International

Nigerian News

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NIGERIA PERISCOPES THE WORLD
International News
October 31, 2007
 

• Nigeria speaker goes in graft row
  Nigeria's parliamentary speaker resigns after weeks of stalemate over a report into alleged corruption. BBC
   
• Prison distress in Chad child row
  European prisoners held in Chad over alleged child smuggling are shown to reporters looking distraught. BBC
   
• Pirates 'defeated' off Somalia
  The crew of a North Korean cargo ship, with US Navy help, fights off pirates after an attackl off Somalia. BBC
   
• Nigeria’s Embattled Speaker Resigns Over Contract Scandal
  Some Nigerians have welcomed the news of the resignation of embattled speaker of the House of Representatives and her deputy as a step in the right direction in President Umaru Musa YarAdua’s promise to fight graft. VoiceOfAmerica
  
  
   
• Euro-Africa Summit Organizers Invite Mugabe Despite Protests
  Organizers of the Euro-Africa summit say Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe would this week receive an invitation to be part of their conference despite protests by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other European countries. VoiceOfAmerica
  
  
   
• Nigeria Introduces Stricter Road Safety Rules After Crash
  The Nigerian government has announced plans to enforce stricter safety regulations in a bid to stem spiraling road accidents. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Ivory Coast's Cocoa Allegedly Associated with Abusive Child Labor, Corruption and Civil War
  Cocoa has long been a cornerstone of Ivory Coast's economy, driving what was once one of Africa's most prosperous countries. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Saudi king's royal meeting draws fire
  King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has begun his visit to the UK as controversy continues over issues related to the Middle Eastern kingdom. CNN
   
• Deadly blast near Pakistan army HQ
  A suicide attack has killed at least seven people, including the bomber, less than a kilometre from Pervez Musharraf's army headquarters in Rawalpindi, police say. Aljazeera

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October 31, 2007
 

• Fire engulfs vehicles in Nigeria
  At least 30 people have been killed after a road tanker overturned and caught fire on a busy highway between Lagos and Ibadan, say Nigerian police. BBC
   
• Ramaphosa put forward for poll
  With less than two months to go before the African National Congress elects a new leader, businessman Cyril Ramaphosa is emerging as a compromise contender. BBC
   
• Egypt unveils nuclear plants plan
  President Hosni Mubarak has said Egypt is to build a number of nuclear power stations to generate electricity. BBC
   
• Japanese ship hijacked in Africa
  Pirates have hijacked a Japanese ship off the East African coast - the latest in a series of similar incidents near the war-torn country of Somalia. BBC
   
• Nigerian Parliamentary Speaker Faces Impeachment
  Nigeria 's parliamentary speaker is under fire for spending $5 million to renovate two official residences. Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports for VOA the scandal represents a major test of the new administration's pledge to crack down on graft. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Campaign Aims To Register All Births And Deaths
  The Health Metrics Network, a global partnership sponsored by the World Health Organization, is launching a drive to get countries to register all births and deaths. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Rebels Say Sudan Government Launches New Attacks, Despite Ceasefire
  Rebels in Darfur say Sudan's government launched attacks in the troubled region along the border with Chad the same day that it announced a cease-fire at peace talks in Libya. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Kirchner claims Argentine victory
  Argentine first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner declared victory Sunday night as election returns showed her leading all rivals in her bid to succeed her husband and become the country's first female president. CNN
   
• Iran military lauds suicide attack
  An Iranian naval commander Monday said his forces are willing to carry out suicide missions when facing enemy forces in the Persian Gulf, according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency. CNN

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 29, 2007
 

• Chad 'kidnapping' angers Sarkozy
  France's president condemns charity workers caught trying to take 100 children out of the Chad-Darfur region. BBC
   
• Struggle to salvage Darfur talks
  International mediators attempt to save Darfur peace talks in Libya that key rebel groups have boycotted. BBC
   
• Mogadishu hit by fresh fighting
  Ethiopian and Somali troops battle Islamist insurgents in Somalia's capital Mogadishu for a second day. BBC
   
