WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Different Continents, Similar Problems

There is much that separates Africa and Asia, not least ethnicity, culture and language. But, as the third and final leg of this year’s World Social Forum (WSF) gathers momentum in the Pakistani financial centre of Karachi, the hope is that civic groups will build on common aspirations for the two continents.

HEALTH-AFRICA: A Somber Outlook on AIDS

A former director of the United Nations Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa has painted a gloomy picture of efforts to bring the pandemic under control across the continent.

WATER: Local Customs the Way of the Future – or a Thing of the Past?

For generations, African farmers have relied on local knowledge to manage and conserve water.

SOUTH AFRICA: ARV Programme Less Than the Sum of Its (Monetary) Parts

With over five million of its 47 million citizens HIV-positive, South Africa currently has more people living with HIV/AIDS than any other country - a heavy burden as concerns providing anti-retroviral drugs to those in need.

SOUTH AFRICA: ARV Programme Less Than the Sum of Its (Monetary) Parts

With over five million of its 47 million citizens HIV-positive, South Africa currently has more people living with HIV/AIDS than any other country.

INT’L WOMEN’S DAY: More Female Voices on Screens, Airwaves and Pages

South Africa has made substantial progress in having women's voices heard in the media, says a study released to coincide with International Women's Day on Wednesday.

RIGHTS-SOUTH AFRICA: “Anything Can Happen to Us, Anytime”

As a community relations officer for the Johannesburg-based Forum for the Empowerment of Women, a non-governmental organisation, Zanele Muholi has become all too familiar with the prejudice against lesbians that exists in South Africa.

DEVELOPMENT: South African Land for South Africans?

A 10-member panel has urged the government of South Africa to bar foreigners temporarily from selling or buying any more land in the country.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Ablution Facilities for the Homeless “Essential”

Johannesburg is the financial heart of South Africa, and for those who gain a share of the city's wealth, affluent homes await.

MEDIA-SUDAN: Less Censorship – But Watch Out for Security Agents

Nhial Bol, editor of the 'Citizen', an independent daily in Sudan, says working conditions for journalists in the country have improved somewhat since the signing of a historic peace deal last year.

POLITICS: AU Bails Out of Controversy to Focus on Africa’s Ills

Sudan's decision to withdraw its bid for the leadership of the African Union (AU) has been welcomed by human rights groups and local activists, who say it has enhanced Africa's reputation.

POLITICS: African Leaders Meet to Change Continent’s Image

African leaders, meeting in Sudan's capital, are seeking ways to improve their continent's image by ridding it of conflicts, diseases, poverty and human rights abuses.

POLITICS-AFRICA: AU Summit Faces a Host of Crises

The annual summit of the African Union (AU) begins in Sudan’s dusty capital of Khartoum, Monday, amidst a political crisis in the Ivory Coast, famine in East Africa and conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

SWAZILAND: Opposition Arrests a “Desperate Attempt by a Dying Regime”

Political tensions in Swaziland are on the rise following the arrest of 15 pro-democracy campaigners in recent weeks over petrol bomb attacks that were made on courthouses and the homes of various officials last year.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Will the Bamako Meeting Tackle Africa’s Sore Spots?

The African leg of the World Social Forum (WSF) kicks off next week in the Malian capital, Bamako, with a host of issues on the agenda: war and militarism, global trade and debt, to name just a few.

SOUTH AFRICA: Microfinance Groups Need to Learn from Bangladesh Experience

South Africa's microfinance institutions face stiff competition from loan sharks who prey on the vulnerable, especially in the townships where a majority of the country's poor live, say microfinance experts.

CHALLENGES 2005-2006: Another Year, Another Food Crisis

For several years now, Southern Africa has faced acute food shortages that look set to continue in 2006. According to the United Nations, several countries in the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) will still be relying on food handouts next year to prevent millions of their citizens from starving to death.

CORRUPTION-SOUTH AFRICA: Some Good News – and Some Bad

South Africa has made progress in the fight against corruption, but more needs to be done to eradicate the vice, say analysts - this as the world marks International Anti-Corruption Day, Friday.

ENVIRONMENT-SOUTH AFRICA: Is “Cull” a Four-Letter Word?

Lawrence Anthony is known for rescuing animals, including lions, from former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein's palaces after Baghdad fell to U.S. forces in April 2003.

WTO-SPECIAL: Disillusion in Southern Africa Ahead of Trade Summit

Campaigners from Southern Africa are bracing for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks to be held in Hong Kong later this month. Some plan to send representatives to the meeting, to protest against unfair trade legislation – particularly as this relates to agriculture.

WORLD AIDS DAY: Helping Children to Help Themselves

Millions of children around the world received a lesson, Thursday, in how to deal with something that many will inevitably confront: the AIDS pandemic.