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  • Rwanda Among Most Prosperous Countries in Africa

    Rwanda Among Most Prosperous Countries in Africa

    An analysis of Africa’s best 10 countries, according to the latest Legatum Institute Prosperity Index, reveals a continent on the right path to prosperity.

    The special report titled Insight on Africa, shows that economic growth, improving health standards and greater foreign and domestic investment are having a positive impact on prosperity in Africa.

    The report reveals a significant drop for Mali and Malawi, now ranking outside of the top 10.

    In East Africa, Rwanda has been the best performing while Uganda improved two places, ranking 16 out of the 38 countries surveyed.

    Kenya, East African’s largest economy dropped one place to rank 18 in the region while Tanzania had the biggest fall, ranking 19 from 11 last year.

    {{Need for reforms}}

    However, to continue their progress African states need to undertake further reforms, build better institutions, and improve education and infrastructure.

    It warns that the fact that 40 per cent of the continent’s population being youth possess both a risk and opportunity for development.

    “But the effects of this ‘youth bulge’ will not all be positive. There is a danger that young Africans will become frustrated at the limited economic opportunities available to them,” reads the report.

    With the exceptions of Botswana, Rwanda and Angola, the report notes that a vast majority of sub-Saharan African citizens, in particular in West Africa, feel their country is not doing enough to address poverty.

    For example, according to Prosperity Index data, 92 per cent feel this way in Cote d’Ivoire, while the figure is nearly 90% in both Guinea and Togo.

    The London-based public policy Institute projects that the competition over land and natural resources will most commonly spill over into conflict due to mismanagement.

    On average, according to the 2013 Legatum Prosperity Index, three-quarters of the African population perceive their environment as being good for entrepreneurs.

    However, despite the hopes of donors and anti-corruption campaigners, there has been no noticeable change in corruption levels in the past five years in Africa.

    In Uganda, the relatively low level of political constraints on the executive (Uganda places just 22 in Africa out of 38) on this measure of governance—may jeopardise development of the country’s nascent energy sector.

    The report ranks 38 countries in the continent based on their overall level of prosperity according to national wealth and wellbeing in eight sub-categories.

    It investigates changing demographics, safety, and corruption in the continent, as well as assessing Africa’s performance against the Millennium Development Goals.

    The report is to be launched today at the African Leadership Network’s annual conference “The Gathering” in Mauritius. Botswana leads the African rankings, scoring well in both the governance and the entrepreneurship and Opportunity sub-indices.

    {{Rwanda’s case}}

    Rwanda has experienced a jump from 13th to 9th in the rankings this year, with strong scores in Entrepreneurship and Opportunity, Governance, and Health.

    The Index reveals cause for concern for Mali, however, falling from 8 to 13 in ranking. The path to prosperity also remains long for Malawi, which has seen a huge fall from 9 to 21 this year.

    Nathan Gamester, Programme Director for the Legatum Prosperity Index said: “Our latest report shows that there is reason for cautious optimism in Africa. The potential for development and growth across the world’s most dynamic continent is enormous.”

    agencies

  • Kampala: African Women MPs Discuss Family Planning

    Kampala: African Women MPs Discuss Family Planning

    {{African women MPs and leaders want parents to allow their teenage daughters to access family planning and reproductive health services with a view of bringing down the increasing cases of early and unwanted pregnancies, risky abortions and maternal deaths.}}

    The women leaders on a two-day capacity building meeting that opened on Sunday at Speke Resort Munyonyo discussed ways on how they can reposition family planning and reproductive health on the development agenda of their respective government budgets.

    The meeting was organized by Partners in Population and Development Africa Regional Office (PPDARO) in collaboration with the Health Policy Project and drew participants from Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana and Uganda the host.

    Former Kalangala district Woman MP, Ruth Nvumetta Kavuma, who is a member of the African Women Leaders’ Network said that one of the major objectives of the meeting is to ensure leaders push issues of family planning and reproductive health in their countries to get increased funding.

