NEWS

Watching Wole's return to Biafra

Forty years ago, Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka travelled to Nigeria's secessionist Biafra region to try and calm growing tensions. The visit saw him thrown in jail, forced to spend 22 months in solitary confinement. Now he has returned to meet those who ordered his detention. The BBC's Mark Rickards accompanied him:

Biyi Bandele: Interview with Koye Oyedeji

'Growing up in an alien environment'
Ethiopian poet, playwright and author Lemn Sissay, 39, was raised by a white family in the north of England. Here he tells how his life often felt like an experiment

The Go-Between
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who oversaw the post-apartheid reconciliation in his native South Africa, has now brought victims and killers from Northern Ireland's Troubles face to face. He talked about the experience to the BBC News website. Even though we might think we're hardened to reality television, real-life, raw emotion is still quietly shocking, catching you unawares

Living with race hate in Russia
Juldas Okie Etoumbi, a postgraduate international relations student at Moscow's RUDN university, remembers well his first encounter with a Russian.

Photos put Zanzibar on the map
"Zanzibar is my home and it is a very special place for me," says Javed Jafferji, a Tanzanian photographer who is famous for his pictures of the beautiful Indian Ocean island.

Botswana floored by passion killings
Three years after the killing of her daughter Kaone by her fiancé, Gladys Ramotlhwa is still in pain. Kaone Ramotlhwa was studying in South Africa Since then, Botswana, which is known as a nation of peace and tolerance, has been experiencing a series of love-related murders, or passion killings, as some people call them. "My daughter and I were very close friends, we used to joke together," Gladys recalls.

Egypt 'must probe Cairo violence'
Human rights activists are seeking an independent inquiry after an Egyptian police operation to break up a protest camp left more than 20 Sudanese dead.

Rights group urges Darfur probe
Human Rights Watch has called for senior Sudanese officials - including the president - to be investigated for crimes against humanity in Darfur. Its latest report names more than a dozen civilian and military officials it says helped co-ordinate militias and armed forces who attacked civilians.

Africa summit focuses on youth jobs
French President Jacques Chirac has joined leaders from across Africa in Mali for a two-day summit focusing on youth issues. More than 50 African heads of state or senior officials are taking part in the two-yearly meeting, in Bamako.

Your views on the role of women
Read a collection of views and experiences sent in by users.

Liberia after the poll
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, known as the "Iron lady", has claimed victory after taking a commanding lead in Liberia's first presidential run-off after 14 years of war.

Chad celebrates new fossil centre
Chad is celebrating the opening of its first palaeontology department - only the fourth in Africa - following a discovery which shook up the understanding of human origins.

Playwright August Wilson Dies of Cancer
NEW YORK (AP) - Playwright August Wilson, whose epic 10-play cycle chronicling the black experience in 20th-century America included such landmark dramas as ``Fences'' and ``Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,'' died Sunday of liver cancer, a family spokeswoman said. He was 60.

American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina
he American Red Cross, with support of the worldwide Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, is launching a Web site and hotline to help assist family members who are seeking news about loved ones living in the path of Hurricane Katrina.

Photo Journal: Wood Carver
In the latest in our series on people's daily lives, Lugwani, a Tanzanian wood carver talks about how he transforms logs into art--BBC Africa

Rwanda starts prisoner releases
Rwanda's authorities have begun releasing more than 36,000 genocide suspects from its overcrowded jails.

Africa to seek UN Council Seats
An AU official said the candidate countries had not yet been agreed but the issue was not expected to divide the 53-member union. The main contenders are South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt, say correspondents.

Empowering young mothers in Ethiopia
I wasn't expecting to find myself sipping cactus juice when I visited a charity assisting vulnerable young women in the northern Ethiopian town of Mekele this week.

Leaders praise Asian-Africa deal
The Asia-Africa summit has ended with what the organisers say is a historic deal to build economic and political ties between the two continents.

Africa's women speak out
The BBC News website asked some of the continent's influential female personalities for their views on the role of women in contemporary Africa.

