In many of Africa's towns and villages, smoky kerosene lamps are all that keeps the darkness at bay after sunset. However, kerosene is a dangerous and increasingly expensive source of light for Africans who do not have access to electricity -- about three-quarters of those living on the continent, according to the World Bank.

Global Challenges

Top researchers have called for male circumcision and the reduction of multiple sexual partnerships to become the cornerstone of HIV prevention in Africa if a significant impact is to be made on the HIV epidemic.

Malawi's two media institutions have dominated this year's National Media Institute of Southern Africa (NAMISA) awards which are held annually during commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day.

The Chargé D'Affaires at the German Embassy in Yaounde, Horst Gruner, says despite the fact women are those who generate riches, they are hardest-hit by poverty.

World Bank Managing Director and former Nigerian Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday said the success of indigenous African companies such as MTN, proves that investments in Africa are succeeding beyond expectations.

Kenya's 2010 World Cup campaign appears to be doomed even before it has started following the admission by a top football official that there was no money to prepare the team.

Allan Makaka will make a return to seven-a-side rugby after nearly two years when Kenya's Shujaa play Maroc Scolaire in Tanger, Morocco on Friday.

I WENT to the Paris Hotel de Ville (City Hall) a few weeks back to witness what was supposed to be a festive moment of camaraderie and friendship between nations.

Soft drink maker Coca-Cola Africa says it is enhancing its distribution network to create more employment on the continent.

The regulatory body for insurance practice in Nigeria , National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has confirmed that the capitalisation requirement in the country's insurance industry is the highest in the African continent.

The news may have come as a surprise to the French, whose leaders are always talking about the influx of Africans, and the threat this "invasion" poses to their economy and culture.

It's been a while since I have written a roundup for Pambazuka News and after browsing through the last couple of months I notice there has been an absence of news on what is happening at grassroots level in Africa and the Diaspora so I have focused on activist blogs or blogs posting on local community issues.

EMIRATES Airline is to introduce daily flights to Durban, South Africa, following its successful operations in Cape Town. Tim Clark, the carrier's president, disclosed that the new flights would start in December.

The exclusive focus on HIV promoted by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is damaging health systems and distorting health financing, and UNAIDS should be closed down immediately, writes an expert in this week's BMJ.

A toll-free mobile service being launched in selected remote areas in Africa promises to save lives by connecting people with emergency medical cases to health personnel.

Donors should empower Africa in food production instead of focusing on food relief, a UN official has said.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Hewlett-Packard (HP) have joined forces to help young unemployed people across Africa build their entrepreneurial and information technology (IT) skills, it was announced today.

Politics and Policy

The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) said in Abuja that research on areas affected by cluster bombs in Africa showed that women and children were mostly affected.

The food crisis, the problem of commodities, and how developing countries should preserve their space to choose between options in economic policies - these were some of the key issues that emerged at the recent United Nations' premier trade and development conference.

The Executive Council of Foreign Ministers of the African Union (AU) met on Tuesday in Rusher, Tanzania, to make appropriate recommendations regarding the political and economic integration of the continent.

The continent of Africa has for decades been the center of controversy.

Nine nominees to serve as U.S. ambassadors in Africa appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday for confirmation.

African power suppliers and distributers, still smarting from criticism over rising cost of electricity in most countries, have shifted focus to addressing key challenges facing the industry.