NORTH AFRICA

Dubai Lynx winners announced
The results of the second Dubai Lynx Awards, the leading creative advertising competition for the Middle East and North Africa, were announced last night, Wednesday, 2 April 2008. The United Arab Emirates lead the pack, followed by Qatar, Lebanon and Egypt.

Thuraya to expand services in Nigerian market
[Jonah Iboma] Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications says it is ready to offer more services in Nigeria, especially in the light of government's desire to increase access to more users in the country.

ZIMBABWE

Jammed! Zimbabwe's immobile mobile systems
[Dumisani Ndlela] Freedom is in the air, and change is already being commemorated by Zimbabwe's urbanites on the phones. All through Harare's forbidding streets, littered with police, people walk with cellphones, discussing delayed results from the March 29 elections. Moreover, the rumour-mill is busy, particularly with stories over the presidential election.

AFRICA

Microsoft to launch applications in three Nigerian languages
[Jonah Iboma] Microsoft Corporation plans to include Nigeria's dominant languages - Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo - in the Microsoft Office application suite before year-end.

Makau Polaris sets the pace in IT training
[Jonah Iboma] Makau Polaris, an information technology training institution has opened its doors to students and other professionals in Lagos, Nigeria.

ATCON to spearhead local content development
[Jonah Iboma] The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has said that it will take steps to redress the situation of low level content in Nigeria's booming information and communications technology industry. The trade body of telecom companies in Nigeria said that as a first step towards solving the problem, it would convene a national summit that would examine the issue and set a path on local content development.

ZIMBABWE

Foreign journalists seized in police raid on hotel
Zimbabwean police have arrested two foreign journalists at a hotel in the capital Harare on suspicion of reporting without press accreditation, a spokesman said.

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Setback for a third cellphone provider irks Malawi's govt
[Gregory Gondwe] The Malawi government has expressed displeasure over delays to have a third cellphone service provider, observing that this has not created the much-needed competition in the sector.

Plan to meet Africa's urgent development needs
World Bank President's proposals target key areas: food, minerals and innovative financing.