News on Malawi

Malawi churches open debate on gays

2010-03-16T11:16:20Z

<div><p>Protestant churches in Malawi on Tuesday opened a debate on homosexuality, following a series of arrests aimed at clamping down on gays, in a country where same-sex relations are banned.</p><p>"We have received a lot of complaints about the issues of homosexuality, and as church leaders, we have a role to play," Joseph Bvumbwe, head of the Malawi's campaign to fight malaria by providing free or cheap mosquito nets has failed to curb the number of deaths caused by the disease, a deputy health minister said Friday.</p><p>Up to 7,000 Malawians died of malaria in 2009, with 4.5 million cases recorded, even though the government provided one million free nets to young children and pregnant women the year before, Malawi said Sunday they were hunting down key figures in the country's gay community after discovering "pornographic films" at the office of a rights group.</p><p>"We are targeting some prominent personalities and our suspects include legislators, priests, academics and other professionals," police spokesman Davie Chingwalu told AFP.</p><p&g...

Malawi top court refuses to hear gay couple's case

2010-02-23T11:16:16Z

<div><p>Malawi's Constitutional Court on Tuesday refused to hear the case of a gay couple arrested for "gross indecency" after holding the nation's first public same-sex wedding ceremony.</p><p>Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were arrested in late December and have been tried in a magistrates court in this conservative southern African country where homosexuality...

Malawi: Police say man arrested in anti-gay sweep

2010-02-22T09:25:02Z

<div id="subtitle">Police in Malawi say man arrested in what they describe as a sweep against homosexuals</div><div><p>Police in Malawi say they have arrested a man in what they describe as a sweep against homosexuals.</p><p>There is a debate over gay rights in this conservative southern African country, sparked by the trial of a gay couple charged with unnatural acts a...

Madonna's charity head blasts land dispute reports

2010-02-22T09:31:24Z

<div id="subtitle">The director of Madonna's Raising Malawi charity says reports of land dispute are 'erroneous'</div><div><p>The director of Madonna's Raising Malawi foundation is denying that there is a land dispute over the charity's planned $15 million girls academy, calling reports that some villagers fe...

Malawian government backs Madonna's school

2010-02-22T09:52:15Z

<div id="subtitle">Malawian government backs Madonna's school, forces villagers to move</div><div><p>In a land dispute pitting Madonna against African villagers, Malawi's government has sided with the pop star who has pumped millions into this impoverished southern African country and adopted two of its children.</p&a...

Malawi government backs Madonna over school

2010-02-22T09:55:38Z

<div id="subtitle">Malawian government backs pop star's Madonna's school, forces villagers to move</div><div><p>Malawi's government has told a group of villagers they will have to move to make way for a $15 million girls' school being built by pop star Madonna.</p><p>Residents have refused to leav...

DWP madonna academy

2010-02-11T18:02:19Z

Madonna's School is a class act This hi-tech, £9 million school is the future of education in poverty-stricken Malawi - and it's all thanks to Madonna. The state-of-the-art school is currently being constructed in the capital Lilongwe after a huge injection of cash from the Malawi's president is elected leader of the African Union, replacing Libya's Gadhafi</div><div><p>Malawi's president has been elected as leader of the African Union, a position held by the eccentric dictator Moammar Gadhafi...

Gaddafi chides African Union after leadership change

2010-02-22T13:12:48Z

<div><p>ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, failing in his bid to stay on as chairman of the African Union for another year, said on Sunday the pan-African grouping wasted...

Gates Foundation says to raise Malawi health aid

2010-02-22T14:36:25Z

<div><p>LILONGWE (Reuters) - The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation plans to raise its health funding aimed to reduce maternal mortality in Malawi, Mel...

Malawi cabinet minister to appeal sex abuse acquittal

2010-02-22T16:55:46Z

<div><p>A Malawian cabinet minister said Thursday she would appeal the court acquittal of a woman accused of abusing two teenage girls, amid on ongoing trial of the country's first publicly wed gay couple.</p><p>Minister of women and child development Patricia Kaliati said the 42-year-old woman, who was acquitted on Tuesday, was "pers...

Malawi president to wed ex-tourism minister

2010-02-22T17:27:32Z

<div><p>Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika on Wednesday announced that he would marry a former tourism minister on May 1, two years after his first wife died of cancer.</p><p>"The President of the republic of Malawi is pleased to announce his engagement to marry Mali scored twice within three minutes of the kick-off en route to an ultimately meaningless 3-1 victory over Malawi in an Africa Cup of Nations Group A match on Monday.</p><p>Hosts Angola topped the mini-league after a goalless

Malawi government defends gay couple's prosecution

2010-02-22T18:39:49Z

<div id="subtitle">Malawi government defends prosecution of gay couple; verdict expected next month</div><div><p>Malawi's government said Monday that it is unmoved by international criticism of the trial of a gay couple charged with unnatural acts and gross indecency, felonies for which they could be imprisoned for up to 14 years.</p><p>In a statement Monday, Malawi's <...

Algeria take on Angola and 50,000 football fans

2010-02-22T18:45:53Z

<div><p>Angola go into Monday's decisive Group A game against Algeria safe in the knowledge that a draw will be enough to see them progress to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.</p><p>The table-topping hosts have four points and are sitting pretty as even defeat would see ...

Angola coach rejects draw option against Algeria

2010-02-22T19:10:36Z

<div><p>Angola coach Manuel Jose made a promise here Sunday that his Africa Cup of Nations' hosts were out to beat Algeria in Monday's decisive Group A game.</p><p>Angola top the table and need only a draw against the

Cup shambles leaves Mali out in the cold

2010-02-22T19:46:23Z

<div><p>A farcical mix-up by Africa Cup of Nations' organisers in Angola left Mali fuming when they were locked out of a scheduled training session because the Algeria team had beaten them into the stadium.</p><p>Algeria turned up at the Es...

Algeria first World Cup team to win in Angola

2010-02-22T19:55:36Z

<div><p>Algeria became the first World Cup qualifiers to win at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday while hosts Angola also took maximum points.</p><p>Nigeria lost to ...