    Increased funding, she pointed out, would be key in lowering the infant and maternal mortality rates and make family planning services accessible to all women.

    Amid such efforts, most parents, especially mothers still carry a negative attitude of family planning and reproductive health to their teenage daughters, said Kavuma.

    And the mindset is that some mothers think that by letting their teenage daughters to access family planning services, it would lead them into promiscuity.

    “But parents ought to explain all issues around family planning and reproductive health to their teenage girls so that they are aware of the outcomes of any activity they might desire to involve themselves in, including early sex,” she said.

    The former lawmaker underscored the need for parents to let their teenage daughters access family planning contraceptives because of the potential of early exposure to sexual activity.

    “We want parents to allow the teenage girls to attend family planning meetings at various health facilities so that they can access information and services that can help them to avoid early sex and pregnancies and how to deal with all issues around reproductive health.”

    Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, the PPDARO director said there is need for African governments to increase funding towards family planning services.

    He said, in Uganda for example, at least 34% of couples desire to have family planning services to space their births but cannot access them.

    He went on to stress that efforts should be made to ensure this portion can have voluntary family planning services.

    “If women can access voluntary family planning services, they will avoid risky and unwanted pregnancies and deaths, leading to spaced births that will be reflected in other sectors like gainful employment,” he said.

    He explained that although Uganda has seen increased funding towards family planning in the last four years, there is still need to improve on policies that can benefit the grassroots women to access better health services.

    Ellen Thokon Solomon from the Malawian parliament said many teenage girls in her country who became mothers disclosed that they had never received any information regarding family planning and therefore lacked knowledge on how to avoid early pregnancies.

    Other young mothers in Malawi say, according to Solomon, that they would want to use family planning methods but cannot access the services or are not aware of facilities where they are available.

    She therefore appealed for increased funding so that these services could be available to all women at the various lower health faculties.

    NV

  • Gambia pulls out of ‘neo-colonial’ Commonwealth

    Gambia pulls out of ‘neo-colonial’ Commonwealth

    The Gambian government announced Wednesday that the former British colony is pulling out of the Commonwealth with immediate effect, saying it would “never be a member of any neo-colonial institution”.

    “The general public is hereby informed that the government of the Gambia has left the Commonwealth of Nations with immediate effect,” it said in a statement.

    “(The) government has withdrawn its membership of the British Commonwealth and decided that the Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism.”

    The Commonwealth bloc is a voluntary association of more than 50 countries, many of them former territories of the British empire.

    No further details were given but a foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told news wire AFP that the decision came after the government rejected a proposal by the Commonwealth last year to create commissions in Banjul to protect human rights, media rights and fight against corruption.

    The proposal followed an April 2012 visit to the Gambia by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, during which he met with President Yahya Jammeh and other top government officials.

    President Jammeh, who is regularly accused of rights abuses, has ruled mainland Africa’s smallest country with an aura of mysticism and an iron fist since seizing power in 1994.

    Earlier this year, the Gambia was singled out for its poor rights record in Britain’s annual Human Rights and Democracy report, which cited cases of unlawful detentions, illegal closures of newspapers and radio stations and discrimination against minority groups.

    No criticism

    A spokesman at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said early Thursday: “We would very much regret Gambia, or any other country, deciding to leave the Commonwealth.”

    He noted however that “decisions on Commonwealth membership are a matter for each member government”.

    The Gambia is a tiny sliver of land wedged into Senegal. It suffers from widespread poverty but its miles of palm-fringed beaches are a favourite among sun-seeking European tourists

    The west African Anglophone nation, the smallest on the mainland, has long been dogged by rights concerns under President Jammeh’s administration.

    Mr Jammeh, who seized power in a 1994 coup, brooks no criticism. He has been re-elected to power three times.

    The man who claims he can cure AIDS and other illnesses is often pilloried for rights abuses and the muzzling of journalists.

