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.

RIGHTS-NAMIBIA: No Rest – and Limited Government Support – for the Aged

The sight of an elderly person caring for children with AIDS-related illnesses – and grandchildren who may have been orphaned by the pandemic - has become a common one in Namibia, and the Southern African region as a whole.

ENVIRONMENT: Taking Aim at MDG Targets

Halving the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation, improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers...The targets for the seventh United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) sound impressive.

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.

MALAWI: Farmers Need Mechanisation, Irrigation – And Some Free Stuff

Having experienced a disastrous harvest last year - the worst in a decade, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) - Malawi now appears set to improve its food situation.

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.

HEALTH-MAURITIUS: A Stooped Walk That Comes With the Rains

A few months ago, the average Mauritian might have looked blank if asked what "chikungunya" was. Now, they're probably all too familiar with the term.

HEALTH-ANGOLA: The Dangerous Profession of Motherhood

Walking into the Angolan capital's main maternity hospital, the first thing that hits any visitor is the stench: a nauseating combination of blood and excrement. After a short while, the stomach settles and the eyes adjust to the poor light in the Maternidade Lucrecia Paim; then, the true wretchedness of the grey walls and broken windows begins to sink in.

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.

ECONOMY-MAURITIUS: Go West, Young Man

Mauritius may be one of the world's most glamorous destinations, but agriculturally-speaking, there's not that much of it to go around. As a result, the island's government and farmers have begun looking west - to the far larger, neighbouring island of Madagascar.

HEALTH-SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS Puts Funeral Traditions Under Pressure

Research indicates that traditional burials for those who die from AIDS-related diseases in Southern Africa are having a severe financial effect on households in the region, notably those in rural areas.

ECONOMY-MAURITIUS: Go West, Young Man

Mauritius may be one of the world's most glamorous destinations, but agriculturally-speaking, there's not that much of it to go around. As a result, the island's government and farmers have begun looking west - to the far larger, neighbouring island of Madagascar.

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.

ZIMBABWE: Elephants and Humans on a Collision Course

Sachikonye Lunga's face twists at the mere mention of the word "elephant", which doubtless evokes memories of his eldest son being trampled to death last year by one of the animals.

RIGHTS-MALAWI: “Have Men in Our Land Chosen to Become Worse Than Beasts?”

When police announced recently that they had detained a man in the northern town of Karonga for allegedly killing his wife after she refused him sex, there were hopes that the arrest would send a stern warning to other husbands with violent inclinations.

HEALTH-MOZAMBIQUE: Many Languages, One Message

Travel the length of Mozambique, and chances are that you'll hear a host of different languages being spoken: the official language of Portuguese, Shangana, Elomwe and Cisena to name just a few.

POLITICS-DRC: To Resume Voter Registration, or Not to Resume

Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi and his Union for Democracy and Social Progress (Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social - UDPS) have expressed anger at the Independent Electoral Commission's refusal to re-open voter registration for the benefit of UDPS supporters.

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.