• Opposition Ghana MP Calls for Forensic Audit of Public Funds
  In Ghana, a member of parliament of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party is calling on President John Kufuor to launch a forensic audit on the disbursement of Highly Indebted and Poor Country (HIPC) funds. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Comoros Government Gives Embattled President Bacar An Ultimatum
  In the Comoros Islands, the union government says Anjouan’s embattled President Mohamed Bacar has up to November 24 to organize free and fair elections to usher in a legitimate government or face an air and sea blockade. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Rebel absence delays Darfur talks
  Crippled by the absence of key rebel leaders, a highly anticipated Darfur peace conference was effectively postponed Sunday to give rebel delegates time to prepare before direct negotiations with the Sudanese government. CNN
   
• First lady claims Argentina victory
  The first lady of Argentina has claimed victory in the country's presidential election after exit polls and early results showed her winning nearly half the votes. Aljazeera

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October 28, 2007
 

• Pessimism grows over Darfur talks
  A Darfur rebel boycott overshadows peace talks despite Sudan announcing a unilateral ceasefire. Vanguard
   
• Heavy fighting in Somali capital
  Some of the heaviest fighting in months hits Somalia's Mogadishu as Ethiopian troops battle local insurgents. BBC
   
• Zimbabwe President Dismisses Opposition Claims Of Violence By Ruling Party
  Just days after Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi promised to look into allegations of violence against opposition activists and supporter by members of the ruling party, President Robert Mugabe Friday, dismissed the opposition claims as “unsubstantiated.” VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Zimbabwe Opposition Challenged On Cause Of Death Of Tsvangirai Aide
  The Zimbabwean opposition faction headed by Morgan Tsvangirai found itself on the defensive on Friday amid media reports saying it had issued misleading statements on Thursday as to the death this week of a key Tsvangirai aide in South Africa. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Bhutto heads toward ancestral home
  Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto left the southern port city of Karachi on Saturday for the first time since surviving an attempted assassination last week that turned her homecoming motorcade into a scene of carnage, sources within her political party told CNN. CNN
   
• Sudan declares Darfur ceasefire
  Sudan's government has declared a unilateral ceasefire in Darfur to end the four-year conflict in the region, an aide to Omar al-Beshir, Sudan's president, has said. Aljazeera
   
• Turkey-Iraq talks on PKK 'fail'
  Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has threatened to order an incursion into northern Iraq against fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), after talks with Iraq aimed at avoiding a cross-border raid, had reportedly failed. Aljazeera

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October 27, 2007
 

• Niger Delta Militants Seize Oil Workers in Attack on Italian Vessel
  Italian oil giant Eni has confirmed that six workers were taken in an attack on an offshore facility in Nigeria's Niger Delta on Friday morning. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Vaccine-Derived Virus Threatens Nigeria's Polio Campaign
  A rare outbreak of vaccine-derived polio in Nigeria has prompted fears that current efforts to eradicate the disease in northern part of the country could suffer a major setback. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Gunmen Kidnap at Least 6 Oil Workers in Southern Nigeria
  Gunmen in speedboats have kidnapped at least six workers from an oil facility off the coast of southern Nigeria. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• South Sudan Rebels Play Down Clashes
  Members of Sudan People's Liberation Army clashed with government soldiers in Bahr el-Ghazal state Thursday VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Rebel snub threatens Darfur talks
  Peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's Darfur conflict are set to open in Libya, but key rebel groups will not be there. BBC
   
• French held over Chad 'adoptions'
  Nine French citizens are arrested in Chad over an alleged attempt to fly children out of the country. BBC
   
• Dozens killed in DR Congo floods
  At least 30 people die in flooding in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. BBC
   
• Iranian Guard 'ready to defend'
  The leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard vowed Friday that the military group was ready to defend the Iranian revolution after the U.S. imposed sanctions against it amid simmering tensions over Tehran's refusal to halt its nuclear program. CNN
   
• Putin: 'U.S. plan is Cuban missile crisis'
  Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday compared the U.S. proposal to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe to the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s. CNN
   
• Oil prices hit record highs
  The cost of crude oil has risen to record highs, attributed to increased tensions in the Middle East and renewed concerns about oil supplies. Aljazeera
   
