Monday, October 31st
Black Youth Still Struggle for Economic Equality
Black Youth Still Struggle for Economic EqualityA large proportion of young black South Africans perceive the goal of economic liberation as being just as elusive under democratic rule as it was during apartheid, according to recent reports. AU: Fight for 'historic right'Africa must not relent in its pursuit of two permanent veto-wielding seats on an expanded UN security council if stalled reforms to the world body are enacted, an African Union (AU) panel said on Monday. Haiti's UtilityThe U.S. administration, admitting that Iraq posed no threat, have changed their rationale for waging the war from something tangible, i.e. finding “weapons of mass destruction,” to something theoretical, ‘promoting democracy’. As a result, the concept of the “failed and failing state” has been (re)introduced into the lexicon of global politics. Congo-UN battle group move on Hutu rebels HUNDREDS of government troops backed by UN peacekeepers began flushing heavily-armed Rwandan rebels from the eastern Congo yesterday, destroying insurgent camps and sending smoke rising above the restive region Without oil or gold, Senegal bets on stabilityUnlike many of its neighbors, Senegal does not have large oil reserves or huge deposits of gold or minerals, but the semi-arid former French colony is fast becoming the economic success story of West Africa. In a region notorious for brutal civil wars and coups, Senegal's major attraction has been its stability. Its lack of natural resources has probably been something of a bizarre blessing as gems and gold often fuel the area's conflicts. Weah to tackle rival on radio in presidential race The former world footballer of the year George Weah is facing one of the toughest matches of his life this week, when he faces his rival for the Liberian presidency, Ellen Johnston-Sirleaf, in a live radio debate. Scientists launch campaign to save Africa's endangered lakes Top scientists have launched a campaign to save Africa's five most endangered lakes ahead of the 11th World Lakes Conference that starts in Nairobi on Monday, local media reported. AU supports 3rd World Black Arts FestivalThe African Union (AU) has pledged support to the Third World Black Arts Festival, with the French acronym FESMAN, planned for 1-27 June 2007, in the Senegalese capital, the Festival Co-ordinator, Alioune Badara Bèye has said here. IMF Tells Congo to Reform EconomyThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) told the Congolese government to carry out economic reforms rather than print more money to pay civil servants who are threatening to go on strike. Having already endured weeks of strikes by teachers across the country, Congo's government faces further problems as the public service unions call for a shut down of the government until they get a pay rise. Africa plans to tackle bird flu Agriculture officials from 53 African countries have begun discussions on Monday on ways of dealing with avian flu as migratory birds that are believed to have brought the deadly strain of the disease to Europe are headed to Africa. Why is the unity of South Sudan so imperative? The strategy of the US oil and finance elite controls the White HouseSeeds of Leak Scandal Sown in Italian Intelligence Agency Washington hid damaging Vietnam findingBush Administration as Dangerous Now as Before U.S. not legally bound to reveal dump sitesThe Race to Execute Tookie Williams
Tyehimba on 10.31.05 @ 07:56 PM CST [ link] [ No Comments]
Spotlight on Africa: Ivory Coast
Spotlight on Africa: Ivory Coast The military parade held on the waterfront of Ivory Coast’s main city, Abidjan, at the weekend would have had the convivial atmosphere of a family event were it not for the young men in the crowd making throat slitting signs at French soldiers. Gbagbo vows to stay onIvory Coast's president vowed to stay in power for another year, as security forces fired into the air and hurled tear gas at opposition militants protesting a bitterly disputed, United Nations-backed extension of his mandate. UN warns of threat to Africa's lakesAfrica's 600-plus lakes are under unprecedented strain from rising populations and must be managed better if demand for fresh water is not to stir instability, a UN report said. The Zuma plot is thickeningBy now it must be very clear that only the most apolitical among us, unless they are also very dumb from their neck upwards, will doubt that the matter of former deputy president Jacob Zuma is a politically-loaded conspiracy.
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Sunday, October 30th
Dispossessing Africa's Wealth
Haiti's UtilityThe people of Haiti find themselves in a peculiar struggle. Their democratically elected government was overthrown by Haitian exiles from Miami in February of 2004 with the support of the Canadian, French, and American governments and was subsequently placed under the mandate of the United Nations five months later. Today, the country is in a chaotic state. Supporters of the overthrown government are being silenced, all too often through violence. Let Us Honor Rosa Parks-By Shattering the Myths About HerIt is right and good that at this time we should celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Rosa Parks. Her brave, dignified act of civil disobedience on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955 precipitated a nonviolent protest movement that awakened our nation to the widespread injustice of discrimination and segregation. But as we honor Rosa Parks and bid her soul rest, may we also lay to rest the myths that began to form about her almost immediately after she was arrested 50 years ago. In the long run, I believe these myths could do more harm than good to the unfinished struggle for equality in this country. The Race to Execute Tookie WilliamsThe State of California is attempting to silence the voice of death-row inmate Stanley Tookie Williams as quickly as it can. Dispossessing Africa's WealthExactly how much wealth does Africa lose every year? Third World repayments of $340 billion each year flow northwards to service a $2.2 trillion debt, more than five times the G8's development aid budget, notes Patrick Bond. In addition Africa’s citizens experience depletion of assets like forests and mineral resources, and suffer the impact of pollution as a result of mining. In this context, Bond argues that those who claim international integration can enrich Africa are wrong. AFRICA: African heads of state to meet over UN reformsAfrican Union (AU) leaders are to meet on Monday in a bid to break the deadlock over the stalled enlargement and reform of the United Nations Security Council, the AU said. SOUTHERN AFRICA: Countries must prepare for bird fluThe H5N1 strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, remains a global threat, but while Southern Africa should prepare for its emergence, the region needed to bear in mind that the disease has yet to mutate into a deadly human strain, a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert told IRIN. A funny kind of equality THE GOVERNMENT conspired with opposition parties to throw out proposals to include a voice for Black communities in the new single equalities body. World's broken electronics pile up in Lagos, creating toxic dumpsNigeria is becoming a digital dump, the recipient of vast numbers of broken gadgets from the West that can leak dangerous substances into water supplies and create cancer-causing particles when burnt, a toxic waste watchdog said on Thursday. India submits to the Bush doctrine?Katrina, Conservative Myth-Making and the MediaUS to attack SyriaDemand for grave diggers and coffins soars in BaghdadThe White House Criminal ConspiracyThe Origins of HostilitySeeds of Leak Scandal Sown in Italian Intelligence Agency In the past week, the respected, left-of-center Italian daily La Repubblica published a three-part series of investigative articles claiming that documents purporting to prove that Saddam Hussein was seeking yellowcake uranium in Niger had been forged by an Italian freelance spy and then were fed by the Italian intelligence agency to eager officials in Washington and London. The White House Criminal Conspiracy Legally, there are no significant differences between the investor fraud perpetrated by Enron CEO Ken Lay and the prewar intelligence fraud perpetrated by George W. Bush. Both involved persons in authority who used half-truths and recklessly false statements to manipulate people who trusted them. There is, however, a practical difference: The presidential fraud is wider in scope and far graver in its consequences than the Enron fraud. Yet thus far the public seems paralyzed.
Tyehimba on 10.30.05 @ 08:36 PM CST [ link] [ No Comments]
Saturday, October 29th
Mbeki Endorses Move to Expropriate Land
Woman's body mistaken for Halloween decoration The apparent suicide of a woman found hanged in a tree was ignored for hours because neighbours thought she was a Halloween decoration. Iran denies threatening Israel Ahmadinejad told students in Tehran on Wednesday that Islamic nations "will not let its historic enemy live in its heartland," adding: "Israel must be wiped off the map." "My words are the Iranian nation's words," he told the Iranian news agency, IRNA. "Westerners are free to comment, but their reactions are invalid. They are rude, falsely thinking that the whole world should be subordinate to them," he added. Transcript: Iran President's speech threatening IsraelThe internal information war"More and more Israelis, including very prominent political and security figures, are sounding the alarm regarding Israel's future." Mbeki Endorses Move to Expropriate LandPresident Thabo Mbeki has endorsed land expropriation in SA, but says it must be done in an environment of "fair compensation". Frustrated by the slow pace of land reform via the "willing seller willing buyer" system, the ruling African National Congress and its allies have called on government to quicken the pace through expropriation. They argue that farmers are deliberately inflating farm prices to stall redistribution. 'Dr Death' is Off the Hook in South AfricaAPARTHEID-ERA chemical and biological warfare mastermind, South Africa's Dr Wouter Basson, has received a second - and possibly final - reprieve from being prosecuted on charges that he helped commit war crimes outside South Africa's borders, including in pre-Independence Namibia. South Africa flag campaign hits resistanceWhen South Africa's government began a campaign to fly the national flag at each of the country's public schools last month, no one expected controversy. Singing and weeping with Miriam MakebaMIRIAM Makeba is all strength, in her words, her look, her voice. With delicacy and supreme humility she has embarked on an extensive international tour to say farewell to audiences that have applauded her for several decades. Tension Builds Up in a Closely Contested Election in ZanzibarWith elections just two days away, there is palpable tension in Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, where a strong opposition has promised an extremely tight race. Namibians pay homage to chief who fought GermansNama-speaking tribes in Namibia will flock to a tiny village this weekend to pay tribute a famous chief who raised the banner of revolt against German colonial forces but was killed in battle a century ago. AFRICA-VENEZUELA: Weaving New Alliances with Cultural ThreadsVenezuela, the biggest oil producer in Latin America and the fifth biggest in the world, has launched an offensive to forge closer diplomatic ties with Africa, initially focusing on political and cultural questions while leaving the matter of energy cooperation to the future. The legacy of Chancellor Williams in: The Destruction of Black CivilizationCONGO: Hunter-gatherers face starvation following a hunting banA blanket ban on hunting in the Republic of Congo has made life even more difficult for the Baka community, an indigenous hunter-gatherer group living in the rain forests near the timber-concession areas in the north of the country. President's backing may protect Congo rainforestThe world's second largest rainforest stands a greater chance of being protected after Congo's president finally backed a largely ignored ban on new logging. Sudan says Uganda uncooperative in Garang’s crash probeAfrican Union plans common African passportThe African Union (AU) Commission plans an African passport to facilitate the movement of people within the continent, according to the Commission`s Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konaré. "We are interested in the idea of an African passport because we believe in African citizenship. It is important today that the AU can produce this document to facilitate free movement among African countries," Konaré told a news conference in the French capital Wednesday. Confusion still surrounds cause of Nigeria plane crashThere is still confusion as to what caused a Nigerian Boeing 737 to crash on Saturday night, killing all 111 passengers and 6 crew members, minutes after taking off. Widow of Sudanese rebel leader is part of new government of the southKiss your Democracy Goodbye (But Did You Ever Have One?)Who Owns the Rights on Tamiflu: Rumsfeld To Profit From Bird Flu HoaxThe Epic Crime That Dares Not Speak Its NameThe AIDS virus: Made in the USA?Embracing the Anti-Apartheid Struggle in Israel/PalestineU.S./Israeli Hypocrisy Knows No BoundsUS Assures Israel That Syria And Iran Are NextIs the US Really Against Torture?
