BURUNDI :
RWANDA
Rwandan opposition parties condemn grenade attacks in Kigali February 22, 2010/www.sfbayview.com
Feb. 20 – On the morning of Feb. 20, 2010, a coalition of opposition parties condemned the previous night’s deadly grenade attacks in Kigali, calling them “an attempt to instill fear in the population” prior to Rwanda’s August presidential election. At 12:38 Greenwich Mean Time, on Feb. 20, the BBC reported “Rwandan capital Kigali hit by deadly grenade attacks.” Several hours earlier, the Permanent Consultative Council of Opposition Parties in Rwanda issued this statement, signed by the leaders of all three broadbased opposition parties, about the attacks: “Condemnation of grenade attacks in Kigali “At the moment there are conflicting reports about the dead and the injured; however, the main issue at hand is the lives of innocent and defenseless citizens who are at a serious risk. These cowardly and wicked acts are meant to instill fear in the population at a crucial time when we are heading for the presidential elections in a few months, with the polls scheduled for Aug. 9. “We strongly condemn these barbaric acts in the strongest terms possible and call upon the Rwandan government, as we have done in the recent past to: “1. Investigate and bring to book the perpetrators of these acts “2. Ensure a fair hearing of the suspects once they are apprehended “3. Guarantee security of persons and their property. “Issued at Kigali, 20th February 2010.” The statement was signed by Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, chairperson, United Democratic Forces; Frank Habineza, chairman, Democratic Green Party of Rwanda; and Bernard Ntaganda, chairman, Parti Social Imberakuri. The state run Rwanda News Agency reported, also on Feb. 20, that Rwandan police are holding two men they believe to be responsible and that they already know, without further investigation, who is responsible – the Hutu paramilitary force known as the “interahamwe.” UGANDA
Uganda Pastor Sparks Homosexual Controversy Martin Ssempa is a pastor in Kampala, Uganda who has sparked a controversy that stretches worldwide. He is an advocate for making those that participate in gay sexual activities, criminals. In an effort to further his anti-gay support, he included several gay pornography videos and pictures during his church service on Wednesday. He gave verbal descriptions of each act presented in the videos and pictures to ensure the viewers were thoroughly appalled. The congregation consisted of about 300 adults and children. The pastor plans on showing the videos regularly to remind his followers about the bill he hopes to get passed in the country. He plans on showing his internet downloaded gay porn to the members of parliament as well. His original plan for a million man march was thwarted by police citing security issues. This furious attack on gays comes after parliament tabled a bill that would make gay acts punishable by death. President Obama along with several other world leaders denounced the bill. Ssempa is furious with the US president for getting involved with an African nation who already has strict laws regarding homosexuality. The present law in Uganda calls for life imprisonment if a person is caught in a homosexual encounter. Uganda: Exchange Unveils Electronic System Kampala — Uganda Securities Exchange last week unveiled the Securities Central Depositary (SCD), an electronic store for company shares traded at the stock market as it looks at improving efficiency at the stock market. The SCD was unveiled to investors, as the first step towards computerizing the trading of securities. The migration from paper certificates to the SCD system now means that shareholders will be issued with personal electronic accounts as evidence for ownership of a company’s listed shares at the USE. The same system is currently used in advanced markets especially; in Europe, the United States, South Africa, and Kenya, among others. Opening free Accounts Following the launch of the electronic system in Kampala last week, Mr Simon Rutega, the chief executive officer of USE called on both holders of listed company shares like Stanbic Bank, as well as potential investors to open free SCD accounts at their SCD Agents (stock brokerage firms) offices as part of the transition. He said the migration to the new system was a giant step for the stock market. “What it means is; we are moving away from a paper-based to a paperless system, from a manual to an electronic system,” he told journalists at the launch of the SCD system. “It means that if an investor is going to participate in this market, he or she will require an SCD account.” After opening their accounts, the next stage for investors who currently hold their shares in certificate or paper form, will be immobilisation- where their securities will be deposited into their electronic accounts in the SCD. Ms Harriet Kiwanuka, the head of trade, research and market development at USE, said the migration to the new system is an innovation to promote efficiency and convenience. Invisible Children Tour comes to Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee Community College’s International Student Organization is hosting the Invisible Children Tour for the third year in a row. Invisible Children is a series of screenings that began in 2003 when three San Diego filmmakers experienced “night commuting” while traveling to Sudan by way of North Uganda. “Night commuting” is when children leave their communities in groups at night and go to urban centers, which are considered safer than being at home with their families. TANZANIA:
