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A fresh chapter is opening in Africa's history
Guardian -- It is 60 years since Africa began to emerge from the shadow of colonialism. For much of the intervening time, this paper has charted the continent's battles with poverty, famine, pestilence, corruption, drought, Aids and war. It was only right that the developed world focused on some of its poorest inhabitants. And it was right that richer countries came to the aid of those less fortunate. But the story of Africa's despond took root and crowded out other news. At times, and over the years, it seemed as though there was no other news from Africa. We framed post-colonial Africa with the same narrative for decades – this was a continent that was, to European eyes, gamely but mostly failing to come to terms with its new-found independence...

Social media emancipates journalists in Libya
allAfrica -- As international media struggle to cover a story to which they don't have access, Libyans both inside and outside the country are using social media to plead for more visibility. No independent media is tolerated in Libya, and international journalists are being denied entry to the country. Over the weekend, while television networks in the United States featured experts opining on why the Libyan government would be able to quickly quell the protests, activists were circulating rough videos of assaults on heavily fortified military establishments in eastern Libya. By late Sunday, thousands of tweets were claiming that large areas of Benghazi and several smaller cities had been "freed" by democracy activists, who were busy organizing a new administration...

Gadhafi says he's 'still in control'
CNN -- As Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi announced Tuesday that he was still in charge of the country, the U.N. Security Council readied to meet later in the day to discuss the spreading unrest there - the first time the council has held consultations over any of the revolts that have swept the Arab world since January. Gadhafi made a brief television appearance early Tuesday to announce that he was in Libya, denying reports that he had fled the country in the face of a spreading revolt. Speaking to a state television reporter in front of his Tripoli home, Gadhafi said he wanted to show people "that I am in Tripoli, not in Venezuela. Don't believe those dogs in the media. But as Gadhafi asserts his power, he continues to gain the ire of Libyans worldwide...

West African nations to boost universities with online library
UN News -- The West African monetary union and the United Nations agency tasked with promoting education have signed an agreement to launch a $12 million project to boost the information and communications technology (ICT) capacity of universities by creating a regional virtual library network. Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Soumaïla Cissé, the President of the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), which is providing the funds, signed the agreement in Paris. The project is part of a wide-ranging cooperation plan initiated in 2006 by the two bodies, aiming to develop the use of ICTs to support an ongoing reform of higher education in the member countries of the UEMOA – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Mali, Senegal and Togo...