Tyehimba on 10.29.05 @ 01:14 AM CST [ link] [ No Comments]
Friday, October 28th
Canada's Crimes Against Haiti
WWII bomb explodes in Papua New GuineaOne man was killed and two others were injured when a bomb left over from World War II exploded on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea during a bush burn-off by villagers, a local police official said Friday. Ghana And Gambia to Combat Child Trafficking in AfricaTrafficked persons are found in dehumanising situations through no fault of theirs. They become domestic workers, head porters, fish boys and girls, and engage in commercial sex work among other forms of labour. Others are also trafficked outside the country for exploitative purposes and this has been attributed to increasing globalization and the trans-border nature of the sex industry. Canada's Crimes Against HaitiCanada In Haiti exposes Canadian government and business responsibility for anti-Aristide coup against democracy. The chapter "Responsibility to Protect or A Made in Ottawa Coup?" points out the coup against Aristide was actually planned on Canadian soil. Ethiopia opposition MPs arrested by policeEthiopia's main opposition party has accused security forces of beating up about 20 of its supporters, including members of parliament elected in disputed May polls, outside its main office on Friday. Charting the Path of the Deadly Ebola (ZEBOV) VirusHow the Swiss helped apartheid South Africa to build the bombSwitzerland played a key role in developing South Africa's nuclear weapons programme during apartheid, an investigation has revealed. In Algeria, amnesty means never having to be sorryHope and fear as Burundi's exiles come homeCameroon wants damages for 'Taipeng Four'Cameroon wants compensation from South Africa for refusing to return immediately four endangered gorillas, known as the "Taipeng Four", which it says were smuggled from the Central African country three years ago. Kenya in panic over ministers' warning on coupsThe Kenyan authorities on Friday panicked over remarks on coup made by two ministers, who said the country's security has been put in high alert ahead of next month's referendum on the proposed new constitution. Cape Verdean singer Lura talks to Mark Hudson about the lubricious rhythms of her homeland U.N. extends peace mission in CongoEritrea criticises UN over border stalemate'UN lying to conceal failure'Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has accused United Nations chief Kofi Annan of lying about humanitarian conditions in his country to "cover up" the UN's failure to deal with soaring border tensions with Ethiopia. Apostles of Perpetual Psychosis"And, while we're on the subject, for the longest time, I've been wanting to tell you this: If Jesus died for my pathetic sins -- then he flat-out overreacted." South Asia earthquake7.6 earthquake (depth 10 kilometres) hit at 08.50 Pakistan time (03.50 GMT), on 8 October with the epicentre in the Muzaffarabad area, 95km north-northeast of Islamabad (highly populated). Syrian affirms supporting team investigating Al-Hariri's assassination Kansas Fight on Evolution Escalates Iranian President Stands By Calls For Israel's Destruction Israeli Government Irradiated 100,000 Israeli KidsRafsanjani: Iran's Islamic revolution led to Israeli defeatSatirical paper loses the President's seal of approval The Bush White House is not only losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the American people. It also appears to be losing its sense of humour. The administration has just written a cease-and-desist letter to the satirical newspaper The Onion, urging it to stop using the presidential seal on its website.
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Thursday, October 27th
'Hundreds' disarmed in DR Congo
Combined Anti-Aids And Malaria Drug PossibilityMalawi agents raid Muluzi's homeDonors to halt aid if Malawi leader impeachedLilongwe - Britain and other key aid donors to Malawi said on Thursday they would not support a new government if President Bingu wa Mutharika, a campaigner against graft in the Southern African country, was impeached. Dozens wounded in Kenya Constitution riotDozens of people were wounded, one of them seriously, on Thursday in clashes between rival factions in the increasingly bitter campaign for next month's referendum on Kenya's draft Constitution, police and witnesses said. Kenya coup a risk if constitution passesThe risk of a military coup in Kenya will increase if voters approve a draft constitution in a referendum in November, a cabinet minister said on Thursday, in remarks sure to heighten political tensions ahead of the poll. Stockpiles gone but landmines a continued threatGuinea-Bissau's government has announced the destruction of its stockpile of roughly 5,000 landmines but disposing of the ones already in the ground is likely to prove far more difficult. The Dawn of Ghana's RenaissanceKofi Akosah-Sarpong, after deep reflections and consultations, announces the dawn of Ghana's Renaissance in her development process and concludes that it is irreversible Eritrea, Ethiopia: Crisis brewsUnited Nations - In response to warnings of a dangerous crisis brewing between Ethiopia and Eritrea, a draft Security Council resolution demands that they immediately agree to an international commission's decision ruling on their border, which Ethiopia has rejected. 'Hundreds' disarmed in DR Congo Some 1,000 militiamen in the Democratic Republic of Congo have handed over their weapons, UN officials say. DR Congo tribunal holds first trial of soldiers committing group rapeThe military tribunal of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has put on trial soldiers who committed group rape in the northwestern province of Equator, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country said Wednesday. WB disapproves revision of Chad's petroleum law N'DJAMENA, October 26 -- Chadian government's intention to amend its Petroleum Revenue Management Law has raised disapproval of the World Bank, which insists that oil revenues should benefit the poor. Burundian Refugees Finally Begin To Head HomeTens of thousands of Burundian refugees are heading home following the end of civil war. Trucks cross the dusty border town of Mugano, each filled with Burundian refugees returning from Tanzania. Burundi's former child soldiers struggle to fit inBurkina Faso Opposition Leader Forced to Run for PresidentBurkina Faso opposition leader, Hermann Yameogo is not fighting to get on the November 13 presidential ballot. He wants to be taken off. Obasanjo pledges to remain focused "We will remain focused and not allow these events to cause despondency, especially at the higher levels of government, because if we do, it could permeate our entire national life." This was the pledge made by President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday 36 hours after the untimely death of his wife, Mrs Stella Obasanjo. SA gun violence stats some of world's highestSouth Africa has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the world, with more than 100 000 people dying of bullet wounds between 1994 and 2004, according to a Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) report. Swiss helped apartheid SA with nukesGeneva - Neutral Switzerland played a key role in building the nuclear weapons of the former apartheid regime of South Africa, a government-sponsored report said on Thursday. Mogae urges SA to support Botswana's economyBotswana has urged South Africa to be a better and more helpful neighbour - and instead of sorting its diamonds in the West, to do so closer to home in Gaborone. West draining doctors from poor nationsDoctors from the world's poorest countries are leaving in droves to pursue jobs in richer nations, draining much of the developing world of critical medical care, a study shows. Devastating Exodus of Doctors From Africa and Caribbean Is Found A new study documents for the first time the devastating exodus of doctors from Africa and the Caribbean to four wealthy English-speaking nations, the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, which now depend on international medical graduates for a quarter of their physicians. 'SACP did not back land occupation' South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki says the notion that the South African Communist Party (SACP) had backed mass land occupation in South Africa was a "misconception". Zim land model 'not for SA'Parliament - President Thabo Mbeki has dismissed speculation South Africa might follow Zimbabwe's example in dealing with land reform. SA details ten-point plan for trade talksAs international trade talks before the 6th international World Trade Organisation meeting in Hong Kong in December heat up, South Africa has put a list of ten proposals that it wants to see adopted on the table. Slaveowner descendants march in Barbados Mormon missionaries giving up on Venezuela Egypt parliament in love affair with big money What's Slowing Down Your PC? U.S.: House Amendment Tilts Playing Field for Death Penalty The Secret Government - Part I
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Wednesday, October 26th
Africa takes aim at 'canned hunting'
Elections in Haiti: Papering Over an Illegal SituationIn spite of a mandate to protect the people of Haiti, U.N. forces have allied themselves with the Haitian elites to destroy the Lavalas movement. They have been complicit in murderous attacks by Haitian police and paramilitaries on leaders of Lavalas and on the poor neighborhoods that support Lavalas. More than 1000 Lavalas activists and leaders have been imprisoned without charges. Thousands have been killed, and many thousands more live in hiding, unable to be with, or work to support, their families. Africa takes aim at 'canned hunting' CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Lions bred in captivity to be shot and killed by a pleasure-seeking tourist. Rhinos felled by bow and arrow for fun. Zebras bred with donkeys to slow their escape from hunters. A panel of experts highlighted the darker side of South Africa's booming wildlife industry Tuesday and recommended a ban on ''canned hunting'' -- the release of captive-bred animals to be killed for sport with no chance of escaping their human predators. SA's hunting industry faces major crackdownSouth Africa's lucrative but often controversial hunting industry is in for a major crackdown, with the government likely to accept most of a wide-ranging set of recommendations to make it more ethical, accountable and inclusive. Education Apartheid Lives OnWe haven't even lived up to the promises of Plessey v. Ferguson. American schools today are separate and no one would even pretend they're equal. Every expert has a new plan for creating successful segregated schools, and the white society loves to hear these stories because they let them off the hook completely. Missionaries in Venezuela Reassigned The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is reassigning its missionaries in Venezuela to other Spanish-speaking countries, a church spokesman said. Who Are We to Pick Syria's President? Could someone recommend one for us? European Union to Send 150 Observers to Venezuela The European Union has accepted Venezuela's invitation to send observers for the upcoming December 4 legislative elections. The sending of 150 EU observers addresses one of the the opposition's key demands with regard to the upcoming vote. Iran president wants Israel "wiped off the map" Tiny Differences in DNA Mapped Scientists have mapped patterns of tiny DNA differences that distinguish one person from another, a step that will speed up the search for genes that promote common illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Randall Robinson InterviewRandall Robinson is a disillusioned man. So much so that he decided to leave the United States in 2001 and settle down in St. Kitts, where his wife is from. He has written a book, Quitting America: The Departure of a Black Man from His Native Land, explaining the reasons for his relocation. Robinson hasn't completely quit the United States, though. He still maintains a home in Virginia and comes back often for visits. Italian Faces Pre-War Intelligence Probe Saddam team wants to 'try' Bush Who Owns the Rights on Tamiflu:
Rumsfeld To Profit From Bird Flu Hoax Water Privatization in Latin America Violence-plagued Brazil holds referendum on gun salesHoly See files motion in Oregon bankruptcy'Intelligent design' supporters gatherChristian group wants to 'redeem' US states
Admin on 10.26.05 @ 10:01 AM CST [ link]
Tuesday, October 25th
Africa Urged To Unite
