A symposium by The Gambia press union voiced concerns at the denial of access to public information, problems encountered with objective reporting and the need for better-trained journalists, the following is the text of a report by The Gambian newspaper The Independent.

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In this issue :
* Crucial court rulings - FTimes
* 'Zimbabwe in fear' says SADC monitor - DTel
* Polling agents attacked - News24
* Harassment continues - News Room
* Not the way to govern - IHT
* Degrees in violence

Not less than 30 journalists from the African continent on Monday commenced a one-week training programme on Information, Technology and Communication (ICT) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The training programme put together by the Economic Community of Africa, (ECA), United Nations Education and Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as the Association for Progressive Communication (APC), is to acquaint journalists in the continent with the latest information on the internet and general ICT needs.

A controversial biometric device may soon be used to track children via the Internet.

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is meeting in Ghana in March. African companies should send representatives - details at the ICANN web site.

The "Youth, ICTs and Digital Opportunities" portal was launched on 1 February 2002 to enable young people from around the world to share their experiences on how ICTs can further development. The site features news, people, events, organizations and online discussions about closing the digital divide.

Two developments this week have illustrated the gathering pace of telecoms privatisation. The Ghanaian government has agreed to sell off its majority share in Ghana Telecom and appears to be opening its market to further competition. In Uganda the government is prepared to amend existing licences if the country's economy finds itself at a competitive disadvantage in the new world digital economy. This top story at BalancingAct concludes with a short review of what African governments have signed up to in terms of privatisation with the World Trade Organisation.

Office suites are software packages like Microsoft Office which offer users applications like word processors, spreadsheets, database programs, etc. There are alternatives to using expensive office software. Read this article for the latest news on free packages like Open Office and expensive packages such as MS Office.

Last week, while delivering a paper on press freedom at the Islamic University in Mbale, I did say that some ministers fear the press because they are always misquoted. The following day The Monitor carried a report titled “Ministers Fear the Press, Says Karooro”.While it is true I said it, the reporter did not outline the reasons I gave for my assertion.That is Uganda’s press for you - telling only part of the story, choosing what is interesting and many a time leaving out the important.

Expectedly, the Cable News Network CNN's bureau chief in Nigeria Jeff Koinange has been a butt of verbal darts over what his critics described as his deliberate 'coinage' of his own version of happenings in Nigeria, especially the recent clashes at Idi-Araba, Lagos.

At least 131 journalists from the United States and Europe have applied to cover the country's forthcoming presidential poll set for March 9 and 10.

A new radio network with a particular focus on peace-making efforts will be launched in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday, 25 February, to coincide with the convocation of the inter-Congolese dialogue in Sun City, South Africa.

Burundian Communications Minister Albert Mbonerane on Saturday lifted the suspension of the right of the private news agency Net Press to publish or post news on its web site, Net Press Editor-in-Chief Claude Sibomana told IRIN on Monday.

SABC has identified an opportunity to make indigenous children's television programming more widely available to broadcasters throughout Africa - programmes which reflect the life experiences and cultures of African children, affirm their sense of self and place, and provide them with entertainment, information and education to promote their positive social, cognitive and emotional development. On a daily basis, a block of programming for children and young people will be made available free to-air via terrestrial broadcasters for re transmission in African countries interested in partnering with the SABC. Starting with one hour per day, the programmes will span a range of genres, providing 'edutainment' for children at home and supporting formal schooling where appropriate. Largely indigenous in nature, the programmes will be delivered in English and each partner country will customize the block according to its needs and context.

Organisations in Africa are invited to participate in the Africa Pulse/SANGONeT regional ICT capacity survey. Those that participate will all benefit from the results. The survey form is online.

A witness testifying in the so-called "Media Trial" today admitted to judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR that he received thousands of dollars when he served as an informant for the prosecution. The witness -- identified only as " X" -- has been granted special protection measures and is testifying via tele-conference from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague, Netherlands.