Malawi news stories on Newser

Malawi Slashes Currency By a Third

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:25:26 CDT

The official rate of Malawi's currency has been cut by a third as the impoverished southern African nation seeks to repair ties with the International Monetary Fund, the country's central banker said today. The move is just one in a series of steps President Joyce Banda's government has taken that...

Southern Africa Gets First Female Leader

John Johnson — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:44:36 CDT

A milestone for southern Africa today, by way of Malawi: Joyce Banda was sworn in as president to become the first female leader in the region, reports the BBC . Banda takes over from Bingu wa Mutharika, who died of a heart attack on Thursday but whose death was confirmed by...

How Your Discarded Phone Can Improve Global Health

Dustin Lushing — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:50:06 CDT

Text messages could be the key to successful health care in poor countries. At least 24-year-old Josh Nesbit thinks so. He's the CEO of nonprofit startup Medic Mobile, which disperses old cell phones to create a text messaging network that can connect doctors to patients, monitor the spread of disease,...

What's Really Going On With Madonna's Charities?

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:06:18 CDT

Not a good couple of weeks for Madonna: After a scandal late last month involving her Raising Malawi charity, another one of the Material Girl's nonprofits is under fire. The FBI is looking into "irregularities and suspicious activity" involving Success for Kids, an educational charity, the Daily reports. The organization...

Plans for Madonna's Malawi School Collapse

John Johnson — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:36:25 CDT

A plan spearheaded by Madonna to build a $15 million school for impoverished girls in Malawi has been officially scrapped amid charges that the people running the project on her behalf squandered millions, reports the New York Times . In addition, the foundation Madonna founded with other Kabbalah devotees, Raising Malawi,...

Malawi to Outlaw Farting

Kevin Spak — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:40:00 CST

The government of Malawi is about to enact a law making it illegal to “foul the air” in public, the Daily Mail reports. Yes, farting will be one of many behaviors outlawed by new legislation that will set up “Local Courts” around the country. These courts will be able to...

Out of Jail, Gay Malawi Couple Breaks Up

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:34:37 CDT

Despite the eventual pardon , Malawi’s anti-gay laws “worked” on one half of the gay couple who was recently jailed : Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga separated, and Monjeza is now seeing a woman. “I have had enough,” he says. “I was forced into the whole drama and I regret the whole...

Malawi Leader Pardons Jailed Gay Couple

Sat, 29 May 2010 10:26:12 CDT

Malawi's president says he has pardoned and ordered the release of a jailed gay couple sentenced to 14 years in prison. President Bingu wa Mutharika made the announcement today during a press conference with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Lilongwe, the capital. A judge earlier this month convicted and sentenced...

Gay Malawi Couple Separated in Prison

John Johnson — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:24:00 CDT

A little extra twist of the knife for the two men in Malawi sentenced to 14 years in prison for the crime of being gay. Authorities sent the men to the same prison but have since transferred one of the partners to a different jail, a human rights activist tells...