Libya: Country and UN Agency Enter Pact to Boost Food Security, Sustainable Development
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Libya have agreed on a $71 million programme to boost cooperation over the next five years to strengthen food security and sustainable development in the country.

Tunisia: In Face of Economic Crisis Arab Insurers Close Ranks
In a world characterized by turbulence and uncertainty, insurers are more than ever called upon to provide companies and individuals with the means to face risks thanks to swift and efficient services.

Tunisia: Country Sardine Will Soon Have Its Own Brand Name
During the last decade, the export sector has strengthened foreign exchange inflows, increased from 110 million dinars to 250 million dinars, said Mr. Abderrazak Daaloul, Secretary of State in charge of Fisheries, on Thursday during a workshop on the latest innovations in the sector of fisheries packing and fishery products exploitation.

Tunisia: "Women's Soccer, a Model Worth Following"
A seminar held in Tunis on Thursday on women's soccer, was attended by Mr.Thierry Regenass, FIFA Associations Development Director, Mr. Cyril Loiseau Development Director in Africa, Director of FIFA Regional Football Development Office and of Goal project for North and Eastern Africa Mr. Taha Ismaïl, a FIFA official in charge of women's football and Mrs. Marion Daube, an expert in marketing and communication within FIFA.

Tunisia: Country At Arab Conference On Family Violence in Beirut
Tunisia recently took part in the Arab conference on family violence held on November 18 to 19, 2009 in the Lebanese capital, under the theme "a secure society, a stable family ", at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia(UN-ESCWA).

Tunisia: Umberto Coelho Dismissed From His Duties
In a communiqué released on Friday, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Physical Education has called on the Tunisian Football Federation to put an end to the duties of the technical staff of the Tunisian national team and to restructure its technical management.

Tunisia: "Economy Should Benefit From Global Economic Recovery in 2010" Says Minister of Cooperation
Most observers agree that the year 2010 will be marked by economic recovery in industrialized countries and some emerging countries, including Tunisia, which is committed to implement the provisions of the Presidential Program for 2009-2014.

Tunisia: Banking - BNA, 50 Years and Still Going Strong
Under the patronage of President Ben Ali, Tunisia's "Banque Nationale Agricole" (BNA) celebrates its fiftieth anniversary under the motto "a renewed ambition".

North Africa: Al-Qaida Group Menaces Maghreb, Sahel, Says U.S.
The North Africa-based terrorist group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) continues to be a menace to parts of the Maghreb and the Sahel, but the Muslim populations there generally reject AQIM, and the group is less likely to expand operations into Europe because of pressure being applied by Algerian security forces, says Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the U.S. State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism.

Algeria/Egypt: Desert Foxes Beat Pharaohs to Reach World Cup
Algeria defeated Africa's football champions, Egypt, 1-0 today to take Africa's sixth place in the 2010 World cup.

Egypt: Over the Top With Anti-Swine Flu Steps
As authorities consider suspending a whole academic year to check the spread of swine flu among school children there is a feeling that measures to contain the H1N1 virus - known to be less dangerous than the one responsible for seasonal flu - are going over the top.

Morocco: Sahrawi People Must Have Right to Choose Future, Urges Activist
Aminatou Haidar, one of the most prominent human rights activists in the liberation of the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara, was detained, then deported, by the Moroccan authorities on her arrival in the territory last Friday. Some weeks earlier, she visited Washington, DC to receive the Civil Courage Prize, sponsored by the U.S.-based Train Foundation. AllAfrica interviewed her there.

Tunisia: Defence Minister Receives Brigadier General
National Defence Minister Kamel Morjane Wednesday received in Tunis Brigadier General Ahmed Aoun, Executive Secretary of North Africa Sector Unit within the African intervention forces, who handed over to him a message from Lieutenant-General Abou Bakr Younes Jaber, Secretary of Libya's Interim General Defence Committee, regarding the next meeting of defence ministers of this structure's member states.

Tunisia: Tunisair Launches New Website
Tunisair has recently launched a new upgraded version of its website (www.tunisair.com.tn [1]) which will provide users with the possibility of finding out about the company's latest offers.

Tunisia: 10th International Agricultural Exhibition Hopes to Attract 50,000 Visitors
Held under the Patronage of the President of the Republic, the 10th International Agricultural and Farming and Fisheries Mechanization Exhibition (SIAMAP 2009) was inaugurated on Wednesday by Mr. Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister, accompanied by Secretary of State in Charge of Fisheries Mr. Abderrazak Daaloul and Mr. Mabrouk el Bahri the President of the Tunisian agriculture and fisheries union (UTAP).

Tunisia: Rare Femur Cancer Treated Without Resorting to Amputation
A Tunisian medical team led by Pr. Hichem Boulila, an orthopedic surgeon, succeeded in treating a 64-year-old patient suffering from a femur cancer without resorting to amputation.

Tunisia: Tozeur Hosts Swiss Travel Agents Congress
Having hosted the meetings of the French Travel Agents union (SNAV) last October, the lush oasis of Tozeur is preparing to host the Congress of the Swiss Federation of Travel Agencies (SFTA) from November 19 to 22, 2009.

Africa: Algeria Beat Egypt to Africa's Last Ticket
Twenty years of hurt was put to bed as Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 to secure their place at the World Cup finals last night, sending African champions packing. Egypt broke Algerian hearts in 1989 when pipping their bitter rivals to a place at Italia 90, but Algeria banished those memories thanks to Antar Yahia's stunning strike on 40 minutes.

Tunisia: Businessmen Delegation Visits Jordan
As part of developing the Tunisian-Jordanian cooperation, a Tunisian businessmen mission led by Mr. Mounir Mouakhar, President of the Tunisian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) is visiting Amman, Jordan from November 16 to 18, 2009.

Tunisia: Nation Takes Preventive Measures Against H1N1 Virus
During a press conference held on Monday on assessing the A (H1N1) epidemiological situation and the spread of the virus during winter season, Director General of Health and Director General the National Observatory of Emergent and Re-Emergent Diseases, Mr. Mohammad Al Kouni, said that in order to preventthe virus spreading, all necessary precautionary measures had been taken by the competent services and that the A (H1N1) flu vaccine is available in sufficient quantities.

