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  • China & AfDB Sign $2Billion Co-Financing Deal

    China & AfDB Sign $2Billion Co-Financing Deal

    {{China and the African Development Bank (AfDB) agreed Thursday a co-financing fund worth $2 billion over 10 years, a multilateral deal signalling a shift in Beijing’s policy of dealing direct with countries.}}

    The deal, Beijing’s latest economic push on the continent, sets up the fund between the People’s Bank of China and the AfDB to finance “sovereign and non-sovereign guaranteed development projects” totalling some $200 million annually, bank chiefs said.

    The shift in setting up a multilateral fund follows criticism by some of China’s growing role in Africa, striking deals including cheap loans in exchange for mining rights or construction contracts.

    “China is a friend of Africa, they invest in infrastructure, in natural resources,” said AfDB president Donald Kaberuka, after inking a memorandum to set up the fund in the Rwandan capital.

    “Now this is the first time I believe in Africa, we are taking mainly a multilateral route… and they have done it because they want to assist in the development of Africa,” he added.

    The fund is named the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), and bank leaders said it was expected to begin financing projects before the end of the year.

    “We believe that for the next two decades we are going to see a strong growth… and people here are going to raise their living standards substantially,” said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People’s Bank of China.

    “China would like to be a part of this development.”

    China’s economic growth has been partially fuelled by African natural resources including oil.

    The deal follows Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s first tour of Africa tour earlier this month since assuming his position a little over a year ago, a trip seen as seeking to nurture a booming economic relationship.

    According to official Chinese data, since 2009, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for five consecutive years and an important source for new investments on the continent.

    Li, in a speech to the African Union in Ethiopia, praised the continent’s growing economic power, and vowed to double trade to $400 billion (290 billion euros) by 2020.

  • South Sudan Oil Production Drops 50%

    South Sudan Oil Production Drops 50%

    {{Five months of fighting in South Sudan has cut the country’s economically vital oil production by nearly 50%, the United States special envoy to the country said Thursday.}}

    “The conflict at this point has resulted in a reduction by almost half of oil output from South Sudan,” Ambassador Donald Booth, special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, told African-based journalists in a conference call from Washington.

    Industry sources had estimated the fighting caused a drop in production of between 130,000 and 160,000 barrels per day.

    That is down from around 245,000 bpd before fighting began between government and rebel forces in December.

    Some of the heaviest combat has been in the oil state of Unity, which borders Sudan.

  • Kenya Deports 359 Somalis

    Kenya Deports 359 Somalis

    {{Kenyan authorities have deported 359 illegal immigrants to Somali since the launch of a security crackdown in April 2014, Human Rights Watch has said.}}

    HRW claimed three of those deported are registered refugees.

    “In the latest move, Kenya deported 98 people, including 12 children, to Mogadishu on May 20 without warning the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) about the deportation,” HRW claimed in a statement Friday.

    HRW Senior refugee researcher Gerry Simpson said it was unlawful to force people to return to a country where they risk being persecuted, tortured or exposed to other serious harm arising from generalised violence.

    “Deporting people to conflict zones in Somalia shows a total disregard for their rights and their safety,” he said.

    He added that according to UNHCR, on April 9, the Kenyan authorities deported 83 people, followed by 91 on April 17, and 87 on May 3.

    UNHCR said the Kenyan authorities denied them access to the first three groups of deportees before they left the country.

    In January, UNHCR issued guidelines on returns to Somalia and called on countries not to return anyone before interviewing them and ensuring they do not face the threat of persecution or other serious harm if returned.

    Mr Simpson said the Kenyan government should allow any Somalis identified for deportation to challenge the move in court or to claim asylum.

    “If Kenya is unwilling to stand by its national and international legal obligations and register asylum seekers and consider their claims prior to deportation, it should allow UNHCR to step in,” Simpson said.

    nation

  • South African Teacher Condemned Over Showing Porn in Class

    South African Teacher Condemned Over Showing Porn in Class

    {{In South Africa, the National Congress of School Governing Bodies said on Thursday it was saddened by the allegation that a teacher had showed porn to a class at Edenglen High School in Gauteng.}}

    “Teachers are role models and play a very important role to sharpen our children to reach their destiny,” the body’s secretary general Pastor Monokoane Hlobo said.

    He said teachers should behave like parents to learners.

    “We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and appeal to the department of basic education and the South African Council of Educators to investigate and deal with matter as of yesterday.”

    {{Facing suspension}}

    Earlier, the Gauteng education department said a life orientation teacher who allegedly screened pornography on his class projector by accident was served with a notice of intention to suspend him.

    “We have instituted an investigation into this matter with the view to act,” said spokesperson Phumla Sekhonyane.

    She said the pupils were receiving counselling.