RB lauds China Zambia relations www.daily-mail.co.zm/- XINHUA/22022010 Mr Banda made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua News Agency prior to his scheduled visit to China. He said the visit will strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries which are based on mutual trust, transparency, South-South Co-operation and a win-win relationship. Mr Banda said since Zambia and China established diplomatic relations 45 years ago, the two countries have been experiencing a cordial, warm and brotherly friendship through the whole period. The President has noted that China has been an all-weather friend to Zambia. He said during the global crisis last year, while other investors were pulling out and laying off employees, the Chinese investors continued to invest in Zambia. President Banda said the China Non-Ferrous Metal Mining Corporation even offered to run Luanshya Copper Mine which had suspended operations, thereby creating employment and assisting to secure the livelihood of local people in the mining area. “As we all know, China is one of the biggest investors and source of financing. All the countries in the world are competing for Chinese investment. My delegation includes some Zambian business houses and, therefore, I expect that strategic partnerships and stronger ties will be developed between our peoples,” he said. Mr Banda said that decades ago, China came to Zambia’s aid when the country was facing difficulties. “Every time we think of TAZARA, we think about the lives of 64 young Chinese sacrificed to build that railway line and to keep Zambia alive through critical times,” President Banda said. And Mr Banda said the 1,700-km long pipeline from Tanzania to Zambia, as well as roads, stadium, medical centres, textile plants, government buildings which were constructed by Chinese workers are considered the new milestones of China-Africa, China-Zambia friendship after TAZARA. CONGO RDC :
LRA goes on rampage in Central African Republic Fighters from the Ugandan rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have killed two civilians and abducted dozens of others after launching attacks on a town in the Central African Republic. LRA fighters armed with machetes and clubs carried out the attacks on the town of Rafai in the eastern Central African Republic on Friday. The attack left two dead and several others injured, according to local media reports. Some 30 others have been reported either kidnapped or missing. The attack was the third in the region in less than two weeks blamed on the LRA. The rebel group is said to be using its military base in the Democratic Republic of Congo to unleash the attacks across the porous borders with neighboring countries. LRA leader Joseph Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. He has been on the run since 2009, when Uganda and regional countries launched a multinational operation to pursue the rebels into the northeast DRC. Kony is now believed to be trapped in a swampy forest, surrounded by Ugandan forces, but some remnants of his loyal fighters frequently go on deadly rampages in neighboring countries. JR/HGL KENYA :
Kenyan police rescue kidnapped Canadian NAIROBI — Kenyan police rescued at the weekend a Canadian resident, who had been kidnapped for ransom days earlier, in a raid that left two of the captors dead, police said Monday. “The man is very safe, he was rescued after we pursued some leads which led us to where he was being held,” police official David Kerina told AFP. The rescue was in Gatundu, north of Nairobi, on Saturday and the kidnappers had been tricked into believing they were about to receive a ransom, he said. “Two of the men who were guarding (the hostage) in Gatundu saw the officers and as they tried to escape, they were gunned down and the Canadian man was then rescued,” said Julius Sunkuli, head of the police’s flying unit. The Canadian expatriate was snatched last week after driving his child to school in Nairobi, raising fears of a new trend of kidnappings by ransom-hunting gangs. Nairobi is known for crime but while police and private security companies have stabilised the number of armed burglaries and car-jackings in recent years, 2009 saw a spike in kidnappings targeting Kenyans and foreigners. PM SAYS KENYA CRISIS TO BE RESOLVED SOON NAIROBI, Feb 22 (NNN-KBC) — Prime Minister Raila Odinga says he is optimistic that the current political deadlock in Kenya will be resolved very soon. He made this assurance to Kenyans moments after his return home from Japan Sunday but fell short of confirming when he would meet the president to iron out their differences. The prime minister, however, said the Kenyan delegation held successful talks with the Japanese authorities with Tokyo agreeign to extend a soft loan of 320 million USD for s geothermal project and a grant of 55 million USD for reforestation and drought responses. The prime minister left for Japan last week in the wake of a political storm after he suspended ministers William Ruto and Sam Ongeri but his orders were proptly revoked by President Mwai Kibaki. Odinga’s Orange Democratic movement (ODM) party — partners in Kenya’s unity government with the president’s Party of National Unity (PN) — wrote a letter to the African Union’s Kenyamediator, Kofi Annan, asking him to intervene in the crisis even as the party threatened to boycott Cabinet meetings. On Thursday, a wave of optimism swept the country with news that the two principals had spoken on the phone and agreed to meet as soon as the prime minister returned home from Japan. Meanwhile, six Members of Parliament have launched a scathing attack against Odinga for his failure to fight graft in the country. They claimed the prime minister was instead trying to sacrifice some Cabinet ministers and senior government officials under the guise of fighting corruption in the government and said this was not only unethical but also a misuse of power. Led by Industrialisation Assistant Minister Nderitu Mureithi, the MPs called for the prime minister to step aside if he felt that he was being undermined by the Head of State and not comfortable serving in the office. They noted that the prime minister was using scapegoats and hence this proved that he had failed. “We know the Prime Minister has expressed his commitment to fighting corruption in the government but he should lead in the front if he truly means what he says. Otherwise he should not use unacceptable ways to get rid of officers implicated in corrupt deals,” Mureithi said. Speaking in Nyahururu, the MPs vowed to put the prime minister on his toes to ensure that he observed the laid down rules in the Kenyan Constitution and in the National Accord. The assistant minister was accompanied by Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau, John