• Iran dismisses US sanctions
  Saeed Jalili, Iran's new chief nuclear negotiator, has brushed aside the latest US sanctions against his country saying they would have no affect on Iran's nuclear policies. Aljazeera
   

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 26, 2007
 

• Oil governor removed in Nigeria
  Nigeria's Supreme Court annuls April's election of the governor of oil-rich, violence-prone Rivers State  BBC
•  
• Nigeria's speaker will step aside
  Nigeria's embattled parliament speaker Patricia Etteh has agreed to step aside while MPs debate her conduct. BBC
   
• Libya seals peace deal for Chad
  Four rebel groups in Chad seal a peace agreement with the government, after three weeks of talks. BBC
   
• Witness: Diana spoke after crash
  A rescuer who tried to help Diana after her Paris car crash said Thursday that the princess spoke as she lay in the wreckage, repeating the words "oh my God" over and over. CNN
   
• Chad rebels sign peace accord
  The opposition groups, all based in Sudan, reached a "definitive peace accord" in Sirte, Libya, on Thursday, a Chadian presidency official said. Aljazeera
   
• US imposes new sanctions on Iran
  The US has announced new sanctions against Iran, targeting the defence ministry, the Revolutionary Guard and a number of banks.Aljazeera
   
• Nigerian court removes governor of oil state
  ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's Supreme Court removed Celestine Omehia as governor of Nigeria's richest oil state on Thursday in the fourth major legal indictment of polls in April. Reuters

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 25, 2007
 

• Dutch smash Nigeria child trade
  Police in the Netherlands say they have cracked a crime ring which allegedly trafficked Nigerian children into the West to work as sex slaves. BBC
   
• Sudan rebels 'hold China oil men'
  A Darfur rebel group says it has seized two workers at an oilfield in Sudan operated by a Chinese company. BBC
   
• DR Congo general to surrender men
  A renegade general in DR Congo says he will integrate 500 of his fighters into the army as a gesture of goodwill. BBC
   
• Service for SA's shot reggae star
  Friends and family of murdered South African reggae star Lucky Dube attend a memorial service and protest march. BBC
   
• Liberia's President Sirleaf Assesses U.S. Visit
  In an exclusive VOA interview, she said President Bush reassured her of his commitment to cancel Liberia's debt VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Pfizer Urges Court to Reject Nigerian Government Drug Trial Report
  U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has asked a Nigerian court to reject a government report on the company's 1996 drug trials, saying the report is biased. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Sierra Leone Sacks Anti-Corruption Chief
  Sierra Leone's new government has replaced the chief of the country's anti-graft body. Many say the commission has failed to stem rampant corruption which has crippled the post-conflict nation. Kari Barber has more from VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Zimbabwe’s Opposition Demands End to Political Violence
  Zimbabwe’s main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says for the first time President Robert Mugabe’s government has acknowledged that politically-related violence is on the ascendancy. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Condom recall hits South African AIDS campaign
  South Africa is recalling millions of locally manufactured condoms after tens of thousands failed an air burst test, dealing a further blow to the country's campaign to prevent the spread of AIDS. CNN
   
• Chief detective quits Bhutto probe
  The detective leading Pakistan's inquiry into the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto withdrew from the case Wednesday after the former prime minister accused him of involvement in the torture of her husband in 1999, a senior official said. CNN
   
• A380 takes off on landmark flight
  The first commercial flight of the world's largest passenger aircraft has taken off from Singapore bound for Sydney. Aljazeera
   
• US official quits over Iraq report
  A senior US official has resigned after a critical report into the monitoring of the Blackwater security firm, which is under investigation for the alleged killing of Iraqi civilians, was released. Aljazeera

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October 24, 2007
 

• Nigeria eyes review of oil deals
  Nigeria's top energy adviser says oil extraction partnerships with foreign firms should be reviewed. BBC
   
• Back to Biafra
  Writer Wole Soyinka confronts those who jailed him in 1967
  Forty years ago, Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka travelled to Nigeria's secessionist Biafra region to try and calm growing tensions. The visit saw him thrown in jail, forced to spend 22 months in solitary confinement. Now he has returned to meet those who ordered his detention. BBC
   
