The Nkoranza District Assembly is to develop the monkey sanctuaries at Fiema and Boabeng to boost eco-tourism, making the area a "gate-way" to the development of the District.

Africa's forest cover has reduced by 30 percent in the last 30 years causing climate change, danger to tourism and human welfare, the Africa Environment Outlook report has revealed. President Yoweri Museveni launched the report recently. It also indicates that 126 animal and 123 plant species have become extinct and 2,018 animal and 1,771 plant species are threatened by extinction.

Plans for a titanium mine in southeast Kenya, approved by the Kenyan government last week, could lead to environmental damage and adversely affect the lives of people, local rights groups warned on Tuesday.

Gender equality has been given high priority in both the African Union (AU) charter and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad)principles. However, as the AU sat in its inaugural session, all the African leaders present (a few of the 52 countries were represented by their foreign ministers) at the International Convention Centre in Durban were men. Of all the African foreign ministers, only two are women: Nkosazana Zuma of South Africa and Lilian Patel of Malawi.

A new project has seen some of South Africa's finest handiwork appearing in some of the UK's most well-heeled stores. The accessories involved have been created by a novel partnership between 700 South African craft workers and six of London's best designers.