South Africa Targets 'Despicable' HuntingSouth Africa to expropriate white farmer's landMARK COLVIN: The South African Government is going to force a white farmer to sell his land in the first expropriation of a property to speed up the process of land transfer to the black community. Until now, the South African Government has pursued a policy of willing buyer/ willing seller to return white land to black families dispossessed by apartheid. South African farmers see barren future with evictions on horizonFor eight years Mr Jacobs, 53, and six neighbouring landowners in the Ventersdorp district of North West Province, have been disputing the claims on their farms by the Bakwena tribe, who say that the land was taken from them under apartheid laws. Now Mr Jacobs has been told that the farm where he has lived for 30 years must be returned to the Bakwena, a ruling that has profound implications for other white farmers. Africa Urged To Unite And Regain Its DignityOutgoing Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa on Monday called on Africa to unite, regain its dignity and bring an end to Western domination. He was speaking in Zimbabwe where he is on a two-day visit to big farewell to his counterpart, President Robert Mugabe. Tanzania won't condemn Zimbabwe, says Mkapa "There are governments - some of them very good friends and development partners of ours - which are upset with me because of my steadfast refusal to censure the Zimbabwean Government for what they claim are human rights abuses and democratic deficits in this country." "I think we have reached a point where, like good friends, we have agreed to disagree on Zimbabwe. I am glad they have not insisted on choosing friends for us," said President Mkapa. Nigerian prince jailed in UK London - A West African prince was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Tuesday after trying to smuggle cocaine worth £163 000 into Britain inside hollowed-out onions. Prince Adegbenie Olateru-Olagbegi hoped the pungent vegetables would provide the ideal cover for the illegal consignment as he arrived at London's Heathrow airport on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos. Holy See files motion in Oregon bankruptcy Remote Control Device 'Controls' Humans Galapagos Volcano Erupts for Third Day Christian group wants to 'redeem' US statesGalloway rejects senate perjury claims A furious George Galloway today challenged US senators to charge him with perjury over claims that he solicited money from Saddam Hussein's oil-for-food programme and lied about it under oath. "I am demanding prosecution, I am begging for prosecution," Mr Galloway told Sky News. "I am saying if I have lied under oath in front of the senate, that's a criminal offence. Charge me and I will head for the airport right now and face them down in court as I faced them down in the senate room. "Because I publicly humiliated this lickspittle senator Norman Coleman - one of [George] Bush's righthand men - in the US senate in May, this sneak revenge attack has been launched over the past 24 hours." Full Article : guardian.co.uk
Admin on 10.25.05 @ 05:36 PM CST [ link]
Monday, October 24th
High-Tech Toxic Trash Exported to Africa
High-Tech Toxic Trash Exported to AfricaSEATTLE, Washington / LAGOS, Nigeria - A new investigation by the toxic trade watchdog organization, Basel Action Network (BAN), has revealed that large quantities of obsolete computers, televisions, mobile phones, and other used electronic equipment exported from USA and Europe to Lagos, Nigeria for "re-use and repair" are ending up gathering dust in warehouses or being dumped and burned near residences in empty lots, roadsides and in swamps creating serious health and environmental contamination from the toxic leachate and smoke. South Africa: nearly one million farmworkers evicted since 1993A recently released survey revealed that evictions from South African farms have accelerated under the African National Congress (ANC) government. Between 1993 and 2004 a total of 942,303 people were evicted, whereas under the apartheid regime, from 1984 to 1993, 737,114 people were evicted. Africa Forges United Approach to Climate ChangeEnvironmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk has emphasised that Africa needs to forge a common African approach to present to world leaders regarding climate change. MOZAMBIQUE: Drought after droughtYemen: Benevolent attention in the Horn of Africa In 2003, the Horn of Africa grouping with Yemen was established. This group includes Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan. This grouping aimed to reinforce the relationships between the countries, resolve conflicts among them, stop the civil war in Somalia, and fight terrorist organizations that exploit the politically instable situation in the region to attack western interests. Equatorial Guinea wants bigger share of oil revenuesEquatorial Guinea wants to negotiate with foreign oil companies to ensure it receives more revenues from its rising oil production, which could reach 400 000 barrels a day by next year, a senior minister said. Taliban corpses used for propaganda Australian television has broadcast footage of what it said was US soldiers burning two dead Taliban fighters and using the charred and smoking corpses in a propaganda campaign in southern Afghanistan. The television report said US soldiers burnt the bodies for hygienic reasons but then a US psychological operations unit broadcast a propaganda message on loudspeakers to Taliban fighters, taunting them to retrieve their dead and fight. Nigeria starts three days national mourning after crashNigeria began a three-day national mourning Monday for the 117 persons killed in Saturday's crash of a Bellview Airlines passenger plane some 40 kilometres northwest of Lagos. It's not always what people say, it's who says itIT'S OFTEN BEST to ignore absurd statements such as that which former Education Secretary William Bennett made linking the crime rate and the abortion of black babies. But it's hard to do in this instance because of who Mr. Bennett is. This is a man who once oversaw education policy for all the land. His job was to guide us all in the effort to make sure our white, our black, our Hispanic babies got a quality education and reached their full potential. Haiti, Imperialism, and the Treachery of Liberals'Intelligent design' supporters gather Accidental invention could light up the future The ILEA: A New School of Assassins?Venezuela Advances in Dialogue with Landowners for Land ReformMore and more large land owners are offering to peacefully negotiate with the government about giving up part of their land for the country’s land reform program, said Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez during his weekly television show Aló Presidente, yesterday.
Admin on 10.24.05 @ 05:17 PM CST [ link]
Sunday, October 23rd
Starvation in Southern Africa
Obote: Save Africa from this shame and embarrassment YES, Apollo Milton Obote, former president of Uganda has been dead for more than a week now. And by any stretch of imagination his family, followers and friends across the globe have been grieving his death. Others, whom he might never have really known or cared for, but nevertheless admired his charisma and place in African history, have been grieving too, though more privately. Africa starts to defuse pesticide menaceAn extensive project to rid Africa of thousands of tons of obsolete but highly dangerous pesticides is finally coming into full swing. ... Starvation in Southern Africa Starvation in southern Africa is leading to a peacekeeper crises. A protracted drought has seriously reduced crops yields in several countries in southern Africa. Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, are all affected. In Malawi and Zimbabwe, the problem has been exacerbated by serious political mismanagement and turmoil. Graft blamed for turning away foreign investors from East Africa Widespread corruption in Kenya has emerged as a major obstacle in selling the East Africa region as a favoured destination for foreign direct investment (FDI). South Africa, Botswana Strengthen RelationsPretoria, Oct 23 (Prensa Latina) Botswana's President Festus Mogae is visiting South Africa October 24-27 to hold talks with his host counterpart Thabo Mbeki with the aim to keep strengthening the already healthy relations between the two countries. Nigeria's first lady diesAbuja - The wife of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo died on Sunday after undergoing surgery in Spain, and an autopsy will be performed on her body, officials said. Senegal, Gambia say border transport dispute overSenegal and Gambia have agreed to end a border dispute over transport which has disrupted regional West African trade since August. The diverse issues of diversity I assume most Americans have figured out that we did not do as well as we thought we could in Iraq because of our dreamy American conviction that everyone is like us or wants to be. That was summed up, perhaps a bit crudely, in a recruiting poster for the History and Current Affairs Club at the University of Cape Town. The headline read: "Do you want to be totally IGNORANT about the world you live in?" Below that was a huge, grinning photograph of the president of the United States. Global Warming a Major Threat to Africa Deadly epidemics. Ruined crops. The extinction of some of Africa's legendary wildlife. The potential consequences of global warming could be devastating for the world's poorest continent, yet its nations are among the least equipped to cope. Jamaica, Ghana sign pact THE GOVERNMENTS of Jamaica and Ghana signed a multi-pronged pact aimed at improving various sectors in their countries, at the end of a two-day Jamaica-Ghana Joint Commission at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on Thursday. Under the agreement, experts from both nations will share their knowledge in the areas of health, tourism and child welfare. * Carry on excluding Black people Carry on excluding A JUDGE has ruled that excluding black pupils at three times the rate of white children is not racist. Judge Crawford Lindsay QC made the extraordinary finding as he dismissed the case of two black students kicked out for fighting. The white student involved in the same incident was let off. Africa braces for bird fluAfrican states are bracing for a possible bird flu outbreak as anxiety grows with the arrival of migratory birds feared to be carrying the deadly viral strain from Asia and Europe. South Sudan forms autonomous government after dealautonomous government as part of a January peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war in Africa's largest country, a senior official said on Sunday. A River Runs Through ItHow borders drawn in colonial times still prevent many Africans from working together. Kenya returns game park to the MasaiBeneath the blue purple outline of Mount Kilimanjaro, tourists rattle along in Toyota minibuses and Land-Rovers, eager for a glimpse of the elephants that have made Kenya's Amboseli National Park famous. How tension in a Birmingham suburb erupted It began as a whisper, an inflammatory rumour that gained horror and currency each time it was told. It was said that after being caught shoplifting, a girl of 13 or 14 had pleaded for leniency, but had been raped by between three and 25 Pakistani men in a suburban beauty store. Leaders blame minority for clashes and call for calmSummary: Bolivian coca farmer on ballotMillionaire and family die in Africa air crash A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE businessman and his family were killed when their plane crashed in Tanzania during an exclusive safari holiday, it emerged yesterday. Brazil Makes History in Vote to Ban Sale of Guns MORE than 122 million Brazilians will make history today by voting in the world's first national referendum on the sale of guns, in a race that now seems certain to be won by a hair's breadth. The king of real estate's cashing outNEW YORK (Fortune) - Tom Barrack, arguably the world's greatest real estate investor, is methodically selling off his U.S. real estate holdings as prices drive the market to nosebleed levels. BUSH FAMILY FINANCED BY FOREIGN $$$ US, Romania close to deal on Black Sea bases
Admin on 10.23.05 @ 06:45 PM CST [ link]
Friday, October 21st
The matrix: SUDAN