Mututho (Naivasha), Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa), George Thuo (Njunja) and nominated MP Sam Nyamwea. — NNN-KBC Kenya: Nyagah’s Tour of Milk Plants Sparks Row Nairobi — There appeared to be no end to the woes facing dairy farmers as the exchange between key players degenerated into a war of words. The New Kenya Cooperative Creameries management criticised minister Joseph Nyagah’s move to visit the company’s plants without informing it. Chairman Matu Wamae said junior employees had felt intimidated by the Cooperative Development minister’s visit of New KCC factories in Eldoret and Kitale without informing the board or being accompanied by members. “No business can survive if its operations are politicised. The minister did not inform the head office of the visit, which he used to threaten to sack all the employees in those areas,” he said in an interview with the Nation. Mr Wamae accused Mr Nyagah of relying on piecemeal information from some disgruntled employees to criticise the New KCC board instead of following up matters with the management. He said New KCC had been given a clean bill of health by the Controller and Auditor General in the past four years. The Eldoret UHT (ultra heat treated) plant, Mr Wamae said, had not been rehabilitated, contrary to media reports, as it required huge amounts of money. However, the Nyahururu and Sotik facilities, Mr Wamae said, fully satisfied consumers’ needs although they were not being fully utilised. The Sh110 million given by the government to the New KCC Eldoret branch, Mr Wamae said, was used to rehabilitate the powder milk drier. The company also injected Sh100 million into the venture and has since repaid half of the money given by the government, he added. The chairman said the Eldoret plant was currently processing 80,000 litres of milk into powder daily. “If the minister wants to send the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission or any other investigating agency, he is free to do so. Politicising the issue would only harm the organisation,” he said. Mr Wamae said that another Sh547 million from the government was used to pay the firm’s predecessor, KCC 2000. “The government has not given New KCC any other money for rehabilitation and machinery. We have instead used about Sh1.35 billion from our own internal funds for capital development.” New KCC currently makes a profit of about Sh500 million annually, he said. Mr Wamae said his organisation was currently holding large stocks of milk and that the reduction of prices from Sh32 per half litre packet to Sh24 was meant to encourage consumption. “We have more than one million kilogrammes of powder milk and nearly 18 million litres of UHT in packets. Our stores are full and we have started hiring others,” he said. Kenya’s policy makers are on the spot following the wastage of thousands of litres of milk in some parts of the country in stark contrast to hunger and desolation elsewhere. Caught in the scandal are government officials who encouraged farmers to produce more milk while not making any efforts to increase processing capacity. Farmers have blamed poor planning by New KCC, the biggest player in the market, and private dairies for their woes and want the government to introduce strategic milk reserves as one way of fixing the problem. In Eldoret, for example, daily milk deliveries to the New KCC factory doubled from 40,000 litres to 80,000 litres in the past two months. However, the firm’s UHT plant can only process 6,000 litres. The factory, built in 1968 with a 300,000-litre capacity, cannot operate at capacity because some machines were vandalised. In Nyeri, the Kiganjo factory, according to New KCC acting managing director Milcah Mugo, receives an average of 268,500 litres a day, only 40 per cent of the milk produced in central Kenya. “The crisis has been caused by a lack of accurate information on the exact levels of milk production to enable creameries to cope with additional processing and source for external markets for their products,” said Mr Philip Kibusie of Sirikwa Dairies in Eldoret. As the crisis rages, Mr Nyagah has ordered investigations into how Sh110 million allocated to renovate the Eldoret factory was used. Mr Nyagah, whose ministry oversees New KCC, is under pressure to explain the scandal and may face a censure motion in Parliament. ANGOLA :
Angola, Nigeria: Sub-Sahara Africa Bond, Currency Preview Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) — The following events and economic reports may influence trading in sub-Saharan African bonds and currencies today. Bond yields and exchange rates are from the previous session. Angola: The central bank of Africa’s second-largest crude oil exporter is scheduled to hold a foreign-exchange auction. The southwest African country’s currency, the kwanza, was unchanged at 90.2950 per dollar at 6:39 a.m. in the capital, Luanda. Nigeria: Africa’s most populous nation will hold a foreign currency auction. The country’s currency, the naira, was unchanged at 150.60 per dollar at 6:40 a.m. in Lagos. Rwanda: The East African nation holds a Treasury-bill auction. The Rwandan franc was unchanged at 572.2350 per dollar by 7:41 a.m. in Kigali. –With assistance by Janice Kew in Johannesburg. Editors: Athol Bolleurs, Paul Richardson. Daewoo Shipbuilding wins $348 mln Angola order SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, the world’s second-largest shipbuilder, said it had won an order from Angola worth about 400 billion won. Under the deal Daewoo would deliver five 160,000-tonne crude oil carriers to state oil company Sonangol between 2011 and 2013, Daewoo said in a statement on Sunday. Daewoo, which aims to win $10 billion new orders this year, focuses on areas that are relatively less affected by the shipbuilding downturn, such as crude carriers and offshore oil producing plants. SOUTH AFRICA:
