Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has started retiring its almost worthless local currency in favor of the US dollar. Today, 35 quadrillion Zimbabwean dollars are equal to US $1, as a result of hyperinflation which hit the country in 2009.

Braving possible persecution, three African men are set to compete in the 2015 Mr Gay World contest, being held in the Western Cape in April and May. The men will represent Cameroon, Zimbabwe and South Africa. While four spots are allocated to Africa in the contest every year, they have never been all filled because of the backlash the delegates could face at home. Homosexuality is currently illegal in 38 African countries.

We are all trying to go ‘green’: ‘green’ world, ‘green’ city, ‘green’ household. ‘Green’ has become a buzzword for sustainable, safe, energy efficient and/or economic. The Encyclopaedia Britannica describes green architecture as a ‘philosophy of architecture that advocates sustainable energy sources, the conservation of energy, the reuse and safety of building materials, and the siting of a building with consideration of its impact on the environment’.

A violent attack on a holiday party thrown by an LGBT advocacy organization in Zimbabwe has left 35 injured. At least a dozen unidentified men attacked the event, which was described as a 'gay party' by local media, and hosted by advocacy group Gays and Lesbians Zimbabwe. "[The attackers] were in three vehicles when they arrived and one of them produced a pistol and threatened our security team that was manning the gate for denying them access," said the group's director Chesterfield Samba.