EAST AFRICA

Ethiopia censors UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event

NEW YORK: Officials in Ethiopia hijacked a local UNESCO-sponsored World Press Freedom Day event, installing government-backed journalists as speakers and nixing independent journalists slated to speak. There was no discussion, as originally planned, of this year's global theme on new media and the Internet at the Tuesday (3 May 2011) forum, according to local sources and news reports. Read more >>

AFRICA

New appointments for SAEF to strengthen media freedom

At the World Press Freedom Day celebrations, held on Tuesday, 3 May 2011 in Windhoek, 14 editors of the Southern African Editors' Forum (SAEF) resolved to strengthen the regional body by bringing in inactive members of the body. Five interim committee members were also elected. Read more >>

AFRICA

Main One, SEACOM offer capacity between Nigeria, South Africa

Main One and SEACOM have interconnected their West and East African Cable Systems to launch capacity services from PoP to PoP, from a STM-1 level and above. This partnership extends the Main One and SEACOM networks to create a system that offers connection between any SEACOM and Main One PoPs all around Africa between South Africa and Nigeria. Read more >>

AFRICA

Africa to get even more broadband

[Janine Erasmus] With the landing of the new West African Cable System on South African soil on 19 April 2011, not long after the implementation of the East African Submarine System (Eassy) and Seacom, Africans could be forgiven for thinking it could not get any better. However, there is more to look forward to in terms of better broadband capacity. Read more >>

MALAWI

Malawi: MACRA grants Celcom Limited mobile licence

[Gregory Gondwe] Even in the face of take-off failure of what would have been Malawi's third mobile phone service provider, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has awarded a fourth mobile phone service licence to little known Celcom Limited. Read more >>

MALAWI

Four million enter Airtel Malawi competition

[Gregory Gondwe] Over four million people are said to have entered Airtel Malawi competition where subscribers are expected to win ten Toyota Hilux and a Toyota Prado vehicles as main prizes. This was revealed on Tuesday, 3 May 2011, by Airtel Malawi marketing manager Enwell Kadango at a draw for the first Toyota Hilux vehicle which was won by a business man based in Malawi's northern city of Mzuzu. Read more >>

AFRICA

Africa Initiative supports field-based research in Africa

WATERLOO: Two research projects at the University of Toronto were among the 15 projects chosen to receive funding through a program that supports field-based research in Africa conducted by graduate students from Canadian universities. Read more >>

AFRICA

Innovative approach key to increase access to finance for African SMEs

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] African small and medium enterprises' (SMEs) financing gap is proportionally much greater than other regions, primarily because it is working from such a low starting point, McKinsey & Company South Africa said this week in Johannesburg, adding that diversified economies have a greater proportion of informal and micro enterprises and greater access to finance than other economies. Read more >>

AFRICA

The art of understanding an SME

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Africa has more than 500 million people of working age out of a population of about one billion but the lack of work opportunities, coupled with economic mismanagement and unfair redistribution of income, have forced many Africans to resort to informal methods to make a living. Read more >>

AFRICA

Facebook sued for children 'liking' products

SAN FRANCISCO: A dad is suing Facebook for not getting permission from parents or guardians before letting members of the online social network know when children "Like" brands. Read more >>

UNITED KINGDOM

eReaders, tablets expected to push ink, paper out of the publishing market

LONDON, UK / JOHANNESBURG, SA: The new generation of eReaders could lure consumers away from traditional paper and ink publications. Publishers, content owners and retailers should act quickly to secure a leading position in the eBook and eReader market place or risk losing opportunities to the new industry. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

US online display advertising market delivers 1.1 trillion impressions in Q1 2011

RESTON, US: comScore, Inc's overview of the US online display advertising market for Q1 2011 based on data from comScore Ad Metrix, indicates that nearly 1.11 trillion display ads were delivered to US Internet users during the quarter. Facebook accounted for 346 billion impressions, nearly double the number it delivered in Q1 2010, and nearly one third of all display ad impressions delivered. Read more >>

UNITED KINGDOM

European engagement, top web properties rankings for March 2011

LONDON, UK: comScore, Inc has released an overview of Internet usage in Europe, showing 363.7 million unique people went online in March 2011 for an average of 26 hours per person. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

New vehicle sales taper off

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] New vehicles sales for April were 8% up on the same month last year but were the lowest monthly sales since April 2010 and down 27.8% compared to March this year. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Mango to launch Lanseria operation as fifth aircraft comes online - bookings now open

Low-cost airline Mango will launch operations from Lanseria on 1 June 2011 with bookings now open for its inaugural route to and from Cape Town. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Non-verbal communication with Body Language

[Jordan Scott] I'm not sure whether to say I was thoroughly entertained or thoroughly educated, or perhaps it was simply the perfect combination of both. Gaetan Schmid has performed many times at the Kalk Bay Theatre, with shows such as The Dog's Bollocks and Rumpsteak. He has now taken the world of non-verbal communication and made it a humorous learning experience for everyone who had the privilege of seeing the show. Read more >>