South Africa: 2010 War On Malaria, TB And HIV Pretoria — The 2010 FIFA World Cup will present a unique platform to mount the fight against malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in the African continent. The pledge was made by Michael D’Hooghe, chairman of the FIFA Medical Committee at the third International Football Medicine Conference in Rustenburg. “We must use this Soccer World Cup to fight the big three in Africa. We must fight against malaria, TB and HIV. Those issues need to be fought hard as to help improving the standard of the game in Africa. We are here to learn about this continent; we will have to listen to African health practitioners and see how best we can exchange ideas for the better of the game,” he said. Delegates from the African continent and the world including representatives of the 32 teams participating in the Soccer World Cup attended the conference. D’Hooghe also emphasized that African football should be the biggest beneficiary during and after the 2010 Soccer World Cup. FIFA executive members said the conference was organised to try and bring expert knowledge to the game, communicate and discuss the implementation of ideas. FIFA medical officer, Dr Jiri Dvorak, emphasized the importance of using the knowledge acquired to improve the lives of footballers as well as the standard of the game itself. “Our biggest goal is to minimise injuries in football. People have to realise that soccer is a safe sport,” he said. “The Soccer World Cup is the best opportunity to present football to the world. We have to show that we care for the health of players and improve the standard of care,” Dvorak said. South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Molefi Sefularo, told delegates that the country has been putting all necessary measures to prepare for the tournament to ensure that visitors enjoy quality health care. “From the side of government, we have invested in all sectors. We are further pleased by the fact that our assessment of our state of readiness gives us comfort to be able to say we are ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” he said. Zuma Orders Review of South African State-Owned Companies Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) — South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has ordered an independent review of the country’s state-owned companies, he said in an interview with Johannesburg’s Sunday Times newspaper that was published yesterday. “I have ordered a review of all of them with a final decision on what to do,” he said. “It is clear there are difficulties. We are going to be decisive.” Proteas angered by security blunder With security being major concern throughout South Africa’s tour through India, the players were perplexed, nay, angered when details of the security plan to protect them in Kolkata were made public on Friday. The Hindustan Times a local national daily carried details of the security surrounding both India and South Africa during the second Test, including identifying the decoy vehicles being used, the number of police and special forces units who were employed and to top it off carried pictures of the decoy bus and the actual buses carrying the players and showing their police escorts. Now no one wants to restrict the media’s access to information, nor in my case question it, but surely there are some cases where a little more care needs to be practiced. Quoting a senior police official saying how many cars and soldiers were being is used to protect the teams is foolish and dangerous. “What a bunch of f****** idiots,” one player blurted upon reading the report. The South African players have been very concerned over security and Sunday’s first ODI was played amidst a massive security blanket. Spectators and media were body searched three times, in some cases four times, bags were scanned and then searched as well. One report Saturday said the air-force were being employed to enforce a “no-fly-zone” of sorts because as one official put it “we can’t guarantee there won’t be an attack on the stadium from the sky.” The security personnel on duty Sunday were certainly enthusiastic given the manner in which they rushed the two teams off the field once Mahendra Singh Dhoni had broken the stumps to run Wayne Parnell out. The third umpire took a good 3-4 minutes to make his decision and by the time he confirmed it, both sides had been shovelled back into the change rooms. The trouble with revealing plans about security is ironically highlighted in the very article carrying details of the plans on Friday, and that stems from last year’s attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. Also many of the strategies employed now will be replicated for the Indian Premier League and next year’s World Cup which will be held in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Telling people how players, who after the Sri Lankan attack and closer to home the Togolese football team attack, are being protected, is just plain daft and on the media’s side to report it irresponsible. Already there is a big chance players from Australia and England won’t be participating in the IPL, while South Africa’s players are understood to be very nervous about returning here. Fabio Capello flies into South Africa to check World Cup facilities • Concerns over pitches at Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus Press Association /guardian.co.uk/ 22 February 2010 The England manager, Fabio Capello, is expected to look at the facilities and playing surfaces at Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus when he arrives in South Africa for a pre-World Cup coaches’ conference today. The Football Association has not confirmed the site, near Sun City in the north-west of the country, as its base for the tournament this summer but Capello has previously raised concerns about the standard of the training pitches there. The hotel is yet to be finished – plans for a clubhouse and medical facilities need to be completed – but officials are confident of delivering to Capello’s requirements on time. The 82-room hotel will include two “King’s suites” for the King of the Bafokeng people, with his requests the only factor affecting scheduling at the moment. “They are pushing it forward,” said Riaan Welman, front-office manager at the complex. “At the moment the only thing holding up the King’s section is if he is wanting something specific. We can do a room in half a day and a lot of them have equipment ready