innovative regulators at ITU Telecom Africa 2008.

>  Africa: Healing Technology for the Commonwealth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The time is right for developing countries to benefit from e-health, says Archbishop Tutu.

>  Africa: Timeline of Cluster Munitions Use [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Handicap International, a non-governmental organisation working to improve the conditions and quality of life of disabled people in the developing world and in post-conflict zones, defines cluster submunition as explosive ordnance that, to perform its task, separates from a parent munition or dispenser.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Politics and Policy

>  Africa: New E-Learning Course On Global Food Standards [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The course has been developed by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO), with support from the Government of Canada, and aims to provide in-depth knowledge of Codex Alimentarius procedures and of the international food standards setting process.

>  Africa: Japan Set to Lay Out Its Plans for Rapid Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Japanese Government will soon roll out an ambitious plan aimed at bringing rapid development in Africa.

>  Africa: U.S. Aids Funding Methods Questioned [AllAfrica News: Africa]

From Genocide survivors and campaigners, now US senators are also calling for a review of how American taxpayers' money is spent to focus more on prevention than treatment, RNA reports.

>  Africa: Champions League - We Fear No Foe - Enyimba [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Two-Times CAF African Champions League winner, Enyimba International of Nigeria are not frightened by their opponents in the Group B of the Champions League that was drawn at the weekend. The Elephants of Aba were grouped alongside Al-Hilal of Sudan, Cotonsport of Cameroon, TP Mazembe of Congo Democratic. Chairman of the club, Felix Anyansi-Agwu said that they were ready to confront any team that come their way in the group stage.

>  Africa: Access Bank Acquires 3 Banks Abroad [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Access Bank Plc has announced the acquisition of three banks outside the country. A statement from the bank said: "Access Bank has completed the acquisition of three commercial banks in Cote d'Ivoire, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

>  Africa: Jubilee Eyes Rest of Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Jubilee Holdings Limited has unveiled plans to extend its operations to central and West Africa.

>  Africa: Blanko Disappointed With Performance [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa Nations Championships

>  Africa: Telecoms Acceleration [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Growth in Africa's mobile sector has defied all predictions.

>  Africa: Putting Human Faces on HIV/Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The widely acclaimed book, 28: Stories of Aids in Africa, has been highly praised for humanizing the story of HIV and Aids in Africa for readers around the world. The book tells the stories of 28 people affected by the virus – one for every million of those believed to be living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Stephanie Nolen, author of the book and Africa bureau chief for the Toronto Globe and Mail, told AllAfrica's Cindy Shiner that her goal was to help readers get past the statistics and to put a human face on those 28 million people.

>  Africa: Commonwealth Health Ministers Meet in Geneva [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Until all of our citizens have access to the level of healthcare that is their human right, our development efforts will have little impact, Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General told Health Ministers in Geneva yesterday (Sun).

>  Africa: Coca Cola Africa to Expand Private-Vendor Network [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Coca-Cola Africa is to expand its manual distribution centre network across the continent.

>  Africa: Indian Eyes On Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Talks between South African MTN and India's largest mobile-phone operator, Bharti Airtel, are now centered on a full takeover. Bharti said last week it was in talks with MTN to "combine the strengths of the two leading players from emerging markets, and is accordingly veering toward possible structures to achieve this objective".

>  Africa: States Must Rethink Development Policies to Stem Soaring Food Prices [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The hunger riots arising from soaring food prices are a terrible human drama. The world price of wheat has nearly tripled in three years, and doubled in the last year; the price of rice has increased by more than 50 per cent in three months.

>  Africa: Road From Doha Paved With Many Broken Deadlines [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There is a mistaken belief that the Doha negotiations at the World Trade Organisation are dead. But, the reality is there is a great flurry of activity at the WTO.

>  Africa: Will Continent Manage to Feed Its People Amid Rising Costs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The rising cost of staple grains across Africa has already caused food riots in a few countries. In Mogadishu, Somalia, thousands protested when food sellers rejected old currency notes amid spiralling inflation.

>  Africa: Are Continent Designers Overpricing Themselves? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

That African designers have come of age is no longer in question but at a press conference held recently at the Ivorien Chamber of Commerce and Industry to herald the annual fashion show called "Tendences Party", in Abidjan. Journalists and designers traded words as to why goods from foreign countries like China have taken centre stage in African countries, to the detriment of locally produced ones. While some argued that designers over-price themselves, hence leaving people no choice than to embrace the cheaper Chinese goods, some designers were of the opinion that original works such as theirs cannot come cheap. The question thrown up therefore was, how do we get African designers to become the Chinese of Africa? Designers from across the continent bare their minds.

>  Africa: Biodiversity to Curb World’s Food Insecurity [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"Our planet abounds with biological richness and this great diversity is key to face the worst food crisis in modern history," FAO Assistant Director-General Alexander Mueller said.

>  Africa: Who Will Pay for Peacekeeping? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The southern African contribution to the African Standby Force (ASF) to fulfil the African Union's (AU) peacekeeping ambitions will depend heavily on South Africa, but with its army already overstretched, underfunded and struggling to meet existing commitments, regional military experts believe this will be a burden the country cannot carry.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Across The Nation

>  Africa: Winners of Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Announced [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The two prize-winning books tell "stories of courage, endurance, hope and the power of the individual," say judges

>  Africa: UN Starts Feeding Thousands of Sudanese Who Fled Disputed Town [AllAfrica News: Africa]

United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) today started distributing food and clean water to tens of thousands of people who fled fighting in the disputed Sudanese town of Abyei last week.

>  Africa: Quest for Biosafety At Critical Stage [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I must pay tribute to the 147 parties that have ratified the Cartagena Protocol to date and would like also to take this opportunity to call on those that have not yet done so to expedite their internal process of accession and subsequent ratification of the protocol.

>  Africa: Countries Must Act Fast to Contain Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Whenever I drive into a fuel station, I feel like I am going to empty my pockets. Fuel prices are going crazy. With interest rates going up and petrol prices rising so fast, some people are trading in their "fuel guzzlers" for smaller more efficient cars.

>  Africa: Efforts to Boost Continent’s Networks Under Way [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Multi-billion dollar commitments have been made to help connect 90 per cent of Africa with the rest of the world in the next five years.

>  Africa: Commonwealth Envoys to Meet in New York [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Commonwealth Secretariat has organised a two day meeting for permanent representatives of member countries based at the United Nations in New York to discuss modalities of harmonisation of their participation at a major forthcoming UN forum.

>  Africa: Africa Day is Not Socialism Day! [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Talk about Africa Day and the image that comes to peoples' minds is music, drums, dancing and food! In the 2005 celebrations, I was a guest to African friends in Muscat Oman, and they requested that I should show case a 'thinking Africa' as opposed to the traditional dancing and drunk Africa!

>  Africa: Nsofor for Eagles Despite Hectic Program [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Despite having some crucial matches to play for his promotion chasing club, Obinna Nsofor has assured that he would be available for Super Eagles' World Cup cum Africa Nations Cup qualifying matches that would come up all in June.

>  Africa: Nigerians Attacked in S-Africa Count Losses [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Scores of Nigerians displaced by the attack on foreigners by South Africans yesterday besieged the Nigeria Consulate in Johannesburg for help, saying they had lost all their possessions following the attacks.

>  Africa: Chronic Conditions Like Heart Disease Now Top Killers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The global burden of disease is shifting from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases, with chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke now being the chief killers globally, according to a new World Health Organisation report.

>  Africa: New 5-Nation Project for Homes Affected By HIV/Aids [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Older people, orphans and vulnerable children living in multigenerational households affected by HIV/AIDS are the target of a new project in five Southern and Eastern African nations.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

HIV/AIDS Experts Call for New Ideas, Increased Funding on 25th Anniversary of Paper Identifying Virus

>  Africa: Kimmie Weeks Calls US Attention To Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A Liberian child rights advocate, Kimmie Weeks, has called the attention of the United States Congress to the rising food crisis, warning that it may cause "widespread political unrest in Africa and even digress progress made toward development and stability."

>  Africa: Spend Aids Cash Effectively [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As health ministers gather for the World Health Assembly in Geneva this week, there is one organisation that can justifiably feel smug.

