The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) urged Western donors on Tuesday to put aside politics and back its health, nutrition and education projects in Zimbabwe, where nearly one in three children is stunted by malnutrition. Only $2,6-million has been received towards an appeal of $13,8-million launched six months ago, leaving programmes "grossly underfunded", the agency said.

Reporters Without Borders has called for the release of Bosange Mbaka, a reporter with the Kinshasa-based publication "Mambenga", who was arrested six months ago in a round-up of presumed sympathisers of former presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba. Nicknamed "Che Guevara," Mbaka is from Equateur province, a Bemba stronghold. He was charged with stealing military property for picking up a mobile phone dropped by a soldier.

Reporters Without Borders has deplored the appalling threats and constraints under which Nigerian journalists work, with two of them currently in hiding because of an arrest order issued by a judge on 16 May 2007 and a third receiving repeated telephone threats because of an article published on 22 May. "The absence of change at the head of the federal government apparently means that nothing will change for Nigerian journalists, either," the press freedom organisation said.

Lamin Fatty, a reporter with the banned Banjul-based bi-weekly "The Independent", who is standing trial at the Kanifing Magistrate's Court for publishing "false information", on 21 May 2007 denied ever publishing any "false information". The journalist told the court that, as a reporter, he only gathered facts and submitted them to the editors who hold the ultimate responsibility for publishing.