now.” Capello will be at Sun City for Fifa’s Team Workshop for national coaches, discussing aspects of tournament organisation, with the facilities at Royal Bafokeng not part of the programme but still a priority. There are plans for the hotel to construct quad-bike, paintballing and assault-course facilities for team-building exercises, although England players would be unlikely to engage in risky pursuits. Anti-retroviral drugs may curb AIDS spread A top scientist has said that it is possible to stop the spread of AIDS in South Africa within five years by using anti-retroviral treatments (ARVs) and mass screening. Dr Brian Williams, based at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (Sacema) in Stellenbosch, has said that the cost of giving the drugs to almost six million HIV-positive patients in the country would be 2-3 billion dollars per year. He said that only about 30 per cent get the life-saving drugs, but early detection and treatment would prevent transmission. This should be complementary to the search for an Aids vaccine, he said. Williams, a leading figure in the field of HIV research, said that an effective vaccine was still a long way away. “The tragedy is that the disease continues unabated. The only real success story is the development of these extremely effective drugs that keep people alive and reduce their viral load by up to 2,000 times. They become close to non-infectious,” the BBC quoted him as saying at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in San Diego. “While the rapid scale-up in the provision of ART in the last five years has exceeded expectations, it has not reduced HIV-transmission and Aids-related TB because it has been given too late in the course of infection,” he added. Williams argued that by the time people started ART, they had infected “most of those that they would have infected anyway”. “We’ve been using drugs to save lives, but not stop the infection. It’s time to look beyond that,” he said. Williams said that if clinical trials started now, all of the HIV positive people in South Africa could be on ARV treatment within five years. Mexico Stocks Cut, South Africa Shares Raised at Morgan Stanley Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) — Mexico’s stocks were downgraded while South African shares were upgraded at Morgan Stanley. Mexico was lowered to “underweight” from “equal-weight” by Morgan Stanley strategists Jonathan Garner and Michael Wang, who cited a “sharp deterioration” in the country’s earnings outlook. The strategists also upgraded South Africa’s stocks to “equal-weight” from “underweight,” citing the nation’s valuations and currency. AFRICA / AU :
Niger Activist Calls for More Empowerment of African Civil Society Groups James Butty/www1.voanews.com/22 February 2010 | Washington, DC A Niger civil society leader is calling on other civil society groups throughout Africa to stand up in defense of democracy and the rule of law. Marou Amadou, president of the United Front for the Safeguard of Democratic Gains in Niger was arrested and jailed several times during Niger’s civil society activism against attempts by President Mamadou Tandja to prolong himself in power. He said civil society groups and citizens around Africa should stand up against dictatorships even if it means they would be killed. “We have, as Africans, to believe in democracy; to have tireless struggle for the establishment of freedom in all parts of Africa. We cannot accept dictatorship and poverty and fatalities in our continent. If in some parts of Africa dictatorship can establish, we, Nigeriens will not accept it even if we will be killed,” he said. Amadou said only through the mobilization of citizens all over Africa can freedom, democracy and transparency be attained on the African continent. He said some of the reasons for coup d’états in Africa have been corruption, injustice and irresponsibility on the part of the political elites. The army overthrew President Mamadou Tandja in a military coup last week. Mr. Tandja had grown increasingly unpopular since expanding his power and giving himself another three years in office through a controversial referendum last August. The new military leaders said over the weekend they will hold elections but have not yet set a date. Coup leader Squadron Chief Salou Djibo is promising to set up a consultative council for decision-making. Diplomats from the United Nations, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States arrived in Niamey over the weekend for meetings with Niger’s new military rulers and political leaders on how best to return to constitutional rule. Amadou called on Niger’s new military leaders to organize free and fair elections as soon as possible. “We need a good and credible constitution. Secondly we need free and transparent general election. After this, we think that never, never again any political class will begin corruption and irresponsibility to justify a coup d’etat in our country,” Amadou said. Even though he described himself as a democratic activist who does not believe in the unconstitutional taking of power, Amadou said last week’s coup against President Tandja was a justified one. “You are always happy when you come at the end of a bad government. That is why the happiness of all our people is justified. But when you see what’s happening in Mauritania, when you see what’s happening in Guinea, you have to be vigilant. That is why even though people are very happy, they hope their happiness will not be betrayed,” he said. Amadou blamed the intransigence of former President Tandja for last week’s coup d’etat. He said if the new military leaders do not respect the views of the citizens, the people will return to the streets again in protest, even if it means they would be killed. “This struggle for democracy is our destiny as democratic activists. Any government in Niger who will not want to respect democracy and the return to constitutional order we will be in the streets and we will fight dictatorship, even a civilian dictatorship or military dictatorship. For this we are ready to die,” Amadou said. Bharti Lines up $9 Billion in Loans for Zain Africa NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s