Millions More Movement: The Quest for a 'Movement' You can't proclaim a mass movement into existence - but if you can bring together hundreds of thousands of people to hear the proclamation, you may be part of the way there. Zim to get new currencyHarare - Zimbabwe will have a new currency next year, the central bank governor announced on Thursday. Mkapa hits out at West for messing up AfricaPresident Benjamin Mkapa blasted the West yesterday, saying it cannot escape responsibility for poor governance, and internecine conflicts and civil strife in Africa. The matrix: SUDAN - Depopulation and Perception ManagementRaging in Sudan for the past 18 years is a "civil war" - by implication Africans killing Africans -- which has devastated millions of human lives. Human rights advocates have also documented horrific political repression by the National Islamic Front (NIF) government of Khartoum. Using food as a weapon, disrupting planting cycles and social services, and pillaging food stores, the war has brought unmerciful suffering on millions of people. Some 1.7 million Sudanese have died, often noncombatants, often women and children. National Assembly Can't Interfere in Judicial Process, Says ShellShell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) yesterday told a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt that the National Assembly or any of its committees has no valid constitutional rights to interfere in judicial matters. It said it would not pay $1.5 billion, which the House of Representatives directed it to indigenes of Bayelsa State for damages to environment and other deaths suffered by the indigenes of the state since 1956 when Shell commenced oil exploration in the region. All set to unwire Africa? PUNE: Pune-based International Institute of Information Technology (I2IT) will work with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to connect interior Africa with wireless Internet connection as a demonstration model. Africa: Searching for Redemption in Wrong Places?Civilization details Before the spread of Islam and the Arabic language, the term "Arab" referred to any of the nomadic residents of the Arabian Peninsula. When used in a modern context, "Arab" refers to any of the Arabic-speaking peoples who reside on the Atlantic Coast of Africa, Southwestern Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi-Arabia, Syria, and Iraq. Somali pirates hijack another shipFrance orders positive spin on colonialismPARIS -- France, grappling for decades with its colonial past, has passed a law to put an upbeat spin on a painful era, making it mandatory to enshrine in textbooks the country's "positive role" in its far-flung colonies. Afrikaners push for self-determinationAbout one hundred delegates from across South Africa were in Orania in the Northern Cape on Friday for a two-day conference aimed at reviving the debate on a self-governed territory for Afrikaners. Wilma begins slow journey across Mexico · Electricity knocked out as 30,000 take to shelters · President tells people to save lives not possessions Hurricane Wilma slammed into Mexico yesterday, beginning what was expected to be an agonisingly slow, and potentially catastrophic, journey across some of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Genocide: Rwanda maintains pessimism about UNThe Rwandan government has said it is skeptical over a new UN agreement to protect civilians in war zones, saying the world body’s past behavior still constituted a cause to worry.”It is our experience that, while the United Nations is immaculate in its values and principles, it has all too often been found wanting in its actions,” Foreign Minister Dr. Charles Murigande said Sept. 18, adding: “there are probably no other member states in this August Assembly, apart from Rwanda, where the UN has consistently neglected to learn from its mistakes, resulting in massive loss of life and untold misery.” Murigande, who was addressing the 60th General Assembly in New York, US, noted that the UN has ignored the problems in Rwanda for over four decades. Beleaguered African villagers fearful of big game project It will cover an area equivalent to half of Scotland and cross the borders of three countries. Nearly 150 species - including elephants, rhinos and lions - will roam across its savannah landscapes. Tourists, it is hoped, will come in their thousands. George Bush’s Propaganda ExposedWilliams, who was a regular on America's Black Forum, wrote articles and gave speeches praising the act and the administration. There was never any public disclaimer that he was being paid to do so. He claimed that his non-disclosure was an oversight. He was promptly removed as a commentator on America's Black Forum. Some tried to paint this incident as an anomaly. Not true… African Union extends mandate for troops in Sudan The African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC) on Thursday extended by three months the mandate of its protection force in Sudan's war-ravaged region of Darfur amid escalating violence. Mugabe compares Bush and Blair to Hitler Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe used a United Nations gathering in Rome to compare George Bush and Tony Blair to Hitler and Mussolini. He said they were "international terrorists" bent on world domination. U.S. presses Israel to halt Venezuelan plane upgradeIsrael 'still expanding West Bank settlements'Israel accused of 'road apartheid' in West Bank
Admin on 10.21.05 @ 10:18 PM CST [ link]
Thursday, October 20th
Survey Shows Most Blacks Favor Slavery Reparations
Press freedom slipping in the WestPress freedom is being eroded in parts of the Western world, failing to advance in Iraq, but making progress in states emerging from repression, the watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reported. Venezuela Warns: Bush Is the True Atomic ThreatVenezuelan authorities denied with indignation an accusation by US Rev. Pat Robertson that Venezuela is preparing a nuclear attack against the United States. Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel asserted Venezuela is willing to launch "love, affection, and appreciation" to the US people, but the true atomic bomb threatening the United States is President George W. Bush. Survey Shows Most Blacks Favor Slavery Reparations Eighty-nine percent of blacks believe the federal government should offer a combination of cash payments, debt forgiveness and social welfare programs to compensate for the devastating effects of slavery and racial segregation, according to a new survey released Tuesday. Mauritania bans licensing of Islam based political partiesMauritania denied a license for a new political party under the claim that the party is Islamic, and contravenes the law which prevent religion-based political parties, even though, apparently, the party does not officially say its goals are religious. Liberian vote pits economist against 'hero'Liberia's run-off presidential vote on November 8 sets up a showdown between the overwhelmingly young supporters of footballer George Weah, who have known only war, and those counting on oldtimer Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to restore a lustre lost decades ago. US firm to sell land on moon to ChineseSaddam trial: whose 'demons' are they anyway?The coalition is focusing on Saddam's crimes of 23 years ago in order to disclaim responsibility for present failures.
Tyehimba on 10.20.05 @ 10:56 AM CST [ link]
Jomo Kenyatta 1889 - 1978
Spare a thought for our freedom heroes "Kenyatta day is a public holiday in Kenya which falls on 20th October and which is dedicated to remembering the release from detention of Kenya’s first President the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta from colonial detention." Jomo Kenyatta 1889 - 1978Kenya Airways starts flights to China UN asks to see illegal migrants in MoroccoParis Club agrees to cancel Nigeria's $18 bln debtThe Paris Club of creditor counties has agreed to cancel 60 percent, or 18 billion US dollars of Nigeria's debt owed to it, the group announced on Thursday. Dogs Used as Shark Bait on French IslandLive and dead dogs and cats are being used as shark bait by amateur fishers on the French-controlled island of Réunion, according to animal-welfare organizations and local authorities. S.Africa strongly opposed to watered down Kyoto Africa to West: remove subsidies to fight povertySpain orders arrest of US soldiers over death International Support to Honor Venezuela's Sovereignty
- Petition in English and French Bill Gates, World's Richest Man, Bets Against Dollar
Admin on 10.20.05 @ 10:26 AM CST [ link]
Wednesday, October 19th
Globalisation 'exploits' Africa
Hurricane Wilma strengthens to Category 5 stormHurricane Wilma, the storm headed towards Cuba, Mexico and Florida, has become the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record. Hurricane Wilma has already killed 10 people in Haiti. Wilma is now a Category Five hurricane, the top rank on the five-step scale of hurricane intensity, and forecasters have warned that it is "extremely dangerous." Tensions rise in Horn of AfricaOne of Africa's most bitter wars - which has been largely dormant since 2000 - risks reigniting, partly because America's neutrality in the conflict may be compromised by the alliance it formed with Ethiopia in the war on terrorists. Senegal: Minister Satisfied With Pan-African Institute for GenderMali President Appreciates Cubans in AfricaRepublic of Mali President Amadou Toumani Toure highly appreciated the noble gesture of Cubans who died for the freedom and growth of Africa. "This is the opportune moment to convey to Cubans my most profound gratitude as a friend and brother," asserted Toured in Havana on Wednesday, after he laid a wreath to honor the Cuban internationalists who died while fighting for the African independence. "I am deeply moved," he stated at the pantheon in Havana´s Colon Cemetery. Escaping Africa's longest civil warDespite the hardship, this is part of the "peace dividend" from Africa's longest civil war. With a deal agreed between the largely Arab north and the southern rebel group, the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), hundreds of thousands of the four-million who fled the fighting have started the dangerous journey back. African nations join SA in fight against bird flu The bird flu: Is it hype or reality? Hear what the experts have to say. Keeping Africa poor Africans don't need aid – they need to be given back their oil and gold Changing Africa's face to suit western ideals TO their critics, foreign aid workers in Africa serve a new form of imperialism: in their zeal to do good, the argument goes, they prop up a system that perpetuates the continent's dependence on outsiders. To their supporters, international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) help the hungry and excluded, campaign for trade reform and take big risks to expose human rights abuses, often fostering African self-reliance in the process. One thing friend and foe agree on: for better or worse Africa's attempts to tackle the issues that govern its fate are influenced increasingly by a growing army of foreign NGOs. 'Colonialism caused problems'"Adams said one of the lessons his party had learnt from South Africa's transition from apartheid into a democracy was that negotiations, although a slow process, did indeed work." South Africa used a combination of negotiations and guerilla warfare. - AyindeGlobalisation 'exploits' Africa31/08/2005 - Globalisation exploits, denigrates and humiliates Africa in the same way slavery and colonialism once did, said Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa in a speech to the African Union on Wednesday. Human genetic diversity supports 'Out of Africa' modelSmall groups of settlers expanding outward from Africa are the most likely progenitors of the modern human population worldwide, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Stanford University. The Case Against CheneyWell, of course, the investigation of who leaked CIA agent Valerie Plame's name -- violating the federal law that bars the "outing" of intelligence operatives -- has come around to Vice President Dick Cheney's office. While it may be news to the Washington Post -- which headlined a breathless report on Tuesday: "Cheney's Office Is A Focus in Leak Case" -- the fact is that Cheney and his aides have been likely suspects from day one. War and Intelligence"Guerrilla warfare isn't about holding terrain," as the late Colonel David Hackworth summed up Vietnam. "It's about making us bleed until we give up and leave." The latest casualty figures from Iraq put the insurgency on a trend to be averaging 100 US fatalities per month by the 2006 election. The insurgents have thrown off Secretary Rumsfeld's dismissal as a few "dead enders" and appear to be edging perilously close to Colonel Hackworth's goal. How could this be happening to the world's only superpower? Fixing the U.S. by Making the Chinese Into Debtors John Snow, Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, was in China last week lecturing the Chinese that they need to borrow more. Snow is pushing the expansion of American-style credit for China's budding consumer class, managed, of course, by American credit card companies. Noting the western-style hotels dotting China's cities, Snow commented, "They've imported their hotels. What we're saying is you can do the same thing in finance." Spain orders arrest of US soldiers over death International Support to Honor Venezuela's Sovereignty
- Petition in English and French Bill Gates, World's Richest Man, Bets Against DollarMAS Denounces Serious US Interference in BoliviaBolivian presidential candidate Evo Morales denounced Wednesday that troops at the service of the US seized 28 land-air missiles supplied by China to Bolivia and sent them to the United States.