• Darfur 'a quarrel over a camel'
  Libya's leader says Sudan's Darfur conflict is "a quarrel over a camel" as a rebel group says it will boycott talks. BBC
   
• Mediterranean summit proposed
  France's President Nicolas Sarkozy invites Mediterranean leaders to a summit aimed at forging closer ties. BBC
   
• Former Sudan Rebels Say Bashir Can Resolve Political Impasse
  Former rebels of the Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) say President Omar Al-Bashir is the only one who has the political will to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005, which effectively ended the country’s war VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Benin Cocaine Corruption Trial Opens
  In Benin, 14 police officers, including the country's top drug control officer, have appeared in court; accused of stealing cocaine from a recent seizure.  Their trial opened just days after the national police director was dismissed. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Israel: Iran nukes are world issue
  LONDON, England (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that Iran's controversial nuclear program is "a major issue for the entire world" and called for stronger sanctions against Tehran. CNN
   
• Venezuela protest turns violent
  Thousands of students have clashed with police in Venezuela during a protest against proposed constitutional changes that will allow Hugo Chavez, the president, to run for re-elections indefinitely. Aljazeera

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 23, 2007
 

• Mozambique ex-leader wins prize
  Mozambique's ex-President Joaquim Chissano wins the inaugural $5m Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership. BBC
   
• Prize no surprise
  Mozambicans welcome former leader's good governance award
  Mozambicans interviewed on the streets of Maputo on Monday expressed no surprise that former President Joaquim Chissano had won the Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance in Africa. BBC
   
• Children kidnapped in Niger Delta
  Two children, aged five and six, have become the latest victims of kidnapping by gunmen BBC
   
• Congo warlord appears before ICC
  Congolese warlord Germain Katanga faces the International Criminal Court, the second suspect to do so. BBC
   
• Sierra Leone's Diamonds Fail to Fuel Growth
  As Sierra Leone's recently elected president, Ernest Koroma, begins governing, many observers are watching to see how he will tackle corruption. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Analyst Says Mali Troop Buildup Raises Risk for Renewed Violence
  In Mali, the government continues to build up its troops in the northeast, the scene of recent fighting and hostage-taking. A rebel leader says he will not release hostages until government soldiers pull out.  VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Comoros Union Government Unhappy With Rebels Islands Talks
  The Union government of the Comoros Islands says it is disappointed that one of the president’s of the island met with embattled Anjouanese President Mohamed Bacar. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Purported new bin Laden audio airs
  Al-Jazeera broadcast Monday an audio message purportedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden calling on al Qaeda and other groups in Iraq to unify their forces and speak with one voice, that of the Islamic nation. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Bin Laden issues Iraq message
  Osama Bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, has released a new audiotape calling on fighters in Iraq to unite and stand shoulder to shoulder. Aljazeera

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 22, 2007
 

• Prize to honour Africa statesman
  The Mo Ibrahim Prize - worth $5m - will be awarded in London to a former African head of state. BBC
   
• Five arrests over SA star's death
  Five people have been arrested in South Africa over the murder of reggae star Lucky Dube, police say. BBC
   
• DR Congo tells Mai Mai to disarm
  DR Congo gives a pro-government militia 48 hours to disarm, as a humanitarian crisis deepens. BBC
   
• Former Sudan Rebels Dismiss VP’s Accusations
  Former rebels of the Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) have described as baseless and unfounded an accusation that the SPLM is amassing forces and escalating tension in the country. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Malawi Court to Determine Muluzi’s Eligibility to Stand for Election
  Malawi’s Supreme Court will decide today (Monday) whether former President Bakili Muluzi is eligible to stand as the presidential candidate for the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF). VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Bhutto bombing: 3 questioned
  Police questioned three people Saturday over the bombing of Benazir Bhutto's caravan, which killed at least 136 people and shattered what was intended to be a triumphant return from exile. CNN
   
• Israel reveals 'Olmert murder plot'
  Palestinian fighters had planned to murder Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, while he was in the West Bank in August to meet Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, Israeli officials have said. Aljazeera
   