    In 2010, the EU, the country’s top aid donor, cancelled 22 million euros ($30 million) in budget support for Banjul because of concerns over human rights and governance.

    wireSTORY

  • Kenya seeks Uganda’s help to nab terrorist

    Kenya seeks Uganda’s help to nab terrorist

    Kenyan police have asked Ugandan security forces to track down a German terrorist suspected to have crossed over into the neighbouring country following the Westgate attack.
    Photos of the German known as Andreas Mueller alias Ahmed Khaled have been circulated widely by Ugandan police after it emerged that he was on board a bus that crossed Kenya’s Limulu border on Tuesday.

    “Whoever sees anyone with features resembling the person in the picture, you should report immediately to the nearest police station/ post/ booth, mobile patrol or a security officer in the vicinity,” Ugandan Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura stated in a terror alert issued on Wednesday.

    The Ugandan police have also set up the hotlines, “0800199699, 0800199399 and 0714667743,” for citizens to report sightings of anyone who matches his description.

    He is then thought to have travelled onto Kampala and alighted somewhere along the Ugandan capital’s Jinja road.

    It is not the first time Ugandan police have issued a terror alert for Mueller who was also suspected of crossing into Uganda last year, again from Kenya, in the company of one Emrah Erdogan.

    According to the BBC, Erdogan was later arrested by Tanzanian security forces after they circulated his photo, again at Kenya’s request, for suspected involvement in the bombing of Assanands in May last year.

    An outstanding warrant however remains for Mueller’s involvement in that attack and now the killing of 67 people when terrorists went into Kenya’s Westgate shopping mall guns blazing on September 21.

    The 25 year-old Erdogan who goes by the alias Salahuddin al-Kurdi is of Turkish origin and together with Mueller are said to have trained with the Al Shabaab in Somalia before orchestrating terror attacks in Kenya and Uganda.

    Mueller joins Samantha Lewthwaite on the list of terror suspects the Kenyan security agencies are eager to apprehend for their suspected involvement in an array of terror attacks.

    Lewthwaite who has been dubbed the, ‘White Widow’ has somehow managed to elude security agents in both South Africa and Kenya where she is said to have resided for extended periods of time.

    capitalfm

  • Michael Jackson Family Lose Negligence Case

    Michael Jackson Family Lose Negligence Case

    The family of Michael Jackson has lost a negligence case against concert promoters AEG Live over the death of the 50-year-old pop star.

    A jury concluded the doctor looking after Jackson ahead of his concert tour was not unfit for his job – and so AEG had not been negligent in hiring him.

    Jackson died in 2009 after taking an overdose of a surgical anaesthetic.

    Dr Conrad Murray was jailed for four years for involuntary manslaughter for administering the drug.

    To reach its verdict, the jury of six men and six women had to go through five key yes-no questions seeking to establish whether AEG was responsible for Murray’s hiring in the first place and concerning his competence for the job.

    The jury decided that AEG Live did hire Murray but found that he was not unfit or incompetent for the job.

    Delivering the verdict, jury foreman Gregg Barden said: “That doesn’t mean we felt he was ethical.”

    The ruling was welcomed by AEG Live, who argued that they hired Murray at the request of Jackson and had no knowledge of the star’s drug dependency.

    “I counted Michael Jackson a creative partner and a friend,” said AEG Live executive Randy Phillips, who had testified at the trial.

    “We lost one of the world’s greatest musical geniuses, but I am relieved and deeply grateful that the jury recognised that neither I, nor anyone else at AEG Live, played any part in Michael’s tragic death.”

    Jackson’s 83-year-old mother Katherine was in court for the verdict, and appeared emotional as it was read out, Reuters news agency reports.

    Her lawyer, Kevin Boyle, said the family was “of course.. not happy with the result as it stands now. We will be exploring all options legally and factually and make a decision about anything at a later time.”

    In closing arguments, the Jackson lawyers had suggested the damages they were seeking could exceed $1bn – amounts AEG Live had described as “absurd”.

    wirestory

  • Man City-1 Bayern Munich-3

    Man City-1 Bayern Munich-3

    Joe Hart’s poor form continued as Manchester City’s England goalkeeper suffered a nightmare performance in this comprehensive Champions League defeat by champions Bayern Munich at Etihad Stadium.

