/ARTS WEEKLY/AFRICA: Kora Awards Attract Leading Musicians

From its humble beginnings when it attracted a mere 135 entries, this year 308 artists entered the 8th Annual Kora All-Africa Music Awards.

COMMONWEALTH: Summit Focuses on Democracy, Development – and Zimbabwe

The bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting got underway in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Friday with traditional dances and a parade of flags from the group's 54 member states.

COMMONWEALTH: Over to CHOGM. Anyone Listening?

As the Commonwealth People's Forum heads toward the finish line, attention has shifted to the organisation's Heads of Government meeting which begins in Nigeria today.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Seeds of Hope in the Agriculture Sector

Africa and other parts of the developing world are preparing to negotiate better access to the markets of wealthy countries at the next ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation, Ugandan Agriculture Minister Wilberforce Kisamba-Mugerwa said in Pretoria this week.

POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Corruption Hits the Pop Charts

It is a measure of the frustration people in Sierra Leone feel about corruption, that a rap album which deals with this subject has topped the country's music charts.

POLITICS-LIBERIA: Delicate Process of Disarmament Gets Underway

Liberia's tortuous road to peace entered a crucial stage this week, when the United Nations launched a 15 million dollar programme to disarm over 40,000 combatants and reintegrate them into civilian life.

COMMONWEALTH: Civil Society Prepares for ‘Civil War’

Civil society organisations are scheduled to hold talks with Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon Wednesday, in the Nigerian capital - Abuja.

COMMONWEALTH: Put Your Heart Into Business

The Commonwealth will set up a new global index to measure socially responsible investment at a business forum in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, later this week.

COMMONWEALTH: No Democracy Without Access to Information

The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting beginning in the Nigerian capital this week is committed to promoting development and democracy - both in heavy deficit among member countries. A report issued ahead of the meeting says that open government will be a key element in this process.

ECONOMY-NIGERIA: Product Ban Elicits Limited Support

It has been business as usual in most Lagos markets during the past few days, even though several traders were on tenterhooks, after officials threatened to confiscate a variety of items that had been banned from sale.

COMMONWEALTH: Come To Us, People Tell Leaders

Civil society representatives have sent an urgent request to government leaders to hold talks with them Thursday, ahead of the official opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

COMMONWEALTH: People’s Forum Gets Underway in Nigeria

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo opened the Commonwealth People’s Forum Sunday.

EDUCATION-MALAWI: Making Universal Primary Schooling a Reality

When the Commonwealth heads of government gather in Nigeria next month for their bi-annual meeting, the agenda will probably be dominated by politics. But, if activist Julita Msanjama had her way, the leaders would spend most of their time discussing education.

HEALTH-NIGERIA: Strong Medicine for Dealers of Fake Drugs

For an insight into how fake drugs affect the lives of ordinary Nigerians, look no further than the Ajibade household.

HEALTH-AFRICA: AIDS Orphans – The Worst Is Yet to Come

"We are here to sound a new and more urgent alarm over what is arguably the most neglected crisis that has been spawned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic," Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund, said in Johannesburg Wednesday.

ENVIRONMENT-NIGERIA: A Face-Lift for Lagos

Blocked drains, heaps of garbage in the streets, remnants of food and disused household items: these things have become a common sight in the Nigerian commercial capital of Lagos over the past few years, prompting some to label it the "dirtiest city in the world".

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Four Road Maps for the Continent’s Future

A ground-breaking study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has sought to predict what life in Africa could be like by 2025.

POLITICS-GUINEA: Disillusion Plagues Run-Up to Presidential Poll

Guinea’s Supreme Court has disqualified almost all parties from contesting the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for Dec. 21.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Scientists Called to Look Beyond the Lab

A panel of prominent women scientists has argued that African researchers need to get out of their laboratories and enter the world of policy-making if they want to be of real benefit to their fellow Africans. The women say that researchers must also learn to market their ideas.

ECONOMY-AFRICA: Lula, Mbeki Speak Out Against Trade Protectionism

South Africa and Brazil came out guns blazing against global trade protectionism and also against the continued administration of Iraq by U.S. forces when Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ended a visit here at the weekend.

POLITICS-WEST AFRICA: A 1961 Poll Haunts the Bakassi Hand Over

Efforts to implement a ruling on the border dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon have hit a snag, with the filing of a law suit by Cameroonian exiles who reject the decision.