    “We are extremely disturbed by these allegations. The safety of children at our schools is a priority.”

    According to a report in the Sowetan newspaper the Grade 10 teacher told pupils to busy themselves with work he gave them while he prepared an exam they were soon to write.

    The teacher then reportedly began surfing pornographic sites, unaware his laptop was still connected to the class projector.

    One mother was quoted as saying her daughter came home terrified, as the incident brought back memories of her sexual abuse when she was younger.

    – SAPA

  • Congolese Warlord Katanga Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

    Congolese Warlord Katanga Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

    {{The International Criminal Court has sentenced Congolese warlord Germain Katanga to 12 years in jail.}}

    Katanga had been in March found guilty of war crimes.

    “The chamber sentences Germain Katanga to 12 years in prison,” presiding Judge Bruno Cotte told the Hague-based court in its second sentencing since opening in 2003.

    The almost seven years that Katanga has already spend in detention will be deducted from the sentence, he said.

    He is only the second person to be convicted by the court.

    He was behind the 2003 massacre of hundreds of villagers in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    The fighting escalated into an inter-ethnic conflict that is estimated to have killed 50,000 people.

    Katanga, who is known to his supporters as Simba or “the lion”, was found guilty of planning the ambush on the village in the gold-rich Ituri province of north-eastern DR Congo.

    The rebel leader was also found to have procured the weapons – including guns and machetes – used to kill more than 200 of the villagers, but he was acquitted of direct involvement.

    Katanga, 36, was also cleared of using child soldiers and of committing sexual crimes.

    NMG

  • African Nations Urged to Safeguard Water Resources

    African Nations Urged to Safeguard Water Resources

    {{African nations are being called to approach the concept of water conservation more aggressively, as water resources steadily deplete in quality

    In an interactive session conducted at the African Development Bank Annual Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, Trevor Manuel, co-chair of the Global Ocean Commission (GOC) and Pascal Lamy and former director general of the World Trade Organisation said that activities including fishing and pollution has an adverse impact on water reserves.}}

    “Reversing the degradation of oceans is key to the sustainable development of Africa, yet, it is one aspect that is overlooked.

    As Africans, we must realise that many people depend on water bodies for their daily survival, and we cannot talk of sustainable development unless we tackle these issues,” said Manuel.

    According to the co-chair of the GOC, there is no official system that determines the extent of damage done to the oceans or a set of rules that govern their exploitation, especially in African waters.

    “Lack of commitment to protect the oceans has led to overfishing in many waters that are under African jurisdiction.

    You can find it everywhere – in Gabon, South Africa, Nigeria and many other countries. This is an issue that all countries have to rise up to,” Manuel added.

  • Stolen Truck Recovered in Uganda Handed over to Rwandan Owner

    Stolen Truck Recovered in Uganda Handed over to Rwandan Owner

    {{The Rwanda National Police, on May 22, received a vehicle intercepted by Interpol Uganda in Kampala, which was stolen from Rwanda early last year}}.

    The truck, Mercedes Benz type belonging to a local businessman Gerald Bizimungu, was stolen in April last year.

    It was handed over to RNP by their Ugandan counterpart, who also handed it to the owner at the force’s headquarters in Kacyiru.

    Chief Supt. Jean Nepo Mbonyumuvunyi, Director of Interpol in Rwanda National Police said that after receiving information on the theft, they informed their counterparts in Uganda, where it was suspected to be and it was later intercepted in Kampala.

    CSP Mbonyumuvunyi, who handed the vehicle to the owner, called upon the public and the business community in particular to always know addresses of the people they work with to help trace them in case incidences happen.

    Bizimungu explained that he rent the truck to one Hassan Mabuye, in April last year for his business purposes.

    However, Mabuye allegedly forged the vehicle documents and sold it in Uganda.
    “I was later informed by my friends in Uganda that Mabuye had sold my vehicle and I reported to Police, who helped me to recover it,” Bizimungu said.

    It is alleged that Mabuye, who was also apprehended, sold the truck at US$35000 dollars, approximately Rwf24 million.

    Bizimungu said that the theft caused him over Rwf30 million in losses.

    “Above all I am happy that my got my vehicle back and I thank both Rwanda and Uganda police forces because they never gave up until they allocated it,” Bizimungu said.

    RNP

  • UN Imposes Sanctions on Nigeria’s Boko Haram

    UN Imposes Sanctions on Nigeria’s Boko Haram

    {{The UN Security Council has approved sanctions against the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, five weeks after it kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls.}}

    It will now be added to a list of al-Qaeda-linked organisations subject to an arms embargo and asset freeze.

    US envoy Samantha Power said it was an “important step” in support of efforts to “defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable”.

    It was earlier blamed for the deaths of 27 people in a north-eastern village.

