Indonesia: New Provinces

In the restless Indonesian province of Aceh, apparently two new provinces have been declared — and not by the government. See Indonesia Today by Yosef Ardi for details.

Philippines, Thailand: Sporting Chances

Manuel L. Quezon III digests the brewing controversy over the Thai Prime Minister's seemingly unsportsmanlike comments regarding the Philippines accumulation of gold medals at the ongoing Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

Zimbabwe: AIDS

This is Zimbabwe asks us to visit the Thembinkosi Foundation blog to read 4 accounts “describing an outsiders experience of death from AIDs in Zimbabwe”

DRC: failed asylum seekers

Congo Watch has some questions for European governments on asylum seekers who are sent back to the DRC. ……….”Although Africa's bloodiest conflict has cost an estimated four million lives since 1998, many EU countries judge it safe to send failed asylum seekers back. They say that there is a transitional...

Kenya: President Kibaki

Kenyan blog 4Sheeay has some comments to make about Presodent Kibaki’s proposed kitchen cabinet and suggests he has a number of choices.……..”He could choose those that seem to agree with him and be sure that the squabbling will end. He could also bring in the Orange Democratic Movement – ODM...

South AFrica: made in China

South African blog, The Fish Bowl writes on a “storm of protest at this weekend's Cosatu rally when it was discovered that the official Cosatu T-shirts were made in China“.

South Africa: rape of children

Mzansi Afrika has a horrific report on rapes of young children in South Africa connected to beliefs that sex with a virgin can cure AIDS……..One study commissioned by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Recociliation provides a partial explanation of why so many girls are being raped. Obviously...

Kenya: Why I love Africa

Kenyan Pundit posts on the BBC's “Why I love Africa” series...One of my favorite’s: I love Africa.I do not find it necessary to say more than this. The statement is surely very clear. Sadly, the ‘I love Africa’ competition has not increased my love but rather filled me with dismay...

Nigeria: Books

Molara Wood calls on Nigerians readers to submit their “best book of the year”….So please let us have your choice of ONE outstanding book you read in 2005 and tell us in no more than 100 words – why the book appealed to”

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Pundit comments on a policy by Zimbabwean news website, ZimDaily to “out children of Mugabe's cronies who are living profilgate lifestyles abroad at the behest of the parent's fame and fortune which has (for the most part) been looted from Zimbabwe's tax paying citizens.” Pundit wonders if it is...

Microfinance: Bill Gates foundation

Timbuktu Chronicles writes that “Opportunity International, one of the world's largest microfinance organizations, today announced that it received a $2.2 million grant over three years from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that will go toward a project to develop a trans-African network of new commercial banks for the poor”

CyBlug has a story on Big Brother coming to Nigeria…”Pan-African pay-TV operator M-Net has announced its plan to screen a new version of the hit reality show Big Brother, this time filmed on location in Nigeria with a Nigerian cast and crew.”

Somaliland: political squabbles

Inside Somaliland reports controversy in Somaliland Parliament as political squabbles reached a peak…..”The political scene had been tense weeks prior to the first session over the controversial issue of who should become the Speaker of the Parliament. There were rumors about the government party UDUB lobbying opposition representatives to switch...

Tanzania: press freedom

Yebo Gogo reports that press freedom is under attack in Tanzania where the government has suspended two newspapers….”Daima, the newspaper owned by Freeman Mbowe, the presidential candidate of the opposition Party for Democracy and Progress, is being accused of suggesting President Benjamin Mpaka should be hanged for failing to repay...