African Union Backs EU Ultimatum to Mauritania Military Junta

The African Union is reportedly backing the European Union’s (EU) ultimatum to the military junta to restore democracy by the end of the month or face stiff sanctions if the coup leaders refuse to abide by the ultimatum. The African Union says it is in harmony with the European Union, a day after it issued [...]

The Barack Obama’s 150million dollars presidential campaign fund

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign raised a record of $150 million in September, giving him a significant cash advantage over his opponent John McCain. The Democratic nominee is using his treasure chest to purchase television and radio ads in closely contested states, and also in traditional Republican strongholds such as Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia and [...]

Polls Show Obama Leads McCain Two Weeks Before US Vote

Presidential candidate Barack Obama is leading John McCain by nearly six percentage points, in an average of the latest opinion polls two weeks before the U.S. election.
The candidates continue to battle for votes in states considered critical to winning the White House on November 4.
McCain, a Republican senator, talked about the economy in the northeastern [...]

UN Urges Governments to Prepare for Possible Influenza Pandemic

A senior U.N. health official warns that governments must better prepare themselves to fight an influenza pandemic should one break out. Citing a new World Bank report that says the economic price tag of an influenza outbreak could top $3 trillion, David Nabarro says international cooperation is vital.  From United Nation’s headquarters in New York, [...]

Pirates Hijack Indian Ship

A maritime official says pirates have hijacked another ship near Somalia, this one an Indian ship with 13 crew members aboard.
The head of the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center Noel Choong says the vessel was heading to Somalia from an Asian port when it was hijacked off Somalia’s northern coast.
World powers are stepping up [...]

owners of abducted vessels in Nigeria to negotiate with the pirates

The owners of eight Nigerian vessels abducted on Thursday by pirates in the country’s territorial waters are considering negotiating with the pirates for the release of their hijacked vessels and kidnapped crew members numbering 96 in total.
President of the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi told newsmen  yesterday that although the Chief of [...]

Malaria Kills 401 People in Nigeria

Malaria has killed 401 people in the last four weeks in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state, according to local health officials.
“In the last 28 days 401 people have died of malaria which has become endemic in the state,” Halliru Idris, director of public health in the state’s health ministry, told newsmen
The death toll could be much [...]

Ghana’s Presidential Race Begins

THE REAL battle for the December 7 general elections kicked off yesterday as the three main presidential candidates filed their presidential nomination forms.
The three parties were, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, and the Convention Peoples Party [...]

Nigeria has announced major budget cuts following recent falls in the price of oil

Nigeria has announced major budget cuts following recent falls in the price of oil, after a special cabinet meeting.
“There have been a number of very serious measures taken to reduce expenditure,” said Finance Minister Shamsuddeen Usman.
However, he refused to give any details of where the cuts would be made.
Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest [...]

Elumelu Named African Banker of the Year

Quintessential banker and visionary Group Managing Director of United
Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr Tony Elumelu, has been voted African
Banker of the Year 2008.
The UBA boss was pronounced African Banker of the Year on Friday at a
glittering ceremony held at the Grand Ballroom of the prestigious
Willard International Hotel, Washington DC, USA, organised by The
African Business [...]

THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: Who is best for Africa?

THE  ARGUEMENT FOR OBAMA
Witney W. Schneidman, an adviser on Africa to the campaign to elect Senator Barack Obama as President of the United States, sets out Obama’s fundamental policy objectives for Africa.
Barack Obama understands Africa, and understands its importance to the United States. Today, in this new century, he understands that to strengthen our common [...]

Ohakim tells contractors in Imo state to follow due process in contract transaction

Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim has challenged the newly constituted Local Government Areas Transition Chairmen and Contractors to comply strictly on the procedures outlined in the Procurement and Price Intelligence Bureau otherwise called ‘Due Process’ in all their transactions with government.
Ohakim gave the charge in a 2-day sensitisation workshop organised by the Imo State [...]

four consultants to conduct staff audit in Imo State Nigeria

Imo State government has appointed four consultants to conduct staff audit and establish biometric data of all staff of the 27 local councils in the state. Governor Ikedi Ohakim, who stated this at the Multi Purpose Hall, Government House, Owerri, while swearing-in chairmen of the caretaker committees of the 27 local government areas, also said [...]

OSCE Urges Uzbekistan to Release Journalist

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is callling on Uzbekistan to free an independent journalist, who was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison on drug charges.

A statement from the OSCE says the charges against Salijon Abdurakhmanov were made up and did not stand up to “fair procedure.”

Abdurakhmanov was arrested in western [...]