Drums win top African film prize
The hero of Drum is the fun loving, hard-drinking philanderer, Henry Nxumalo, a magazine reporter. Nxumalo's enterprising reportage leads him into direct conflict with South Africa's apartheid machinery with fatal consequences.

Somali's struggle against glorified guns
The latest book by world renowned Somali author Nuruddin Farah is a gripping account of the dangers and insanity of life in Mogadishu after 14 years of anarchy. Links, which is being published in the UK next week, is the story of Jeebleh, a Somali who returns to Mogadishu for the first time after living in the United States for 20 years.

Nobel winners rally behind Kofi Annan
A group of 70 Nobel laureates have issued a statement endorsing the leadership of the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The rise and fall of Mugabe's spin doctor
Jonathan Moyo's rise from academic critic to information minister of Zimbabwe was meteoric but it seems as though he may have a rocky landing.

Thousands mourn Mandela's son
Thousands mourn Mandela's son Thousands join Nelson Mandela at the funeral of his son Makgatho, who died of Aids recently.

Africa's year in cartoons

Kenyan collects Nobel peace prize
Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai has been presented with the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 at a ceremony in Oslo. Professor Maathai, also Kenya's deputy environment minister, is the first African woman and environmentalist to win the prestigious award.

Retracing Che Guevara's Congo footsteps
Retracing Che Guevara's Congo footsteps In the final entry of a four-part series on the Democratic Republic of Congo, the BBC world affairs correspondent Mark Doyle follows in the footsteps of revolutionary Che Guevara in Uvira, in the south-east of the country.

Kenyan ecologist wins Nobel prize
Kenyan environmentalist and human rights campaigner Wangari Maathai has won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first African woman to be awarded the peace prize since it was created in 1901. A surprised Mrs Maathai broke the news to reporters minutes before the official announcement.

'My Life":Egyptian Women Speak Out

Annan urges UN action over Darfur
The UN secretary-general has urged Security Council members to take immediate action over a US draft resolution on Sudan's Darfur region. Courtesy: BBC

Photo Journal: Somali peace activist
'It was not easy to preach peace because everyone believed in their own clan and thought that I was also trying to promote my clan.'From BBC:News

Photo Journal: Libyan Artist
Hidden talents: I do not just sell though. My real work involves inscribing on brass. I have had this gift in art since I was a child and I love what I do. Inscriptions require special attention to detail and to do this there are two main tools that I use, a hammer and an engraving tool.

Journalists from Zambia and Nigeria Complete IWMF Fellowship
Olujobi and Zulu are two of a select few women journalists in higher management in the African media. In their countries, they say, women journalists are rarely given assignments that don’t involve homemaking or cooking, and many women reporters give up their jobs because the societal constraints of marriage and family are too great. “There aren’t enough women sticking it out until they get to the top,” said Olujobi. “They become frustrated…and just leave.”

Photo Journalishm: Tanzanian woman boxer
I am 27 years old and have two children. I started boxing last year to earn money to pay for food and education for my children. They are proud that I am a boxer.

Renowned Kenyan author attacked
Kenyan novelist Ngugi wa Thiong'o and his wife were attacked in his home by armed men late on Wednesday night in the capital, Nairobi.

Floods in South African townships
At least 15,000 people have been left homeless after several days of storms and heavy rains around the South African city of Cape Town.

Divorce divides Morocco and W Sahara
As of February 2004, Moroccan women no longer have to obey their husbands by law, something many Moroccan men saw as enshrining their right to use their fists on disobedient wives. Fatima's husband asked for forgiveness and Fatima went back to the marital home satisfied she had the equal, if not the upper, hand.

Take two: Cinema returns to Lagos
Lagosians enter a grand atrium under a high dome decorated with cartoon characters. Then they take the escalator to the first floor to watch the latest releases - currently including Troy, Harry Potter 3 and Spiderman 2.

Photo Journal: Life in a new land
BBC News Online has been following the route taken by Mamadou Saliou "Billy" Diallo, an African man who made it to Europe after a long and dangerous journey across the Sahara. Here he talks about his life in the Italian town of Brescia.