• Polish opposition wins elections
  Exit polls indicate that Poland has elected a new government which promised pull Polish troops out of Iraq next year. Aljazeera

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October 21, 2007
 

• How clothes help elephants distinguish friend from foe
  Elephants can tell whether a human is a friend or foe by their scent and colour of clothing, according to Fife experts. BBC
   
• Thousands flee amid Congo clashes
  Thousands of people flee fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo amid fears of a humanitarian crisis. BBC
   
• Critical Somali radio boss killed
  The acting manager of Somali's Shabelle radio station is shot dead, after months of harassment. BBC
   
• AU: Darfur Refugee Camp Attacked
  Published reports indicate clashes broke out between tribal groups that disagree on peace process VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Re-Opened Bridge Unites Sierra Leoneans, Liberians
  Residents in the region along the Sierra Leone-Liberian border say the re-opening of a bridge connecting the two countries has brought increased trade as people cross to buy and sell goods. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Iran's nuclear negotiator resigns
  The Iranian government announces that its top nuclear negotiator has resigned, a move seen as a victory for hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that could bring about an even tougher stance in ongoing talks. CNN
   
• EU leaders approve new treaty
  A new treaty that will reshape the European Union's institutions and, it is hoped, streamline decision-making is a "European victory", according to the current president of the EU. CNN
   
• Senior Chinese leaders lose posts
  China's vice-president and two other senior leaders have not been selected for the new Communist Party line-up as a five-yearly Congress drew to a close, Chinese state media has reported. Aljazeera

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 20, 2007
 

• Shock at SA reggae star shooting
  Fans across the world express their shock at the shooting of South African reggae star Lucky Dube. BBC
   
• Chad rebels battle army in east
  There has been heavy fighting in eastern Chad along the border with Sudan two days after a state of emergency was declared in the region. BBC
   
• South African gunman kills four
  A man has shot dead four staff at a hospital in South Africa shortly after losing his job there. BBC
   
• Niger Government Threatens Further Media Shutdowns
  In Niger, journalists are preparing to publicly denounce what they call a government blackout on reports of a rebellion in the north. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Togolese Hope for More EU Aid Following Elections
  Legislative elections in Togo this week were deemed largely free and fair by international observers, and now many in the country are hoping for a full restoration of aid from the European Union. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Nobel winner suspended in racism uproar
  Nobel laureate biologist James Watson was suspended Friday from his longtime post at a research laboratory and canceled his planned British book tour after controversial comments that black people are not as intelligent as white people. CNN
   
• Cecilia Sarkozy: I prefer shadows
  Cecilia Sarkozy, explaining the reasons for her divorce from France's president, told a newspaper she wanted to flee the harsh public spotlight on a complex relationship for the tranquility of the shadows. CNN

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 19, 2007
 

• Congo warlord flown to The Hague
  A DR Congo militia leader is flown to The Hague where he is to face charges of war crimes. BBC
   
• Sudan rivals try to resolve split
  South Sudan's leader has met the president to seek to resolve a crisis threatening to tear the country apart. BBC
   
• Some Uganda flood victims cut off
  Tens of thousands of people affected by flooding in north-eastern Uganda remain cut off from aid. BBC
   
• Ruling Party Wins Majority in Togo
  Preliminary legislative election results in Togo show the long-time ruling party winning an absolute majority out of 81 seats. But the largest opposition party, the Union of Forces for Change, vows to dispute the early results, saying polling problems cheated them out of votes. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Bush Promises More Help for Liberia
  President Bush is offering more help to the young democratically-elected government of Liberia.   VOA's Paula Wolfson reports he spoke after talks at the White House with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Bombers target Bhutto's convoy in Pakistan
  Two explosions near the motorcade of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto kill at least 110 people, officials say. Bhutto, who was on her way home after years of self-imposed exile, is not reported hurt. "There are dead bodies everywhere," says CNN's Dan Rivers, at the scene. CNN
   
• Obama and Cheney are 'cousins'
  The two men could hardly be more different, but it has been revealed that Dick Cheney, the US vice-president, and Barack Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate, are related. Aljazeera