Admin on 10.19.05 @ 11:55 AM CST [ link]
Tuesday, October 18th
Hutu rebels suspected in Congo killings
Mandela ready to help in Zuma row CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 17 -- Former South African President Nelson Mandela has made himself available to help resolve the crisis around former Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Bush Seeks to Alter Global Nuclear PactWASHINGTON — Behind President George W. Bush's recent shift in dealing with Iran's nuclear program lies a less visible goal: to essentially rewrite the main treaty governing the spread of nuclear technology, without actually renegotiating it. Guinea opposition calls for President's resignationIn a strong show of unity, Guinea Conakry's opposition has called on ailing President Lansana Conté to step aside in favour of a government of national unity. Opposition leaders called Mr Conté "an obstacle to Guinea's development" at a press conference. Exiled Congo PM comes homes after clashesCongo Republic's exiled former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas has returned home and was greeted by cheering supporters, a day after six people were killed in clashes in his former Brazzaville stronghold. Hutu rebels suspected in Congo killingsMachete-wielding Rwandan rebels have allegedly massacre 24 villagers, including several children, in the latest attack against civilians in eastern Congo. The "Dark" Soul of a White SystemThe Cuban people has deeply found as shameless, cynical and hypocritical the recent draconian measures against Cuba, signed by President Bush on May 14. Nation's largest Ethiopian community carves nicheA new ethnic identity is taking root in a once-decaying neighborhood not far from the White House, where 10 Ethiopian restaurants are clustered together and dingy storefronts are now splashed with bright hues of blues, yellows and reds. Hurricane Wilma intensifies, turns deadly in HaitiHurricane Wilma triggered mudslides that killed up to 10 people in Haiti as the season's record-tying 21st storm strengthened rapidly on Tuesday and headed for the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward storm-weary Florida. Corruption rampant in 70 countriesA Realistic Look at Call Centres Trial of the century? Not for Iraqis Haiti, Imperialsim, and the Treachery of Liberals
Admin on 10.18.05 @ 07:09 PM CST [ link]
Monday, October 17th
Bird flu fears for East Africa
US Must Stop Attacking Chávez The political tug-of-war between the United States and Venezuela is no mere diplomatic feud. Instead, it is an outright campaign to discredit, vilify and undermine the democratically elected leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez. 50 False News Stories By Bush Propaganda MachineColonel Sam Gardiner (USAF, Ret.) has identified 50 false news stories created and leaked by a secretive White House propaganda apparatus. Bush administration officials are probably having second thoughts about their decision to play hardball with former US Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Joe Wilson is a contender. When you play hardball with Joe, you better be prepared to deal with some serious rebound. Bird flu fears for East Africa -UN expertMandela ready to help in Zuma row Global warming may leave millions destituteAs many as 50 million "environmental refugees" - many likely to be Africans - could be driven from their homes by 2010 through increased desertification, drought, flooding, storms and rising sea levels associated with global warming. Zim poses no threat to SA stabilityBlacks Seek and Find Spiritual Unity at Millions More Rally Washington, Oct. 17 - As a sea of black men, women and children flooded the National Mall in a show of racial unity on Saturday (Oct. 15), many also cast aside religious differences in favor of common goals and spiritual solidarity. Mbeki says SA was prepared to bail out ZimbabweSouth Africa's President Thabo Mbeki said at the weekend his country would have bailed out Zimbabwe if it had not found the money to pay its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The President of Mali Visits Cuba Mugabe likens Bush and Blair to fascistsCuba Denounces US Plans of Annexation Halliburton's New Low in Treachery
Admin on 10.17.05 @ 08:02 PM CST [ link]
Bill O'Reilly's Racist Distortion of History
On his October 4th radio show, Bill O’Reilly said the following: O’REILLY: All right. But let me counter that, [caller], and you can comment on my comment. That’s the prevailing wisdom in a lot of the precincts, is that because Blacks were in slavery in the United States, they were never able to develop an infrastructure of education and culture to compete with the white majority. That is the prevailing wisdom in lots and lots of places. Let me submit this to you, and then you can comment on it.
Tyehimba on 10.17.05 @ 02:17 AM CST [ more..]
Sunday, October 16th
Bushmen in Botswana Say They Were Forcibly Evicted From Village
Rioting Erupts in Toledo as Black Protestors Take on Neo-NazisAccording to the Toledo Blade, rioting erupted Saturday in a neighborhood in North Toledo, Ohio after hundreds of counter-protestors broke up a planned march by a neo-Nazi group. Nigeria, Microsoft to fight internet fraud Nigeria signed an agreement with Microsoft Corp. on Friday to work together to fight Internet crime, officials said. In a statement on its Web site, Microsoft hailed the agreement as a first with an African country and said it will work with the Nigerian government "to combat issues such as spam, financial scams ... spyware, viruses, worms, malicious code launches and counterfeiting." Bushmen in Botswana Say They Were Forcibly Evicted From Village In the end, the Bushmen of Molapo village could neither hunt nor gather, they said. Nor could they tend crops, collect firewood or lead their goats to pasture. After tens of thousands of years, the dry but life-giving vastness of the Kalahari Desert was declared off-limits by police and wildlife officers. Darfur ceasefire "on the brink of collapse" - rebelsThe crisis of the civil war in Darfur has escalated after the preliminary talks on the power-sharing failed in Abuja and the cease fire agreement between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels is on the brink of collapse due to the impasse in the talks on security in N’djamena. Alcohol Production Highlights Division Between North and South SudanLife is difficult in northern Sudan for southern Sudanese displaced by civil war. Many have little or no education, and most cannot find decent jobs. Brewing alcohol in their homes is one way southern Sudanese women earn money to support their families. But they also risk arrest, because liquor is illegal under Sudan's strict Islamic law. The mostly Christian southerners feel they should not have to obey Islamic law Cell Phone Use Changes Life in AfricaAmina Harun, a 45-year-old farmer, used to traipse around for hours looking for a working pay phone on which to call the markets and find the best prices for her fruit. Then cell phones changed her life. Morocco sends illegal migrants homeIn the week since it started repatriating illegal immigrants, Morocco has airlifted at least 2 000 West Africans to their countries of origin, according to a count by AFP Sunday based on official figures Americans disguised in Arab Dress captured in the act of setting off a car bombBritish military involved in acts of terrorism in IraqBritain "apologizes" for terrorist act in Basra'Bush's obscene performance with troops in Tikrit'Things Pfc. Lynndie England Should Wonder About in Prison 'What is the 'character' of Bush administration?' Russia, US clash over Iran's nuclear 'rights'Al Qaeda "Barber" Arrested in Iraq It's getting funnier: Zarqawi's "barber" captured New Iraq Patent Law Will Make Traditional Farmers Seed Saving Illegal
Tyehimba on 10.16.05 @ 06:33 PM CST [ link]
Saturday, October 15th
Fallacy of Western Democracy Exposed
Community Activist Calls New Orleans Police Beating "Typical Behavior"MALCOLM SUBER: Well, this is typical behavior on the part of the New Orleans Police Department. They typically terrorize young black men. It may be abnormal to attack an older black man, such as Mr. Davis, but certainly on Bourbon Street, you would have many scores of young white guys who are drunk and misbehaving, and they don't get beat. And yet, we have this elder black man, who apparently in some way agitated this cop, and his response was to beat him. And this is not atypical. I think the media has been trying to say that the New Orleans Police Department are under stress, and that this is abnormal behavior, and I would say to the contrary that this is very much normal behavior for the New Orleans Police Department. Fallacy of Western Democracy ExposedOFTEN a myth is peddled that the western world has resolved democracy in all its manifestations, be it popular democracy entailing the resolution of the national question and the concomitant bread and butter issues; or elite democracy that evokes smooth electoral processes. This is why US President George W. Bush arrogantly dismissed the prospect of observers from the developing world for his country's presidential election last year saying the US does not need foreign observers as it is not a developing country. The Hangover of Colonial ViolenceESCALATING cases of violence targeting mainly women and children is proof that Namibians are still suffering from the colonial-era mentality, says the Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana. Ship Hijacked By Somali Pirates ReleasedA ship carrying food aid hijacked by Somali pirates earlier this week was released Friday. The release follows a plea by the Somali government for help in the fight against piracy. Zimbabwe Govt slams claim that rejected UK asylum seekers are at risk at homeThe Zimbabwe government on Friday condemned a ruling by a British tribunal accepting that failed asylum seekers face persecution at home. African Journalists Pledge More Balanced GM CoverageJournalists in east and southern Africa have pledged to make their coverage of biotechnology-related issues more balanced, accurate and analytical. They state that with growing pressure on African nations to accept genetically modified (GM) crops, journalists have a critical role to play in educating the public about biotechnology. Farrakhan: Africa Must Unite!Farrakhan said African leaders understand what’s at stake and support Mugabe and have even borrowed from his lessons. “There is a movement in South Africa to take back the tremendous hectares of land that white land owners have, and return it to the people. Well if Thabo Mbeki takes that route, will he now be another pariah? Now the question every Black leader has to answer is ‘Do I want the friendship of white people, or do I want the liberation of my people? Do I want friendship with the former slave masters, the former colonial masters and be rubbed on the head and patted on the behind, or do I want to see my people free?’” Weah stretches lead in Liberia's presidential voteWith more than a third of the ballots in Liberia's Presidential Election counted, ace footballer, George Manneh Weah, has stretched his lead to 30.7 percent from 1,589 polling places, the Liberian National Elections Commission (NEC) reported on Friday. Mr Weah of the Congress for Democratic Change (DCD), had obtained 158,240 ballots out of the 534,559 votes counted, followed by Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party with 91,838 ballots representing 17.8 percent. Obote's legacy divides UgandaPlanning a state funeral for the late former Ugandan president Milton Obote ran into snags on Saturday amid deep divisions between his supporters and the current government about the ex-leader's legacy. Trade Experts: African Countries Must Simplify Grain Trade to Help Avert FamineGrain trade experts are urging African governments to reduce bureaucratic hurdles to moving grain across borders, and adopt uniform standards to help solve food shortages and avert famines. Zimbabwe says U.S. envoy lucky not to have been killed Zimbabwe's government defended its decision to briefly detain the U.S. ambassador, saying on Friday the envoy was lucky to be alive after straying into a secure zone near President Robert Mugabe's residence. Vanity Fair Digitally Alteres Beyonce's Image to Appear Several Shades LighterAccording to a source spilling to Radar Magazine, Vanity Fair digitally altered Beyonce's image to appear several shades lighter for this month's Vanity Fair cover. The pop diva is the first African-American woman to appear on the cover since Tina Turner in 1993 reports Radar Magazine. Guantanamo guards enjoyed torture Why the fight against fake news continues'Pipelineistan's Biggest Game BeginsThe Mindless American: A Tragedy In The MakingSleepwalking into Slavery?Chinese workers in Israel sign no-sex contractSqueezing the Have-NotsWhat's Happening Out of Camera Range? Cuba VS Blockade