    First he fumbled Franck Ribery’s long-range effort into the net as the holders took an early lead, then he was too easily beaten at his near post after the break as Arjen Robben wrapped up a thoroughly deserved win for Pep Guardiola’s side.

    Thomas Muller scored Bayern’s second in between Hart’s errors and a fine late strike from City substitute Alvaro Negredo could not put any gloss on a wretched night for Manuel Pellegrini and his team.

    Former City defender Jerome Boateng was sent off for hauling down Yaya Toure as the hosts mounted a late rally of sorts, but there was little by way of consolation to be salvaged from this experience.

    And after a display that only underlined the decline in his performances, much of the spotlight will be on Hart, who is simply making too many mistakes for the comfort of club and country.
    Pellegrini’s predecessor Roberto Mancini was running short of patience with Hart, 26, before his sacking and the Italian’s departure has not inspired any visible upturn in form.

    The goalkeeper was slow to react for Andreas Weimann’s winner for Aston Villa last weekend, was beaten at a corner by Cardiff striker Fraizer Campbell in August and allowed a shot from James Morrison to go straight through him during England’s victory against Scotland at Wembley.

    City’s manager must now decide whether to keep faith with Hart or replace him with Costel Pantilimon when Everton visit on Saturday.

    England boss Hodgson faces a similar dilemma over whether to drop Hart – who has won 35 caps for his country – for the decisive World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland at Wembley later this month.

    Hart was not alone in being off-form, however, as Bayern threatened to run riot. They ruled in all parts of the field, demonstrating the class that won them the Champions League last season and makes them hotly tipped to retain the trophy.

    Hart’s night of misery began after seven minutes when Rafinha’s long pass found Ribery in space on the left. He cut inside and delivered a shot that carried pace and power – but was assisted into the net by a feeble attempt at a stop from the keeper, who got a hand to the effort as it went past him.

    It was an error of such magnitude that it prompted loud groans when it was replayed on the big screens and instantly deflated an atmosphere that had been vibrant before kick-off.

    David Alaba almost fashioned a second when he again found space on the left. Hart parried his initial cross back to him and the keeper was grateful when the return bounced back into his arms off Matija Nastasic.

    If there was any hope for City after a desperate first-half performance it came in the form of the scoreline. Bayern’s superiority should have put them out of sight and given them more than their one-goal advantage.

    BBCsport

  • Mali frees Tuareg rebel-linked prisoners

    Mali frees Tuareg rebel-linked prisoners

    Mali’s Justice Minister Mohamed Ali Bathily on Wednesday described the move as a “sign of appeasement” directed towards rebels from the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad (NMLA).

    “With the aim of bringing peace, we have released these prisoners,” Bathily said at a ceremony in the capital, Bamako. “They will not be pursued for crimes against humanity or war crimes.”

    The government had already freed 32 prisoners under the truce accord, which was signed in Ouagadougou, the capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso.

    The NMLA was among the rebel groups that took control of northern Mali following a March 2012 military coup.

    The subsequent rise of Islamic groups in the region prompted the French to launch a military assault in January.

    The June peace accord paved the way for July presidential elections. But the NMLA announced last month it was pulling out because the new government had failed to honor its commitments.

    Mohamed Ag Intallah, the Tuareg clan chieftain of Kidal who attended the ceremony, called on the new government of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to do more to honour its commitments under the Ouagadougou accord.

    “This is a big step but much remains to be done because the most important prisoners are not the ones here,” he said. “I am waiting for the freeing of those people.”

    Source: Agencies

  • ICC seeks arrest of Kenyan bribery suspect

    ICC seeks arrest of Kenyan bribery suspect

    The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for a Kenyan man suspected of tampering with witnesses in the war crimes case against Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto.