>  Africa: International Efforts Still Failing Child Soldiers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Despite progress, efforts to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers are too little and too late for many children, according to the 2008 Child Soldiers Global Report, launched today by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.

>  Africa: Geneva Group of Commonwealth Countries Launched [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"We are working towards having a small states office here" -- Sharma

>  Africa: Kenyans Targeted in South Africa Violence [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A Kenyan woman was attacked by a mob and her household goods looted as another had her cellphone shop broken into and stock stolen in the violence-hit parts of Johannesburg, South Africa.

>  Africa: Inequalities to Blame for the Continent’s Woes [AllAfrica News: Africa]

South Africa is generally regarded as Africa's most prosperous and stable country. But the sudden wave of attacks targeting workers and residents from other African countries shows that the country has not been not spared the curse of economic and social tensions.

>  Africa: Keen On Business, China is Yet to Flex Her Military Muscle [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In spite of her thirst for African oil and hunger for Africa's emerging markets, China has not matched her economic forays in the continent with a military presence even as the USA tries to establish its African Command, writes policy analyst Patrick Mutahi.

>  Africa: Zimbabwean Gets Top Comesa Post [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A Zimbabwean , Mr Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya, has been appointed interim secretary-general of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

>  Africa: Mandigora Upbeat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Dynamos coach David Mandigora believes his side's sensational victory over Etoile du Sahel has given them a huge psychological boost that will stand them in good stead for their African Champions League mini-league campaign.

>  Africa: Leaders Must Resolve Its Problems [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THERE is glaring similarities between Bunyoro's relevance to Uganda and that of Africa to the world. Unlike its great past, Bunyoro's present is hollow and hopeless. Similarly, Africa's great past cannot be compared to its present day misery.

>  Africa: AU Meeting to Discuss Economic Integration of States [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Thabo Mbeki is to attend the first meeting of the Committee of Twelve African Union Heads of State and Government, set to discuss the political and economic integration of Africa.

>  Africa: Put Peace Ahead of Justice If This Means Saving Lives [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ZIMBABWE's political opposition and churches are shouting that Mugabe is now waging war on his own people, possibly even preparing a second round of genocide to match the atrocities that took place in Matabeleland in the early 1980s.

>  Africa: Country’s Global Peace Rank Down [AllAfrica News: Africa]

NAMIBIA has dropped several places, both in Africa and the world, on an annual study which ranks nations in terms of how peaceful they are.

>  Africa: How Food Aid Reaches Those Who Need It [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An elderly woman sits under one of the few scrawny trees in a parched landscape as she and 8,000 other displaced people wait for aid workers to begin handing out some 100 tonnes of flour, salt, sugar, and cooking oil.

>  Africa: South Africa Must Retain Its Vibrant Optimism [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Sometimes the realities are a bit harsh in South Africa, but the Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad has assured that South Africans will cope with them and retain their vibrant optimism.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Advocates Call for Creation of National Strategy To Fight HIV/AIDS in U.S.

>  Africa: Non-Communicable Diseases Will Kill Us in Future [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Chronic ailments such as heart disease and stroke are the chief cause of global deaths with infectious diseases including HIV and Malaria predicted to have a lesser impact worldwide over the long term, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

>  Africa: Inadequate Funding of Research Work Dampens Invention [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Researchers working in Africa have discovered huge products that can be of great value to the people if properly packaged and commercialised.

>  Africa: New U.S. Farm Bill is Outrageous [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The US Congress has just passed a new Farm Bill that continues the system of high subsidies even when food prices and farm profits are at record highs. It will incense the rest of the world.

>  Africa: Poor Countries Must Train Young Scientists [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The world's least developed countries (LDCs) are also the world's least scientifically proficient. They could benefit greatly from South-South co-operation on research projects and, even more importantly, through educational and training programmes.

>  Africa: Business Schools Set Skills Agenda [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Business schools in Africa are expected to play a bigger role in promoting economic growth in future by expanding opportunities for learning good management practices, the institutions' association has said.

>  Africa: Africa Must Wake Up to the Anarchy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Egyptian police shot and wounded a Sudanese nab to prevent him from crossing the border illegally to Israel (Daily Monitor May 20 Pg. 6). South Africa: Ugandans are getting increasingly caught up in the wave of anti-foreigner violence that has rocked South Africa in recent days. At least 30 people (foreigners) had been killed by Monday evening.

>  Africa: Global Media Takes a New Look At Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THERE is unprecedented interest in Africa today but the trend is changing from the gloom and doom stereotype to a focus on expanding investment potential on the continent, says Barry Moody, head of Reuters in Africa.

>  Africa: Keeper Omony Wants Official Invitation to Cranes [AllAfrica News: Africa]

FIXTURES

>  Africa: ITU - Expanding Africa’s Reach in Telecommunications [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In this analysis, Efem Nkanga examines Africa's growth in telecommunications against the background of Nigeria 's emergence as the number one investment destination and adds that Etisalat's entry into the telecoms space is expected to further consolidate Nigeria's number one position as Africa's heartbeat in telecoms.

>  Africa: Leaders Meet in Arusha [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Heads of state from 12 African countries are meeting today in Arusha to deliberate on the proposed Union Government for Africa.

>  Africa: Oil Hits Above $130 a Barrel [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Crude yesterday rose above $130 a barrel for the first time on the New York Mercantile Exchange, amid concerns that the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will not boost output in the coming months to rein in prices, and that China will increase its oil imports in the wake of its earthquake.

>  Africa: New World Bank Report Highlights Lessons For Growth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank Group welcomes a new report by the independent Commission on Growth and Development, a global panel of eminent experts, which reveals important lessons from countries that have achieved high, long-term economic growth. The experts say the lessons learned could help policy makers in developing countries as they seek to set their countries on a steady growth path.

>  Africa: Economic Growth - Only Way Out Of Poverty [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There is no way to lift the millions of the world's poorest people out of the ghetto of poverty other than through sustained economic growth, writes Shaun Benton.

>  Africa: Intec Expands Into Africa With Interconnect Deal in Ivory Coast [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Intec, , a global provider of business and operations systems, announced Monday that it's signed a major deal with Moov Côte d'Ivoire, a subsidiary of Atlantique Telecom, a global systems management operator in west and central Africa.

>  Africa: Elearning in Continent - a Matter of Capacity Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There are many different eLearning practices currently evident across Africa.

>  Africa: Continent Seeks to Address Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Finance ministers tasked the management of the African Development Bank (AfDB) with the development of a paper exploring options to address the current food shortages in Africa that is also a global crisis, at their meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, last week.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Uganda AIDS Commission Drafts Plan To Streamline HIV/AIDS Messages

>  Africa: Access to Information as a Tool for Socio-economic Justice [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In this article Mukelani Dimba shows how freedom of information legislation can be used by citizens to pursue their socio-economic rights. He argues that it creates the conditions in which government decisions about resource allocation can be effectively challenged.

>  Africa: Alternatives to the Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In last week's Pambazuka News, Ian Angus looked at the causes of the food crisis. This week, he argues that alternatives to the food crisis must by their very nature be informed by alternatives to global capitalism.

>  Africa: Paris Declaration Undermines Policy Space Through Aid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Celine Tan argues that "the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness may have the effect of circumscribing national sovereignty and country autonomy over development policies contrary to its stated principles of country ownership and mutual accountability."

>  Africa: More Financial and Technical Cooperation for Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Civil society organisations call upon the membership of the United Nations to encourage the building of development partnerships that increase the volume and maximize the poverty reduction impact of the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).

>  Africa: Farm Subsidies Ignite Tensions [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Few things cause tempers to flare up among governments on both sides of the English Channel more than the future of the European Union's massively expensive farm subsidies regime.

>  Africa: Why Doha Round is More Urgent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

If we are to meet the collective target we have of concluding the Doha Round by the end of 2008, we have only a few weeks, not months or semesters, in which to establish modalities.

>  Africa: Continent Needs Innovative Leadership [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The international economy has experienced several significant problems since the start of this year, and many of these troubles have the potential to hurt Kenya and other African states seriously.

>  Africa: AU Leaders Meet Over Unity Government [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Union heads of state commenced a meeting Thursday, to deliberate on the proposed single government for the continent, amid differences on the modalities of how the goal can be achieved.