Nigeria: Country Should Aid Resolution of Western Sahara Conflict - Envoy
In this exclusive interview with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Nigeria, Mr. Mustapha Cherqaoui, he reflected on Nigeria-Morocco bilateral ties, the Western Sahara issue and the UN reform and others. He spoke to Mr. Charles Onunaiju. Excerpt:-

Africa: Continent's Best Soccer Teams Head For World Cup
There's only one slot left to be filled in Africa's line-up at the 2010 Fifa World Cup, to be played in South Africa next June, and it will be taken after what has the makings of an epic playoff between Algeria and Egypt in Sudan on Wednesday.

Tunisia: President Ben Ali Receives Congratulatory Message From WHO Regional Director
Regional director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Houcine Abderrazak El Jazairi, extended sincere congratulations to President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali for the renewed confidence the Tunisian people placed in his person and for his re-election for a new presidential tenure.

Tunisia: President Ben Ali Returns to Tunis After Taking Part in World Summit On Food Security in Rome
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali returned to Tunis after participating in the World Summit on Food Security and the World Food Situation in Rome.

Tunisia: Country, Turkey Hold Partnership Forum On Mechanical Industries
Tunisia hosted on Tuesday, the Tunisia-Turkey Partnership forum on the mechanical industries and spare parts organized by the Turkish Embassy in Tunisia in collaboration with the Secretary of State for Foreign Trade and the Turkish exporters Committee.

Tunisia: Carthage Theatre Days Pay Tribute to Women
Under the patronage of Mrs. Leila Ben Ali, the Spouse of the President of the Republic and President of the Arab women Organization (AWO), a reception was held on Monday evening at Dar Hssine in Tunis Medina, in honor of creative Arab theatre women currently taking part in the event.

Tunisia: 6th Aremedd Conference Opens in Tunis
Under the patronage of the President of the Republic, Tunisia is hosting from November 17 to 19, 2009 in Gammarth (North of Tunis), the sixth Annual conference of the Mediterranean Network for Sustainable Development (AREMEDD) under the slogan "Building of NGOs working capacities in the environment and sustainable development sectors in the Arab and Mediterranean Space".

Tunisia: 2009 Transparency International Index - Tunisia Most Transparent Country in North Africa
The 2009 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) just released by Transparency International, ranks Tunisia 65 th worldwide out of 180 countries and territories in terms of public sector transparency.

Uganda: Notu Twins With Egyptians
The National Organisation of Trade Unions has signed a cooperation agreement with the Egyptian Trade Union Federation. The agreement which was signed in Egypt last week is aimed at exchanging and twinning of workers.

Tunisia: Mrs. Leila Ben Ali Pays Tribute to Arab Theatre Women Participating in 14th JTC
Under the high auspices of Mrs. Leila Ben Ali, wife of the President of the Republic and Arab Women Organisation (AWO) chairwoman, a reception was hosted, on Monday evening at Dar Hssine, in the Tunis Medina, in honour of the Arab theatre women who are taking part in the 14th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days, with attendance of Culture and Heritage Preservation Minister Abderraouf el Basti and Mrs. Aziza Htira, National Tunisian Women Union (UNFT) chairwoman.

AllAfrica News: North Africa
All Africa, All the Time.

 

Leopard about to change its spots? IFIs debate role of financial sector
The financial crisis has divided perceptions within the IFIs about the role of the financial sector in development. While some parts of the World Bank and IMF highlight the merits of small banks, others continue to push globalised finance.

Bank accused of neglecting poorest countries
The Bank is under fire for failing to focus on low-income countries in its lending, and concentrating instead on the demands of rich and middle-income countries.

Progress on Bank transparency?
The World Bank's draft disclosure policy, published in October, marks a significant step forward in Bank transparency but has been criticised for excluding key information from public access.

Expert panel calls for sweeping Bank governance reform
Official ambitions for reform of World Bank governance remain limited, while the Zedillo Commission calls for far-reaching change. At the IMF, aside from small shifts in voting share, details of further quota reform are notably absent.

IMF lending programmes: old wolf in sheep's clothing?
The debate over IMF conditionality heats up as data comes in about IMF programmes; economic turmoil continues in countries such as Latvia and Ukraine, which face stern IMF demands.

IFC lends a hand in great "land grab"
As the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, announces plans to increase investment in agribusiness by up to 30 per cent in the next three years, NGO reports shed light on the IFC's role in 'land grabs' and flaws in its approach to the food crisis.

Burning controversy over Bank and environment
Hot on the heels of the start of its energy strategy review the Bank has launched a review of its 2001 environment strategy but continues to come under fire over its green record.

Faulty systems at the Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
As the Bank seeks to position itself as the vehicle of choice for future climate finance, the experience of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) calls its competence into question.

Unjustifiable Bank domination over climate funds in Bangladesh
World Bank's record in Bangladesh shows there is no place for it in a just response to climate change, but it is set to dominate the new fund for adaptation in Bangladesh. Civil society critics speak out.

The role of the World Bank in climate finance
The World Bank currently plays four different roles in arrangements to distribute finance for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in developing countries. In addition, its overall lending portfolio can have significant environmental impacts.

IMF pours cold water on monetary reform
As academia and NGOs call for reform of the international financial architecture, the international monetary system is the focus of scrutiny. Support for capital controls and a financial transaction tax has met resistance from the IMF.

The World Bank's new energy strategy
As the World Bank prepares to revise its energy strategy, Oliver Johnson of the Sussex Energy Group (Science and Technology Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex), reviews the Bank's chequered history in this sector. The conflicting agendas for energy are drawn out, and principles suggested to guide the Bank's support for low-carbon development.

Bank wrestling for control of climate finance
With much awaited climate talks in Copenhagen in December, the World Bank and its supporters are positioning the institution to play a significant, if not dominant, role in future climate finance.

Destructive development: A case of ecological debt in Bangladesh
'Development' has become synonymous with destruction in Bangladesh as many of the so-called development projects, financed mainly by the International Financial Institutions (IFIs), have huge negative impacts on the ground. They have added to the global north's 'ecological debt', which must now be repaid.

The IFC and incorporation of rights into its performance standards
A submission to the U.N. Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, John Ruggie, highlights that the International Finance Corporation's performance standards, meant to serve as environmental and social safeguards in World Bank private sector lending, still lack substantive inclusion of human rights and are therefore inconsistent with Ruggie's framework. Furthermore, civil society has raised concerns about a 3 ye

Bretton Woods Project highlights
Critical voices on the World Bank and IMF

 

Algeria-Egypt: A World Cup qualification and diplomatic row
The Algerian "Greens" became the last African team to qualify for the South Africa 2010 World Cup finals with an undisputed 1-0 win over current African Champions, the Egyptian Pharoahs, in Khartoum on Wednesday november 18th. The Algerian "Greens" did it the hard way after being forced to a one-off clash with a stunning 2-0 loss to the Egyptian Pharoahs, given their first leg convincing 3-1 win in Algiers in June.