Standard Bank to sell 10% stake
Black investors said to be acquiring shares include ex-ANC secretary-general Cyril Ramaphosa who heads Millennium Consolidated Investments.

In pictures: South African lawyer
I am 29 years old and work in the main court for the Alexandra township area in Johannesburg.

In Pictures: Zimbabwe street kids
Lonely Boy is by Charles Kamangwana, who conducted the painting workshops with the street children. "The project started a deeper investigation of the children's lives," he said. "Some were very emotional as they painted, recalling bad experiences."

Microsoft to launch in Kiswahili
Kiswahili will be one of the new languages due to be added in a global local languages programme in response to complaints from around the world that youngsters were losing their native tongues, says Mr Opiyo.

Africa regains growth trajectory
Africa's growth picked up in 2003 after a rough 2002, a survey has found. BBC.

Soyinka slams Nigeria 'inaction'
Nigeria's Nobel prize-winning author Wole Soyinka has blamed President Olusegun Obasanjo for failing to ensure security in a recent spate of violence.

Soyinka, others demand national confab or Obasanjo's resignation
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo was yesterday handed a choice between convening a Sovereign National Conference and quitting office. The choice was handed down by Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and the leadership of a budding civil rights group, the Citizens Forum.

Soyinka, rights activists ask Obasanjo to quit
Vow to organise Sovereign National Conference LAGOS— NOBEL laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, and other prominent human rights activists who were brutalised by policemen at weekend’s rally in Lagos were back in the fray, yesterday, calling for the resignation of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Gani, Soyinka, others regroup
Police change strategy. By IHEANACHO NWOSU: DETERMINED to achieve their objective, pro-democracy activists under the aegis of Citizen’s Forum (CF) whose rally to protest alleged bad governance was aborted by the police last Saturday, will re-group today in Lagos.

Police Arrest Soyinka, Others
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, was among civil right activists reportedly arrested yesterday by the Lagos Police command. BY ADELEKE ADESERI, IDOWU AJANAKU AND KAMAL TAYO OROPO

Kenyan Modernists
In Pictures: Kenyan Art

Gas powers Tanzania ahead
In a matter of weeks, gas will start flowing from Songosongo, East Africa's largest natural gas field. This will make Tanzania reliably selfsufficient in power.

Tanzanian island bids for tourists
To the untrained eye, the ruins of Husuni Kubwa palace on Kilwa Kisiwani, a small island off the southern coast of Tanzania, may seem a far from impressive array of broken walls, staircases and passages.

Kenyan writer wins BBC award
A Kenyan writing about the taboo subject of incest has taken first prize in the BBC's African Performance playwriting competition.

ANC Heading for Mass Victory
South Africa's ruling African National Congress appears to be heading for its biggest ever election victory, 10 years since the end of apartheid.

When good men do nothing
One dark night in Rwanda, a man who called himself Jean-Pierre warned the UN about a plan to exterminate Tutsis at a rate faster than the Nazis killed Jews. They killed at least 800,000 in 100 days, aided by ordinary men and women who were somehow convinced this was their "umuganda", their work and civic duty.

Academics streaming out of Africa

Africa's "brain drain" is being made worse by private industry poaching the continent's best professors, a body representing a number of East African universities has said. Makerere University is regarded as Africa's Harvard Africa is suffering because many of its best minds leave for richer parts of the world - more than 10,000 left for America or Europe in 2003 alone.

Congo Fishermen: In Pictures

NIGERIA: Obasanjo's govt running mafia-like administration, says Soyinka
OSOGBO— NOBEL Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, accused the Federal Government of running a mafia-like administration, warning that the situation was capable of endangering the country’s democracy.

Changing status of Morocco's shunned wives
Under Morocco's old family code Khadija's husband and thousands of other Moroccan men could verbally divorce their wives at any time, and their decision was legally binding.

Mauritania's 'wife-fattening' farm
A generation ago, over a third of women in the country were force-fed as children - Mauritania is one of the few African countries where, on average, girls receive more food than boys.