>  Africa: Food Crisis Threatens Democracy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

More than half the nations of the world in which riots have broken out over food prices are in Africa, says Julius E. Coles, president of Africare, a U.S.-based organization which has been implementing food security programs across Africa for nearly 40 years. Based on that experience, he outlines recommendations for a comprehensive approach to meeting current challenges.

>  Africa: 75 Billion Euros in Aid from Europe ’Missing’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

European governments’ aid efforts are continuing to fail the poor to the tune of 75 billion euros, a new report by NGOs campaigners across Europe reveals.

>  Africa: Is Continental Unity Still a Relevant Dream? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The two-day summit of the committee of 12 Heads of State and Government of the African Union, got underway in Arusha yesterday with the formation of a union government for Africa as its main agenda.

>  Africa: AU Discusses One-Government Proposal [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Union heads of state started meeting here yesterday to deliberate on the proposed Union government amid differences on the modalities on how that could be achieved.

>  Africa: As African Union Strategises on Peace, Security [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Recently, 26 journalists drawn from nine African countries assembled in Addis Ababa for the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation three-day capacity building programme on peace and security on the continent. Although plagued by a myriad of conflicts, top officials of the African Union say there is a silver lining on the horizon. Juliana Taiwo was there

>  Africa: TAC - FG to Increase Allowance to Volunteers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Federal Government would soon increase the 800 dollars (N93,600) monthly allowance for the 2008 to 2010 biennium volunteers serving under the country's Technical Aid Corp (TAC) Scheme.

>  Africa: News From Africa Read With Keen Interest, Says Foreign Media [AllAfrica News: Africa]

There is currently an unprecedented interest in news from Africa, according to Barry Moody, Africa Editor for Reuters.

>  Africa: Zim - Battleground for True Uhuru [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The presidential election run-off in Zimbabwe should not be viewed as a simple election but the last battle between Western imperialism and absolute African liberation.

>  Africa: At Time of Food Crisis, New Rice Varieties Boost Rice Production [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As African governments and tens of millions of poor African consumers faced a dangerous rice crisis in 2007, new rice varieties adapted to African conditions helped achieve a 6 percent increase in the continent’s output. Though this represents a major advance, it is still far short of meeting demand, according to a report released today in advance of a key international conference in Japan on Africa’s development.

>  Africa: Deforestation Threatens Biodiversity Efforts [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The continuing failure to prevent catastrophic deforestation is hampering global efforts to reverse the loss of biodiversity and has become a major threat to forest-dependent people,warned Friends of the Earth International on ‘International Biodiversity Day’, 22 May.

>  Africa: Reconsider Priorities [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Nearly two decades after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the opening of competitive politics in Africa, the continent is still trying to balance with the new multi-party system.

>  Africa: Foreign Media Speak Out Over Africa Reporting [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The 2008 International Media Forum South Africa (IMFSA) that ended yesterday, Thursday, 22 May 2008, in Johannesburg, provided a viable platform for representatives of foreign media to 'clear their names' about allegations flying around that they only focus on Africa's negative reporting, thus betraying the dark continent. CNN Africa bureau chief Kim Norgaard lashed out at critics, saying there is nothing better than reporting on the full picture of Africa to help change people's lives.

>  Africa: Food Prices Remain High Despite Higher Output [AllAfrica News: Africa]

High food prices have particularly hit vulnerable populations in many countries that spend a substantial part of their income on food, according to a report released today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

>  Africa: Cape Town Mayor Meets With Displaced Foreign Nationals [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Executive Mayor of Cape Town Helen Zille late on Thursday night met with displaced foreign refugees who fled attacks in the Du Noon informal settlement.

>  Africa: Complex, Globe-Spanning Seafood Industry Offers Poor Countries Opportunities [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In this Q&A interview, Grimur Valdimarsson, Director of FAO's Fish Products and Industries Division, talks about international trade in fish products, the global seafood industry, and what they mean for developing countries and the environment.

>  Africa: Clinical Trials Portal?s New Pediatric Search Facility Underlines Industry Commitment to Develop Child Medicines Transparently [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) has added a special Pediatric Trials Search facility to its well-established Clinical Trials Portal, to facilitate finding on-line information concerning on-going and completed trials of new medicines developed or adapted especially for children.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report Will Not Publish Monday, May 26

>  Africa: France Seeks Greater Flexibility [AllAfrica News: Africa]

France, the forthcoming holder of the European Union's rotating presidency, has asked that the bloc display greater flexibility in talks aimed at reaching free trade accords with Africa.

>  Africa: World Bank Group President in Japan for TICAD IV [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group, will visit Japan from May 27-30 to participate in the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), where he will address the Plenary Session.

>  Africa: People Best Resource to Tackle Continent’s Challenges - Ban Ki-Moon [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The best means to address the problems Africa faces can be found in the continent's people, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today on the occasion of Africa Day.

>  Africa: Mobile Internet Take-Up is Speeding the Take-Up of IPV6 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A few years ago Africa's new Internet Numbers Registry, AfriNIC looked more of a dream and a prayer than a reality. But the take-up of IPv4 Internet addresses, which has almost reached 85% of those allocated, has shown that it can do its job and do it well. It's now experiencing a second wave of growth as mobile companies buy IPv6 addresses to keep up with the expansion of mobile data services. Russell Southwood spoke to AfriNIC's CEO Adiel Akplogan about what it all means.

>  Africa: How Media is Pushing GM Crops [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Unwitting African countries are being coaxed and coerced to cultivate and consume genetically modified crops in a campaign bankrolled by giant biotech multinationals and executed by cash-rich "scientific" organisations who extol technology as the panacea for the continent's hunger and low agricultural productivity.

>  Africa: Cape Town Commemorates Africa Day [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Cape Town commemorated Africa Day on Saturday with a two-day festival initiated by foreign nationals.

>  Africa: SA to Attend Conference On Continent Development [AllAfrica News: Africa]

South Africa is to join other African Heads of State in Tokyo to consolidate peace, human-centred development and poverty reduction.

>  Africa: Are We Ready to Risk Smaller Brains, Livers And Testicles? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

ALTHOUGH evidence is mounting that GM crops are not safe for consumption and that they pose significant risks for the environment, Africa is still being exhorted to feed its people on GMOs.

>  Africa: Taita Hills Under Pressure [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I FIRST VISITED THE TAITA Hills a decade ago with James Mwang'ombe, the programme co-ordinator of the Taita Hills Forests Programme.

>  Africa: Violence a Result of Policy Failures [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE WAVE OF VIOLENCE THAT has gripped South Africa is a direct response to policy failures on the part of the government.

>  Africa: Africa Day Address By The President of South Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Today, the 25th of May, all of us, Africans on the Continent and in the Diaspora join together to celebrate Africa Day.

>  Africa: Citizens Get More And More Respected - Says Angolan Official [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africans are getting more and more respected worldwide for their values, despite some problems that still exist in the continent, said Saturday here the acting director for Africa and Middle East of the Angolan Foreign Affairs Ministry (Mirex), Miguel Bombarda.

>  Africa: Developing and Donor Countries Agree to Common Vision for Climate Investment Funds [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Representatives of 40 developing and industrialized countries have reached an agreement to create two international investment funds that will provide innovative financing for developing countries to pursue cleaner development paths and protect themselves from the impacts of climate change.

>  Africa: "Build Regional Markets to Prevent Hunger" [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Regional trade agreements could not only serve to protect farmers in developing countries but could also be used for the swift distribution of food aid from neighbouring countries in times of famine.

>  Africa: Ambassador Highlights Progress in Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Angolan ambassador to Argentina, Fernando Dito said Friday, in that country's capital, Buenos Aires, that with the assistance and solidarity provided by the international community, the African continent has recorded progress in its political and diplomatic strategies.

>  Africa: Prime Minister Represents Head of State At Japan/Africa Summit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Angolan prime minister, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos travelled this Saturday to Japan, where he will represent the Head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, at the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).

