The South African government will play a critical role next week in ensuring the conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Government representatives say they will support a controversial proposal at the highly charged yearly meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to strengthen the group's conservation mandate. The IWC is the global forum that regulates whaling issues.

Sharp new questions over conflicts of interest have emerged about the controversial private company that secured a "government-to-government" deal to buy Nigerian crude oil. Two weeks ago the Mail & Guardian reported that "South African Oil Company" (SAOC), a private company registered in the offshore tax-haven Cayman Islands, was still benefiting from a Nigerian state oil contract allocated in 1999 to "the Republic of South Africa" - though neither oil nor income flowed to this country.

If there were a simple reason for Ethiopia's chronic food shortages, the problem would likely have been resolved before now. But the causes are complex, and addressing them requires a multifaceted approach. This article outlines the causes of food insecurity in Ethiopia and describes Oxfam's work to create solutions that are effective, fair, and sustainable.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who is in Washington, D.C., this week meeting with government and business leaders, including President Bush, to discuss AIDS, trade and terrorism, said in an interview with the Washington Times that "AIDS is not a serious sickness ... because it's not very contagious" and that people can easily avoid acquiring the virus.