Bharti Airtel has lined up $9 billion in loans from foreign and local banks for its planned acquisition of the African assets of Kuwait’s Zain , the Economic Times reported on Monday. The newspaper cited three people familiar with the matter as saying nearly a dozen banks — mostly foreign — had come forward to commit the amount in long-term loans, compared with earlier plans of taking short-term or bridge loans. Standard Chartered is leading the consortium of banks and has alone committed $5.5 billion, the paper said. The pricing for the 7-year loan could be close to 300 basis points over the London inter-bank offered rate, it said. Barclays has also committed close to $5 billion to the company, the paper said. Sources had earlier told Reuters Standard Chartered and Barclays were advising Bharti on the deal and also on the funding and that Standard Chartered was looking to lead roughly $5 billion loan for Bharti. The Economic Times said about $2-$3 billion could be rupee loans from a couple of Indian banks keen on being part of a syndicate of banks. Foreign banks including ANZ, BNP Paribas , Citi , DBS , Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and JPMorgan were likely to be part of the overseas syndication, it said. Among Indian banks, the State Bank of India and Kotak Mahindra Bank , besides some state owned banks, also want to partner in this deal, it said. (Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan) Pressure mounts on Niger’s military junta to plan elections Monday, February 22, 2010 /www.ngrguardiannews.com MORE reactions have continued to pour in, in the wake of suspension by the African Union (AU) of Niger from its fold on account of the violent overthrow of the administration of Mamadou Tandja. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had late last year also suspended the country when Tandja sacked the parliament and sought to extend his tenure in office. Diplomats in Nigeria, led by former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Joe Keshi, have demanded that the Nigerien junta led by Platoon Commander, Salou Djibo, should quickly conduct elections and return the country to civil democracy. In a statement yesterday, they said: “The realistic way forward now is for them (coup makers) to quickly organise elections and return to the barracks. The days in which the military sees itself as the guardian of the state are gone. And in any case, some of the intractable problems of development, the under-development that we face today, were caused by military rule.” The AU, in a statement made available to The Guardian at the weekend, said it had also imposed sanctions on the country and demanded a quick return to constitutional rule. The Chairman of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, had earlier said there should be “zero tolerance” of those taking power by force. The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also since joined the continental bodies in condemning the coup and appealed for calm and respect for human rights. Keshi continued: “The political situation in Niger did not come as a surprise to close watchers of recent developments in that country but we must also be careful on how we interpret the military intervention…because of our special relationship…the president (Umaru Yar’Adua) maintained that Tandja must obey his country’s constitution and step aside at the end of his tenure in December 2009…. the rest is history now as he instead tampered with the constitution, dissolved the parliament, ignored the country’s courts and proceeded to organise a referendum and became a sole candidate… and now being told in a rather ignominious manner that there are many others who can rule the country…” More condemnations have also come from the United States (U.S.) which said it places great importance on Niger’s speedy return to democracy and the rule of law even though it was deeply concerned about the “illegal and unconstitutional actions” that resulted in the extension of President Tandja’s term of office. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, had said: “The U.S. is deeply concerned by the February 18 events in Niger where a military officer-led group claims to have deposed the government of Mamadou Tandja.” Maintaining that the group “must restore Niger to the constitutional democracy that existed prior to the creation of the sixth Republic”, the Assistant Secretary offers his assurances that the U.S. would continue to support the hopes of the people of Niger to see restored constitutional order and a peaceful transition through prompt, fair, and transparent elections. But a danger signal was sent when the new military council announced it was lifting a curfew and reopening borders. The military junta spokesman, Col. Abdul Karimou, told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that the situation was “under control” and that there was “no single voice of dissension” in the West African state. Tandja, a 71-year-old former army officer, was first elected in 1999 and was returned to power in an election in 2004. His second term in office expired in December, but was extended to allow him to complete major investment projects. Most of the cabinet ministers captured along with the president are said to have been released and had gone home. The European Union (EU) followed former colonial power, France, in calling for all those involved to “engage immediately in a democratic process allowing for rapid establishment of the constitutional order.” Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries. But under Tandja’s tenure, a French energy firm, Areva, has begun work on the world’s second-biggest uranium mine – ploughing an estimated $1.5 billion into the project. Also, China National Petroleum Corporation had earlier signed a $5 billion deal in 2008 to pump oil within three years. Meanwhile, international envoys arrived Niger yesterday where thousands of people staged rallies to support the military coup. The UN representative, Said Djinnit, Ramtane Lamamra, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security and Mohammed Ibn Chambas, head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), were to meet the new junta leaders. “We have come to assess together the situation prevailing in Niger. We will meet the new authorities with whom we will have discussions,” ECOWAS president Chambas told Augence Frence Presse (AFP) at Niamey Airport. Players warned: go to India at own risk Peter Lalor From: The Australian/ February 22, 2010 AUSTRALIAN cricketers, along with their counterparts in England and South Africa, will be warned not to compete in the Indian Premier League next month or that they do so at their own risk, according to reports in Britain. Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh said last night he had received the report from security consultant Reg Dickason but would not disclose its contents until he had advised the players. The Australian, South African and English player associations share the security report, which they commissioned independently because the IPL refused to deal with the associations. London’s Sunday Telegraph reported yesterday that the Federation of International Cricketers, “expects a mass pull-out of players from the tournament this week unless security concerns are addressed or the IPL is moved out of India”. Players will make their own decision as to whether to attend. Some, including Shane Warne, Shaun Tait and Damien Martyn are publicly supporting the tournament, although Warne had to be pulled into line after expressing initial doubts. The Australian has been told some cricketers are more apprehensive than others about attending. Victorian players were caught up in a security scare during last year’s Champions League and some have been shaken by that experience. The IPL, along with the Hockey World Cup and Commonwealth Games were all targetted by an Al-Qa’ida sub-group called the 313 Brigade. The group warned foreign athletes not to attend any event. India cannot afford for the IPL to be spoiled by the terror threat for fear it will have a flow-on effect to the Commonwealth Games and to other cricket on the sub-continent, including next year’s ODI World Cup. Last year’s IPL was shifted to South Africa after the Mumbai terror attacks and a clash with local elections caused security problems. The multi-million-dollar competition lost a lot of money last year, with ratings down in India and franchises upset at not being able to exploit their domestic presence. The problems come at a bad time for IPL chief Lalit Modi, who is trying to sell two new franchises, each with a reserve price of US$225m. Marsh said yesterday he could not comment on what he would be recommending to players. “We haven’t spoken to the players at this stage. “We have just received the report and we are working through it,” he said. “We need to go through the process of talking to our executive and our players before we are in a position to make public comment.” England Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood, who plays for the Delhi franchise, told The Telegraph he was considering his position. “I am aware of the reported security risks and am in constant communication with Delhi Daredevils,” said Collingwood, who had not seen the report. “I will make a decision once I have had a chance to review all the available information and talk to the relevant people.” Additional reporting: agencies FIFA fears use of undetectable African medicines as stimulants at World Cup SUN CITY, South Africa — FIFA is concerned that players at the World Cup could use undetectable stimulants derived from traditional African medicines that aren’t currently banned substances. FIFA medical committee chairman Michel D’Hooghe told The Associated Press on Sunday that he wants the World Anti-Doping Agency to analyze some African plants that could give athletes an unfair advantage. “I have a big concern – and I can confess that. We were learning a lot about the traditional African medicines and we are not sure what all of these products contain,” D’Hooghe said. “I think some products are not detectable. This makes it difficult. They can deliver stimulation and diuretic activity.” D’Hooghe said he became aware of the extent of the issue at FIFA’s medical conference this weekend in Sun City ahead of the World Cup in South Africa, which starts June 11. “We received a lot of examples, going from things that we know but also going into absolutely unknown things for me. If I don’t know the names, how can I know what they contain,” D’Hooghe said of the plants. “This is certainly a challenge for WADA … this could be a big challenge for football because we try to live in a football world without doping. “If we don’t have control over these specific traditional medicines, then we can’t say we have control over all the medication in football.” In many African countries, plants provide the main source of medicine. Umhlabelo, made of dried leaves from the Nidorella plant, can help heal bones and muscles. The Hoodia plant is used as an appetite suppressant but also provides an energy boost. “More and more governments are legalizing the use of traditional medicines, and that will compound the situation much further.” warned Gurcharan Singh, a member of FIFA’s medical committee. South African team doctor Ntlopi Mogoru says some plants, usually found in tropical African countries like Ghana, can produce steroid byproducts that are not on WADA’s list and aren’t picked up in doping tests. “There is no way of knowing. That’s where the problem is,” Mogoru said. “In Africa, a lot of players use traditional medicines and, unfortunately because of WADA, there are no tests to detect those things and it becomes a bit of a problem for doping in the whole world. It’s from the players’ cultural backgrounds. “Some cultures will believe if you take one of these traditional medicines it enhances your performances. Some of them might be taking this medication knowing that the side-effects enhance performances, but the primary intention was just to heal, for example, hemorrhoids. They can’t be detected by the tests and they are not illegal.” Cameroon team doctor Prof. Guillaume Atchou advises his players not to take them but believes it is a challenge for all sports. “The athletes think eating traditional medicines and taking traditional plants