>  Africa: Blogging Roundup - 21 May 2008 [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The blogosphere is dominated by the "xenophobic attacks" against foreigners in South Africa [mainly Johannesburg, but other cities have also experience violence in the past 6 months]

>  Africa: South Africa is All of US [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The mythologies we have constructed around us are imploding, write Mukoma Wa Ngugi and Firoze Manji looking at the background to the explosion of xenophobia in South Africa. The situation is the culmination of policies that have made the rich richer, and the poor poorer. But "the ruling elite is not South Africa. There are many within South Africa who are in solidarity with those under attack, and are opposed to the conditions that feed xenophobia."

>  Africa: Apprentice Africa - No More Team Game [AllAfrica News: Africa]

NNAMDI'S unfortunate firing in episode 11, then another unjust firing! Yes, Ghana's IT guru Regina Agyare, another great apprentice, got fired in episode 12 and it got me thinking: Isn't this simply a ploy, with the Apprentice Africa winner already known?

>  Africa: France Will Align Its Criminal Code With ICC [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The French Parliament will discuss next June the law of adaptation to the International Criminal Court (ICC), a legal text several times amended, has been subject of many debates since Paris ratified the ICC statute in 2000.

>  Africa: Forget About Africa’s ’Lost Decades’,We’re Marching On, Kagame Tells Asians [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Paul Kagame on Thursday concluded a three-day visit to Singapore as part of his current visit to Asia. Below is the speech he delivered at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore on Thursday.

>  Africa: South Africa And Its Other Blacks [AllAfrica News: Africa]

South Africa is looking ugly again. As is now known, some poor South African blacks have turned to killing and generally harassing other poor black people from the rest of the continent.

>  Africa: AU Eyes Single Government [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African Union has set several accelerators and benchmarks which should be implemented in the process towards the Union government.

>  Africa: Food Prices Remain High Despite Higher Output - FAO [AllAfrica News: Africa]

High food prices have particularly hit vulnerable populations in many countries that spend a substantial part of their income on food, according to a report released at the weekend by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

>  Africa: Low Turnout for AU Heads of State Meet [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African Union heads of state started meeting in Arusha yesterday to deliberate on the proposed union government amid differences on the modalities on how that can be achieved.

>  Africa: Summits And the Myth of One Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The China-Africa summit of 2006 marked a watershed for Africa's economic relations.

>  Africa: The Meaning of Africa Day [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Oh, that sunset on the beach of Sali, south of Dakar… the peace and quiet of the mountains of Lesotho… the beat of Mozambican, Cape Verdean and Angolan music… the taste of Injara in the restaurants of Addis Ababa…

>  Africa: Hydric Resources Should Be Strategic for Africa - Foreign Minister [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Angolan Foreign Affairs minister, João Bernardo de Miranda said Sunday, in northern Bengo province, that the hydric resources existing in the continent should be the strategic goal for African governments.

>  Africa: 40 Heads to Attend Tokyo Conference [AllAfrica News: Africa]

AT least 40 African Heads of State, including President Yoweri Museveni, have confirmed their attendance of the Tokyo International Conference on Development, which opens tommorrow.

>  Africa: How Rhetoric Has Denied Continent Dignity [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The post-election crisis in Zimbabwe and the unrest in South Africa are a manifestation of deeper, complex issues to do with global capitalism and its vampire-like tendencies.

>  Africa: Violence Against Migrants in South Africa Misplaced [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Yesterday was Africa Liberation Day. It marked the 50th anniversary of a day set aside for reflection, celebration and rededication to the cause of Africa and Africans' total liberation from social, economic and political injustices, initially by external colonialists but later neo-colonialists and their local agents.

>  Africa: Towards a Vibrant Continent - Kufuor at Ticad IV [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President John Agyekum Kufuor arrived in Japan on Sunday to participate in the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African development (TICAD IV) taking place in the city of Yokohama.

>  Africa: Japan Plans to Double Aid to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Japanese government plans to provide African countries, over the next five years, with grants and soft loans amounting to over six billion US dollars.

>  Africa: UN is Committed to Ending Genocide Globally - Amb. Zakari Ibrahi [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim needs little or no introduction to an average Nigerian and indeed anyone conversant with the diplomatic terrain, owing to his service of the nation at the highest level, beginning with mouding and developing young Nigerians, many who today hold places of high responsibilities in the process of nation building . A seasoned bureaucrat, an administrator cum diplomat who made a mark in both public and private life, and touches millions of lives in very positive ways. Talba, as he is fondly known, has maintained a reputation for excellence throughout his chosen career that spanned many years. He is on the same pedestal with such international figures as Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and Sadako Ogata, the respected former UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Our Kaduna State correspondent, Babangida Ahmadu Kakaki, spoke with him on the activities of the committee which the new Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon inherited from his predecessor, Mr Kofi Annan. He did not only retain it, but also reinvigorated it for better performance. The diplomat equally took a look at the relevance of the committee to the world in an effort to stem and possibly end genocide in the world. Excerpts:

>  Africa: Agriculture to Be Discussed in Japan [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Implementation of the NEPAD Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) will be one of the topics in focus at the opening day of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development scheduled to be held from 28-30 May in Yokohama, Japan.

>  Africa: African Labour Movement Denounces Xenophobic Violence [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An Africa labour movement has condemned the widespread xenophobic violence against migrants in South Africa.

>  Africa: African Bank to Manage Migrants’ Funds Transfer [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Participants in an African parliamentary conference on "Africa and immigration: challenges, problems and solutions", has called for the setting up an African bank to manage African migrants' funds transfers.

>  Africa: Continent Leads in Catholic Numbers, Europe Continues Drop [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Catholic Church in Africa grew by nearly 30 million in seven years, according to figures published by the Vatican.

>  Africa: South Africa Truly Becoming an African Nation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

By the time I left early in the week, ten days after the violence in Johannesburg had erupted, 24 people had been killed, 6,000 displaced, with the toll still rising as humans hunted down other humans and clubbed, stoned, stabbed, shot, or set them on fire.

>  Africa: Concept of African Unity Lives On Today [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When Emperor Haile Selassie addressed the delegates to the African summit conference in Addis Ababa on 25th May 1963, he voiced the hopes and dreams of an entire continent. "May this convention last 1,000 years," he proclaimed.

>  Africa: Governments Must Apologize and Act Now on 60 Years of Human Rights Failure [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Amnesty International today challenged world leaders to apologize for six decades of human rights failure and re-commit themselves to deliver concrete improvements.

>  Africa: Pacon Calls for ’One Africa, One Nation’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A Statement issued by Pacon for Africa Day significantly failed to make mention of the xenophobia which recently erupted in South Africa against the immigrant population there, yet called on Africans to work towards a "united states of Africa".

>  Africa: NampaAfrica Needs to Wake Up to Global Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The food crisis and Chinese expansion into Africa grabbed the limelight as business editors and economic journalists from across the continent converged for a media forum held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last week.

>  Africa: Africa Day Observed in Omaheke [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Close to 100 people including members of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) on Saturday held a street march from Epako township to the SME Industrial Park at Gobabis to mark Africa Day.

>  Africa: First Milestone for CNBC Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In celebration of its first birthday on 1 June 2008, CNBC Africa has minted 250 fine silver coins.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: UN Trip Should Focus On Human Rights [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations Security Council should address protection of civilians, justice, and human rights during its upcoming visit to Africa from June 1-10, 2008, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the council. Human Rights Watch highlighted critical issues that needed to be addressed at each of the stops on the council's tour.

>  Africa: New Unicef Report Sheds Light on Successes and Impediments to Child Survival [AllAfrica News: Africa]

UNICEF today called for large-scale, focused investments in improved health systems for sub-Saharan Africa, to capitalize on recent achievements and help children who have inadequate access to health care.

>  Africa: Continent Now Facing Black Apartheid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

May 25 was Africa Liberation Day. This year's celebration marked the 50th anniversary of this day set aside for reflection, celebration and rededication to the cause of Africans for liberation from injustices initially by external colonialists but later neo-colonialists and their local agents.

>  Africa: Soccer - Three Pros to Miss Stars’ Date With Namibia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Three abroad-based professionals are out of the national football team under coach Francis Kimanzi for the World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations, Group Two qualifier against Namibia on Saturday.

>  Africa: EU Urged to Be More Conscious of Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Namibia's Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have called on the European Union to refrain from "using underhand tactics to coerce African countries to sign economic partnership agreements (EPAs) that might not benefit them.

