Mapping the precise flows of conflict weaponry in Africa is an arduous task given the number of militias operating in the DRC alone.
Chronic flooding known as water-logging has forced students and teachers in Bangladesh to find creative ways to carry on learning.
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/ 21 January 2008
Fears of more rain in the coming days have sent aid agencies into a panic as the humanitarian disaster caused by the floods in Mozambique unfolds. The United Nations says the floods could turn out to be the worst in recent memory. Seven people have died and up to 70Ă‚Â 000 have been displaced by the floods that have come earlier than forecast.
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/ 3 December 2007
It is hard not to resort to clichés when writing about Mauritius: white, sandy beaches, sunny blue skies and swaying palm trees. This Indian Ocean island paradise is the stuff travel brochures are made of. Stepping off a plane filled with eager tourists and a group of honeymooners proudly flashing "just married" T-shirts, it is easy to see how tourism has become the main source of income.
Zimbabweans are switching to barter, payment in kind and the use of foreign currencies, such as the rand, instead of the local dollar to survive hyperinflation and the accelerating economic meltdown. Zimbabwe’s currency is still pegged officially at Z$250 to one US dollar; recently the informal market price was about Z$130 000 to US$1, although two weeks ago it had crashed to Z$400 000 against the US dollar.
Florence Musola, a businesswoman living in Mathare, the second-largest slum in Kenya, and her four children were among the latest victims of an arson attack that destroyed their one-room shack. The attack is suspected to have been carried out by Mungiki sect members, many of whom are believed to live in the slum.
Crucial peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army will resume on Monday in Juba, according to Riek Machar, the chief mediator and southern Sudanese vice-president. "I am optimistic that this time they will come up with a positive result because I have seen the commitment of the Ugandan people," Machar told reporters.
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/ 21 September 2005
As thousands of angry Nigerians took to the streets to protest against 30% hikes in fuel price recently, across West Africa some of the world’s poorest were also feeling the pinch, struggling to cope with the record-breaking cost of crude and its knock-on effect on basic goods. Oil prices rocketed from about $40 at the beginning of the year to reach a record high of more than $70 on August 30 this year.