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October 18, 2007
 

• Caught off-guard
  Ex-leader astounded by $5m value of Africa super-prize
  As former African leaders wait to see who has won the Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance, BBC world affairs correspondent Mark Doyle finds Mozambique ex-President Joaquim Chissano's shock and amusement at the value of the prize endearing. BBC
   
• Togo ruling party wins election
  Togo's governing RPT party wins a majority of seats in parliamentary elections, the electoral commission says. BBC
   
• Nigeria MP dies during graft row
  A Nigerian MP collapsed and then died during a rowdy confrontation in parliament over a high profile corruption scandal. BBC
   
• DR Congo 'to disarm Hutu rebels'
  DR Congo's president says he has drawn up a plan to disarm Hutu militias in a bid to end the crisis in the east. BBC
   
• Togo Opposition Disputes Vote Count
  Opposition parties in Togo say votes from Sunday's legislative election have been counted unfairly, but international observers say the election has been largely free and fair. Analysts say the positive report will pave the way for increased European Union aid for the impoverished country. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• West African Health Officials Struggle to Evaluate Malaria Fight
  The Roll Back Malaria Partnership of donors, governments and organizations says sub-Saharan Africa is making gains in fighting the disease.  But West African health officials say there is still a long way to go, because donors are not focusing on what is most needed. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Poachers risk lives plundering mines for gold
  Thobela Booi arrived in this mining town with hopes of landing a job that would allow him to support his wife and child. He ended up 5,000 feet underground, killed by the fumes of a raging fire. CNN
   
• Dalai Lama receives US honour
  George Bush, the US president, presented the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader with the award, despite objections from China. Aljazeera

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 17, 2007
 

• Eyes off the ball
  Nigerian city struggles to deal with new polio vaccination problem
  Sitting with friends in Kano, northern Nigeria's largest city, he says, "With those legs, he can do anything!" BBC
   
• Nets boost Africa's malaria fight
  Sub-Saharan Africa is making significant progress in fighting malaria with the use of bed nets, a UN report shows. BBC
   
• US loses cotton subsidies fight
  The US could face billions of dollars in trade sanctions for failing to scrap illegal subsidies paid to American cotton growers. BBC
   
• State of emergency in Chad
  A state of emergency has been imposed on three regions in Chad after ethnic clashes resulted in at least 20 deaths. BBC
   
• Libya secures UN council posting
  Five countries have secured terms as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. BBC
   
• 'Two shot' in Cameroon taxi riot
  Two taxi-drivers are shot dead at a protest against police brutality in north-west Cameroon, reports say. BBC
   
• New UNICEF Report Says Significant Gains Made in the Fight Against Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  Malaria kills about one-million people each year, most are children under age five. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Nigeria’s National Assembly Continues Debate On Controversial Contract Awards
  Some legislators in Nigeria’s House of Representatives are asking their embattled speaker to step aside as the house begins a debate today (Wednesday) about a report on the investigation that led to the awarding of contract worth over five million dollars. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Brazil, India Pursue Trade in West Africa
  Leaders from India and Brazil are concluding visits to West Africa.  Analysts say growing wealth in these countries, combined with West Africa's resources, can lead to new strategic alliances among developing countries. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Rice: 'Time for Palestinian state'
  Israel and Palestinian negotiators are involved in the most serious effort in "many, many years" to try to end the Mideast conflict, said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday. CNN
   
• India doubtful of US nuclear pact
  India has raised doubts about a landmark nuclear energy pact with the US after domestic political tensions reached boiling point in recent weeks over relations with Washington. Aljazeera

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 16, 2007
 

• India PM pushes Nigeria trade
  Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said he wants to "vastly expand and diversify" trade with Nigeria, Africa's leading oil exporter. BBC
   
• Slain Burkina leader remembered
  Burkina Faso pays tribute to its late revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara, who was killed 20 years ago. BBC
   
• Brazil promotes biofuels in Africa
  Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva has urged African countries to take up the use of biofuels as a way of improving their economic independence. BBC
   
• Zimbabwe dismisses boycott fear
  UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is "not qualified" to talk about human rights, Zimbabwe's Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu has said. BBC
   