Deportation of Nobel Peace Prize nominee “could backfire” on Morocco
The detention and deportation of Western Sahara's most prominent human rights activist could backfire on Morocco as the action attracts worldwide condemnation. Aminatou Haidar, known has the "Sahrawi Gandhi", was deported from her home to Lanzarote by the Moroccans on Saturday and has been on hunger strike in the airport terminal ever since.

Football Cameroon-Morocco: Rigobert Song leads Indomitable Lions to South Africa 2010
The Indomitable Lions assured themselves a place in South Africa 2010 World Cup with a 2-0 win over the Atlas Lions of Morocco in Fez, On Saturday, November 14.

'Miracle-worker' surgeon and Monty Python lend their support to Western Sahara refugee project
Inspirational heart-surgeon, Sir Professor Magdi Yacoub, made a rare a public appearance today to help launch a new health and education project for Western Saharan child refugees.

Egypt - Algeria: A dangerous and bloody football match
In Cairo, Egypt, since Thursday evening, where they are expected to play their last qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup next Saturday against Egypt, the Algerian national team was greeted with stones and rocks. Four of them were wounded. Algeria has demanded the world football governing body, FIFA, to launch an investigation. This incident is the culmination of an intense and reckless media battle between journalists from the two countries.

Egypt demands return of stolen artifacts from Europe and U.S.
Egypt is asking European countries in possession of Egyptian artifacts, historical and cultural monuments to return the items to the country for the opening of Egypt's Grand Museum at Giza, due by 2013. So far, their request has been overlooked.

Wen Jiabao Meets with Egyptian President Mubarak
On November 7, 2009, visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. Wen said President Mubarak is a well-known statesman in the Arab world and Africa, as well as a familiar old friend of Chinese people and he has forged profound friendship with generations of Chinese leadership. Wen appreciated the outstanding contributions President Mubarak has made to promoting China-Egypt, as well as China-Arab and China-Africa relations. "I feel at home when I am in Egypt," said Wen.

Egyptian national coach "stressed" as FIFA issues strong warning
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has been closely monitoring the football environment in Egypt ahead of a crucial 2010 World Cup qualifying match between the Egyptian national team and their Algerian rivals.

The 'Berlin Wall' of the desert
Whilst the world is commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall another less well-known wall that separates a nation and its people still stands tall. At 1553 miles long, the wall that divides Western Sahara, is twelve times longer than the Berlin Wall and, having stood for 29 years, is now a year older than the Berlin Wall was when it was toppled.

Michelle Obama: Honors After-School arts projects that inspire youth
In Muqqatum, a community on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, students at Alwan wa Awtar (Colors and Strings) can participate in a wide range of after-school and summer arts activities in the performing, visual and literary arts. In Campeche, Mexico, children with Down syndrome attend two dance workshops each week to learn traditional and contemporary dances at La Chácara Children's Culture Center. In China's Sichuan province, children from low-income families train in opera, dance and the visual arts at Green Path of Art, which provides its students with academic and financial assistance.

Egypt: US still opposed to Israeli settlements?
Unites States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton repeated that the Obama administration does not accept the legitimacy of Israeli West Bank settlements and wants to see the establishment of a Palestinian state with borders based on territory that Israel has occupied since 1967.

Morocco develops Solar Energy on a national scale
An ambitious solar power project, estimated at 9 billion dollars, was announced Monday by Benkhadra Amina, Moroccan Minister of Energy. President of the Moroccan-French energy and environment Association, Mohammed Garoum believes it "is a very welcome initiative".

Egypt-Algeria 2009 World Cup qualifiers: US$ 300,000 per player?
Egyptian football authorities are bent on leaving no stone unturned as they pamper their players with the hope of sailing through the 2010 World Cup qualifying match against the Algerian national team. The Egyptian federation has promised each player some US$ 300,000 if they win the crucial match scheduled for November 14.

Morocco: Press freedom "disappointingly absent from agenda" of visiting US Secretary of State
The International Press Institute (IPI) is disappointed at the apparent absence of deteriorating Moroccan press freedom from the agenda of a two-day visit to Morocco by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Egypt: "Internet Governance? Creating Opportunities for All"
Representatives of governments, international organizations, the Internet community, the private sector, civil society and the media will convene from 15 to 18 November 2009 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for the fourth meeting of the Internet Governance Forum on the theme of "Creating opportunities for all".

North Africa - Afrik.com : Africa and Maghreb's news - The panafrican daily newspaper
Afrik.com, Africa's portal offers a daily online newspaper with information on what is going on in the world, culture, economics, sport, societies of 56 african countries.

 

Sierra Leone's Youth: A Boon for Investment
As Sierra Leone continues to build its nation in the wake of civil war, the youth in the country are a valuable factor in continual improvement.

Shariah in Lawless Somalia
Shariah law comes in different forms, and if Somalia is to adopt a viable version of it, it must be a system that is accountable and takes care of its people.

Book Review: "The Candy Girl"
After a difficult childhood battling polio, Marcella Camara-Macauley studied early childhood education and has now written a children's book whose proceeds go to a worthy cause.

The Emerging Obama Doctrine on Africa
The Obama administration is making it clear to African nations that it intends to play an increasing role in Africa's development and governance.

Public Schools in Sierra Leone Gasping for Life Support
In the war-torn African nation of Sierra Leone, the public school system is crippled, ailing and corrupted by the government, affecting children, teachers and the nation as a whole.

China's Rise in Africa: Miracle or Mirage
Although China's burgeoning economic relationship with Africa is significant, many aspects of China's investment are being distorted and overlooked.

Minister Kanu Resolves Longstanding Corporate Feud
In mediating a resolution involving London Mining, African Minerals and the Government of Sierra Leone, Minister Kanu emerges as the shining star.

Making Roads Safer in Nigeria
Road conditions in Nigeria are horrendous, and the government needs to develop a comprehensive plan of action to keep Nigerians safe on the roadways.

U.S. Should Encourage Democracy in Africa
The United States wishes to respect the will of African people, but the tools of expression can be hard to reach without the declaration and enforcement of U.S. support.

The Youth in Sierra Leone
President Obama's speech in Ghana, directed at all of Africa, aligned with the objectives of the large population of young people in Sierra Leone.