How African is North Africa?
Seen from space, Africa is one huge and undivided landmass. But for some on the continent, however, the widely-held perception is of two very different regions; Africa south of the Sahara desert, or sub-Saharan Africa, and north Africa. For some, the dividing line is more than the Sahara - it is culture, language and even skin tone.

Mbeki seeks DRC economic deals
South African President Thabo Mbeki is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where he is expected to boost economic ties between the two countries.

Niger's male beauty contest

In Pictures: Niger's male beauty contest

In the eye of the beholder?
To any Western woman who has struggled with one of the vast array of modern weight-loss plans so she may rejoice rather than recoil at her wedding snaps, tales of such institutions may sound like a cruel joke.

TV chef battles Ethiopian hunger
The 31-year-old got his training at Ethiopia's top hotel - the Sheraton. But now he is in charge of his own kitchen, from where every Sunday morning he tells the nation how to cook.

Kenya women MPs' handbag protest
Women members of parliament in Kenya have walked out, in protest at a ban on handbags in the debating chamber.

Minister of Finance, Nigeria: Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
TELL me your name and I will tell you who you are! This aphorism is apt in the case of the Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Months have rolled by since the name crept into the consciousness of Nigerians. It virtually came from the blues and the public wanted to know the background of the compound-named personality. And the question then was "Okonjo who?"

The Ghanaian with the golden touch
Sam Esson Jonah began as a shovel boy, in the pits of the company's only mine at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, 34 years ago. He rose to become chief executive of the company and earlier this year he was knighted by the Queen of England for his leadership in the industry.

President Mbeki: Years of Hardship
Mr Mbeki, a prominent African National Congress (ANC) activist in his youth, moved to England in 1962 to study economics at Sussex University, and graduated in 1966. Mr Pahad was also at Sussex at the time. It was after this, Mr Pahad revealed, that his friend found himself among the many homeless of London.

Kenya's mystery winning playwright
But the true identity of the playwright remained a mystery until Kenyan writer Andiah Kisia logged onto the BBC website.

Case for Ideological Orientation-Awolowo
Down the ages, several political isms have vied with one another for popular acceptances: feudalism, anarchism, capitalism, syndicalism, socialism, trotskyism, etc. Only two of these isms have survived the age-long contest and are at all worth considering in this lecture.

Coetzee wins Nobel literature Prize
The Nobel Academy's head, Horace Engdahl, said Coetzee "in innumerable guises portrays the surprise involvement of the outsider".

Nigeria tops happiness survey
Nigeria has the highest percentage of happy people followed by Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador and Puerto Rico, while Russia, Armenia and Romania have the fewest.

Traditional medicines 'do work'
Doctors have found scientific evidence supporting the use of traditional Ghanaian plants to help wounds heal.

Achebe faults criticisms of classic novel
FOREMOST African writer, Professor Chinua Achebe, has denied allegations that his books are pornographic. In a BBC report monitored in Lagos yesterday, the literary icon expressed sadness that a parent group in Kenya wants his book, A Man of the People, dropped from schools' syllabus there.

Ken Saro-Wiwa 1941-1995
Nigerian television producer, writer of satirical novels, children's tales, and plays. In 1994 Saro-Wiwa was imprisoned by the orders of the dictator Sani Abacha. He had strongly defended the rights of the Ogoni people and criticized government's oil policy with Royal Dutch/Shell. Despite wide international protests, Saro-Wiwa was hanged after a show trial with other eight Ogoni rights activists in Port Harcourt, on November 10, 1995.

"CIVILISATION STARTED FROM YORUBA KINGDOM" - ALAAFIN OF OYO
'The old Oyo Empire was one of the earliest and probably, the greatest independent race in West Africa, south of the equator. At the height of its existence, the old Oyo Empire dominated all Yoruba kingdoms namely Ife, Ijesha, Egba, Ijebu, Sabe and Owu. The area occupied by the Yoruba Kingdom in south-west Nigeria, is roughly enclosed by latitude 5 and 8 degree North of the equator and Longitude 5 and 21/2 degree East. There are two versions to the origin of the Yoruba race - Migration and Aboriginality. These two theories may not necessarily be contradictory in the sense that our oral tradition was handed down to us by purely non-natives.'

