AFRICA

Bank takes 140 African traders to Hong Kong
[Walter Wafula] Standard Charted Bank PLC is sponsoring 140 small and medium enterprise African traders to attend the 2007 World SME Expo in Hong Kong, as part of its new annual SME Trade Corridors' initiative.

OLPC vs. Intel: Developing nations or emerging markets?
The Diamondville processor may be Intel's latest development aimed at low-cost PCs for the developing world. However, the company doesn't want to discuss it publicly now.

China to grant more aid to Africa
China has signed agreements with 28 African countries to exempt their debts and offered 13 preferential loans to 10 countries on the continent.

SOUTH AFRICA

Honda Jazz wins top honours again
The Honda Jazz has for the fourth consecutive year won top honours in the J.D Power and Associates 2007 South Africa Initial Quality Study.

Gambia telecom gets new board
[Musa Saidykhan] The Gambia's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Nenneh Macdouall-Gaye, presided over the inauguration of the new board of Gambia Telecommunications Company Ltd (Gamtel).

West Africa: Meeting education targets - access versus quality
Midway to the Millennium Development Goals set in 2000, several West African countries have made vast efforts to achieve universal education and gender parity in primary schools by 2015. But education officials and teachers' unions say the push for increased access to education has come at a cost.

AFRICA

AU Monitor announces initiative: Can you write well? If so...
Fahamu's AU Monitor initiative is seeking young African journalism professionals and students for a three-week internship to report from the African Union Summit being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2008.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe's cellular operators increase tariffs
[Millie Phiri] Zimbabwe's major cellular phone operators have increased their tariffs with immediate effect, saying the previous rates were too low and their businesses were running at a loss.

Africa: Building capacity to attract carbon markets
Industrialised countries can earn greenhouse gas emission reduction credits by investing in projects that lower emission levels in developing countries, but little of this money has found its way into Africa.

South Africa: Miners demand safety first
South Africa's Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called on the mining industry to address safety concerns after 240,000 mine workers downed tools this week in the country's first strike over safety standards.

Mars looks to Africa for growth openings
[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Mars Africa, the fast-moving consumer goods company, intends expanding its presence on the continent.

Making a difference on air
[Walter Wafula] Vision Voice radio station another innovation of media company Vision Group is now on air after months of public announcements by its owners, about its coming. The new radio hit the airwaves over the weekend broadcasting at 94.8 FM, from Vision Group's head office in the Ugandan capital.

AFRICA

Mugabe: delusional
President Robert Mugabe still believes his regime is capable, and in fact working, on reviving the country's ravaged economy, as suggested in his state of the nation address here on Tuesday afternoon. His political opponents have described him as "simply delusional".