• Ivorian probe into cocoa, coffee
  President Laurent Gbagbo has ordered an official inquiry into the cocoa and coffee sectors. BBC
   
• US Navy Begins Training Deployment to West Africa
  A U.S. Navy ship leaves Tuesday for a seven month deployment to West Africa as part of increased U.S. military engagement with the continent following a series of regional meetings and requests. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Burkina Faso Marks Dual Anniversary
  Thomas Sankara, the charismatic former president of West Africa's Burkina Faso who gave the country its name, will be memorialized alongside the celebrations for progress made under the current rule of President Blaise Compaore. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Northerners Dominate Sierra Leone's Next Government
  A government official in Sierra Leone says parliament will this week screen 20 ministers nominated by recently-elected president Ernest Koroma. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Vote Counting Under way in Togo's Legislative Election
  In Togo, vote counting is under way after Sunday's legislative election, the first major challenge to the ruling party. Observers say election day was mostly problem free, except for a shortage of voting supplies. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West Africa Bureau in Dakar. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• U.N. envoy urges Myanmar restraint
  Myanmar's leading opposition party urged the ruling military junta Monday to free political detainees immediately, echoing a call by the United Nations' special envoy who said reports of new arrests of dissidents were "extremely disturbing." CNN
   
• Diamond traders asked to help Africa
  The head of De Beers Group -- which controls 40 percent of the global diamond trade -- called on traders in Europe, the U.S. and Israel to back African efforts to cut and polish the continent's own gemstones. CNN

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 15, 2007
 

• Dog of war
  The colourful life and times of French soldier of fortune Bob Denard
  Bob Denard, who has died aged 78, was France's best-known mercenary. BBC
   
• London Protest Condemns Zimbabwe Leader
  Demonstrators in London have held a protest against Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and urged other African countries to condemn him. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• DRC Rebel Leader Urges Government to Accept Ceasefire
  In the Democratic republic of Congo, the leader of the rebel National Congress for the People’s Defense (NCPD) said his forces would not be able to abide by President Joseph Kabila’s ultimatum of laying down their weapons Monday. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Togolese Vote in Landmark Election
  Voters in Togo started lining up at dawn Sunday to participate in a landmark election that presents the first major challenge to the ruling party. Observers say this year's vote promises to be the country's first transparent election. VoiceOfAmerica
   
• Tukey's top general: 'U.S. shot its own foot'
  Turkey's top general warned that ties with the U.S., already strained by attacks from rebels hiding in Iraq, will be irreversibly damaged if Congress passes a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide. CNN
   
• Israel targeted 'Syrian reactor'
  An Israeli airstrike on Syria last month targeted a partially built nuclear reactor that was years away from completion, the New York Times reported Saturday, citing U.S. and foreign officials. CNN
   
• Priest 'only pretending to be gay'
  A Vatican official suspended after being caught on hidden camera making advances to a young man said in an interview published Sunday that he is not gay and was only pretending to be gay as part of his work. CNN
   
• Castro speaks 'live' on Chavez show
  Fidel Castro has called in on a live television programme hosted by Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president. Aljazeera
   
• 'Plot to assassinate Putin' in Iran
  The Russian president has been warned of a plot to assassinate him during a planned visit to Iran next week, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. Aljazeera

He who sabotages,  makes a case for similar fate!

October 14, 2007
 

• Togo prepares for landmark poll
  Togo is set to hold parliamentary polls, with a full opposition field for the first time in nearly two decades. BBC
   
• UN in talks to rescue Sudan deal
  The top UN official in Sudan has meets the SPLM to discuss its withdrawal from the unity government. BBC
   
• DR Congo army moves on rebel HQ
  The DR Congo army is moving against a renegade general's HQ days ahead of a deadline for him to cease hostilities. BBC
   
• Campaigning Ends Ahead of Togo Election
  Party leaders say Sunday's election can change Togo's reputation as autocratic state, but only if voters believe in vote VoiceOfAmerica
   
• IPU Says Parliament Members Disappeared in Eritrea
  The Human Rights Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union says the cases of more than 250 parliament members in 32 countries who have been imprisoned, killed or disappeared remain unresolved and continue to be a matter of grave concern.