Contemptuousness of Sub-Saharan Africa
The term

Road to Recovery: Provincial Towns in Sierra Leone
After living abroad for over a decade, a native of Sierra Leone returns to his homeland to see the differences incurred by an 11-year civil war.

Somalia, outside the Violence Box
If Somalia is to quell the religious extremism and violence that poisons its society, the government needs to develop a new paradigm of non-violence and cooperation.

Nigeria's Envy
Obama's recent visit to Ghana says much about the country's potential, but it may say even more about the country Obama chose not to visit.

African News from World Press Review
World News Review

 

Riot over Egypt football defeat
Police are injured as Egypt fans' anger over reported violence after a World Cup game erupts in Cairo.

Sani Abacha son 'must pay $350m'
A Swiss court orders the seizure of $350m in assets from the son of Nigeria's ex-ruler Sani Abacha after a 10-year investigation.

'Many flee' Congo fishing clashes
More than 50,000 people flee DR Congo amid deadly ethnic clashes over fishing rights in the north-west, the UN says.

Yacht pair plead for ransom talks
A British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates say via video footage that they fear they may be killed within a week.

East Africa in historic trade pact
East African leaders sign a common market trade agreement, allowing the free movement of people and goods.

EU gives Nigeria $1bn 'for peace'
Europe signs a $1bn deal with Nigeria, aimed at tackling corruption and promoting peace in the troubled Niger Delta.

UN condemns SA vineyard attacks
The UN condemns violent attacks against Zimbabweans seeking work in South African vineyards, which has left many homeless.

Sierra Leone police enlist youths
Sierra Leone is to enlist youths as crime-fighting volunteers in the crime-ridden capital, Freetown, police say.

Ethiopia convicts coup plotters
Twenty-six Ethiopians are convicted of plotting a coup, allegedly masterminded by an exiled opposition leader.

Nigeria's leader delays budget because politicians squabble about venue
Nigeria's president postpones his budget - because senators and representatives disagree on which chamber should host it.

Sage, onion... or gold? South African thief tries new chicken stuffing
A South African jewellery firm worker is caught trying to steal gold from his employer by stuffing it in a cooked chicken.

Nations Cup draw
Ghana's FA Chairman declares Group B the Group of death following the draw for the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola.

Fifa to probe Egypt over attacks
Fifa begins an investigation after Algerian players were attacked before their World Cup qualifier against Egypt in Cairo last week.

Semenya tests not complete - IAAF
Gender tests on South African athlete Caster Semenya are yet to be completed, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) reveal.

Dangerous seas
Can EU's taskforce defeat pirates off Somalia coast?

In pictures
From football flips to goat migrations in Africa's week

Militants' grip
US Somali youths recruited by homeland radicals

Family affair
Is North Africa succumbing to dynastic rule?

Beefing up
How Botswana is putting more meat on its beef industry

African view
Trust this headline: 'Somali man, 112, weds bride, 17'?

Somalia 'to ratify UN child pact'
Somalia says it will ratify the UN's child rights convention, leaving the US as the only nation not backing the accord.

Mugabe army 'quits diamond field'
Soldiers have started to leave Zimbabwe's diamond fields, a minister says, after warnings from the global trade watchdog.

Hudson to play Winnie Mandela
Hollywood actress Jennifer Hudson will play the controversial ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnie, in a forthcoming film.

US backs Guinea mercenary claim
The US says its has evidence that South African "military trainers" are in Guinea helping the much-criticised ruling junta.

Somali woman stoned for adultery
A 20-year-old woman is stoned to death by Somali Islamists, accused of adultery after giving birth to a still-born baby.

Hijacked tanker's captain 'dies'
The captain of a tanker seized on Monday off the Seychelles has died of his injuries suffered during the attack, Somali pirates say.

Africa population tops a billion
The number of people in Africa has passed the one billion mark, the UN Population Fund says in a report.

Sudan cattle clashes kill dozens
Violence breaks out in southern Sudan, where officials are registering voters for the first full elections in 24 years.

Hard choices in Malawi
Should food or education be Malawi's priority?

Pictures: Sierra Leone recovery
Nick Danziger's photographs of some of the thousands of victims of Sierra Leone's conflict, who say they have not been helped, unlike the fighters who committed atrocities.

Rebels Inc in DR Congo
Is a feared militia based in DR Congo run from Europe?

In pictures: Algeria joy
Algerian joy as win over Egypt secures World Cup place

Super-jumbo flights to seat 840
Budget flights using the world's largest aircraft are planned, carrying up to 840 people on each flight.

Congo gold 'still funding' rebels
A senior UN official tells the BBC sanctions breaking is still rife in DR Congo, with rebels using smuggled gold to fund arms.

Are you ready for Angola?
Friday is the draw for the 2010 Nations Cup. What does holding the event in Angola mean to you?

Do kids add to climate change?
Would you have fewer kids if it helped to reduce climate change?

Do you worry about your weight?
Liberian medical student Tabeh is worried about the increasing rate of obesity and wants us to ask: Are you watching what you eat?

Send us your pictures of Africa
Send in your shots of Africa from shadows to hats

BBC News | Africa | World Edition
Get the latest BBC News from Africa: breaking news, features, analysis and special reports plus audio and video from across the African continent.

 

ENERGY-TANZANIA: Charcoal a Dirty Trade-Off
DAR ES SALAAM, Nov 19 (IPS) - The sun is setting slowly over Dar es Salaam's Tabata Changombe neighbourhood. Ameenah and Skukulu Juma lean against the corrugated iron walls of their makeshift charcoal shop.

AFRICA: Growing Use of Cellphones for Family Planning
KAMPALA, Nov 19 (IPS) - The growth of cellphone use, particularly in the developing world, is providing health experts with a new channel of communication to provide family planning information.

Q&A: Recognise the Benefits of Slowing Population Growth
KAMPALA, Nov 19 (IPS) - Family planning: key to reducing child mortality and improving maternal health; a way to put less strain on the environment; and a smaller population makes the challenge of providing adequate education and health services that little bit easier.

SOUTH SUDAN: Media Give Us a Fair Deal - Women
JUBA, South Sudan, Nov 19 (IPS) - The guns have gone silent – except for sporadic conflict in parts of the vast South Sudan region, such as the Eastern Equatoria State. It may not be the absolute end of the conflict in the region, but it is a reason for renewed hope.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Women Central to Adaptation, Mitigation
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Nov 18 (IPS) - Poor women will bear the greatest ‘climate burden’, says the United Nations Population Fund in its 2009 State of the World Population report, released today.

