>> South Australian authorities have found a cane toad in the capital city, Adelaide. They say the toad is a stray case and not an indication that cane toads have migrated to the state. They are

Only 720 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, all of them in the misty hills of central Africa. Efforts to protect the critically endangered mountain gorilla received a big boost on Wednesday when Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo agreed to cooperate on a 10-year conservation plan for the animals. Only 720 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, all of them in the misty hills of central Africa where the three countries' borders meet. In the past 14 months, at least 10 gorillas have been killed in Congo's Virunga park by rebel fighters and people involved in the illegal charcoal trade. Despite the apes' vulnerability, conflict and mistrust among the countries has previously prevented formal cooperative efforts to stop the poaching and stem human encroachment. But in a joint statement on Wednesday, wildlife officials said their park authorities would work together "to ensure the conservation of the mountain gorillas and their Afromontane forest habitat.' Moses Mapesa, head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, told a news conference in Kampala: "For the first time, the three countries have decided to protect the great apes which are threatened with extinction and insecurity in the region.' More than a decade of human conflict has damaged tourism in eastern Congo, but for Uganda and Rwanda the gorillas are still a prime attraction, with visitors paying

The government of Uganda has confirmed the outbreak of the deadly meningitis bacterium in the country. On January 16, health officials said that 121 people are suffering from the disease in Arua and

>> The World Food Programme is working with the Ethiopian government to extend drought insurance. The US $230 million insurance will cover about 6.7 million people, which will be disbursed in case

Many in Rwanda are incensed at the bbc for allowing genocide revisionists to use the network's programme to "mock' victims of their crimes. The bitter reactions follow a 30-minute interview in

At least 60 people in northern Democratic Republic Congo have been infected with a rare viral disease, monkeypox. There is no treatment available for the disease characterized by high fever, intense fatigue and lesions.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been put on

A pan-African music festival held in the Congolese capital of Brazzaville has aroused much outrage from civil rights groups for making 22 pygmy musicians stay in a zoo. Organisers of the

Congo rebel troops blamed for the recent slaughter of critically endangered mountain gorillas in Central Africa have agreed to stop further ape killings. The agreement was reached under the mediation