>  Africa: A Cause for Hope, a Time for Celebration? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Africa that we celebrate today has changed for the better in fundamental ways over the past 40 years.

>  Africa: Africa is Stuck in Unworkable Social And Political Systems [AllAfrica News: Africa]

KENYANS ARE YET TO REALISE that the current political dispensation is not the answer to their incessant political and socio-economic woes.

>  Africa: Continent’s Prisons Bosses Confer On Reform [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE administrative heads of correctional services and prisons in Africa have gathered in Pretoria to establish common standards to rehabilitate offenders in line with various African Union (AU) conventions on human rights.

>  Africa: Aids Vaccine Research And Clinical Trials Must Continue [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This month, here in South Africa and around the world, researchers, community leaders, and thousands of men and women who have volunteered for AIDS vaccine trials commemorated HIV Vaccine Awareness Day.

>  Africa: June Summit On Food Security Offers Historic Chance to Address World Food Challenges [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The upcoming High-Level Conference on World Food Security, to take place next week in Rome (3-5 June), offers a historic chance to re-launch the fight against hunger and poverty and boost agricultural production in developing countries, FAO said today.

>  Africa: Spain’s Real Madrid Soccer Captain Donates 30 000 Euros for Hunger Projects [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Spanish soccer captain and FAO Goodwill Ambassador Raúl González was awarded the first edition Spanish prize for solidarity in sports for €30 000, which he has requested be donated to the FAO special projects fund known as TeleFood.

>  Africa: South Africa’s Rising Xenophobia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Xenophobia is a word that evokes negative reaction whenever it is applied to persons or countries. It is simply the display of unnecessary hatred for foreigners.

>  Africa: Infrastructure Investment Can Improve Africa’s Growth- Mbeki [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The mobilisation of resources to Africa and investment into infrastructure will ensure that the African continent's growth is improved and sustainable, says President Thabo Mbeki.

>  Africa: Japan Makes a New Push Towards Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African leaders are seeking an increase in official development assistance (ODA) and a boost to trade and investment.

>  Africa: World Leaders Fail in Human Rights, Says Amnesty [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Amnesty International has accused world leaders over what it calls failure to deliver on the promise of justice and equality as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

>  Africa: Africa in quest of unification [AllAfrica News: Africa]

25 May, 1963. Heads of State and Government from the independent countries of the African continent converged in Addis Ababa at the invitation of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia with a bid to develop a strategy to break Africa free from the remaining shackles of colonial rule.

>  Africa: Japan Pledges to Double Development Assistance to Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) kicked off Wednesday morning in Yokohama City, with Japan announcing new initiatives to help African development.

>  Africa: Ellen Addresses Africa’s Development And Girls’ Education [AllAfrica News: Africa]

On the eve of the formal opening of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the achievement of gender equality and parity must start with the girl child, who has been left behind in receiving the education that is required for competing, and contributing to Africa's development.

>  Africa: Tokyo Conference Passes Action Plan for Heads of State to Check [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Council of Ministers at the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), on Tuesday in Yokohama (Japan) approved the statement and action plan that will be submitted to the forum of Heads of State and Government, which starts this Wednesday.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

San Francisco Mayor Rejects Proposed Budget Cuts to HIV/AIDS Services

>  Africa: Boosted Investment in Health Key to Help Children, Says Unicef [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Stepped-up investment to enhance health systems in sub-Saharan Africa is essential to help the continent's children, according to a new report by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) launched today.

>  Africa: Kikwete Sells Continent to Japanese Investors [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Japan has been criticised for being too preoccupied with Africa's dark past, which has led to insignificant trade relations between it and the continent.

>  Africa: IMF Role Changes As Nations Forgo Loans [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Ghana's economy turned as hot as the local pepper soup earlier in the decade, with soaring global demand for the nation's riches - gold, cocoa and bauxite - sparking a rush to modernise Ghana's decaying roads, rails and power grid.

>  Africa: Security Council Mission to Conduct Five-Nation Tour [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A Security Council delegation will this weekend begin a five-country visit to Africa to obtain a first-hand assessment of the crises engulfing Somalia, Sudan's Darfur region and neighbouring Chad and to help with efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Côte d'Ivoire.

>  Africa: Japan’s More is Not Enough [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Japan is receiving kudos for what UN Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro has called the country's "strong commitment to Africa's development."

>  Africa: Amnesty Blames Leaders for Abuses [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Amnesty International has accused world leaders over what it calls failure to deliver on the promise of justice and equality in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

>  Africa: Media Freedom Under Threat, Says Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Journalists across the world are still at risk as many countries show repression for the right to freedom of expression, a report released Wednesday by Amnesty International reveals.

>  Africa: Appeal For Enhanced Support For Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today appealed for enhanced support for Africa as the continent endeavours to reach the internationally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline.

>  Africa: Continent Must Unite in Fighting Economic Crimes [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A network of African countries, where information and knowledge is shared between law enforcement agencies, would help to solve financial crimes and open up economic opportunities for the continent, says Acting National Director of Prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe.

>  Africa: FG May Evacuate Nigerians in South Africa - Maduekwe [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Federal Government, yesterday said it is "seriously considering other measures, including evacuation of Nigerians residing in South Africa, if South African government is not able to bring the situation under control."

>  Africa: Uganda Climbs in IRB Rankings [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IRB Rankings at May 26

>  Africa: Celtel Keen on Investing in Africa’s Potential Abilities [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Celtel International, the parent company of Celtel Uganda has spent a considerably hefty $1 million on textbook donations, one of its flagship corporate social responsibility, CSR, programmes.

>  Africa: Sekagya to Rejoin Side Today [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Saturday Group three

>  Africa: Climate Change Concerns of Small Island States Are Brought to the Negotiating Table [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Giving a voice to small states that are vulnerable to climate change was one of the main prerogatives of a recent workshop which brought together senior negotiators from across the world.

>  Africa: Soccer Teams Compete for 2010 Places [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Most of Africa's national soccer teams are heading for stadia around the continent this weekend, only four months after the Cup of Nations ended in Ghana with Egypt pocketing a historic sixth win.

>  Africa: Add Value to Produce, Kagame Urges Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Paul Kagame has called on African leaders to broaden and deepen the continent's transformation agenda by adding value to what they produce and increasing competitiveness in the services they offer.

>  Africa: Women And Scientific Experiments - Is Informed Consent Enough? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Jegede Ademola Oluborode looks at the Protocol on the Rights of Women in relation to medical or scientific experiments and argues that ethical and scientific standards are lowered when it comes to African women and informed consent may not be enough to protect vulnerable African women.

>  Africa: Japan to Double Aid to Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Japanese government has promised to help in Africa's economic development by doubling aid to the continent over the next five years.

>  Africa: Japan to Double Aid to Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The country's P.M. made the promise yesterday at the opening of TICAD IV.

>  Africa: Abacha U-17 Tourney Ready [AllAfrica News: Africa]

To commemorate the 10 years since the death of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, his family, in conjunction with the Youths Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) has concluded plans to stage a maiden U-17 soccer tournament in his honour in Kano.

>  Africa: Security Council Urged to Protect Civilians [AllAfrica News: Africa]

As diplomats prepare to leave for Africa where the U.N. Security Council is due to meet next week, calls from activists are growing for strong international action to address the worsening human rights situation in many parts of the continent.

>  Africa: Fighting Poverty, Village by Village [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Standing in the midst of a freshly planted maize field, Bright Osei Kwaku recalls that last year he more than doubled his output with the help of improved seeds, fertilizer and advice on farming techniques. Altogether, his 2-3 acres yielded about 15 100-kilogramme bags of maize, compared with just six bags the year before, when he had no such support.

>  Africa: Guebuza Calls On Japanese Companies to Invest [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Thursday urged Japanese business people who are not yet investing in Africa, thinking that African markets are risky, to do so as a matter of urgency, because "Africa is now a safe destination" for their investments.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Washington, D.C., Council Member Recommends Eliminating HIV, Syphilis Test Requirements for Marriage Licenses

>  Africa: Conference Calls for Aid to Farmers During Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African farmers should be helped to raise productivity in their farms in order to reap the benefits of high food prices in the global market, a top World Bank official said.

>  Africa: Time Ripe for African Green Revolution [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Chichewa people in Malawi have a saying: Njala ndi chilombo. It means, "Hunger is a beast."

>  Africa: How Continent Can Become New Pole of Global Growth [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank Group is proud to be a co-organiser of this event, and I'm pleased that we're joined by many partner countries and organisations, including from the private sector and civil society. And I'm absolutely delighted that so many African leaders are here.

>  Africa: Health-E Scoops Major Global Media Award in Washington [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Health-e has won the community media category of the Excellence in Media Award for Global Health, sharing the stage with the Wall Street JOurnal which scooped the print section.

>  Africa: Hope for Zimbabwe, Fear for South Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Rwandan representatives to the Pan-African Parliament last week explained to the press what had been discussed during the ninth session in South Africa. The Pan-African Parliament, which was set up four years ago, is composed of 47 member states out of the 52 African states. Each member state has five representatives in the parliament.

>  Africa: World Bank Launches $1.2 Billion Fast-Track Facility for Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank Group announced today it would support global efforts to overcome the global food crisis with a new $1.2 billion rapid financing facility to address immediate needs, including $200 million in grants targeted at the vulnerable in the world's poorest countries. Announcing several measures to address immediate to longer-term food challenges, the World Bank Group said it would boost its overall support for global agriculture and food to $6 billion next year up from $4 billion, and would launch risk management tools, and crop insurance to protect poor countries and small-holders.

>  Africa: U.S. Representative Payne Calls Report on Food Insecurity a ’Clarion Call’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Today, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its report "International Food Assistance – Insufficient Efforts by Host Governments and Donors Threaten Progress to Halve Hunger in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015." Congressman Donald M. Payne, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global, along with Senator Russell Feingold [D-WI], requested the report out of concern over increasing food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and to assess progress towards the Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger and poverty by 2015.

>  Africa: NGOs Marginalised At Japan Meet [AllAfrica News: Africa]

If the fourth round of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) concluding Friday is seriously flawed, it is because non-governmental organisations have at best been allowed to influence the policy dialogue between Japan and the African governments only from the margins.

>  Africa: Review of Blogs On Literature [AllAfrica News: Africa]

This week's blog review will focus on those blogs that deal exclusively or primarily with African literature.

>  Africa: The Committed Intellectual - Reviving And Restoring the National Project [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A man or woman with no passion has no heart; one with no power of reasoning has no mind, writes Yash Tandon.

>  Africa: China’s Environmental Footprint [AllAfrica News: Africa]

China has great strategic interests in Africa, and Africa will benefit from a continued strengthening of its cooperation with China, says Peter Bosshard.

>  Africa: China’s ’Openness’ Has African Echoes [AllAfrica News: Africa]

China's media and official reaction to the devastating Sichuan earthquake has been given generally positive coverage by Western media and governments, writes Stephen Marks. It may be a coincidence, but the earthquake and the allegedly more open reaction happen to follow soon after the coming into force of sweeping new Chinese government regulations on transparency - which could be a useful lever for activists seeking greater transparency in tracking the impact of China's African footprint.

>  Africa: Agricultural Commodity Prices Expected to Remain High [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Agricultural commodity prices should ease from their recent record peaks but over the next 10 years they are expected to average well above their mean levels of the past decade, according to the latest Agricultural Outlook from OECD and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

>  Africa: ’Continent Still Centrepiece of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Umaru Yar'Adua said yesterday in Abuja that Africa still remained the centrepiece of Nigeria's foreign policy.

>  Africa: Global Green Awards - 2008 Finalists Announced [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Today the world's leading green energy prize announced that pioneering renewable energy projects from Africa, Asia and Latin America will each receive prizes of up to £20,000, with an overall Energy Champion winning up to £40,000. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony in London in June.

>  Africa: Efforts to Tackle Climate Change Receive $92 Million Boost - UN [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Japan today announced a new $92 million initiative to help Africa adapt to global warming.

>  Africa: NEPAD Spurs Businesses to Invest in Continent’s Future [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Local business leaders in Côte d'Ivoire believe that the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the continental plan for economic, social and political advancement, has a key role to play in mobilizing the private sector for recovery after nearly a half decade of civil war.

>  Africa: World Bank Urges Continent to Take Advantage of High Food Prices [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Bank has asked developed nations to help African farmers take advantage of the high food prices through increased food production.

>  Africa: Legal Framework Said Vital to Protect IDPs [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It is high time that a legal frame work was adopted to protect the rights and properties of displaced people in Africa, participants of a seminar on what has become the continent's major concern, said on Tuesday.

>  Africa: Jonathan Urges Socio-Economic Integration, Cooperation in Continent [AllAfrica News: Africa]

VICE President Goodluck Jonathan has said that inadequate funding of regional economic and trade programmes, poor socio-economic infrastructure, civil strife, crises and man-made disasters as well as divergent levels of complementary national economies and development, must give way if the African continent must achieve genuine socio-economic integration and cooperation.

>  Africa: South Africa And Kenya Share a Common Fate [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An East african perspective

>  Africa: Report Highlights Four Key Risks Facing the Region [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa is at an inflection point. The prospect of the region sustaining 5% growth is achievable, but a number of risks loom large, threatening future development and security, according to a report released today by the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Network.

>  Africa: Eighteenth World Economic Forum - Capitalizing on Opportunity [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Economic Forum announced today at a press briefing in Johannesburg that more than 800 participants from 50 countries will participate in the 18th World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town from 4 to 6 June 2008. Under the theme Capitalizing on Opportunity, the meeting will address the challenges that Africa must address if it is to be seen as a reliable and competitive partner in the global economy.

>  Africa: Big or Small, Soccer Teams Race for World Cup [AllAfrica News: Africa]

More than 40 soccer teams from across Africa this weekend join the race for one of the prize slots in the 2010 World Cup and in the African Cup of Nations finals.

>  Africa: Leaders in Japan Seek Business, Not Charity [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African leaders said yesterday that they needed investment rather than charity, as Japan promised to double trade with the continent and help it achieve the same economic growth as Asia.

>  Africa: Conflicts ’Down By 60 Percent’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Internal conflicts in Africa mainly caused by poverty, unequal distribution of resources and power, have has gone down by about 60 per cent.

>  Africa: Unicef Reports Five Million Child Deaths Every Year [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When four-year-old Alice Were suddenly developed a fever, her mother Miriam took her to the local medicine woman close to her house in Kangemi, a poor, cramped settlement on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

>  Africa: Japan Pledges Four Billion Dollars to Support Transportation [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Japan has pledged 4 billion dollars in soft loans to help Africa to improve its transportation infrastructure as part of a package of initiatives to hasten economic growth and reduce poverty on the continent.

>  Africa: Tokyo International Conference Closes Today [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), which started on Wednesday in Yokohama (Japan), closes this Friday with the adoption of the Yokohama Declaration. The about forty heads of State and Government who have been attending the conference shall also approve the action plan and strategy to implement the decisions that were taken in the event.

>  Africa: Pope Receives Six New Ambassadors to the Holy See [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Pope Benedict on Thursday received the Letters of Credence of nine new ambassadors to the Holy See, six of them representing African nations.

>  Africa: Taxes Holding Back Africa’s Mobile Industry [AllAfrica News: Africa]

If governments removed taxes that treat mobile phones and services as luxury goods, the mobile industry would generate even more than US$71 billion in tax revenues in sub-Saharan Africa between 2000 and 2012. This is according to research commissioned by the GSM Association (GSMA).

>  Africa: CNBC Africa Donates Airtime for Advertising Fighting Xenophobia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

CNBC Africa has taken an official stand against xenophobia by donating R250 000 worth of commercial airtime to companies and organisations wishing to place advertising fighting xenophobia or promoting peaceful co-existence in Africa and South Africa.

>  Africa: Sat-3 Reinforces Market Monopolies in Continent - Study [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A study examining the impact the SAT-3 fibre optic submarine cable has had on telecommunications in four African countries has found that the potential of the cable has not been properly exploited.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Japan Awards New Prize For HIV/AIDS, Malaria Work in Africa

>  Africa: Beyond Humiliation And the ’African Century’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"L'HOMME africain n'est pas assez entré dans l'histoire" (The African has not entered sufficiently into history).