CORRUPTION-SIERRA LEONE: Song Sparks Governance Debate
FREETOWN, Nov 18 (IPS) - Nothing has ever sparked a debate on the state of governance in the country like the song released by one of Sierra Leone’s most popular artists, Emerson Bockarie.

DEVELOPMENT: Climate Change Likely to Increase African Hunger Woes
BERLIN, Nov 18 (IPS) - Africa, the continent already most affected by hunger and food scarcity, is likely to see its woes increased due to climate change and the changing rain patterns it provokes, experts and scientists say.

Q&A: Women Should Be More Than Window Dressing
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 18 (IPS) - Women in developing countries are among the most vulnerable to the effects of crisis - be that climate change, food price hikes, the HIV/AIDS pandemic or the global recession. It is becoming more commonplace to hear women's testimony, but are women's voices heard when it comes to deciding on solutions?

TRADE: Kenya Faces Job Losses, Collapsing Sectors in Wake of Doha
GENEVA, Nov 18 (IPS) - The consequences of the Doha Round of trade talks for larger developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa could include job losses and deindustrialisation if a new study forecasting how Kenya is set to be affected is anything to go by.

HEALTH-EGYPT: Over the Top With Anti-Swine Flu Steps
CAIRO, Nov 18 (IPS) - As authorities consider suspending a whole academic year to check the spread of swine flu among school children there is a feeling that measures to contain the H1N1 virus - known to be less dangerous than the one responsible for seasonal flu - are going over the top.

POLITICS: Malawians Demand Local Councils
LILONGWE, Nov 17 (IPS) - In Malawi, local government elections are as rare and endangered as the country’s black rhinoceros.

DR CONGO: Urban Water Supply Needs Attention
KINSHASA, Nov 17 (IPS) - Kinshasa's population needs an estimated 700,000 cubic metres of water per day. The Régie de distribution des eaux (REGIDESO) produces only 425,000 cubic metres - vast neighbourhoods like Kitokimosi and Mpasa receive almost none of this water.

HEALTH-SWAZILAND: On ART Since Birth
NHLANGANO, Swaziland, Nov 16 (IPS) - Seven-year-old Ntombi* frowns after swallowing the tablets her grandmother has given her. The HIV-positive child has contracted multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

WATER-ZAMBIA: Worries Ahead of Flood Season
SHANGOMBO DISTRICT, Zambia, Nov 14 (IPS) - 
The Zambezi is home to the fishing community on Mbeta Island. But after the river rose and swallowed their homes last year, they have learned to fear it as well.

KENYA: Foreigners in Their Homeland
NAIROBI, Nov 14 (IPS) - Resistance to a government scheme to upgrade housing in Nairobi's Kibera slum is enmeshed in economics, history and identity.

IPS Inter Press Service - Africa
IPS Africa provides news features and analyses on the events and processes affecting political, economic and social development of people and nations in Africa. In directing this coverage, emphasis is put on not only hearing the voices of those in positions of power and formal authority, but more on providing access for actors in civil society and the majority of the people whose voices have often been silent in the media.

 

Dubai ousts financial chief over debt troubles
Dubai has removed the high-profile governor of the Dubai International Financial Center as a political power struggle caused by the emirate's financial troubles continues to build

Alabbar upbeat on Dubai growth prospects
Dubai's economy could grow by about 5 per cent this year, says one of the emirate's top officials, in one of the most upbeat recent forecasts about the city's prospects

Why Saudi Arabia should rethink its Yemen strategy
Governments far beyond Yemen's borders should also be alarmed at the deteriorating security in a country that has long been a breeding ground for the religious extremists of al-Qaeda, writes Roula Khalaf

Obama warns of Iran sanctions 'within weeks'
US President Barack Obama has said that world powers could have a package of measures against Iran "within weeks", warning Tehran of consequences for its failure to respond to an offer of a nuclear deal

Iran rejects demand of nuclear compromise
Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, has rejected a US-backed confidence-building measure that required Tehran to ship enriched uranium out of the country

Veto puts timeline for Iraq poll in jeopardy
Iraq's Sunni Arab vice-president has vetoed part of a law over the allocation of seats to displaced Iraqis, throwing fresh doubt over plans for elections in January

A town torn on the Afghan dilemma
While the world waits for Barack Obama to decide whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, there are few places with as much interest in the US president's dilemma...

Iran homes plan fails to raise roof
Disappointment with the delays and loopholes plaguing a highly touted programme upsets Ahmadi-Nejad's working-class constituency

Israel defies US on settlements
Israel has defied US pressure by approving a plan to construct 900 new housing units in a suburb of Jerusalem built on occupied Palestinian land in a move that could stoke regional tensions

Qatar formalises tax changes
The gas-rich peninsular plans to slash the corporate tax rate levied on foreign companies to boost international investments and help diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons

Dubai air show sees deals start to trickle in
With just a handful of extra order announcements from the main aircraft manufacturers, organisers say the total value of the Dubai air-show deals is now $8.3bn

Qatar's emerging economy bond record
Qatar has issued the world's biggest emerging market bond as the small Gulf emirate seeks to boost its capital markets by building a government yield curve

Mideast brinksmen
Obama can still retrieve this situation by publishing a blueprint of a two-states solution and a Palestinian homeland on most of the West Bank and Gaza, and placing it before the UN Security Council

Cairo angered by football violence in Algeria
Algeria's envoy has been called in to explain the violence against Egyptian workers and companies in Algeria after Saturday's match between the sides in Cairo and before a play-off on Wednesday in Khartoum

EU dents Palestinian hopes of independence
The European Union has poured cold water on Palestinian plans to seek immediate recognition as an independent state, saying the move would be "premature" and called instead for a resumption of Middle East peace negotiations with Israel

FT.com - World, Middle East
FT.com - World, Middle East

 

UN General Assembly Condemns Post-Election Abuses in Iran
In a vote of 74 in favor, 48 against and 59 abstentions, the General Assembly committee responsible for social, humanitarian and cultural affairs - known as the Third Committee -adopted the resolution co-sponsored by Canada and 41 other countries.

World Economic Forum Summit Begins in Dubai
Hundreds of influential thinkers from around the world have gathered in Dubai to participate in the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda. Participants of the three-day event will look at ways that international institutions like the G20, World Bank and United Nations can improve.

World Powers Disappointed at Iran's Intransigence
Officials from six world powers have expressed disappointment at Iran's refusal to accept a proposal to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment.

