Patrick LOVETT

The Human Intelligence Centre opened in Romania in March. The Romanian president says it was set up to counter new security threats against the North Atlantic Alliance, but the centre is also seen as a sign that Romania is cementing its position within NATO and the West. A team from France 24 was the first camera crew to gain access to the facility.

Meet Zakumi, the 2010 World Cup mascot, a South African leopard made...in China! In fact, all official World Cup paraphernalia is being made overseas, meaning that local businesses are losing out on the billions of rands of profits that should come with staging a World Cup in their backyard. Little wonder that the trade unions are angry...

The Greek debt crisis has opened up critical new fault lines in Europe. At the heart of the dispute: should Eurozone states shell out to help Greece or let the International Monetary Fund deal with Greek debt? Germany is something of a lone voice in calling for IMF help and advocating that future bad debtors be kicked out of the single currency.

March 4: Togo heads to the polls to elect a new President. Incumbent Faure Gnassingbé is seeking another term, after the army installed him as leader in 2005 following the death of his father. He held onto power during elections held a few weeks later, but these were contested by the opposition as being fraudulent and hundreds of people died in post election violence. Authorities now believe radical groups are preparing an uprising in case the vote doesn't turn out the way they want it to.