TECHNOLOGY-SOUTH AFRICA: Schools Becoming Battleground for Computer Firms

Schools in South Africa are becoming the battleground for computer companies.

TECHNOLOGY-EGYPT: Small Service Providers Affected By “Free” Internet

Nearly three months into Egypt's "free Internet" experiment, Internet service providers (ISPs) are feeling the pinch of increased competition and slimmer profit margins.

TECHNOLOGY-LATAM: September 11 Syndrome at International Airshow

Air security in the wake of the Sep 11 attacks in the United States is the focus of the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE), the largest of its type in Latin America, under way this week in Chile.

SCIENCE: Skull Fossil is More Evidence of Humans’ African Roots

The beetle-browed skull of an early human who died a million years ago on the grasslands of Ethiopia is further evidence that modern humans evolved from a common African ancestor, scientists say.

TECHNOLOGY: Wire Theft Renders Swaziland Phoneless

At any given time, ten to 20 percent of Swaziland is without conventional telephone service because thieves are stealing wires.

ENVIRONMENT-JAMAICA: NGOs Propose One Stick To Beat Two Problems

To the uninformed observer flying over Jamaica, the thick, lush forests blanketing the hills of southern Trelawny are relatively untouched. In reality, farmers intent on preserving their livelihood are denuding the forests of one of their most critical components.

ENVIRONMENT-PERU: El Niño Sends a Messenger

A small white shark captured off the Peruvian coast appears to be a messenger from El Niño, the much feared climate phenomenon whose return this year had been ruled out by South American meteorologists.

TECHNOLOGY: Filter Used in South Touted amid Canada’s Water Woes

A water filter used in more than 50 developing countries could have saved Canadian lives and might still hold the key to preventing outbreaks of water-borne disease, says the inventor of the device.

DEVELOPMENT: Patents from Nations of the South See Upward Trend

The number of patent applications filed by inventors and researchers from developing countries grew more in 2001 than the number of requests coming from industrialised countries, reports the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

SCIENCE: Venezuela Recovers Five-Million-Year-Old Turtle from US

The only shell of what is considered the largest species of turtle that ever lived is on display in Venezuela, along with another 111 fossils, after a 30-year sojourn in the United States.

TECHNOLOGY-AFRICA: Frustration in the Information Age

Unreliable, outdated or non-existent data is a prescription for frustration in the Information Age, and is one reason why poor developing countries like the Kingdom of Swaziland are regressing rather than progressing with efforts of social upliftment.

COMMUNICATIONS-CUBA: Internet Access Growing, but with Limitations

The Cuban government's efforts to expand access to the Internet and e-mail have had a considerable impact, although there are still restrictions on access in the private sector.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Dubai’s e-Govt Service Gets Glowing Reviews

This modern desert oasis is already the most trendy and cosmpolitan place in the Middle East, but trust Dubai to make yet another mark for itself.

DEVELOPMENT-BRAZIL: Scientists Await New Livestock Clones in 2002

Cloning in Brazil has become a soap opera-like issue since last October. The giant Globo television network began production of a drama known as "The Clone" in which the main character is duplicated in a laboratory mishap that a scientist keeps secret for years.

SCIENCE: It’s a Small World After All

Scientific breakthroughs this year herald potential benefits for developing countries but experts urge that research be managed in a socially responsible manner.

TECHNOLOGY-SWAZILAND: Cell Phones Transform a Traditional Kingdom

Only three years have passed since the introduction of cellular telephones to the tiny kingdom of Swaziland where less than a million people reside in a country renown for its adherence to ancient traditions.

SCIENCE-YUGOSLAVIA: DNA Lab to Help Solve the Mystery of Missing in Wars

The mystery of what happened to the over 40 000 people who went missing during the gruesome wars in the former Yugoslav federation in the 90's will soon be solved with the setting up of the region's largest DNA laboratory in the Serbian capital of Belgrade.

TECHNOLOGY: U.N. to Draft Global Treaty Banning Human Cloning

The United Nations will begin negotiations next year on an international convention to ban the cloning of human beings.

CUBA: Guaranteeing Transparency in Biotechnology

Local authorities in Cuba, a country that stands out for its contributions in the field of biotechnology, are seeking to perfect the legal framework aimed at protecting the country from biological threats and ensuring the transparency of the use of the state-of-the-art technology, say experts.

TECHNOLOGY: Russia Breaks Nuclear Boycott on India

By finalising a deal to transfer two large nuclear power reactors to India, Russia this week broke an international boycott on transfer of nuclear equipment imposed as punishment when New Delhi first exploded a nuclear device almost 30 years ago.

SCIENCE-INDIA: New Satellite Seen as Forerunner to Military Ones

India took a big jump forward in its remote sensing satellite technology with this week's launch of a one-metre resolution remote sensing satellite, widely believed to be a forerunner to a sophisticated defence satellite.