UNICEF says Children's Lives Are Improving
But 20 years after the adoption of a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, hundreds of millions still go without basics like food and health care, and violence against children remains a global problem.

US, Allies Discuss Iran Nuclear Stance and Consequences
Speaking in South Korea, President Obama says a package of potential steps will be developed during the next several weeks with the aim of sending a 'clear message' to Iran

Palestinians Say Israeli Move Could Kill Peace Process

Israeli PM Meets with Obama, Seeks Renewed Peace Talks

Hariri Names New Lebanese Government After Five-Month Vacuum

Iran Denies Backing Yemeni Rebels

Lebanon's Unity Government Convenes for First Time

Abbas Renews Call for Settlement Halt

Iraq's Presidential Council Wants January 18 Election

Palestinian Elections Postponed Indefinitely
The elections were postponed because of divisions between rival Palestinian factions: the Fatah movement that controls the West Bank and the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip.

Obama's Middle East Strategy Stalls

Iranian Nobel Laureate Ebadi Criticizes Human Rights in Iran

Ahmedinejad Uses Conciliatory Tone Over Nuclear Deal
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad says Iran and the West have "entered a period of cooperation" concerning its nuclear program. The Iranian president did not reply to specifics of a pending nuclear deal during a televised address.

More Civilians Fleeing War-Torn Yemen
UN and International aid agencies say plight of civilians in Yemen is worsening amid increasing conflict along Yemeni-Saudi border. The agencies say IDP camps are becoming overcrowded as more and more people fleeing their homes arrive

Iraq Constitutional Court Overturns Electoral Law Veto
The Constitutional Court has overturned a veto of the country's electoral law by Sunni Arab Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi who wants parliament to allocate more seats to minorities and to Iraqis living abroad, which include a large number of Sunnis

Sarkozy Leads Charge in Reinvigorating Stalled Peace Talks
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been pushing the stalled Middle East peace process this week, holding talks with Middle East leaders including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday.

Human Trafficking Reaches to High Alert Around World
The United States is often a destination for many of these victims, where they are held in what many human rights activists consider modern day slaver

VOA English - Middle East
VOA English - Middle East

 

Congo's constitution: Democracy under threat

Is Congo’s President Joseph Kabila flirting with dictatorship?

AFTER 32 years of rapacious dictatorship under Mobutu Sese Seko and nearly a decade of chaos following his demise in 1997, Congo’s elections in 2006 marked the first time the people of the former Belgian colony had gone to the polls in a free and fair vote for four decades. It was a rare moment of hope for a better future. But the latest signs are less auspicious. In recent parliamentary sessions, it emerged that President Joseph Kabila had called for a special constitutional review commission to consider amending Congo’s four-year-old charter. Among various suggestions, it may ask for presidential terms to be extended from five to seven years and perhaps for term limits to be junked altogether. Another idea being touted is for the president to become head of the Superior Council of Magistrates, the country’s most powerful judicial body. But the constitution specifically forbids amendments in all of those areas.

In the past three years the 38-year-old president has shown increasingly little interest in living up to the democratic promise that impressed the West when he won at the polls in 2006. Not that such hopes lasted very long. Just a few months after he was sworn in, he brought the opposition to heel by defeating fighters loyal to Jean-Pierre Bemba, who came second in the presidential contest, in deadly street battles in the capital, Kinshasa. Soon afterwards he clamped down on parliament’s largest opposition group, which is led by Mr Bemba, who is anyway due next year to stand trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. ...

Sierra Leone's corruption problem: A mortal enemy

The government is having some rare success in trying to eradicate an old sore

IN MOST African countries, the fight against corruption is deemed important but hardly a matter of life and death. In Sierra Leone it is exactly that.

In 1991 the country descended into one of Africa’s most terrible civil wars. It lasted a decade or so, killed tens of thousands of people and spawned a new lexicon of words and images that shocked the world: “blood diamonds”, drugged-up child soldiers, warlords and militiamen amputating the hands of their victims for doing nothing worse than voting. At the end of it all, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission appointed by the government decided that one of the war’s main causes had been the rampant corruption that had infested every level of government in the preceding decades. If Sierra Leone was to avoid a repeat of the 1990s, corruption was the biggest vice to be eradicated. ...

Iraq and its neighbours: A regional cockpit

A regional competition for influence in Iraq

Editor's note: Following an emphatic denial from United States Central Command, we have removed this story from our site pending further investigation.

...

Yemen's war: Pity those caught in the middle

A bitter local conflict threatens to spread across the region

MUHAMMAD REDWAN and his family were being hammered from all sides. In early August, rebels from Yemen’s Houthi clan took over his village in the rugged mountains of the Malahid district, near the border with Saudi Arabia. First they harassed him, telling him not to listen on his television to music that “contradicted the values of Islam”. Then they told him he was “praying in the wrong way”— with arms raised, as is the custom elsewhere in Yemen. But then he got squeezed from another side, when Saudi armed forces, entering Yemen from across the border, issued warnings by loudspeaker. “If you want to stay alive, leave your homes immediately,” they blared.

A 35-year-old smuggler, Mr Redwan took the hint. After a three-day journey of 100km (62 miles)—by donkey, in a truck and finally by foot—he, his wife and six children managed to reach Mazrak Camp, south-west of the regional capital, Saada. This is where more than 10,000 recently displaced Yemenis now languish in misery. The UN-run camp cannot cope with the thousands of people who are arriving every week. Tens of thousands of other displaced people have recently sought refuge in villages and towns scattered across a swathe of northern Yemen. ...

Hope and worry in Zambia: Less poor, less free

The president is making the country’s well-wishers anxious

WHEN Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) got independence from Britain in 1964, it was one of Africa’s richest and most developed countries. It has vast copper-ore deposits and some of the best land and most copious water in the continent. Yet now, largely due to poor leadership, it is one of the poorest. Under President Levy Mwanawasa, who ran the place from 2002 until he died a year ago, things began to look up. But after a year in the job his successor, Rupiah Banda, is beginning to raise fears, especially among foreign investors and donors, that his country may be returning to some of its bad old ways.

One reason is that Mr Banda, who was foreign minister under Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, has been chumming up with Mr Kaunda’s disgraced successor, Frederick Chiluba. Apart from the successful privatisation of the mines, Mr Chiluba’s ten-year reign from 1991-2001 is remembered mainly for its economic mismanagement and corruption. In 2007, in a civil case brought by Zambia’s government before London’s High Court, Mr Chiluba was found guilty of embezzling GBP46m (then $95m) of public funds. The ruling has yet to be enforced in Zambia. ...

