If peace and understanding could be human, then South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu would be one of the best examples of these concepts because few have worked harder for them, often in the face of insurmountable odds.

While many African countries have experienced economic growth in recent years, glaring gender disparities remain in the areas of health, higher education, employment and empowerment, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told an international meeting in Addis Ababa today.

WHEN President Barack Obama takes office on January 20 next year, he will find that the Bushwhackers (cronies of President George W Bush) have emptied the treasury. These Bushwhackers are following a well known theory described by former British prime minister Edward Heath as the "ugly face of capitalism".

About 40 participants, representatives of the Catholic Church in Africa and Europe, are meeting in Liverpool for a conference on migration.

Public Health & Education

Amadou Toumani Toure, the president of the Republic of Mali, has said that strategies of public health and care in the 21st century are based on scientific evidence and Africa must control science and technology.

Moses Nwanze, project coordinator of Future. Ambassadors of Movie and Entertainment in Africa (FAME), has revealed that the movie project will be launched in December 2008 in the Gambia.

The International Convention Centre in Durban, South Africa, is the host of hundreds of delegates from across the globe, converging for the third time to discuss issues surrounding the devastating effect of tobacco and how to control it.

Continued violence against women is one of the focuses of a continental meeting reviewing progress made towards achieving gender equality in Africa.

As the global recession bites, analysts are asking if emergencies such as natural disasters will continue to receive funding (on 19 November, a record appeal for US$7 billion was launched for crises) while development aid, which could save many more lives long-term, such as agricultural investment in Africa, is left to languish.

Initiatives aimed at eradicating poverty in Africa must continue, despite global financial, food, energy and environmental crises, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro, said on 20 November.

WHY not Hazel? I mean why shouldn't Hazel win Big Brother? At first I thought it would be way weird if Hazel emerged as the ultimate winner of this year's Big Brother Africa show, now I think it would be wild, totally wild!! I'm kind of really warming to the idea.

Investment in Africa Media yields very high returns, the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) declared at the end of their meeting in Dakar, Senegal.

Forget all those Gross Domestic Product rankings for a moment. Think, as a new survey in Africa sets out, of ranking countries by how friendly they are to children.

The world's national oil companies have predicted a further fall in international crude oil prices to as low as $40 per barrel in the days ahead, suggesting that the $45 per barrel crude oil benchmark proposed for the 2009 budget by the Federal Government may be unrealistic.

A ground-breaking South African study has provided the first hard evidence that treating HIV-positive babies with antiretroviral (ARV) medicines from as early as six weeks dramatically improves their chances of survival.

The demand for mobile communications – such as mobile phones – in Africa is forcing large international companies to come up with new technology which leapfrogs over that in more developed countries, says Chris Gabriel, the chief executive officer of Zain Africa. He was speaking to AllAfrica at AfricaCom, an annual congress for telecommunications professionals on the continent.

As East Africa awaits the expanded high-speed Internet connectivity that new submarine cables will bring the region, another endeavor is aiming higher – targeting all of the continent’s population from the skies.

Survivors of torture and persecution who fled to the United States for asylum have had much taken away from them: their sense of dignity and personal safety, their family and friends, the security of having homes and careers.

Tragically, Djibouti is threatening to resume its border war with Eritrea.