7000 workers laid off in china after 2 toy factories close down

In southern China 7,000 workers have been laid off after two major toy factories making brands for western markets were closed down. China’s export manufacturers, and toy makers in particular, have been hit hard by the global financial crisis. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
 
Hundreds of now unemployed workers gathered outside government offices Friday in Dongguan [...]

oil and mines minister of Ecuador steps down

Ecuador’s oil and mining minister Galo Chiriboga has stepped down suddenly, as the country tries to change the way it does business with oil companies.
Chiriboga has been behind an effort to get Ecuador’s oil companies to turn over to the state all the oil they find, in exchange for a flat fee.
He had been criticized [...]

Ex Argentine president on trail

Former Argentine President Carlos Menem is on trial for his alleged involvement in a weapons smuggling scheme while he was in office.

The trial begins Thursday, but Mr. Menem will miss the first session because of health reasons.

The 78-year-old former president is accused of being involved in the illegal sale of weapons to Ecuador and Croatia [...]

Mauritanian junta issued travel sanction by United states

The U.S. State Department has issued travel restrictions on leaders of the military coup that toppled the Mauritania government in August.
In a statement Friday State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says the restrictions apply to travel by members of the military junta, its supporters and all that worked to undermine Mauritania’s return to constitutional rule.
McCormack says [...]

In Congo,more than 50,000 people have been forced to flee their homes

The U.N. refugee agency reports more than 50,000 people have been forced to flee their homes by fighting in the Ituru region in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.  
U.N. refugee spokesman Ron Redmond says aid workers only have access to the displaced that have fled to Dungu, a town just south of the DRC border [...]

cholera outbreak in Nigeria now under control

The Nigerian health ministry has blamed poor sanitation and shortage of safe drinking water for the deadly outbreaks of cholera and gastroenteritis in parts of northern Nigeria. A senior official announced Friday that the crisis is now under control.
United Nations agencies are helping Nigerian authorities to deal with a virulent diarrhea outbreak in northern [...]

Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda have won non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council

Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda have won non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council. They will serve two-year terms beginning in January. The vote, which takes place by secret ballot in the U.N. General Assembly, saw seven countries officially competing for the five open seats. All 192-member states participated. Candidates needed a two-thirds majority [...]

zimbabwe’s power sharing talk fail-Morgan Tsvangirai

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader says several days of negotiations have failed to break a deadlock in power-sharing talks, and called for African leaders to intervene.
Morgan Tsvangirai said after talks Friday with President Robert Mugabe that the two men had failed to agree on the allocation of key Cabinet ministries.
He said he is committed to [...]

The McCain criticism of Barack Obama

Republican John McCain told crowds in this battleground state Friday to “hold onto your wallet” because his Democratic presidential rival, Barack Obama, has talked of spreading the wealth around. McCain suggested voters could not rely on Obama’s promise of tax cuts while returning once more to the story of Joe the Plumber, a regular part [...]

Nigerian Military Repels Armed Gang in Oil Region

The Nigerian army says suspected militants in speedboats attacked troops guarding the country’s main crude oil and liquified natural gas export terminal. The attack was the first since armed groups announced a cease-fire last month. Gilbert da Costa has more from Abuja for VOA
 
Bonny Island, in the southern Niger Delta, is home to a liquified [...]

Anti-Corruption Groups Vow Continued Pursuit of Tainted Former Nigerian State Governors

By Howard Lesser
Several anti-corruption organizations are vowing to continue their pursuit of 31 Nigerian state governors and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who were exonerated Wednesday by Nigeria’s chief investigative arm of corruption charges. Accusations against the officials, who were singled out for the massive looting of state treasuries, were dropped after a lengthy probe by [...]

India’s Largest Private Airline Reinstates Sacked Employees

India’s largest private sector airline has reinstated more than 800 employees who were sacked earlier in the week. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the dismissals – the largest in Indian aviation history – underline the crisis in the sector, which is piling up massive losses.  
Hundreds of employees of Jet Airways were jubilant [...]

West African First Ladies Called for Coordinated Approaches to Combat FGM

First ladies from seven West African countries have ended their meeting in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou on ways to end female circumcision also known as female genital mutilation (FGM). The first ladies of Burkina Faso and Niger were joined earlier this week by the special representatives of the first ladies of Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, [...]

Update on McCain and Barack Obama

U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama return to the campaign trial Friday, as they visit a handful of states crucial in the battle to win the November election.
McCain, the Republican nominee, will hold campaign rallies in Florida – in Miami and Melbourne – while Democratic candidate Obama will hold rallies in Virginia and [...]