Swaziland will hold a parliamentary election on Sept. 19 under the Tinkhundla system of government, the chairperson of the Elections and Boundaries Commission announced on Wednesday, the South African Press Association reported.

South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic in the world with an estimated 5,7-million people living with HIV in 2007. This is according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS’ (UNAIDS) 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic released yesterday (SUBS: TUES), which reports that almost 33-million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS worldwide with 25-million people having died of HIV-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic.

Egyptian police shot dead an unidentified African migrant and detained two others while they were trying to cross illegally into Israel on Friday, a security official and a medical source said. The man, who did not carry any identification papers, died of his wounds on the way to hospital, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua said on Thursday the biggest problem in Africa's most populous nation was poor leadership and rounded on public servants who abused their positions of power to gain personal wealth. Even among follow Africans, Nigeria is seen as the home of the "big man" mentality, where "Ogas" -- bosses in pidgin -- bark commands at all and sundry and travel in convoys with blaring sirens through the chaotic traffic.

SADC appointed mediator and South African President Thabo Mbeki, arrived in Zimbabwe late on Wednesday to meet his Zimbabwean counterpart, Robert Mugabe and the leader of the smaller faction of the MDC, Arthur Mutambara as the negotiating talks are adjourned after leadership role differences.