 Medics: give HIV drugs earlier
A paper by medical experts recommends giving patients earlier treatment with HIV drugs. The report was published at the start of a six-day international AIDS conference in Mexico.
At present, doctors are advised to prescribe antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) only once HIV has weakened a patient's immune system significantly in a attempt to minimise the drugs' toxic side effects. But the paper, by the International Aids Society, said these guidelines should be overhauled, as better, less toxic drugs are now available. Helmand gets civilian airport
A new airport in Afghanistan's Helmand province has opened in a bid to help farmers fly their produce to domestic and international markets. The new Lashkar Gah airport is the first in the southern region to be controlled by civilians. The government hopes the airport along with an agricultural centre will help farmers profit from growing food and encourage them to stop growing opium poppies. Much of Helmand's agriculture is devoted to poppy farming. Ongoing fighting between the Taliban and British and US troops makes it hard for farmers to transport perishable produce to market. Bangladeshis go to polls
Bangladeshis began voting today in local elections, the first polls organised by the country's army-backed interim government. Voters cast their ballots amid tight security. Election organisers are using a digital voting list where they can check voters' photographs in an effort to prevent election rigging. The election is being monitored by thousands of observers from Bangladesh and abroad and is likely to be seen a barometer for the success of national elections. Bangladesh remains under a state of emergency after the interim government took power in January 2007 following widespread political violence. The government has since been working to restore democracy. Zuma fights corruption case
Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa's ANC will go to court today to try to get a corruption case against him thrown out. He is facing 18 charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering relating to a government arms deal. If the trial goes ahead and he is convicted, he faces a lengthy jail term. Mr Zuma claims the charges are politically motivated. The case has stirred up a political storm in South Africa. Tens of thousands of his supporters have descended on Pietermaritzburg where he will make his case for the charges to be dropped during a two-day hearing. Bomb kills Somali street cleaners
A roadside bomb has killed at least 20 people in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Witnesses said most of the dead were women who had gathered to clean the streets. One witness counted the remains of 15 bodies. Forty-seven wounded people - mostly women and children - were admitted to Mogadishu's Medina hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but roadside bombs are frequently used by insurgents fighting the transitional government and its Ethiopian allies. Russia warns Georgia over clashes
Russia has warned Georgia to refrain from using excessive force during clashes in the breakaway province of South Ossetia. It follows a weekend of conflict in the province, which broke away from Georgia after a war in the 1990s. At least six people were killed in shellings in the regional capital Tskhinvali. Georgia sees regaining control of South Ossetia as a top priority and suspects Russia of wanting to annexe the province. Moscow, which has peacekeepers stationed in the province, denies supporting the separatists.
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