IT HAD been a long day for Jean Ping. The man who runs the African Union (AU) spent the morning dealing with events in Tunisia. After lunch he was on the telephone to Kenya’s prime minister, Raila Odinga, who had been in Côte d’Ivoire as the AU’s negotiator, trying to persuade its strongman to step down.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping held talks with South African President Jacob Zuma here on Wednesday, calling for all-round cooperation and richer content of the comprehensive strategic partnership and strengthened coordination in international policies.

Nelle prossime settimane, il mondo vivrà al ritmo delle partite di calcio disputate in Sudafrica.

South Africa will change laws governing the central bank to safeguard its independence and stop shareholders from wielding undue influence over its operations and assets, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said.

The growing role of the private sector in Africa has been credited by the head of the IMF’s African department, ANTOINETTE SAYEH for sustaining foreign investment during the recent global slump. In an interview with the IMF Survey online— ahead of a three-country trip to Africa including Kenya by the Fund’s Managing Director, DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN — Sayeh said Africa had demonstrated considerable resilience during the recession, and she was hopeful about Africa’s prospects. Excerpts: