DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Putting Researchers and Policy Makers on the Same Page

Reports. They gather dust on the desks of journalists and bureaucrats - after having been opened with reluctance, and closed with speed. Months of work may have gone into their production; but all too often, the only use for these weighty tomes seems to be as doorstops.

POLITICS-MALAWI: Corruption-Busting President Tries to Forge New Party

Will they or won't they? This question is on the lips of political observers in Malawi at present, as they wait to see whether substantial numbers of ruling coalition or opposition members will support the country's newest political grouping: the Democratic Progressive Party.

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: Will the Opposition’s Campaign Trip Up on Purse Strings?

The topic of campaign finance is rarely far from the minds of politicians or pundits in the run-up to elections – and Zimbabwe is no exception to this rule. With the country in the midst of a political and economic crisis, it may even be a hotter topic of discussion here than elsewhere.

RIGHTS-SWAZILAND: For Women, Constitution Is a Curate’s Egg

There are several reasons why women's rights activists might welcome Swaziland's new constitution, intended to replace the document that was suspended by King Sobhuza in 1973. Then again, there are also reasons why they might not.

POLITICS: For Outgoing Leaders, Namibia Is the Place to Be

It is the type of retirement package that even those leaders most wedded to their jobs might be seduced by.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: ARVs Elusive for Refugees and Illegal Immigrants

Every year, thousands of Africans fleeing war and economic hardship make a perilous journey towards the tip of the continent - their sights set on a better life in the regional powerhouse, South Africa.

EDUCATION-ZIMBABWE: A Dubious Report Card for Grade Zero

Hats a size too large for most of the small heads, formal school uniforms equally incongruous, they march on regardless - the vanguard in an effort to bring pre-schoolers into Zimbabwe's education system.

POLITICS-SWAZILAND: A Car Too Swish for its Own Good?

Said to be one of the ten most expensive cars in the world, the Maybach 62 is sleek, glamorous and – some might argue – a little out of place in a country where two thirds of the population lives below the poverty line.

RIGHTS-AFRICA: Uganda, DRC in Sights of International Criminal Court

Luis Moreno Ocampo, chief prosecutor of the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court (ICC), is going to be a busy man this year as far as Africa is concerned.

POLITICS-IVORY COAST: Mbeki Soldiers On

The past few days have seen South African President Thabo Mbeki push ahead with his initiative to bring peace to the Ivory Coast, even postponing his departure for the World Economic Forum. As the week ends, however, it is clear that the future of the West African state still hangs in the balance.

HEALTH-MOZAMBIQUE: Volunteers Worth Their Weight in Gold

The tall man is skeletal. Even so, it is a huge feat for him to muster up the energy to sit upright in front of his visitor – a young, vibrant woman.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Is It Africa’s Turn Next?

The World Social Forum (WSF), sometimes described as the "carnival of the oppressed", is about to get underway in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.

TRADE-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Textile Industries in Turmoil

A few years ago, the tiny kingdom of Lesotho appeared to have a lot on offer for investors: cheap labour, generous tax incentives and proximity to the regional powerhouse, South Africa.

EDUCATION-SWAZILAND: AIDS Orphans on (Somewhat) Firmer Ground

In May last year, IPS reported that teachers in Swaziland were at loggerheads with government over the delicate matter of admitting AIDS orphans to schools free of charge. With the new academic year looming, has the situation improved?

ECONOMY-AFRICA: Debt Activists Keep the Champagne on Ice

Civil society groups and anti-debt campaigners in Africa have cautiously welcomed a British proposal for the debt of Africa’s poorest states to be cancelled.

RIGHTS-ZIMBABWE: Journalists Shrug Off Government’s Media Straitjacket

Media rights watchdogs have long criticised the conditions under which journalists in Zimbabwe operate. Since the start of the year, however, the circumstances of the country’s media have become bleaker still.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Britain Once a Coloniser – Now a Saviour?

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, paid a lightning visit to Kenya, Wednesday - this at the start of a week-long tour of Africa that is aimed at garnering support for efforts to fight poverty on the continent.

POLITICS-SOUTH AFRICA: Swaziland Seeks Border Adjustment

South Africa’s agreement to take seriously Swaziland’s claim to its national territory has implications for all of Africa, and the pledges African countries have made to honour boundaries drawn up during the colonial era, diplomats tell IPS.

RIGHTS-SOUTH AFRICA: Judging the Judges

A statement by South Africa’s ruling party concerning judicial reform has sparked heated debate in the country.

POLITICS-AFRICA: A Challenging Road Ahead for the Peer Review Mechanism

Since the African Peer Review Mechanism was launched about two years ago, less than half of the African Union’s 53-member states have acceded to the process – designed to improve governance on the continent.

RIGHTS-ZAMBIA: If You’re in the Dock, It’s Useful to Be a Man

In Zambia, the battle for equality between men and women is being waged on many fronts - not least concerning the sentences handed down by courts.