>  Africa: Political Perspective [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A 'UNITED states of Africa' will in all likelihood remain a distant dream in the foreseeable future, but even if it became a reality, it would be meaningless unless Africans are able to treat one another with the respect and dignity they deserve, especially when it comes to refugee communities.

>  Africa: Beneficial Asia Relations Stalled By Lack of Vision [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Asia's interest in Africa is the new scramble for Africa.

>  Africa: China Breaks New Ground in Leather Technology [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In a hotel conference-room-turned classroom on the outskirts of the Chinese capital, more than 50 leather experts from around the world are poring over thick textbooks full of chemical statements.

>  Africa: Boost for Rice Production [AllAfrica News: Africa]

In hopes of doubling Africa's rice harvest within the next decade, a partnership led by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA),

>  Africa: Japan-Africa Outcome ’Inadequate’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A key document emerging from the fourth round of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) has failed to address HIV/AIDS in the region, says a non-governmental organisation.

>  Africa: Third World Scientists Require a Strong Base [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The world's least developed countries (LDCs) are also the world's least scientifically proficient. They could benefit greatly from South-South co-operation on research projects and, even more importantly, through educational and training programmes.

>  Africa: New African Correctional Forum to Address Challenges [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The newly established African Correctional Services Association (ACSA) aims to transform the penal systems and address challenges faced at correctional facilities across Africa.

>  Africa: TICAD Outcomes to Benefit Africa - Mbeki [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Following the conclusion of the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), President Thabo Mbeki on Friday said the outcomes would greatly benefit the African continent.

>  Africa: Kenyan PM Attacks Continent’s Leaders [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga launched a slashing attack on Africa's leaders at the World Economic Forum for Africa on Wednesday.

>  Africa: Food Plan Focuses On Regional Breadbaskets [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said yesterday key players in agricultural development had agreed to focus on increasing food production in "breadbasket areas" that enjoyed relatively good rainfall, soil, infrastructure and markets .

>  Africa: AllAfrica Joins Gender Parity Group [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Top female and male leaders from across the continent have launched an Africa Gender Parity Group at the World Economic Forum on Africa. The group of business, government, media, academic and civil society decision-makers are collaborating on ways for companies and countries to eradicate gender inequality and better engage women in the economy.

>  Africa: Is Biofuel The Continent’s New Oil? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Over-reliance on fossil fuels has long drained national budgets. Fuel prices are rising by the day and with little control over internationally determined prices, governments are seeking alternatives to meet the fuel needs of a rising urban population.

>  Africa: Continent Keeps Japan Guessing On Security Council Seat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

If the Japanese government was expecting assurances from African nations that they would support its bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, they have reason to be disappointed with the outcome of the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) last week.

>  Africa: 30 Billion Dollars Could End Hunger, Says FAO Chief [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Noting that the time for talk was over and that action was urgently needed, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf today appealed to world leaders for US$30 billion a year to re-launch agriculture and avert future threats of conflicts over food.

>  Africa: Solve Power Woes Says World Bank [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The power sector - long neglected in Africa - now demands urgent attention if the continent is to achieve stable economic growth, the World Bank warned yesterday" Inadequate power supply is constraining the growth of the continent, and curtailing the productivity of the enterprise sector," the World Bank's Vice-President for the Africa Region Ms Obiageli Ezekwesili said yesterday at the on-going eighth Sullivan Summit in Arusha.

>  Africa: Odinga Tackles Continent’s Leaders [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga had harsh words for Africa' s leadership at the opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa yesterday.

>  Africa: Leaders Hail Progress as World Economic Forum Opens [AllAfrica News: Africa]

At the opening plenary session of the 18th World Economic Forum on Africa, five African government leaders welcomed the progress that their countries have made in recent years but also highlighted the challenges faced by the continent, notably food security, the management of resources, political development and sustainable growth. “Africa is evolving very well in the correct direction,” said Thabo Mbeki, the President of South Africa. “There really has been progress in addressing the issue of peace and stability and democratization. This process is irreversible.” Declared John Agyekum Kufuor, the President of Ghana: “The opportunities for Africa are immense.”

>  Africa: Leon H. Sullivan Summit VII Billed As ’Summit of a Lifetime’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

"We have redoubled our efforts to create outcomes going into the summit so ... we will have not only recommendations but, in some cases, programming that can be initiated to address some of the issues that are raised," Simpkins said.

>  Africa: UN Teams Up With Green Revolution Group to Boost Food Production [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Key United Nations agencies have announced a new partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to boost food production in Africa's breadbasket regions and to support smallholder farmers.

>  Africa: U.S. Govt, G8 Undertakes Peacekeeping Initiative [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Confronted with a shortage of capable peacekeepers and a limited ability to train soldiers and special police units for peace operations amid increasing demand, the United States and its Group of Eight (G8) partners agreed to a plan to meet the demand. The Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) is the United States' effort to meet the commitments in that plan.

>  Africa: U.S. Senator Feingold’s Statement on China [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The following is the opening statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold at he June 4, 2008 hearing "China in Africa: Implications for U.S. Policy” before the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee, as prepared for delivery:

>  Africa: Half of World Fish Trade Sourced From Developing Countries [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Driven by rising consumption worldwide, the international trade in fish products is expanding at a rapid pace, according to an FAO paper presented today at an intergovernmental meeting.

>  Africa: FAO Initiative Helps Small Farmers Increase Food Production [AllAfrica News: Africa]

FAO has begun emergency activities worth US$ 17 million to respond to historically high food prices, which threaten to leave the globe's 862 million people afflicted by hunger in an even worse situation, and push millions more people back into extreme poverty and hunger. The start-up funds will cover the immediate needs to give small farmers in some of the poorest countries the seeds, fertilizers, and other tools they need to boost agricultural production for the upcoming planting seasons through 2009.

>  Africa: Gender Parity Group Works to Close the Continent’s Gender Gap [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Top female and male leaders from across the continent have launched an Africa Gender Parity Group at the World Economic Forum on Africa. The group of business, government, media, academic and civil society decision-makers are collaborating on ways for companies and countries to eradicate gender inequality and better engage women in the economy.

>  Africa: Action, Resources and Results Needed Now for Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The following is a statement by World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick at a news conference in Rome at the High-Level Conference on World Food Security.

>  Africa: New International Cooperation Aimed at Boosting Food Production in ’Breadbasket Areas’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

An unprecedented partnership among key players in agricultural development aims to significantly boost food production in Africa's "breadbasket regions," link local food production to food needs, and work across Africa's major agricultural growing areas—or agro-ecological zones—to create opportunities for smallholder farmers. Today's agreement marks a significant transformation in the way major global agencies work with smallholder farmers to assist them in solving Africa's chronic hunger and food problems.

>  Africa: U.S. Military Set for a Long Campaign [AllAfrica News: Africa]

STRIDENT hostility towards a US military command centre for Africa (Africom) has prompted the US defence establishment to lobby civil society and key stakeholders in Africa, in a bid to garner support for the centre's planned relocation on African soil.

>  Africa: Delta Opens Jo’burg Office [AllAfrica News: Africa]

THE largest telecoms advisory and investment firm in the Middle East has opened an office in Johannesburg as the first step in its planned African expansion.

>  Africa: Tanga Wekwa Sando to Perform in South Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Tanga Wekwasando, the African township rhythm maestro, will make a return to South Africa for two shows.

>  Africa: Warriors Brace for Namibia [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Hold training session at Rufaro JUST less than 24 hours after arriving back home from a successful tour of duty in Guinea, the Warriors wasted no time in getting down to serious business ahead of their clash against Namibia by holding a training session at Rufaro yesterday afternoon.

>  Africa: WEF Establishes Gender Equality Group [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Top female and male leaders from across the continent have launched an Africa Gender Parity Group at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, Wednesday.

>  Africa: Sables’ Qualifier Fixtures Changed [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Fixtures for the rugby World Cup and Africa Cup Qualifiers for Pool A have been changed following a request by Senegal to shift their game against Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: Why Silence If Africa is Important to Candidate? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

It is an understatement to say that Africans - and Kenyans in particular - are ecstatic about the probability of Senator Barack Obama, being elected president of the United States of America.