    Residents said gunmen had shot dead farm workers in Chikongudo, set fire to nearly all the homes there and stolen food in an attack on Wednesday night. The assailants stormed the village in cars and motorbikes, a trademark of Boko Haram, the residents added.

    It came a day after twin bombings killed 122 in the central city of Jos. The authorities suspect Boko Haram of being behind them, but there has so far been no claim of responsibility from the group.

    {{‘Al-Qaeda training’}}

    Boko Haram was added to the al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee’s list of designated entities on Thursday at the request of Nigeria.

    “Today, the Security Council took an important step in support of the government of Nigeria’s efforts to defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable for atrocities,” Ms Power said.

    The sanctions designation would help “close off important avenues of funding, travel and weapons” to the group, she added.

    On Wednesday, Nigeria’s permanent representative, U Joy Ogwu, said: “The important thing is to attack the problem, and that is terrorism.”

    The media says Boko Haram’s links with al-Qaeda have come under scrutiny.

    Reports quoting a draft UN document said its members had received training from al-Qaeda affiliates and fought alongside them in Mali.

    myjoyonline

  • Ebola Still a Threat in West African Region

    Ebola Still a Threat in West African Region

    {{The Ghana Health Service has warned the public to refrain from contact with bats as the threat of the deadly Ebola disease still looms in the West African region.}}

    Head of Disease Surveillance at the Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie, told journalist on Thursday that anyone who handles forest animals especially bats must put on gloves and other appropriate protective clothing keep safe from the virus.

    He also cautioned that raw meat meant to be eaten must be well-cooked to prevent contact with the deadly virus.

    The Ebola virus disease which is also known as ‘Ebola fever is caused by a virus belonging to the family called Filoviridae.

    The virus can be spread between humans by close contact with infected body fluids or through infected needles.

    In Guinea, a total of 248 clinical cases and 171 deaths have been recorded.

    Eight cases of suspected Ebola Virus were found out to be negative in Ghana since the first case of Ebola was recorded in Guinea earlier this year.

    Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Gloria Quansah -Asare said the health service “sensitized and trained our health workers to be on the alert and now we have to educate the media because you are also the mouth piece and people listen to you. You will also alleviate myths and misconceptions when you know the truth. It is very infectious and lethal it also kills and we need to know how it is spread: as a country, as a community and as a house hold.”

    She was speaking at a workshop organised by the Disease Surveillance Department of the service in Accra.

    Diagnose of Ebola disease can be only be conducted through laboratory testing at the Nuguchi Memorial Research Institute.

  • Becoming a Mother ‘Makes Women Better at Their Jobs’

    Becoming a Mother ‘Makes Women Better at Their Jobs’

    {{It is a finding that will come as no surprise to mothers who are used to doing ten things at once while looking after their children.}}

    Because a study says becoming a mother makes women better at their job.

    The research indicates that raising a child improves the essential workplace skills of female workers.

    Nearly two thirds of working mums (62 per cent) say they become better at multi-tasking after having children.

    Nearly half (46 per cent) feel their time management improves, and around a quarter (27 per cent) become more organised.

    The research, carried out for Microsoft, asked 2,000 women and 500 employers how their performance had changed due to becoming a mother.

    And it seems employers agree, with more than half (57 per cent) saying mothers make better team players than women who do not have children.

    Nearly a third (29 per cent) see their employee’s team work improve after they give birth, while 35 per cent say their multi-tasking skills get better.

    One in three (34 per cent) also appreciate their colleagues and clients more when they become a mother, according to their bosses.

    The study also shows technology is playing a huge part helping mothers juggle their homelife with their work.

    More than a third (37 per cent) of working mums use technology to work from home when they cannot get into the office.

    The advancements in social media and new gadgets appear to help mothers every day.

    New technology allows a third (29 per cent) to cram an extra 60 minutes in their busy daily schedule.

    And 23 per cent say they even manage to pack in an extra two hours.

    As a result, a quarter of mums (25 per cent) claim they are twice as productive as their husband or boyfriend.

    Skincare business owner and mother-of-five Liz Earle said women have an important role in the workplace.

    The 51-year-old said: ‘The research findings are indicative of changes I have seen in business over the last decade.

    ‘Mothers work wonders both in the house and home as they become an increasingly important resource to all those around them.

    ‘I think businesses are becoming more accommodating for mothers.

    ‘New technologies are saving time and making our lives easier in all sorts of ways, from keeping in touch with colleagues and friends to finding out where the closest baby-changing room is.’

    Celine Naude from Microsoft said: ‘I couldn’t agree more with the research findings. My friends, family members and colleagues that are mums never cease to amaze me with their ability to achieve the unachievable on a daily basis.

    ‘As a mum-to-be I’m inspired by these women and proud to be part of the Office 365 campaign which is all about celebrating those who work wonders.’