You're listening to a download from the BBC, this is from our own correspondent.

You can hear the version of the program we make for the BBC World Service by visiting our

site at BBC online.

But here's the latest edition broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and introduced by Kate Adi.

Today awkward questions for an African president accused of extravagance, corruption and repression. Old allegances re-emerge from the volatility of the

new Europe. The Dutch village designed to show that dementia needn't be the end of the world. And in eastern China we wonder can we possibly

escape the revenge of the hairy crabs? But first the leadership challenge for South Africa's President Zuma. It'll be settled at his party's conference which opens tomorrow.

It comes from Deputy President Katellema Motlante, who's running for both the presidency and the leadership of the party, the African National

Congress.

Andrew Harding says with the ANC's figurehead Nelson Mandela in fragile health and the

country facing a series of difficult problems, this is a

critical period for South Africa. It was late afternoon and they were still cheering.

Every few seconds another name was read out and the families, some

overflowing into the lobby outside the hall, jumped up from their chairs with

delight. It was graduation day at Johannesburg's grand, elegant Vitz

University this week.

I sat on the steps outside the hall soaking up the noisy waves of optimism that kept rushing past.

Inside Ahmed Kathrada seemed to be doing much the same. He's 83 years old now and a little

frail, but still very much the same rigorous intellectual heavyweight who spent quarter of

a century in prison with Nelson Mandela.

Mr. Kethrada was at Vitz to receive his own honorary doctorate.

Afterwards, away from the well-dressed crowd streaming out of the hall, he sat down carefully,

...