    Judge Cuno Tarfusser at the Netherlands-based court in the Hague said on Wednesday that 41-year-old journalist Walter Barasa is suspected of attempting to bribe a potential witness. It is the first time the court has sought to prosecute someone for interfering with the legal process.

    “The evidence collected so far indicates that there is a network of people who are trying to sabotage the case against Mr Ruto … by interfering with prosecution witnesses,” the case’s prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement.

    Barasa allegedly offered to pay three witnesses at least $16,000 to withdraw as ICC prosecution witnesses.

    He is described in court documents as a “former intermediary for the prosecution” in Kenya, meaning he liaised between witnesses and ICC prosecutors.

    “I deny any such charges,” Barasa told Reuters news agency. “I have not gotten in touch with any witnesses or anybody having any intention of asking them or bribing them to pull out of the case.”

    Ruto, whose trial began last month, and President Uhuru Kenyatta are charged separately with orchestrating violence that swept Kenya after contested elections in 2007 and in which 1,200 people were killed. Kenyatta’s trial starts in November.

    Several witnesses have withdrawn, with prosecutors alleging intimidation and defence lawyers denying it. In March, the loss of a key witness led to the collapse of the case against Kenyatta’s co-accused, the former civil service head, Francis Muthaura.

    Source: Agencies

  • Berlusconi U-turn secures Italian government survival

    Berlusconi U-turn secures Italian government survival

    {{Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta won a confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday after Silvio Berlusconi, facing revolt in his own center-right party, backtracked on threats to bring down the government.}}

    As dozens of center-right senators prepared to defy their media magnate leader and salvage the left-right coalition led by Letta, Berlusconi staged an abrupt U-turn and said he too would back the center-left prime minister, just days after he sparked the crisis by pulling his ministers out of Letta’s cabinet.

    After a sometimes fiery debate in the upper house, in which he faced repeated accusations of sowing chaos in a personal bid to stave off expulsion from parliament over a tax fraud conviction, Berlusconi said: “We have decided, not without some internal strife, to support the government.”

    Financial markets reacted positively. But the end of this crisis, seven months after an inconclusive election, leaves question marks over Letta’s ability to address deep problems in Italy’s economy which are troubling its partners in the euro.

    Letta, who had appeared on course for victory with PDL help even before the startling turn of events in the chamber, reacted with visible surprise to Berlusconi’s climbdown, laughing slightly and shaking his head in disbelief.

    Berlusconi covered his face with his hands after he sat down; in what may be one of his last acts in the Senate before the procedure for his removal begins on Friday, the 77-year-old then cast his vote for Letta, a prime minister whom he had accused a day earlier of lacking credibility.

    Later, as he drove away, he was heckled by onlookers.

    “What happened today should be shown in a theatre not in parliament,” Federico D’Inca, a deputy from the opposition 5-Star Movement said during a debate in the lower house, where Letta won a second confidence vote in the evening.

    Backed by his own Democratic Party (PD) and by Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL), the prime minister won the Senate vote by 235 to 70. He then won by 435 to 162 in the lower chamber, where the PD holds a strong majority.

    {agencies}

  • 15 dead in attack on leader of Pakistani anti-Taliban militia

    15 dead in attack on leader of Pakistani anti-Taliban militia

    {{At least 15 people were killed in an attack on a pro-government militia commander in Pakistan’s lawless northwestern tribal area on Thursday morning, security forces said.}}

    The attack comes as Pakistan’s government is mulling peace talks with the Taliban, although no conditions have yet been set, and previous deals with the Taliban have always collapsed.

    A car bomb rammed into the compound of Mullah Nabi Hanfi, the leader of an anti-Taliban militia he formed after breaking away from the Taliban in 2009.

    Two suicide bombers launched a second attack but were killed in the shootout by Hanfi’s men, sources in the security forces said.

    Hanfi was among the ten men wounded in the attack and taken to a district hospital.

    He survived a similar attack on his compound last year that killed 10 people. He lives in the Spin Tal region of Hangu district, bordering North Waziristan, considered a hub of Taliban militants.

    wirestory