'That Last Meeting With Bola Ige'
Text of a statement by Prof. Sola Adeyeye on the face-off between Prof. Wole Soyinka and President Olusegun Obasanjo

Wole Soyinka: Discounting the Electorate

Wole Soyinka: Discounting the Electorate Part II

Wole Soyinka: Discounting the Electorate III

Achebe steps out with New Book of Poetry
CHINUA Achebe is best known as a novelist. He however finds poetry a means of expressing his distress and innermost feelings. The novelist won the First Commonwealth Poetry Prize with Beware Soul Brother.

Green Card Lottery
No processing fee: United States Homeland Security

Green Card Lottery
Application fee of $50.00: Private Agency

'Don't send me to my death'
Blessed, a student, came to Britain from Malawi in 1999 and was diagnosed with HIV in 2001. 'I know if I go back to Malawi I will die' She has been told that she must return to her homeland, even though her doctors say the drugs she needs are not available there.

The Story of Africa
African History: From the Dawn of Time...

Western critics and the African artiste
APPARENTLY motivated by forces that are not unconnected with cultural imperialism, Western writers and critics of the arts continue to attribute the success of African musicians to western influences - even where there is no justification for it at all.

Sicily's sorry tide of migrants

Timbuktu: Endangered Manuscripts
Of the 700,000 manuscripts in Timbuktu and northern Mali most are endangered and the need for constructive action is urgent. The texts in private collections as well as public libraries need to be preserved, catalogued, and studied. The manuscripts cover an array of sciences such as mathematics, chemistry, optics, physics, astronomy, medicine, as well as treaties on tolerance, conflict resolution, Islamic sciences, history, geography, government legislation, jurisprudence etc. Many of these rare works are more than 400 years old.

Somali poet marches for peace
Somali artists have been accused of inciting civil unrest Somali artists have been marching for peace as faction and government leaders at talks in Kenya fail to agree the formation of a transitional government and a national assembly.

IVF: An African dream
At least one in five Africans has fertility problems. This weeks sees the 25th anniversary of the birth of Louise Brown - the world's first IVF baby.

In pictures: Zambia art against corruption
Zambian artists have launched a collection of paintings 'Images of Integrity' to help fight rampant corruption.

Kenya split by wedding row
A controversial wedding between a 67-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man is threatening to tear apart a prominent family and is testing the position of Kenya's churches on marriage.

Soyinka criticises BBA
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka last weekend criticised Big Brother Africa, describing it as banal, lacking anything to offer to the continent.

Mandela feted at gala dinner
Heads of states and celebrities from around the world have joined Nelson Mandela at a gala dinner in Johannesburg

Kenya MPs fight 'colonial' dress code
Three Kenyan members of parliament have entered the chamber in African clothes, in violation of rules dating back to the colonial era.

Nigerian politicians are fraudulent, says Soyinka
Professor Wole Soyinka has described most Nigerian politicians as fraudulent and parochial in their approach to governance.

Obasanjo appoints Soyinka's daughter as special assistant
Nigeria: THE President has approved the appointment of Professor Wole Soyinka daughter, Mrs. Moremi Soyinka-Onijala, as his Special Assitant on Legal Matters.

Rising profile of Nigerian literature
All over the world, the sustenance of literary activity and programmes within any society depends a lot on the collective decision of a few writers

Defining moments: Desmond Tutu
Tutu is a Nobel peace laureate. As the Archbishop of Johannesburg, Desmond Tutu was one of the key leaders in the fight to rid South Africa of apartheid. More recently he chaired the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which sought to heal the scars of apartheid.

University of Ibadan Trained Doctors in US Raise $18G in one sitting to save UCH
The day evoked inspiration in both categories to rise to the aid of the school and its restoration as large sums of money were raised for the University of Ibadan and its famous College of Medicine.

