MALAWI

MISA-Malawi wants repeal of media laws

[Gregory Gondwe: @Kalipochi] The Malawi chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Malawi) has asked government to consider repealing all laws that are inconsistent with the constitution and those considered as an insult to the media fraternity in Malawi. Read more >>

KENYA

World Press Freedom Day: How technology impacts journalism in Kenya

[Carole Kimutai: @CaroleKimutai] The world has dedicated one day in a year to scribes 3rd May. This is World Press Freedom Day. According to the United Nations, it is a day that "celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession". Read more >>

AFRICA

Pre-register your place at AfricaCom 2012

The 15th Annual AfricaCom will bring together individuals and companies to debate on how to embrace innovation in Africa's telecoms, media and ICT markets. AfricaCom 2012 conference is set to take place on 13-15 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa, under the theme 'Reaching the Next Frontier for Growth'. Read more >>

AFRICA

Forbes Africa welcomes Kalusha Bwalya

Africa Business News (ABN360), home of CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa, has announced that Zambian football legend Kalusha Bwalya will join the Forbes Africa team as a columnist for its sport pages. Read more >>

AFRICA

Google Zeitgeist Young Minds 2012 winners

In February this year, Google invited creative young minds to apply to be part of the Zeitgeist Young Minds challenge, an opportunity for young people to showcase how they are making a positive impact in our world. This year's winners have been named and of the ten young minds selected from around the world, five of them are from Africa. [video] Read more >>

KENYA

President of Kenya urges media to be objective

The president of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki has challenged the media to demonstrate objectivity, balance and sensitivity in news coverage, particularly in the period of competitive politics in the country, in the countdown to the general elections, taking place in 2013. Read more >>

AFRICA

Reuters makes final call for KSM Awards, announces seminar

[Walter Wafula] Thomson Reuters, the global news and information company has made the final call for entries to the 2012 Kurt Schork Memorial (KSM) Awards which will take place in London in November, and made the announcement of a seminar on reporting on terrorism and global security. Read more >>

MALAWI

Environmental journos hails new government

[Gregory Gondwe: @Kalipochi] The Association of Environmental Journalists in Malawi (AEJ-Malawi) has hailed the country's new president Joyce Banda for creating a ministry responsible for environment and climate change management and subsequently appointing Catherine Gotani Hara as minister responsible. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Airport Junction ups the ante in Gaborone

[Gwen Watkins] Retailing in Gaborone just took another upswing with the opening of the Airport Junction, within the newly developed precinct in which Builders Warehouse opened last year. Read more >>

TANZANIA

HTT awarded 'Africa Loans Deal of the Year' by The Banker

Helios Towers Tanzania (HTT), a subsidiary of Helios Towers Africa (HTA) and reportedly the first tower company in Tanzania, has been awarded 'Africa Loans Deal of the Year' by The Banker magazine. The award follows the completion in December 2011 of HTT's US$85 million equivalent deal. Read more >>

FRANCE

Cannes Lions adds more judges to the two new categories as entries increase

CANNES, FRANCE: The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has increased the number of judges for both of the newly launched categories due to the higher than anticipated number of entries received. Four more members have been added to the inaugural Branded Content & Entertainment Lions jury, and two to the new Mobile Lions jury. Read more >>

FRANCE

Cannes Lions: Mars wins Advertiser of The Year 2012

CANNES, FRANCE: The organisers of the 59th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, have announced that the 2012 recipient of the Advertiser of the Year Award will be awarded to Mars, Inc, manufacturer of chocolate, gum and confections, pet food, drinks and other food products. Read more >>

FRANCE

Make a free press 'The Headline for Democratic Transition'

PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, GERMANY: "A free press is an essential cornerstone of any country based on democracy." So says Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman, in her exclusive interview with the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), to mark 3 May, World Press Freedom Day. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

BlackBerry World: RIM announces Wireless Achievement Award recipients

ORLANDO, US: Research In Motion (RIM) has announced the recipients of this year's Wireless Achievement Awards at BlackBerry World 2012. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Madonsela asked to investigate e-tolling contracts

[Paul Vecchiatto] Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has been asked by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to investigate the Gauteng e-toll collection contracts, including a possible link to suspected arms deal corruption. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Clothing employers dismiss productivity report

Employers in the clothing manufacturing industry have dismissed a research report by Productivity SA which stated that South African clothing workers had become significantly more productive yet still earned comparatively less per garment they produced. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Names of those with duplicated IDs made public

The Department of Home Affairs has made public the names of 29 000 people who share their ID number with someone else - in a bid to assist those with duplicated IDs. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

R800m allocated to Green Fund

The National Treasury has made an amount of R800m available for the Green Fund over the next two financial years. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Fight against rhino poaching requires joint initiatives

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says the fight against rhino poaching requires joint initiatives from all South Africans. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Nel calls for improved training, qualifications for sheriffs

The qualifications levels of South African sheriffs needs to be enhanced so that they are on par with international standards, says Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

New vehicle sales plod along

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] The negative impact that public holidays have on the motor trade is illustrated by the 10.5% year on year growth in new vehicle sales in April. Total sales numbered 42 617 which is about 6.9% up on the growth for the first four months of the year. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Giltedge gets accreditation for Virgin's space travel

Giltedge Travel in Cape Town has been selected as an accredited agent for Virgin Galactic's space travel. Sir Richard Branson, inspired by the lunar landings he witnessed as a child, had been looking for technology that would enable the Virgin Group to provide safe and affordable space travel to the masses since the early 1990's. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Etihad Airways named Middle East's leading airline for sixth year

Etihad Airways has again cleaned up at the World Travel Awards Middle East. The carrier was named the Middle East's Leading Airline for the sixth year in a row in Dubai this week. The accolade was one of four awards won by the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. The airline has also announced it's taken a stake in Aer Lingus. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

The Raven is chilling

[Daniel Dercksen] If Edgar Allan Poe was alive today, the inspired gothic thriller The Raven is the kind of film he would write. Just as Poe's tales were sensational page turners and garnered thousands of new readers with each story, Australian director James McTeigue delivers an equally commanding scene turner that guarantees to keep you on the edge of your seat. Read more >>