>  Africa: Commonwealth’s Best Efforts Will Be Channelled Into Improving Farming Production, Says Sharma [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Secretary-General addresses UN Food and Agricultural Organisation conference on world food security

>  Africa: New Toolkit Boosts South African Companies Response to TB Threat [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The Global Health Initiative of the World Economic Forum and the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership today launched a new toolkit that aims to boost the involvement of South African companies in tackling the tuberculosis (TB) crisis.

>  Africa: Fuel Costs Dampen Airlines’ Forecasts [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The global aviation industry is expected to shrink considerably in 2008, battered by the ongoing fuel price surge and a confluence of other crises that are severely depressing people's spending on leisure travel, one the industry's lifelines.

>  Africa: Tracing the Cause of Continent’s Suffering [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I have been thinking about the future of the African people having read literature about Africa's past experiences, challenges and tribulations.

>  Africa: Leaders Hail Progress as World Economic Forum on Continent Opens [AllAfrica News: Africa]

At the opening plenary session of the 18th World Economic Forum on Africa, five African government leaders welcomed the progress that their countries have made in recent years but also highlighted the challenges faced by the continent, notably food security, the management of resources, political development and sustainable growth.

>  Africa: ’Kick the CO2 Habit’ - Unep Says It May Be Easier Than You Think [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Adopting a climate-friendly lifestyle needn’t require drastic changes or major sacrifices.

>  Africa: Support for Smallholders Key to Addressing Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Governments, multilateral organizations and aid agencies should ensure that African smallholders receive the inputs they need for the next planting season and create the conditions for sustained growth in agriculture to defuse what Jacob G. Zuma, President of the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa, called a “time bomb” of food prices that could lead to an “uprising” should the poor be “cut out from buying food”.

>  Africa: Rising Prices Will Prompt Farm Subsidy Cuts [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Instead, investments in agriculture will be increased to spread technology useful to poor-country farmers, UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) secretary-general Supachai Panitchpakdi said.

>  Africa: Leaders List Failures [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African leaders yesterday pinpointed the causes of the continent's underdevelopment, but failed to come up with a comprehensive roadmap on how to end the grinding poverty that has devastated millions of people.

>  Africa: European Parliament Adopts Anti-Torture Amendments [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) welcomes the new Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2007 and the EU Policy on the matter (the Report) adopted by the European Parliament on 8 May 2008 by an overwhelming majority.

>  Africa: Groups Oppose World Bank ’Climate Funds’ [AllAfrica News: Africa]

More than 121 groups released today a statement opposing the World Bank's proposed 'Climate Investment Funds' to address climate change and its impacts.

>  Africa: Kibaki Lures Diaspora Investors [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Kibaki has called for increased private investment to accelerate the country's economic development.

>  Africa: Africa’s Wealth Tops Talks Agenda [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The World Economic Forum on Africa kicked off in Cape Town South Africa Wednesday.

>  Africa: Odom Urges C’ttee to Ensure Successful Hosting of African Ministers [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The minister of state, environment, housing and urban development, Chief Chuka Odom has urged members of committee on Conference of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development coming up in July, 2008 to work together as a team for a successful hosting.

>  Africa: Nigeria And SA, Move Closer [AllAfrica News: Africa]

President Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua raised the bar of optimism over business co-operation between their countries at an SA-Nigeria Business Forum yesterday declaring the two economies "open for investment".

>  Africa: Things Go Worse With Oppression, Says Coke [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Economies can grow in countries which do not meet Western standards for democracy, says Neville Isdell, the world-wide head of The Coca-Cola Company. But once they are growing, people in those societies will demand more freedoms. And oppressive societies do not produce good growth. Isdell, the chairman and chief executive of Coca-Cola, spoke to AllAfrica in Cape Town, where he was attending the World Economic Forum on Africa.

>  Africa: IFC Microfinance Program Expands [AllAfrica News: Africa]

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today announced that it will help launch Advans Banque Congo, a new microfinance institution in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The transaction is the latest in IFC’s microfinance strategy for Africa, under which IFC plans to support loans to more than 400,000 small entrepreneurs in Africa’s poorest regions in the next five years.

>  Africa: A Tribute to Fidel Castro [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Kola Ibrahim looks at the legacy of Fidel Castro, the internationalization of struggle and calls for "working class activists from Kenya to Venezuela to Georgia to Pakistan and the rest of the world - to build a genuine working people's political platform."

>  Africa: Challenges to the Rule of Law [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Dieu-Donné Wedi Djamba argues that the march toward democracy in Africa is not only under threat by dictators using dictatorial means to stay in power, but also by democratically elected leaders who use democratic processes to cement their hold over power.

>  Africa: Scholar Sheds No Tear for Former Ruler Mengistu [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Former Ethiopian President and dictator, Mengistu Haile Mariam is now facing a death sentence in his shaky exile home in Zimbabwe.

>  Africa: Rising Prices in Focus As Economic Meeting Begins [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The African edition of the World Economic Forum began yesterday in this idyllic South African tourism resort against the backdrop of mounting problems threatening the continent's recent trend of economic growth.

>  Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global Challenges

>  Africa: Summit on Food Crisis Seeks "Green Revolution" for Africa [AllAfrica News: Africa]

A man and his son unloading potatoes in a market. The UN summit called for scrapping food export bans to help stop the spread of hunger.

>  Africa: UN - Open Aids Meeting to All [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The United Nations General Assembly should reverse its decision to exclude three human rights and sexual health nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from its June 10 high-level meeting on HIV/AIDS, a coalition of human rights groups and international AIDS organizations said today.

>  Africa: U.S. Officials to Urge Increased Agriculture Development Aid [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Top U.S. officials attending a United Nations conference addressing the global food crisis will call for more agricultural development assistance to countries most able to increase food production rapidly. The United States also will call for increased research in agricultural technologies, said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, who will lead the U.S. delegation.

>  Africa: Global Sales of Fairtrade Coffee, Flowers Improve [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Global sales of fairtrade products jumped by 47 per cent last year, as ethically produced flowers, coffee and other goods reached new markets.

>  Africa: We Need Long Term Solution to Food Crisis [AllAfrica News: Africa]

I have just received a petition signed by well over 300,000 individuals all over the world, asking leaders for rapid action and fundamental reform to end the food crisis.

>  Africa: China in Africa - Implications for U.S. Policy [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The following is the statement of Thomas J. Christensen, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and James Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs on China in Africa before the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on China in Africa on June 4, 2008.

>  Africa: Can the Continent Produce a New Intellectual to Redeem Herself [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Africa's problems are numerous. Three of these, namely poverty, disease and ignorance stand out. African nations have tried out solutions, with varying successes.

>  Africa: Lessons From Continent’s Economic Downturn [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Within 12 months, celebrations of Africa's phenomenal economic growth have turned into gloomy predictions, punctuated by warnings about the possibility of recession in several African states.

>  Africa: Continent’s Progress, Challenges Discussed at WEF [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Five African leaders have welcomed the progress that their countries have made in recent years at the opening plenary session of the 18th World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa.

>  Africa: Countries Increase Commitment At Rome Food Summit [AllAfrica News: Africa]

Delegates to the Rome Food Security Summit announced their increased commitment to the fight against hunger and for agricultural development.

>  Africa: Peace With Sexual Violence is Still War [AllAfrica News: Africa]

When my co-Director of AIDS-Free World, Paula Donovan, visited in November, and observed that the war being waged against women "may well be the most savage display of misogyny ever orchestrated in a conflict zone", she was right. Terrible, unspeakable things have been done to the women of DR Congo, writes Stephen Lewis.

>  Africa: Leaders Seek Money to Build Roads [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African leaders on Wednesday appealed for more aid from the developed partners in order to rehabilitate its dilapitated transport which is key to economic growth.

>  Africa: Researchers Conned [AllAfrica News: Africa]

African countries have allowed Western institutions to raise billions of dollars from donors, but the bulk of the money remains in the West.

>  Africa: What Will the Poor Eat to Stay Alive? [AllAfrica News: Africa]

The UN global food crisis summit going on in Rome enters its fourth day without a consensus on what to do to ease the soaring cost of food, especially maize,