Tyehimba on 10.15.05 @ 12:16 PM CST [ link]
Thursday, October 13th
Leopold leaves a lasting legacy
Leopold leaves a lasting legacyThe Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the current incarnation of a nation that has been known to history by various names, although most of us will have known it as Belgian Congo or Zaïre. It is presently known in some circles as Congo-Kinshasa, to distinguish it from its neighbour, Republic of Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville. Much of DRC’s western border is comprised of the Congo River, which it shares with Republic of Congo in an undefined way; no specific agreements have been reached on the division of the river, its islands, or its resources. Anti-Zimbabwe Crusade Now ComicalBritish theatrics in demonising the Government of Zimbabwe have assumed comical dimensions with an Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) sitting in London to determine whether failed asylum seekers are, indeed, in danger of being ill-treated and abused on returning to Zimbabwe. Venezuela VP Defends Missionary Expulsion Venezuela's vice president on Thursday defended a decision to expel a U.S.-based Christian missionary group from the country, saying members of the New Tribes Mission had links to the CIA — a charge the organization strongly denied. Repatriation of Congolese Refugees The repatriation of Congolese refugees who have been living in camps in western Tanzania began on Wednesday with the first batch of 282 leaving for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has announced. IMF to investigate Zimbabwe paybackThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday said it was investigating the source of Zimbabwe's surprise $120m loan payback in September. Death of a Liberation HeroBARELY a week after former South African President Nelson Mandela called on African leaders to emulate the founding fathers, the continent has gone into mourning again following the death of former Ugandan President Milton Obote. Mugabe guards held US envoy for security breach-TVAgony for Families As Gunmen Hijack a Third Shipt is yet another agonising moment for nine Coast families after nine Kenyan seamen were taken hostage by Somali warlords who hijacked their ship at Merkat port yesterday. Liberia: Weah Leads, but Run-off Election PredictedPreliminary results of Tuesday's general elections show George Weah in the lead. However, an American elections monitoring group has predicted a run-off as an overwhelming victory for any candidate seems unlikely. Botswana denies 'ethnic cleansing' of BushmenBotswana's Foreign Minister Mompati Merafhe on Thursday denied claims by Britain's Survival International that it had launched an "ethnic cleansing" of San Bushmen from their ancestral land in the Kalahari. Did You Know This About Iraq?The Cuban Blockade: A Crime Against HumanityTerror's media: war over the WebHow the Zarqawi myth was made in AmericaHaiti's Children's Prison Hope is FadingCheney's Halliburton stock options rose 3,281% last year, senator finds Al-Qaeda and the Dubious Confederacy of Evil Colombia told to pay damages in massacreGM crop 'ruins fields for 15 years'
Tyehimba on 10.13.05 @ 09:27 PM CST [ link]
Wednesday, October 12th
Nyerere's legacy lives on
The rise of Africa's women politiciansIn the US, the notion of a woman president is, for now, only a fiction played out on network TV. But here, as election workers continue to count the ballots cast in Tursday's landmark elections, Liberians could soon find that they have chosen Africa's first-ever woman president. Spain & Morocco continue to expel African migrants despite protestSpanish authorities have continued to expel hundreds of African migrants their enclave in Morocco, despite grave concern expressed by the international community over the treatment of the migrants following the death of 11 people. Economist and soccer star lead in Liberia polls Former Finance Minister Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and soccer star George Weah emerged as early front-runners today in Liberia's first post-war elections, officials said. Massive turnout at Liberia polls LIBERIANS demonstrated their readiness for democratic rule yesterday when they turned out en-masse for the country's presidential and general elections. Six years later, Nyerere's legacy lives on The village of Butiama has not changed a great deal since Mwalimu Julius Nyerere died almost six years ago. The most significant change is the recently upgraded 11-kilometre road between Butiama and Kiabakari, which saw Butiama, for the first time in its history, linked by a tarmac road to the Mwanza-Musoma road. California Prepares to Execute Tookie Williams The U.S. Supreme Court has now rejected Tookie's appeal to investigate the racism and discrimination at the heart of his case, as well as Tookie's innocence issues. One issue highlighted the fact that the prosecutor in Tookie's original case removed all of the Black jurors from the jury, leaving an all-white jury to deliberate his case. During Stan's trial, this prosecutor made racially-coded remarks during his closing argument, comparing Stan during the trial to a Bengal tiger in the zoo and stating that a black community - South Central Los Angeles - was equivalent to the natural "habitat" of a Bengal Tiger. Pakistan wants trade agreement with Kenya Pakistan will cement its relationship with Kenya through a trade agreement. High Commissioner to Kenya, Syed Zahid Hussain, said Pakistan was emerging as an important market for Kenyan horticulture, which it imports from Dubai. New Orleans officers deny battery of black man3 police officers have pleaded not guilty to battering an African-American man in New Orleans despite tv footage showing them kicking and punching an elderly black man on Saturday night Ghana Urges Repatriation Of Darfur RefugeesGhana has made a request to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees(UNHCR)to assist it to repatriate Darfur refugees in the country to their country. COTE D IVOIRE: Rebels lay out peace proposals in letter to UN chiefIn a letter sent to UN chief Kofi Annan on Wednesday, Cote d’Ivoire’s rebels say it should fall to them, not President Laurent Gbagbo, to select a new prime minister to steer the war-torn country towards delayed elections. Nigeria voting could go hi-techNigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday expressed his support for an electronic voting system for future polls in the country. Dying mans agony in cop cage POLICE OFFICERS left a dying man flat on the floor for an hour because they believed he was "faking" an illness, an inquest has heard. Venezuela to Expel U.S. Evangelical GroupVenezuela will expel the U.S. evangelical group New Tribes Mission, which has been active in indigenous communities along the southern border with Colombia and Brazil since 1946, President Hugo Chávez announced Wednesday. SOUTH AFRICA: Ex deputy president casts long shadowFormer South African deputy president Jacob Zuma appeared before a magistrate on Tuesday to face charges of corruption, bolstered by the support of chanting, ululating crowds outside the courthouse. Zimbabwe: State Intensifies Efforts to Develop Alternative FuelGOVERNMENT has intensified efforts to develop an alternative source of fuel and identified more than 31 000 hectares of land to grow jatropha curcas trees whose seed can be processed into bio-diesel. Former Ugandan President Dies in South AfricaFormer Ugandan president Apollo Milton Obote, who had been living in exile in Lusaka, Zambia since 1985, has died of kidney failure in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Using War as an Excuse for More WarIraq war now costing $6 billion a monthIraq & Peak OilGang 'smuggled in 200,000 migrants' Brazil declares Amazon river a disaster Haiti Rules U.S. Citizen Can Seek Office Cuba Sends Doctors to Guatemala and Offers Them to Pakistan The Cuban Blockade: A Crime Against Humanity U.S. Opposes the Poor in Haiti at Every Turn
Tyehimba on 10.12.05 @ 11:14 PM CST [ link]
Tuesday, October 11th
Child Slavery in Haiti
Liberians Show Out for Historic ElectionsLiberians turned out en masse today to vote in what some have called the country's first truly democratic elections since the end of the 14-year civil war. From Red Light, Paynesville to the University of Liberia in the nation's capitol, lines stretched and wound for miles as voters waited their turn to cast their ballots on this momentous occasion. Child Slavery in Haiti On market day in Dajabón, a bustling Dominican town on the Haitian border, you can pick up many bargains if you know where to look. You can haggle the price of a live chicken down to 40 pesos (72p); wrestle 10lb of macaroni from 60 to 50 pesos; and, with some discreet inquiries, buy a Haitian child for the equivalent of £54.22. Egypt takes legal steps to retrieve missing antiquities Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) is taking legal steps to retrieve some antiquities to be sold at auctions in the world, the Egyptian Gazette daily reported Tuesday. Namibia, Angola Scrap VisasTHE governments of Angola and Namibia have signed a bilateral agreement for the cancellation of visa requirement between the two countries. Somali Gunmen Hijack KenyansAnother ship with nine Kenyan seamen aboard is feared to have been hijacked by Somali gunmen. Seafarers Assistance Programme Co-ordinator, Mr Andrew Mwangura, yesterday said the vessel, MV Torgelow, was hijacked near El Maan port in Somalia, the same area where eight Kenyans abducted in another ship three months ago were released last week. Egypt uses new technology to solve pyramid riddleEgypt is preparing to use the latest technology to solve a 4,500-year-old riddle. A robot is to be sent up two narrow shafts in the Great Pyramid in Giza to discover whether a secret burial chamber contains the real tomb of the pharoah Cheops, also known as Khufu. Hutu rebels suspected in Congo killingsSuspected Rwandan Hutu rebels hacked to death 24 Congolese villagers, including several children, in the latest attack against civilians in eastern Congo, a senior local official said on Monday. Mkapa vows fair Tanzania pollOutgoing Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa has vowed to maintain security and stability as well as ensure the October elections are fair amid violence on the politically volatile island of Zanzibar. Sudan allow Uganda to pursue rebels in southThe Sudanese government has for the first time agreed to allow Ugandan troops to pursue members of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in all parts of southern Sudan, Uganda’s army said Sudan, Eritrea bury the hatchetSudan and Eritrea agreed to work to improve relations between the two neighbours after years of strained ties dogged by rows and mutual accusations. EU says internet could fall apart A battle has erupted over who governs the internet, with America demanding to maintain a key role in the network it helped create and other countries demanding more control. UN Agency Reports Drop in Zimbabwe's HIV Infections The results of a review commissioned by UN/AIDS and other international organizations says Zimbabwe's rate of HIV infections has declined over the past five years There's No Such Thing as a Peaceful NukeOur Snake Oil PresidentNuclear Power: Back to the FutureThe Real Reasons Why Iran is the Next TargetAnti-Bush in the AfterlifeThe Plot to Blow Up NYC Subway is Bogus
Tyehimba on 10.11.05 @ 11:27 PM CST [ link]
Monday, October 10th
How Africa developed Europe and America
