EAST AFRICA: One region, one HIV law

Photo: Darren J Sylvester/flickr The regional law will provide guidelines and principals that member states can domesticate

KIGALI, 31 March 2010 (PlusNews) - As the East African Community (EAC) becomes more integrated, countries in the region are developing a common HIV Prevention and Management Bill that will establish minimum standards for HIV services in the five states - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.



The East African Common Market comes into effect in July; in a region with a combined population of 126 million and significant variations in HIV prevalence, experts say the anticipated growth in cross-border movement necessitates a regional view of - and uniform response to - the HIV epidemic.



A recent one-day stakeholders' consultative meeting in the Rwandan capital,

Bolivia’s Morales expects to consolidate provincial power in Sunday’s election

“Whoever does not vote the whole MAS blue slate is a traitor” says Morales Zoom Image

On Sunday April 4, five million Bolivians registered voters will elect besides governors, 144 members of regional legislative assemblies, 337 mayors, 1.187 councillors plus local indigenous authorities and other posts.

According to President Morales who called on supporters to ratify last December’s support showing of 64%, the ruling Movement Towards Socialism party, MAS, should take seven of the nine governorships.

This is the first time in Bolivian history that voters will be

NIGERIA: 156 dead from meningitis

Photo: ReliefWeb Countries face most meningitis infections starting April (file photo)

KANO, 29 March 2010 (IRIN) - As of 24 March 156 people have died of meningitis in Nigeria, of some 1,500 infected, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). One-third of the deaths were in the northeast, which includes Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno and Taraba states.



During the same period last year Nigeria had nine times as many infections (13,298 cases).



A resident of Yobe state, Musa Ali, told IRIN he is sleeping outdoors to avoid

Arab leaders conclude 22nd summit in Libya

Sirte, LIBYA (Al Arabiya, Agencies)

Arab leaders concluded on Sunday their summit in Libya and agreed to hold a special summit next September to discuss regional developments and to follow up on the decisions taken to develop Arab cooperation.



Yemen had submitted a proposal backed by Libya to transform the Arab League into an "Arab Union. Meanwhile, the Arab League chief Amr Moussa proposed an "Arab Neighborhood Association" that would advance cooperation on shared security interests in between Arab states and friendly neighboring states, including Turkey and Chad.

Arab leaders had met behind closed doors to thrash out a united strategy against Israel's settlement policy as the Jewish state accused them of lacking moderation and blocking peace efforts.



Delegates said they discussed the stalled Middle East peace process and how to confront Israeli policies in annexed east Jerusalem amid warnings that failure to kick-start Israeli-Palestinian peace talks could lead to

Antigua’s Sugar Ridge Opens Aveda Concept Spa

Antigua’s 60-room Sugar Ridge opened an on-site Aveda Concept Spa. The 6,000-square-foot spa occupies the entire ground floor of the Sugar Club. The guest experience begins with a consultation, whether for a beauty or spa treatment. The latter are designed individually, based on the Aveda Element Nature customization philosophy.

Visitors can then choose from a full menu of services such as the Fusion Stone Massage, which incorporates warm river stones to relax the muscles and stimulate the circulation, or the Chakra Balancing Massage, focusing on deep tissue massage, foot reflexology and energy work. Guests can also enjoy a selection of

Uruguay outperformed other regional economies, expanding 2.9% in 2009

Latam’s largest economy Brazil stopped growing for the first time in 18 years Zoom Image

Bolivian president Evo Morales announced that his country’s economy reacted strongly to the world crisis and managed to grow 3.7% in 2009, but the percentage still has to be confirmed by multilateral organizations.

In Argentina, expansion during the last quarter of 2009 was decisive to turn a negative forecast into slightly positive for the twelve months.
Ecuador’s economy apparently was also on the positive side, 0.4% announced President Rafael Correa.

Brazil also surprised

Government of Montserrat assessing contingency preparedness after bomb scare

BRADES, Montserrat -- The Royal Montserrat Police Force (RMPF) and the Human Resources Department of the Government of Montserrat are taking the lead on assessing the government’s evacuation and contingency procedures for emergencies. This decision was taken on Tuesday following a bomb scare, which lead to the evacuation of the government headquarters in Brades on Monday morning.

Government officials were notified on Monday at 9:15 am by the police department that they had received a call stating that a bomb was on the main compound of the Government of Montserrat in Brades. However, a subsequent four-hour search of all offices by

Turkey counts on maNga to get back Eurovision victory

Turkey chooses an MTV award-winning rock band for this year's Eurovision contest.

By Erol Izmirli for Southeast European Times in Istanbul – 24/03/10

The award-winning band maNga will represent Turkey at Eurovision. [Getty Images]

The Turkish group maNga will compete in the May 29th Eurovision contest in Oslo with its new song "We Could Be The Same". The group hopes to follow in the footsteps of Sertab Erener, who won the contest in 2003 with her song "Everyway That I Can".

"We will go there to win the contest," lead singer Ferman Akgul said. "Our goal is to represent

DRC-CONGO: Insecurity hampers relief, prevents return of refugees

Photo: UNHCR/F. Noy In Betou, refugee families live side-by-side in an abandoned factory, many stretching their mosquito nets over broken machinery

IMPFONDO, 23 March 2010 (IRIN) - Most fled the fighting with little more than the clothes on their backs. Now, insecurity and poor access are hampering efforts to address the most basic needs of more than 114,000 refugees in northern Republic of Congo.



"Currently there's a heavy militia and insurgent presence on the Ubangui river, which is complicating aid worker movements, because you don't know who to trust," Daniel Roger Tam, of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) told IRIN in Impfondo, 900km north of Brazzaville and capital of Likouala department, among the poorest and least-developed regions in the country.



"On the river, insurgents and soldiers [from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC] are spreading fear. For weeks, our boats have been stuck in [the riverside town of] Bétou because of the insecurity," said Jonathan Balou, another UNCHR official.



According to a local government official in Impfondo: "From time to time, DRC soldiers come to our side of the river to, as

BURKINA FASO: Dwindling rains spur dam construction

Photo: IRIN The arid north disappoints; government moves west in search of water (file photo)

OUAGADOUGOU, 22 March 2010 (IRIN) - Dwindling rainfall, shorter rainy seasons and a growing population in Burkina Faso have spurred the government to build dams near wetlands in the west of the country to expand supplies.



"We do not have the choice, we must do this," the director of water financing in the Ministry of Water Resources, Albert Beré, told IRIN. On average, people are getting only half the water they need for drinking, bathing and farming – an estimated 2,000 cubic metres per person per year, according to the government.

SOUTH AFRICA: Innocents in jail

Photo: IRIN Not a place to bring up children

DURBAN, 22 March 2010 (IRIN) - Bongiwe Mthembu* has spent the first 27 months of her life in the women's section of Westville Prison, near the port city of Durban, South Africa. She was still in the womb when her mother, Jabu, 37, was sentenced to an eight-year jail term for identity fraud.



The toddler and her mother share a cell, newly painted in pink; every morning she goes to a crèche in the prison with 11 other children of offenders; in the afternoon she returns to the cell.



Redecorating the cell was part of the Imbeleko Project (caring for babies, in Zulu), launched by the Department of Correctional Services in September 2009 to make the living conditions of incarcerated children more amenable.



Bongiwe is one of about 143 children living in prisons across South Africa because they are too young to be separated from their mothers. Gauteng Province has 87 children incarcerated with their mothers, KwaZulu-Natal has 23, and Western Cape 19.



Their mothers are awaiting trial or serving prison terms for such crimes as murder, attempted murder, fraud, corruption and theft. The children range