Regional diplomacy and Zimbabwe: When patience finally runs out

Setting a deadline for Zimbabwe’s politicians to settle their differences

AT LAST the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an influential club of 15 countries that has overseen the regional diplomacy intended to solve Zimbabwe’s troubles, is showing signs that it may be prepared to squeeze President Robert Mugabe a bit harder. As the supposed guarantor of a power-sharing pact between Mr Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader, SADC has—after months of dithering—ordered all “outstanding issues” to be settled by December 5th. As a result, Mr Tsvangirai has agreed to end a three-week boycott of the unity government by members of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Ever since the coalition government was set up in February, Mr Mugabe has flouted most of the pact’s main provisions with impunity. In some respects, matters have been getting worse. The persecution and arrest of political opponents, trade unionists and student leaders have increased. So has violence against the dwindling band of white farmers who refuse to be chased off their property. Broadcasting and the daily press, still firmly in the hands of Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, smear Mr Tsvangirai and the MDC incessantly, while independent newspapers have yet to be allowed to start printing again. ...

Race and power in South Africa: Trouble at the grid

A race row over electricity

UNTIL the end of last month, Eskom, the state-owned power company, was mainly known for its inefficiency and incompetence. Power cuts have been maddeningly common throughout the country. But now the company has been engulfed by another, much more South African, sort of row, about race.

On October 30th rumours first circulated that the board had asked Jacob Maroga, Eskom’s chief executive, who is black, to step down. A month earlier a group of senior employees at the cash-strapped utility were reported to have sent an anonymous letter to the minister for public enterprises, demanding his removal. On November 5th it was reported that Mr Maroga had not been pushed after all, but had resigned after a clash with the board’s chairman, Bobby Godsell, who is white. ...

Iraq's mobile-phone revolution: Better than freedom?

Why Iraqis cherish their mobile phones

ASKED to name the single biggest benefit of America’s invasion, many Iraqis fail to mention freedom or democracy but instead praise the advent of mobile phones, which were banned under Saddam Hussein. Many Iraqis seem to feel more liberated by them than by the prospect of elected resident government.

In the five years since the first network started up, the number of subscribers has soared to 20m (in a population of around 27m), while the electricity supply is hardly better than in Mr Hussein’s day. That is double the rate for Lebanon, where a civil war ended two decades ago and income per head is four times higher. ...

Rivalry over hummus: An emotive issue

A good-humoured war over food

MIDDLE EASTERNERS have had a habit of making war but they suffer a stronger addiction to hummus, the chickpea dip that is a staple of Levantine cuisine. So what could be more explosive than a mix of both passions, war and peas? Just such a conflict is raging between those old foes, Israel and Lebanon.

Last year, a team of Israeli chefs concocted what they claimed was the world’s biggest-ever batch of hummus, rolling out a vat weighing 400kg (882lb) in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market. It took a year to muster an Arab counter-strike, but on October 24th a squadron of Lebanese chefs cooked up a bunker-busting bowlful that weighed in at over 2,000kg. For good measure they also unveiled a terrifying 3,500kg batch of tabbouleh, the cracked wheat and parsley salad for which Lebanon is justly famed. Gastronomic gigantism may be a fad in Lebanon, where chefs recently baked a tray of kibbeh, a pie of minced meat and cracked wheat, at 20 square metres (215 square feet) a candidate for the Guinness Book of Records. ...

The leadership of Palestine: Will he jump?

The Palestinians look both divided and leaderless

AFTER five hapless years as the Palestinians’ president, Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) suddenly declared on November 5th that he would not seek re-election in January, when the Palestinian territories are due to hold general and presidential polls. On the face of it, his decision was a blow to the cause of peace. Even before he succeeded Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004, Mr Abbas stood out as a man of peace who preferred negotiation to violence, whereas Mr Arafat, at least in most Israeli eyes, had always juggled the two. After Mr Abbas steps down, who will take over? And in which direction might the new man go?

But within hours of Mr Abbas’s declaration confusion had set in. For a start, it soon became unclear whether Mr Abbas really would step down. He has often threatened to resign. Angered by a recent decision of the American administration to rescind its previous vaunted insistence that Israel’s government should completely stop building and expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the core of a would-be Palestinian state, Mr Abbas may have been seeking to win concessions as his price for staying in office—and for returning to the negotiating table. ...

Uganda and homosexuality: Don’t ask

A new law against homosexuality in Uganda could set a nasty trend

VISITORS to Uganda have rarely been starved of sex if they have wanted it. But there are limitations. The country’s mix of vigorous heterosexuality and religiosity have made it one of Africa’s more homophobic places. Now, say advocates of sexual freedom, a proposed new law against homosexuals will push Uganda back into a grim kind of Victorian age, Africa-style.

Fine, say members of Uganda’s parliament, who believe they are leading a global battle to defend the traditional family. Foreign embassies, they reckon, are unduly pro-gay; the UN is alleged to be “smuggling” in “agents of immorality”. “Carnal knowledge against the order of nature”, as one MP put it, is imported by corrupt white men and women. ...

Hope for Zanzibar: Taking the spice out of politics

A pact between the island’s rival parties could prevent more violence and unrest

TANZANIANS are proud of the fact that it was their president, Jakaya Kikwete, who won the race to the White House. Ghana may have been Africa’s first sub-Saharan country to host Barack Obama as president, but Mr Kikwete was Africa’s first head of state to be received in Washington, DC, by the new American leader: a striking endorsement of his country. With messy Kenya and chaotic Congo across the border, and lawless Somalia just up the coast to the north, Tanzania is now viewed in the West as a regional haven of calm in a turbulent neighbourhood.

But there has been a big blot on Tanzania’s record over the years: Zanzibar. The last three elections on the offshore islands that comprise the territory—Pemba and Zanzibar itself—have been increasingly violent and disputed. The opposition Civic United Front (CUF) claims that the elections of 1995, 2000 and 2005 were all stolen by the local branch of Tanzania’s ruling Party of the Revolution, better known by its Swahili initials, CCM. ...

Protests in Iran: Green November

The opposition takes to the streets again

THIRTY years ago, the world was mesmerised by pictures of 52 blindfolded Americans being taken hostage in their embassy in Tehran by Iranian students. This week’s anniversary provided more gripping scenes, as Iranians used the official celebration of that event to take to the streets once again, this time to protest against their own government and their country’s controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose re-election in June they still hotly dispute.