Africa's mixed feelings to Bush
President Bush is not a popular man in Africa. His invasion of Iraq provoked anger, scorn and incomprehension across the continent. Nelson Mandela described Mr Bush as a man "who can't think properly".

AIDS in Africa
Death stalks a continent. This is a story about AIDS in Africa. Look at the picutres. Read the words. And then try not to care.

AIDS in Africa Part II
The Orphaned Continent

Raided Lost Ark returns home
A replica of the Biblical Ark of the covenant, or tabot, has been taken back to Ethiopia and an Irish doctor was responsible

Kunle Ajibade
A Reporter's Account of The Season of Anomie: Jailed for Life: A Reporter's Notes by Kunle Ajibade, Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria) Plc, Ibadan, 2003 213pp

The many lives of the Northern woman
Mairo Bello, a Muslim who lives in Kano, West Africa, directs Adolescent Health and Information Projects (AHIP), a youth advocacy organisation that provides information, education and counselling on sexuality and reproductive health.

The Story of a Positive Woman
Councillor Kate Anolue

In pictures: Nigeria oil strike
Nigeria Oil Strike

Zanzibar's high hopes for festival
Tourists are back in Zanzibar for the annual film festival. Residents of the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar are hoping their annual film festival will give their tourist industry a much-needed boost after a series of damaging terror alerts.

Country Profile: Egypt
While best known for its pyramids and ancient civilizations, Egypt has played a central role in the political situation within the region in modern times.

Monrovia mother's search
Beatrice is a 32-year-old wife and mother, resident in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. She tells BBC News Online how the fierce fighting of the past few days has affected her family.

Are needles spreading HIV?
How did HIV come to afflict Africa so much more than other parts of the world?

Developing world faces cancer crisis
Radiation machines are scarce. The number of new cancer patients in the developing world reach 10 million per year by 2015 unless access to radiation therapy is improved, say experts.

Hon. Justice Akinola Aguda-Nigeria
The Tribulations and Triumphs Of A Judicial Activist. He was appointed a judge of the Western High Court of Justice on 2 May 1968; Chief Justice of Western State; Chief Judge of Ondo State on 6 July 1976; Chief Justice of the Republic of Botswana on 4 February 1972; a member of the Court of Appeal for Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland.

US Confirms Bush's Visit to Nigeria
The White House at the weekend formally announced that President George W. Bush will embark on an official visit to Nigeria and four other African countries from July 7 and 12 this year.

African airlines: On a wing or a prayer?
Ghana Airways has hit the doldrums. Recently the airline took the unusual step of holding a prayer service to save it from imminent collapse!

Out of the Shadows
Child Prostitution and Pornography: Sexual exploitation of children by military groups, street children earning their living through prostitution, and the numbers of foreign men exploiting Angolan minors are on the rise in the country

African hunt for stolen Boeing
The plane has not been seen for four weeks. The United States says it is working with African governments to try to find a stolen passenger jet that it fears may end up being used by terrorists

Pipeline's Profits May Bypass Africans
Chad and Cameroon stand to reap billions from a consortium's oil project, but those living in poverty have seen few promised benefits

Africa Dirty Bomb Warning
There are growing problems in Africa with trafficking in materials that could be used to make a dirty bomb, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned.

Child Labourers
One in six children across the globe are involved in child labour, including trafficking, sexual exploitation, slavery, hazardous work, and conflict. Just over a third, 73 million, are under 10

Africa's wildlife 'to be privatised'
A South African private company has said that it has plans to take over a string of national parks throughout Africa.

African children 'missing out'
African children 'missing out'. Africa has the highest rate of unregistered children in the world, the United Nations Children's Funds, Unicef, has said.

Zimbabwe protests diary
A student activist with Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change writes a diary for BBC News Online of the week-long protests intended to drive President Robert Mugabe out of power

Andrew Young urges visiting African Leaders
Andrew Young urges visiting African leaders to consult with U.S. black community. AFRICAN leaders visiting the United States for talks or negotiations have been advised to go via the African-American community before meeting with officials of that country.

