The IMF and World Bank will celebrate their 60th birthday in 2004. But it is no time for a party, not as long as debt continues to impoverish and take away the sovereignty of peoples and nations across the global South. On the institutions' 60th birthday, Jubilee USA Network is organising a birthday card campaign to the IMF and World Bank. They have developed birthday cards that call on the IMF/World Bank to cancel 100% of impoverished country debt without conditions, and we will be distributing the cards to activists across the U.S. and around the world.

The last two years were characterised by uncertainties and delays, which have thrown a number of challenges in the way of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) in the execution of its onerous mandate of conducting elections in a free, fair and credible manner. In an apparent attempt to save cost and counter voter apathy, the ruling party and the government in particular initially proposed the simultaneous holding of the local and regional elections. A constitutional amendment bill was therefore introduced in the National Assembly in June 2003 to shorten the term of office of the Regional Councillors from the initial six years. The house of review, which is constituted by representatives of all the 13 Regional Councils, was however unanimously removed to "withhold" its support for the bill. This lack of agreement cast a shadow of uncertainty not only on the scheduling of Regional Councils Elections, but on the Local Authorities elections, as well.

G7 creditors, having promised substantial debt relief, have stalled the disbursement of relief, and are doing nothing for Ethiopia; this despite the fact that according to their own commitments and rules she is fully entitled to this relief. “Doing nothing for Ethiopia”, a briefing produced by Jubilee Research at nef (the new economics foundation) in February 2004 argues that this is once again “complicit in murder”. Why? Because if Ethiopia is denied additional debt relief, her government will lose US$1 billion in new money, and be obliged to divert US$35 million to service debt repayments to much richer creditors. This money could instead be used for hospitals, clean water and sanitation.

Kenya's officials are investigating a bank suspected of being used to launder millions of dollars stolen by former Nigerian dictator General Sani Abacha. Detectives from the Central Bank of Kenya's banking fraud unit are examining documents and accounts of the Trans National Bank from as far back as 1997. They say they want to see if some of the bank's customers helped launder an estimated $100 million that General Abacha allegedly looted from Nigeria's coffers and transferred to the United States, Switzerland, Britain and other countries.

Instead of a regular faucet that switches on and off, picture a large metal meter box with a slot for a plastic card and a water tap below. The device requires consumers to pay for water before consumption by purchasing a prepaid card. Consumers can then draw water from the meter by inserting the prepaid card into the meter and collecting the water in a portable container. As service is delivered, the balance is adjusted, and the remaining credit displayed. Service is automatically terminated if the payment balance is depleted until the consumer can pay again. The service is most prevalent in South African municipalities. Prepayment meters can also be found in Namibia, Swaziland,Tanzania, Brazil, Nigeria, Curacao and probably other countries, as well. The devices were previously used in the United Kingdom (U.K.) until they were declared illegal in 1998 for public health reasons. As water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, global corporations, many governments, and international financial institutions such as the World Bank, argue that water should be allocated through market mechanisms. But in many developing countries the lack of access to clean and affordable water contributes to the spread of water-borne diseases. More than 2 million people, mostly children, die each year from water borne diseases.