EAST AFRICA

Somalia: Journalist fatally wounded during football match

MOGADISHU: A Somali sports journalist, covering football match, was fatally wounded in Mogadishu on Tuesday afternoon, 29 March 2011 by a stray bullet, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) reported. Read more >>

WEST AFRICA

Cameroon bans paper, gives editor suspended sentence

NEW YORK: Authorities in Cameroon must end judicial harassment of journalists reporting on public corruption, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday, 28 March 2011, after a court handed an editor a suspended prison sentence and banned his newspaper for reporting on alleged mismanagement of a transportation company. Read more >>

EAST AFRICA

Somalia arrests Shabelle staffers over insecurity report

NEW YORK: Security agents with Somalia's Interim Transitional Government arrested the director and news editor of Radio Shabelle on Sunday, 27 March 2011, after the independent station aired a report saying the president was unable to visit areas recently captured by government and AU forces due to security concerns, according to news reports and CPJ interviews. Read more >>

EGYPT

Seacom cable operation plagued by Egypt's troubles

[Gareth Vorster] Subsea telecommunications cable provider Seacom said on Tuesday (29 March 2011) that its cable in the Red Sea running alongside Egypt continued to sit idle amid the current political climate in the north African country. Read more >>

AFRICA

New Dawn satellite launch on track

On Wednesday 30 March 2011, the New Dawn satellite, loaded in an Ariane 5 rocket, is expected to be rolled from the Spaceport's final assembly building to the ELA-3 launch zone. It will be readied for lift-off that day during a launch window that opens at 6.45pm local time in French Guiana. The project has received a symbolic 'boost' from the image of Nelson Mandela's signature, which is featured on the rocket's fairing. Read more >>

AFRICA

Gender Justice and Local Government summit in Johannesburg

The second annual Gender Justice and Local Government summit will take place in Kopanong Hotel and Conference Centre, Benoni from 28-30 March 2011. More than 265 participants from ten Southern African countries are expected to attend the event, which showcases examples of local efforts to end gender violence and empower women across Southern Africa. Read more >>

EGYPT

IFC invests in new Egypt paper mill

CAIRO: IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is investing to complete the construction of El Motaheda SAE's new paper mill outside Cairo to help create jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Egypt. Read more >>

WEST AFRICA

2011 FESPACO winners announced

The 2011 Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) winners were announced recently at the biennially held film festival hosted in the capital of Burkina Faso. The festival caters for African film industry professionals, offering the chance to establish working relationships, exchange ideas and to promote their work. Read more >>

MALAWI

Malawian cotton farmers ecstatic over high prices

[Claire Ngozo] LILONGWE: An ardent listener to the radio, small-scale cotton farmer Mercy Kaduya from Chikhwawa in Nsanje in southern Malawi has just heard an item during the international news segment that cotton prices have hit a record high on the international market. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Kraft Foods 'double in five' plan looks to Africa

[Zeenat Moorad] Kraft Foods SA on Monday, 28 March 2011, said it had invested R160 million in a pilot skills programme in its sub-Saharan African operations as it positioned itself to double its revenue in five years in an increasingly competitive fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

The Bees are back in town!

NEW YORK, US: Just last week the Bees Awards were postponed, but the troubles appear to have been sorted out, and you can submit your entries. The deadline is 15 April. Read more >>

INDIA

2011 Cricket World Cup: India turns to web

MUMBAI, INDIA: comScore, Inc has released results from a study of Internet traffic to cricket websites during the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The report found that the tournament caused a surge in visitation to cricket sites in India as fans went online for the latest results and match updates. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Rediscover Joburg

The action never stops in Joburg - and the Johannesburg Tourism Company's (JTC's) colourful seasonal campaigns are designed to package the plethora of events taking place across the spectrum of music, arts, culture, food, fashion, entertainment, sport, and business throughout the year. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

SA holiday makers are no beach bums

South Africa's warm climate, endless adventure hiking trails and some of the best beaches in the world, has seen a new trend in holiday demand - more 'active' getaways to countries abroad, according to Thompsons Holidays. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

[So Queer] Deadly spotlight

[Siphosethu Stuurman] Longevity in the light of fame is something that eludes most of today's celebrities. For most, their time in the limelight is no more to be relied on than the Proteas performance in the Cricket World Cup. However, an extraordinary few manage to keep the fire burning until the very end. The late Elizabeth Taylor was one of those exceptional Hollywood stars and was often referred to as the last surviving link with the golden age of Hollywood. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Trials, tribulations and frustrations - Love at First Fight

[Ilse van den Berg] Love at First Fight is a fun roller-coaster ride through the trials, tribulations and frustrations of relationships. We attended the opening night of the show on 23 March and, as always, there was a warm and welcoming ambiance at Kalk Bay Theatre with guests eating, laughing and socialising before the show. We were heartily welcomed with some cheese and wine in the upstairs restaurant and bar area. Read more >>