New Orleans police charged after taped beating Three police officers yesterday pleaded not guilty to charges of battery after they were filmed repeatedly beating a 64-year-old man outside a bar in New Orleans. Mr Davis, who is black, was allegedly assaulted on Saturday night in the historic French Quarter, which has reopened for business after the hurricane. Three of the police officers appeared to be white, the other light-skinned. Footage from Associated Press showed Robert Davis being punched in the face, his head striking a wall, before being bundled to the ground by four officers and subjected to blows and kicks. He was handcuffed and left lying in a pool of blood. A fifth officer grabbed an Associated Press TV producer, jabbed him in the stomach and launched into a tirade, shouting: "I've been here for six weeks trying to keep alive. Go home!" New Orleans Officers Plead Not Guilty (Photos with news) How Africa developed Europe and AmericaBy cancelling Africa’s debts, the G8 countries are supposed to be doing Africa a favour in helping to develop the continent. While this is partly true, the other half of the truth has not been told… and it is that without Africa’s wealth and resources (both human and material), development in Europe and America would not be as we know it today. Spain: From the Berlin Wall to Ceuta And MelillaSpain's announcement that it plans to build a third fence to separate its enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla from Morocco, using the most advanced technology aimed at keeping out undocumented immigrants, has drawn loud criticism while giving rise to many questions Last two AU hostages freedThe last two African Union peacekeepers taken hostage at the weekend by a Sudanese rebel group in Darfur have been released, an African Union spokesperson said. Liberia poised for historic voteThe West African state of Liberia is set to go to the polls to vote for a president and parliament. South Africa diamond law would hit De BeerSouth Africa's proposed amendments to its diamond law could lead to the demise of De Beers' powerful marketing arm and spark mine closures, the firm and its biggest shareholder said overnight. 'A whole generation has been lost'Pakistan said on Monday up to 40 000 people are feared dead in the weekend earthquake, as frustration over the slow rescue effort turned to anger and scattered looting. Would-be African immigrants 'dying in desert'Former French health minister Bernard Kouchner, a founder of Médécins sans Frontières, said on Monday that hundreds of Africans are dying of thirst and starving in the Moroccan desert after failing in their bid to reach Europe. Sudan oil exports could grow by two thirdsTanker traffic to and from Port Sudan oil terminals will increase next year as the export of crude oil will grow two thirds to 500,000 barrels per day if peace between north and south is maintained. U.S. blocks U.N. briefing on atrocities in SudanU.S. Ambassador John Bolton blocked a U.N. envoy on Monday from briefing the Security Council on grave human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region, saying the council had to act against atrocities and not just talk about them. Darfur Rebels Free Most Kidnapped African Union WorkersAfrican Union officials say rebels in Sudan's troubled Darfur region have released most of the 18 kidnapped AU workers following negotiations. Iraq and the "American Dream"In Defense of Liars...When Torture becomes PolicyWar in Iraq is Really All About Soil and Oil Making sense of why the Americans are in Iraq and AfghanistanVenezuelans March in Support of Land PlanDrug Rehab For George
Tyehimba on 10.10.05 @ 11:28 PM CST [ link]
Sunday, October 9th
The wealth of the west was built on Africa's exploitation
The wealth of the west was built on Africa's exploitationBritain was the principal slaving nation of the modern world. In The Empire Pays Back, a documentary broadcast by Channel 4 on Monday, Robert Beckford called on the British to take stock of this past. Why, he asked, had Britain made no apology for African slavery, as it had done for the Irish potato famine? Why was there no substantial public monument of national contrition equivalent to Berlin's Holocaust Museum? Why, most crucially, was there no recognition of how wealth extracted from Africa and Africans made possible the vigour and prosperity of modern Britain? Was there not a case for Britain to pay reparations to the descendants of African slaves? AU peacekeepers killed in Darfur ambushTwo African Union peacekeeping soldiers from Nigeria were killed in an ambush on Saturday in Sudan's volatile Darfur region, a senior AU official said. Rhetoric and reality in the business of getting rid of black peopleEvery year or so some right-winger in America lets fly in public with a ripe salvo of racism and the liberal watchdogs come tearing out of their kennels and the neighborhood echoes with the barks and shouts. The right-winger says he didn’t mean it, the President "distances himself" and the liberals claim they’re shocked, shocked beyond all measure. Then everyday life in racist America resumes its even course. Race, Relief and ReconstructionThe national conversation about New Orleans has shifted from relief to reconstruction. While alliances form among local and national elites, the majority of the city’s population faces being shut out of the discussion entirely. New Orleans is less than 30% white, but the white power structure is poised to seize control of the debate over the city’s future, while New Orleans’ distinct legacies of colonialism, white supremacy and Jim Crow, along with the personal loss and devastation faced by most city residents, has created a cocktail of obstacles in the path of forming a strong and unified resistance. Ghana qualify for the World Cup finalsGhana's long wait for a World Cup finals place ended in emphatic style on Saturday when the Black Stars beat Cape Verde Islands 4-0 to qualify for next year's finals in Germany. The four-time African champions ended their long hoodoo in World Cup qualifying with a one-sided win in the island archipelago to finish comfortable winners of African zone Group Two. Eritrea seeks to up pressure on Ethiopia over borderAn Eritrean ban on helicopter flights by U.N. monitors is a calculated attempt to intensify international pressure on former foe Ethiopia to agree to end a border row many fear could spark a new war, analysts say. Mugabe Announces Date for Zimbabwe Senate ElectionsZimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has set a date for elections to the newly reintroduced senate. Pretoria Communists threaten 'Zimbabwe-style' farm invasionsSouth Africa will convene symbolic Zimbabwe-style land invasions this weekend to highlight the plight of the poor and the landless, President Thabo Mbeki's ruling coalition partner, the South African Communist Party (SACP), has said. Two weeks ago, the government said it would move to expropriate the first white-owned farm under a land restitution programme. Sacked rebel commander kidnapped peacekeepers: Darfur groupA sacked rebel leader is behind the kidnapping of a group of African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, his former comrades said, vowing to help ensure the captives' release. Weather War?The Police State Is Closer Than You ThinkU.S. military in Paraguay unsettles South AmericaHundreds die in Guatemala mudslideVenezuela wants Argentine nuclear reactor - paper Venezuelans March in Support of Land Plan Three Police Officers Arrested in New Orleans Beating US televangelist says Venezuela threatens US with nuke GM crop 'ruins fields for 15 years'
Tyehimba on 10.09.05 @ 03:32 PM CST [ link]
Friday, October 7th
Africans Say Europe Is No Promised Land
Africans Say Europe Is No Promised LandFive years ago, Guy left a pregnant wife in Ivory Coast, trekked across west Africa and crossed into Europe by clambering over a barbed-wire fence into the Spanish enclave of Melilla on Morocco's northern tip. Today, the former factory worker has yet to find the promised land he had hoped for in Europe, seen by many Africans as a place of relative peace, political stability and bountiful jobs 'Africa's poor hammer on Europe's door'President Thabo Mbeki on Friday accused the countries of the North of having the wherewithal, but lacking sufficient will to help end poverty in Africa. 500 dumped in desertAfrican immigrants attempting to reach Spain are being deported by Morocco to the Sahara Desert without food or drink, Spanish Press reports said yesterday. Non-governmental organisations in Spain are critical of Madrid’s decision to start expelling illegal migrants from west and central Africa back over the Moroccan border, saying they risk dying in the desert or being mistreated by Moroccan police. New entrants to join Security CouncilTHE UN General Assembly will on Monday elect five new non-permanent members of the Security Council, including Congo, Ghana, Qatar and Slovakia, a UN spokeswoman said overnight. Peacetime Sudan deadly tooHundreds of thousands of people lured back to southern Sudan have high hopes of peace after a 21-year civil war but they're faced with chronic food shortage, poor infrastructure and desolate homelands peppered with landmines AU mediator admits stagnation of Darfur peace talks The African Union (AU) mediator in the Darfur conflict in western Sudan acknowledged on Friday criticism by UN chief Kofi Annan about the stagnation of peace talks between the government and rebel groups. Nigerians Living in Fear in China I want to comment on the continous detention of Nigerians in China as a result of the prohibition of visa extention on the Nigeria passport. Most of the people detained are innocent Nigerians. Their crime is that they have expired visas because their visas could not be extended like those of other foreigners in China. Nigeria to retrieve stolen Artifacts soonThe hope of getting Nigeria’s stolen or illegally exported artifacts back brightens as the country makes history by ratifying four UNESCO conventions at the same time. Liberian refugees tip Weah for presidencyLiberian refugees at Oru Camp, Ogun State, have tipped the former World Footballer of the Year, Mr. George Weah, to win the country’s presidential election billed for October 11 The real insurgency, and the fake oneIAEA Rewarded for Failure: CriticsPalestinian Mother Bleeds to Death At IOF CheckpointGeorge Bush: 'God told me to end the tyranny in Iraq' White House denies Bush God claims DEATH SENTENCES LINKED TO HISTORY OF LYNCHING IN STATES George Bush’s “Major Speech” Resets the Terror Trap!Government Accused of Death Squads in IraqIran strong enough to stand sanctions- top cleric Judge: Vatican has some immune protections Pop Goes the Real Estate Bubble Nicaragua: From Sandino to Chavez
Tyehimba on 10.07.05 @ 11:38 PM CST [ link]
Thursday, October 6th
Africa's paradox: hunger in the land of plenty
Africa's paradox: hunger in the land of plenty South Africa has mountains of expensive maize it can't sell while poor people in nearby countries need food aid to stay alive and aid agencies are short of cash to buy the staple food. Annan encourages pursuit of Uganda rebels in CongoU.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan encouraged the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday to disarm a brutal Uganda rebel group but warned Uganda not to cross the border and go after them. High Stakes for the Region as Liberians Prepare to VoteLiberia faces a 'make-or-break' situation as voters go to the polls next week, officials and Africa-watchers in the United States agree. The election is a central facet of the peace accord signed two years ago ending nearly 15 years of deadly armed conflict that spread throughout the West African region, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and caused incalculable economic destruction. Exhibit explores slavery history in N.Y.Most Americans think of slavery as a Southern institution, but for close to 200 years, New York City served as a centerpiece in the African slave trade. Cheap Asian textiles force Zim firms' closureAt least 35 Zimbabwean textile firms have had to closed down in the last three years due to competition posed by cheap Asian imports, a Zimbabwe financial newspaper reported Thursday. Africa gets food safety planAfrica on Thursday launched its first food safety plan, outlining a series of steps over the next five years to provide healthier meals on the world's poorest continent. African leaders back GbagboAfrican leaders on Thursday said Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo's could stay in power after his term expires on October 30, giving him up to a year more in office in a bid to resolve the crisis in his divided country. Breaking America's grip on the net Kenya sets up Internet SatelliteWoman kicked off flight in Reno over offensive shirtBali II: Another Elusive Terror Mastermind on the LooseWestern-trained, Western-armed, enemiesThe Inherent Contradictions of Forcible Government
