As the final preparations for the battle for the presidency of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) are underway following the submissions of nominations by aspiring candidates, political analysts have said veteran politician John Tembo is not the right person to be the party's torchbearer during next year's presidential polls.

Minister of Information minister Moses Kunkuyu says government will stay the course it pledged to on assuming power by ensuring the protection and promotion of the rights of journalists.

People's Transformation party (Petra) has said it is appalled by recent revelations that government failed to provide documents that would have assisted Paladin Africa Limited to start mining uranium at Kayelekera in Karonga.

Barely a month after a woman gave birth to a baby with strange features in Salima, another woman in Dedza on Monday gave birth to another strange looking baby.

The Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet) has cast doubt over government's capacity and readiness to fund and implement a parallel farm input subsidy programme and fears the programme could suffer from politicisation.

The Office of President and Cabinet has announced that it will promote 13,000 teachers this year following a directive President Joyce Banda made when she opened the 44th session of Parliament in Lilongwe in February.

A 36-year old woman has been on remand at Maula Prison in Lilongwe for over two years even after a magistrate ordered her release upon observing that the prosecution was unwilling to proceed with her case.

Armedrobbers early Sunday morning attacked and robbed the house of Ombudsman Tujilane Chizumila in Lilongwe. The thugs made away with cash and other items valued at about K2.5 million.

The Siamese twin babies that were born in Thyolo in December last year have died. The babies died on Sunday at Thyolo District where they were born on December 3, 2012.

Outgoing Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo has joined politics and will contest for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidency, the party confirmed yesterday.

Employees of Carlsberg Malawi Limited yesterday staged a strike demanding a 125 percent bonus their employer reportedly promised to pay in December last year.

Malawi National Association of the Deaf (Manad) has launched a website and a Malawi's Sign Language and Rights project aimed at addressing communication challenges facing the deaf.

Former First Lady Callista Mutharika wants his son from her previous marriage to receive in cash benefits from the late President Bingu wa Mutharika's death.

President Joyce Banda on Monday said she stopped reading Malawian newspapers because they are full of hatred towards her and could kill her the way they did with late President Bingu wa Mutharika.

Secretary for Information Anthony Livuza died Sunday at Mwaiwathu Private Hospital in Blantyre.

...Beats drum about her achievements

PRESIDENT Joyce Banda on Saturday asked the electorate to question the track record of people vying for various positions as the country moves closer to the 2014 tripartite elections.

Minister of Irrigation and Water Development Richie Muheya says government is keen to provide its people with potable water facilities as one of their basic rights and government's drive to avert problems of waterborne diseases.

The Ministry of Finance has defended the number of people who attended the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington.

The race for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidency continues to heat up with several party leaders including former cabinet minister Jodda Kanjere submitting his nomination papers for the top job.

Coalition for Prevention of Unsafe Abortion (Copua) has applauded President Joyce Banda for assenting to the Gender Equality Bill.