Ethiopia's pride in Herto finds
The curtains had been drawn in the conference room, the audience of politicians, scientists and journalists spoke in respectful hushed tones - and on a black velvet cloth on a table in the corner lay one of the 160,000 year old skulls. BBC reporter Damian Zane was in Addis Ababa for the unveiling of the oldest known skulls of modern humans.

Harvest of Fear: GM Crops
Viewpoints: What Are The Benefits?. Here are scientists' views on how GM crops can help the environment (reducing the need for herbicides, pesticides), the farmer (pathogen resistance), and make it easier to feed the world (enhanced crops with vitamins). Critics of agricultural biotechnology say there are other, better options for solving these problems.

GM crops 'good for developing countries'
Genetically modified (GM) crops can contribute substantially to improving agriculture in developing countries, an independent scientific think-tank has concluded. By Pallab Ghosh, BBC Science correspondent

Kofi Annan: Center of the Storm
A Film by David Grubin

Foreigners Flee Liberia Fighting
A further evacuation of foreign nationals is to take place as rebel forces close in on the capital, amid growing concerns for its inhabitants.

Africa Seeks More Equitable Ties With Rich Nations, Lenders
As the world's richest nations were making a raft of pledges to ease the social and economic woes of Africa, ministers from the world's poorest continent called on Tuesday for an overhaul of the relationship between developing states and their benefactors.

Cameroun Gets $45.4m Oil Boost Loan
The African Development Bank (ADB) has signed a loan agreement of $45.4million with the Cameroon Shipyard and Industrial Engineering.

Liberian rebels moving on capital
Liberian rebels 'moving on capital. President and his wife return to an uncertain future. Rebels in Liberia are reported to have entered the suburbs of the capital, Monrovia, as President Charles Taylor struggles to hold on to power.

Kinshasa Blames Massacres On Uganda Army
The government in Kinshasa is blaming the massacres in the DR Congo on Uganda.

Tributes to Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti
LAGOS: SHOCK, and a palpable sense of loss enveloped the home of late Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti in Lagos yesterday morning several hours after the news of his death broke.

Stoning Appeal in Nigeria
Nigerian woman Amina Lawal has had her appeal adjourned until 27 August as she seeks to overturn a conviction for adultery. By Dan Isaacs BBC, Lagos

Visual Arts and Artists in the New Democracy
ANYONE who wishes to assess the Obasanjo regime's attitude to art appreciation and promotion must take a look at the report on Saving Africa's Art contained in the Time Magazine of June 18, 2001...

Black Afrikaner' story to become film
She was raised as an Afrikaner, and in her early years treated as white - but as she approached puberty, her skin turned ever darker, and her hair became more tightly curled...

Issue: For Culture and Tourism Ministry to Survive
Artistes all over the world are a set of unique people. They help celebrate the cultural history of a country thus; they compliment the celebrators of the political history of a people - politicians. They help document the socio-political history of a nation, and in modern times, help to sell the country as a place of interest to the outside world...

Wole Soyinka: Nigeria and the 419 Scourge
IF we want to diversify the economy and bring in foreign investments, foreign entrepreneurs not mainly at the macro level but in assisting little industries in micro economy, we must stop the 419 syndrome...

South Africa pledges action on Aids drugs
Five million people are said to have HIV virus in South Africa. South Africa's health system will soon offer drugs blocking the Aids virus, the body that advises the government on HIV/Aids has said.

AllAfrica News

CNN World

UK Raising 50 Billion Dollars for Africa's Development
The U.K. is working to raise a total of 50 billion dollars from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members through the International Finance Facility (IFF) to support Africa's development process.

Charlie Rose

Fresh Air

Frontline
Since January 1983, FRONTLINE has served as American public television's - PBS- flagship public affairs series. Hailed upon its television broadast debut as "the last best hope for broadcast documentaries," FRONTLINE's stature over 20 seasons is reaffirmed each week through incisive documentaries covering the scope and complexity of the human experience.

National Public Radio

MSNBC Africa

BBC