The green movement, as the opposition calls itself, had held no big rally since Jerusalem Day in mid-September, when protesters turned an officially sponsored event into an anti-government one. On November 4th they did it again. Thousands came on to the streets, despite dark warnings from the authorities. There were big demonstrations in Tehran, and reports of others in provincial cities such as Arak, Isfahan, Mazandaran, Rasht, Shiraz and Tabriz. The internet hummed with tales of opposition protests, replete with videos and photographs. It was hard, however, to assess the size of the crowds. ...

Saudis and Yemenis versus jihadists: A bloody border

Trouble on the frontier between Saudi Arabia and Yemen is getting out of hand

TWO separate incidents underline the growing shakiness of Yemen’s government and the increasing fear of Saudi rulers that their own fairly successful campaign to quash Islamist terrorism may be undermined by neighbouring Yemen’s feared descent into chaos. On November 3rd suspected al-Qaeda fighters ambushed a Yemeni government convoy in the remote Hadramawt region, near the border with Saudi Arabia, killing three senior security men. A day later Yemeni rebels at the other end of the country crossed the frontier into Saudi Arabia, killed a Saudi officer and claimed to have captured a strategic mountaintop inside the kingdom. The very next day, Saudi aircraft were reported to have bombed rebel positions in Yemen.

In the first attack the Yemeni officers were targeted in what may be an emerging strategy by al-Qaeda’s resilient local branch to hit local security forces rather than symbols of “crusader” influence, such as Western embassies. The attack on Saudi Arabia, by contrast, was a spillover from the civil war in northern Yemen between government forces and rebel tribesmen loyal to a powerful local clan, the Houthis. The government accuses Shia Iran of backing the Houthis, most of whose supporters are Zaydis, a Yemeni branch of the Shia faith, whereas the rebels say Sunni Saudi Arabia is backing the government’s ferocious counter-insurgency. ...

Guinea's strife: Don't let it be contagious

The neighbours of a shaky west African state fear that its instability could spread

WHEN Moussa Dadis Camara, a 45-year-old captain, seized power at the end of last year, many Guineans and foreigners were by no means unhappy. He seemed sure to be better than his corrupt and dictatorial predecessor, President Lansana Conte, who had just died after 25 years in charge. But hope evaporated at the end of September, when security forces smashed up an opposition rally in a stadium in Conakry, the capital. Soldiers and police killed at least 150 demonstrators and raped scores of women, says Human Rights Watch, a lobby based in New York.

A worldwide storm of outrage ensued. The African Union has frozen the assets held abroad by junta members. The European Union has imposed an arms embargo and has also, along with the United States, stopped giving visas to Guineans close to the regime. France, the former colonial ruler, has cut military ties. Its foreign minister has called for “international intervention”, so far unspecified. ...

The flagging peace process: Is Israel too strong for Barack Obama?

As America drops its demand for a total freeze on the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, angry Palestinians say there is no scope for resuming talks

FIVE months after Barack Obama went to Cairo and persuaded most of the Arab world, in a ringing declaration of even-handedness, that he would face down Israel in his quest for a Palestinian state, American policy seems to have run into the sand. The American president’s mediating hand is weaker, his charisma damagingly faded. From the Palestinian and Arab point of view, his administration—after grandly setting out to force the Jewish state to stop the building of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land as an early token of good faith, intended to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiation—has meekly capitulated to Israel.

The upshot is that hopes for an early resumption of talks between the main protagonists seem to have been dashed. Indeed, no one seems to know how they can be restarted. The mood among moderates on both sides is as glum as ever. ...

Baghdad's Green Zone goes dry: Stop that naughty Western habit

Life for Westerners in Iraq’s capital becomes less bearable

RESIDENTS of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where nearly all Western civilians in the capital still live in around 100 compounds, along with several thousand soldiers, have long enjoyed a relatively privileged life. Unlike just about everyone else in Iraq, they have electricity that keeps them permanently cool, lights their rooms, plays their music, and runs their fridges around the clock. Their water is clean; loos flush. Above all, suicide-bombers and other insurgents are generally kept out by a maze of high concrete walls and stringently checked entry points, though the occasional lethal bomb has gone off and in bad times rockets and mortars have rained down. Compared with the rest of Baghdad, fatalities have been rare.

Now, however, the residents of the Green Zone are taking a big hit. Many of its diplomats, security people, lobbyists and aid workers have been used to whiling away their evenings at cocktail parties or in bars. But the Iraqi government is banning the transport and sale of alcohol inside the zone even though alcohol will remain legal in other parts of the country. Liquor stores must close after selling off their stock. Restaurants have been told to go dry. ...

Iraq's coming election: The region's liveliest system

Amid the bickering and chicanery, people are engaging in democracy

SOMETIMES it seems as if Iraqi politicians cannot agree on anything. Parliament has taken months debating a bill to pave the way to elections on January 16th, though at least 296 parties have declared their intention to compete at the polls. Yet outside the chamber many members say they want the same things. The era of sectarian division, they all insist, is over. Shias and Sunnis embrace at press conferences as they present electoral alliances. In the name of reconciliation, politicians disavow the militias that once killed on their behalf. Banners proclaim the goal of “national unity”. Is there any sign that such fine dreams might ever come true?

For all the backbiting, progress is plain. After months of negotiations, six main electoral blocks have emerged to meet a looming deadline for registering alliances. The three that look most genuinely post-sectarian may well be the strongest. The rest sport fig-leaves of diversity but are tainted with past sectarian violence. ...

Protecting displaced Africans: Selective rescue

A new treaty promises much, but will not help those who need help most urgently

AFRICA contains half of the world’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)—those who have fled their homes but continue to live in their own countries. Sudan alone has over 4m of them, about the same number as the whole of Asia. Congo has another 2m or so, Somalia at least 1.3m. A score of other countries including Uganda, Zimbabwe and Kenya have hundreds of thousands more. In sum, there are about 12m IDPs across the continent.

On top of that, Africa has 3m refugees, who, by crossing an international border, have rights and can expect assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). IDPs, however, are not so fortunate. No binding agreements protect them. UNHCR will help out, but generally they have to rely on the generosity of foreign-aid organisations and, occasionally, the goodwill of their own governments. Sometimes though, as in the Darfur region of Sudan, those very same governments have driven the IDPs from their homes in the first place. ...

The Economist: Middle East and Africa
Middle East and Africa