THE World Bank is lending Ethiopia up to $800m to help rebuild its shattered economy after two years of bitter border war with Eritrea, Bank officials have said. Between July 2000 and July 2001 the World Bank will have lent the eastern African country between $700 and $800m. World Bank representative to Addis Ababa, Nigel […]

SUDANESE trickled to the polls at the start of a 10-day election that incumbent Islamist President Omar al-Beshir and his party look set to win because of a massive opposition boycott. All Sudan’s main opposition parties, most of which are involved in a civil war with Beshir’s government, were boycotting the vote to protest against […]

TOGOLESE Prime Minister Agbeyome Kodjo has called for the international community to provide developing countries with the means necessary to battle international organised crime. “It is a moral duty” to assist developing countries, Kodjo said, calling for “affluent countries to put in place help programs to fight poverty which feeds organised crime.” – AFP

Tara Turkington, Johannesburg | Friday A RARE camelthorn forest in the southern Kalahari is being threatened by the large-scale collection of dead wood under contract, claim outraged experts. The 2200ha Khai Appel Nature Reserve near Kathu, in the Northern Cape, is home to one of only two camelthorn forests in Southern Africa, and has been […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Friday THE South African government had barely finished congratulating US President-elect George W Bush when it reminded him of the United States’ role in fighting global poverty and war and in promoting development in Africa. Throughout the late nineties, then deputy-president Thabo Mbeki developed a good relationship with his counterpart Al […]

A GABONESE air force plane with three crew members aboard disappeared from radar screens as it was coming into land at Tchibanga, in the southwest Gabon, French and Gabonese officials said. The 30-seater Bandeirante aircraft, which was flying in from the capital Libreville, went missing on Tuesday. Gabonese soldiers backed by French military units were […]

A LESOTHO court martial has handed down prison sentences ranging from three to 13 years to 33 soldiers convicted of mutiny in the tiny kingdom’s 1998 uprising, put down by troops from South Africa and Botswana. The soldiers would also be “reduced to their ranks and had to be discharged with ignominy from the defence […]

The Rose of Soweto is determined to win in Montreal so he can have another bout with Glenn Catley Deon Potgieter Dingaan “the Rose of Soweto” Thobela is in high spirits going into the first defence of his World Boxing Council super-middleweight world title in Canada on Friday night. “I have worked hard to get […]

Steven Friedman Worm’s eye view The elections were, for two reasons, a fitting end to the political year. First, they allowed voters to pronounce on the government strategy which has dominated much of 2000. Second, because the electorate’s message seems to have been misunderstood as it has been for much of the year. The substantial […]

Barry Streek A fault line tore through the ranks of liberal whites this week as many rallied to sign the “declaration of commitment by white South Africans” and distanced themselves from the Democratic Alliance whose leaders have emphatically rejected the statement. The list of those pledging themselves to the declaration reads like a who’s who […]