Tyehimba on 10.06.05 @ 07:17 PM CST [ link]
Wednesday, October 5th
Missionary 'planned genocide'
Southern Africa: Mega hydropower projects urged to meet demand Southern Africa is looking to mega-hydropower projects to meet galloping regional demand, which could outstrip surplus generation capacity by 2007. Zimbabwe to start growing oil-rich tree for fuelZimbabwe will soon start growing the oil-rich jatropha tree to manufacture its own blend of diesel as the country battles to overcome acute fuel shortages, state radio reported on Wednesday Return of Sudanese refugees threatened by landmines Unexploded landmines planted during two decades of civil war in southern Sudan are threatening the return of refugees. The south, southwest, southeast, and northwest regions of southern Sudan are heavily mined, with former garrison towns being the most affected UKZN stops medical lectures amid racism rowA report into allegations of racism, discrimination, exam leaks and unequal treatment of students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine has led to four lecturers being suspended pending disciplinary hearings. Missionary 'planned genocide'Rwanda will conditionally accept a request from Belgium to hand over a Belgian missionary charged with inciting and planning Rwanda's 1994 genocide, said the attorney general on Wednesday Rwanda's army accused of killing civilians after mass grave of hundreds is uncovered in Congo United Nations soldiers believe they have uncovered mass graves in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where hundreds of civilians executed by Rwandan soldiers were buried. Police admit using rubber bullets against BushmenBotswana's police commissioner said on Tuesday that officers had fired rubber bullets to disperse a group of about 35 Bushmen protesting their eviction from ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. UN warns Eritrea, Ethiopia not to restart warThe UN Security Council has warned Ethiopia and Eritrea not to restart a border war and demanded Eritrea reverse its decision to ban UN helicopters conducting reconnaissance flights over its territory. If oil was the question, war wasn't the answerGeorge W. Bush's Resume Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the BibleBlack Bodies Remain Still..... European elites can't ignore the views of their peoplesArchaeologists Report on Slave Community
Tyehimba on 10.05.05 @ 10:46 AM CST [ link]
Tuesday, October 4th
Pan Africanism: Without it full blast colonialism may resurface
Venezuela and Brazil reach agreement to invest US$3.5 billionPresident Hugo Chavez Frias has stressed that, with a joint investment of US$3.5 billion, Venezuela and Brazil have reached agreement to exploit 50 billion barrels of crude oil from the Carabobo I field ... which currently holds some 300 billion barrels of crude oil in proven reserves. Pan Africanism: Without it full blast colonialism may resurface The author in this second last part of his series portrays the hypocrisy of NGOs and the failure of OAU to nurse the PanAfricanism doctrine. Dependency on NGOs: today it is NGO, tomorrow it is extended diplomacy thus the ambivalence of the name. They are like the missionaries of the 19th century who preceded soldiers to prepare for colonialism. Zimbabwe makes fresh IMF payment Zimbabwe has paid another $15m (£9m) to help reduce its debt arrears with the International Monetary Fund, according to its state-run Herald newspaper. Sudan: AU Security Council Holds Emergency Session On DarfurThe Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU) was meeting on Monday to discuss the worsening security situation in Sudan's western region of Darfur where rampant ceasefire violations have resulted in dozens of deaths and further displacement. Of primitive capitalism and man-eat-man!Former Tanzania president,Mwalimu Julius Nyerere (God bless his soul) once described Kenya as a man-eat-man society. Kenya had gone capitalist lock, stock and barrel while in Tanzania, Mwalimu presided over a socialist system ( christened Ujamaa) where national wealth was not let to be concentrated in the hands of a few, as was the case in Kenya. A Flood of Fraud There's no question that post-hurricane relief and reconstruction in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are going to pose many genuinely difficult challenges. But some things seem pretty simple. For example, it's a dumb idea to have cruise ships house evacuees and then pay the cruise lines as four times what they would charge vacationers. Students, Unions Mark '68 Mexico Massacre Deadly FBI Mission in Puerto Rico Probed Bodyguards beat up three Haitian reporters Brooklyn Haitians blame the state for violence in Port-au-Prince Ike Was Right About War Machine Venezuelans trade junk for food
Tyehimba on 10.04.05 @ 06:47 PM CST [ link]
Monday, October 3rd
Private Investment makes Africa poor
PRIVATE INVESTMENT: MAKES AFRICA POORAnyone remember the pronouncements by Blair and Brown, Bono and Sir Bob, earlier this year about saving Africa? The white knights riding to the rescue were specifically named as the forces of private enterprise, as part of a package of measures that included fine-sounding phrases about aid, trade and 'better governance'. It is only weeks later, yet this September those illusions seem so shallow -- with little aid, no real debt 'relief', and many NGOs roundly condemning the G8/Live8 deals as enforcing further economic restructuring on poor countries. HUD chief foresees a 'whiter' Big EasyA Bush Cabinet officer predicted this week that New Orleans likely will never again be a majority black city, and several black officials are outraged. Disease 'caused by food aid'Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said food aid "dumped" by developed nations had undermined food safety on the African continent, state radio reported on Monday. Darfur crisis has negative impact on peace in the SouthThe escalation of war in the Darfur region reflects negatively on the partial and quasi comprehensive peace in the Sudan. Mauritius Battles to Keep Sugar Industry From Turning SourSugar has long been the sweetener in Mauritius' global trade. But now the island faces an unpalatable fight to keep the industry going in light of a recent European Union (EU) proposal to cut sugar prices to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Bongo, Africa's longest-serving ruler, wants another seven yearsAlready Africa's longest-serving leader, Gabon's President Omar Bongo has vowed to stand for another seven-year term in presidential elections due to be held before the end of year. China Scraps Africa's DebtDebts that Rwanda and other poor African countries owed to China before 2004 will be cancelled to enhance the continent's development, the Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Qi Deen said. Deen said in an exclusive interview recently that the Chinese government had undertaken on improving its relations with Least Developing Countries (LDCs) including Rwanda Playwright August Wilson Dies of CancerPlaywright August Wilson, whose epic 10-play cycle chronicling the black experience in 20th-century America included such landmark dramas as "Fences" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," died Sunday of liver cancer, a family spokeswoman said. He was 60. Bush Administration Broke Propaganda RulesEurope embraces Turkey as diplomatic deadlock is broken More Lies for More WarThe Terrorism of Race and PovertyThe Crude Truth about the War in IraqEthnic Cleansing as Economic Policy
Tyehimba on 10.03.05 @ 09:05 AM CST [ link]
Sunday, October 2nd
Mbeki urges Africa to preserve Timbuktu manuscripts
Mbeki urges Africa to preserve Timbuktu manuscripts- South African President Thabo Mbeki has called for the preservation of the Timbuktu manuscripts saying that Africa should not allow such a critical part of the continent`s history to die. Speaking on Tuesday night in Pretoria at a South Africa-Mali Timbuktu project fundraising dinner, Mbeki stressed the need to raise more funds to ensure the Timbuktu Manuscripts will always be available as part of the historic African literary, scientific and scholarly heritage. Chad set to renegotiate oil dealChadian President Idriss Deby has expressed his government`s desire to renegotiate the oil agreement with the multinationals in order to better take into account his country`s interests. France tinkers with its African troop deploymentAdjusting to new realities on the ground, France plans to re-deploy its thousands of African-based troops in a scheme it says will bolster the continent's own home-grown peacekeeping forces. Textile jobs on the lineThe textile industry has been handed a blow after the European Union and the United States moved last week to further relax the Chinese import quotas. Ghanaian journalists confess to bugging phonesFor years it remained a rumour, and at worst a suspicion, that the telephones of certain individuals in Ghana, mainly politicians, were being bugged. Life for farmer who threw man to lionsA white farmer convicted of murdering a black former employee and throwing him to a pride of lions was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday at the end of a case that hit a raw nerve across South Africa, highlighting simmering racial tensions 11 years after the end of apartheid. Gutless, Spineless and CluelessBush administration found involved in illegal 'covert propaganda'
Tyehimba on 10.02.05 @ 02:43 PM CST [ link]
Saturday, October 1st
African Food Exports vs. African Starvation
African Food Exports vs. African StarvationThe only reason people in Africa are starving is because Africans do not control the vast majority of traditional prime and irrigated farmland as they once did before the White barbarian came and took control of that land for the very purpose of exporting food back to Europe and America (the prime export the US imported from Africa through their European colonial partners was the result of good African food, well raised healthy African slaves). Afro-Brazilian Priestess Dies at 80Olga de Alaketu, the high priestess of one the oldest temples of the Afro-Brazilian religion Condomble, died of complications from diabetes, hospital officials said. She was 80. Timbuktu - learning at the heart of AfricaFor some people the city of Timbuktu in Mali is only a figment of their imagination, perhaps where desert empires prospered, or a place out there at the ends of the earth. Sudan Gov't. Accused of Attacks in DarfurThe African Union accused Sudanese government forces on Saturday of attacking civilians in Darfur, and committing acts of "calculated and wanton destruction" that have killed at least 44 people and displaced thousands over two weeks. Africans seek better life on Spanish coastBennet: Abort Every White Baby!Bill Bennett, a prominent right-wing blowhard, has recently come under intense fire for remarks made on his radio show, in which he stated, "I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could ... abort every black baby in this country." He quickly backed away from the proposition, saying "That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down." It's unfortunate that Bennett chose to be so politically correct, because I think he may be onto something here. He's just wrong about the target. If we really wanna get tough on crime, it's the white babies who should start getting the coat hanger treatment. India Loses Political Credibility in Anti-Iran Vote India, a country that aspires to be a superpower in Asia, lost its political credibility among the world's developing nations last week when it voted against Iran at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The impending Cakewalk in IranThe UN's nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, officially signed Iran's death-warrant. By passing a US-backed resolution that refers Iran's nuclear program to the Security Council, the member states have endorsed America's genocidal Middle East policy and paved the way for another war. Arabs fail to win nuke denunciationBush is Cooking Up Two New WarsIsraelis urge U.S. to stop Iran's nuke goalsGOP seeks cuts to ease cost of cleanup Bush signs stopgap bill to fund government Volcano erupts in El Salvador Study: Adept Liars' Brains Are Built Differently New Flu Vaccine is Loaded With Mercury
Tyehimba on 10.01.05 @ 09:40 AM CST [ link]
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