is a very good thing and we have no way to control these practices,” Atchou said. “They shouldn’t take them because I know these doping substances aren’t right for them, but how do we find these substances in African plants. They are not detectable.” D’Hooghe thinks the US$30 million spent annually on 33,000 doping tests could be better spent on youth education since there are only about 10 positive results. D’Hooghe said he believes there is “no doping culture” among the 260 million footballers worldwide. Niger. Junta pledges new constitution The leaders of a coup that seized power in Niger promised Sunday a return to democracy and a new constitution, amid popular support for the overthrow of longtime strongman Mamadou Tandja. The junta that ousted president Tandja and members of his government in Thursday’s coup also pledged to fully involve political parties and civil society in talks to set up the new constitution, said Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the 15-nation regional bloc ECOWAS. Morroco police to probe minaret collapse: agency Feb 22, 2010/Reuters RABAT (Reuters) – Morocco’s government ordered a police investigation into the collapse of a centuries-old mosque that left 41 people dead, state news agency MAP reported on Sunday. World The Lalla Khenata mosque’s minaret collapsed in the old Bab el Bardiyine neighborhood of the imperial city of Meknes during Friday mass prayers, burying most of the 300 worshippers gathered there. The state prosecutor visited the site after the collapse occurred and a special incident unit was set up by the prosecutor’s office to simplify formal procedures for victims and their families, MAP said. The investigation will “help preserve the interests of the victims,” the agency cited the Justice Ministry as saying in a statement. Neglected old buildings in the old quarters of Morocco’s cities collapse fairly often but the fall of a minaret is rare. The disaster sparked anger among residents, who alleged that the authorities had ignored warnings over the mosque’s dilapidated state. Central Meknes is listed as a world heritage site by the U.N.’s cultural body UNESCO. (Writing by Lamine Chikhi, Editing by Tom Pfeiffer and Jon Boyle) UN /ONU :
Mediator heads to I.Coast for crisis talks OUAGADOUGOU — The mediator in Ivory Coast’s political crisis, Burkino Faso’s President Blaise Compaore, heads to Abidjan Monday for talks with government and opposition leaders to break the stalemate. Compaore’s visit to Ivory Coast was to try to find a way out of the crisis, his office said Sunday. On Sunday, Compaore met in Ouagadougou with key Ivorian opposition chiefs, ex-president Henri Konan Bedie and former prime minister Alassane Ouattara. After the meeting, he said that urgent talks between the opposition and Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and President Laurent Gbagbo would take place in the coming days. The discussions would aim “to get to the bottom of this question of the electoral process” in Ivory Coast, he said in a statement. But while Compaore expressed the hope that all political parties would be represented in the government, Bedie said this was “not being envisaged for the moment.” Soro was expected to name a new government on Monday, more than a week after Gbagbo sacked the cabinet and the electoral commission over alleged fraud in compiling a voter’s roll, something his entourage confirmed late Sunday. The opposition has opposed the formation of a new government until the electoral commission has been reinstated. More recently they have also called on Gbagbo to resign. Violent protests have taken place across Ivory Coast since Gbagbo’s shock announcements on February 12, which came after investigators said they had found evidence of fraud in a voters’ roll being compiled for the poll. At least five people were killed and nine injured Friday in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the western town of Gagnoa. Fresh demonstrations erupted Saturday, including in Ivory Coast’s second-largest city of Bouake, a stronghold of Soro’s ex-rebel New Forces (FN), where about 1,000 protesters marched with calls to oust Gbagbo. And in the northern city of Korhogo, also controlled by the FN, protesters set on fire the headquarters of the presidential party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI). The party called on Soro to quickly install a new government in the face of an “insurrection” by the opposition. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over Ivory Coast’s latest crisis and the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast (ONUCI) visited the wounded in Gagnoa hospitals on Saturday. The current turmoil has cast fresh doubt on the west African nation’s ability to hold a presidential election, which had been scheduled for March and which has already been postponed six times. The vote is designed to unify a nation split between the south and the FN-controlled north. Elections have been delayed six times since Gbagbo’s mandate ran out, in 2005. USA :
Lufthansa nixes 100s of flights as pilots strike BERLIN — German airline Lufthansa canceled about 800 flights Monday, almost half its daily total, after more than 4,000 of its pilots began a four-day walkout. The airline, Europe’s biggest by sales, said that despite the strike organized by the Cockpit pilots union, it was maintaining many domestic flights and short-haul routes across Europe though many of its long-haul flights to the U.S., including New York and Denver, were canceled. Other flights to the U.S., including Newark, New Jersey, Dallas and Chicago were scheduled Monday, as were flights to destinations in Africa, South America and Asia. “Usually we have 1,800 flights a day,” Deutsche Lufthansa AG said early Monday. “For today, we foresee about 1,000 flights planned, but there may be more flights that could be canceled during the day,” the airline warned. It offers some 160 long-haul flights to destinations worldwide. Pilots for Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa’s its low-budget subsidiary, Germanwings, are also taking part in the strike. Germanwings, based at Cologne-Bonn Airport, said it was operating several flights over the four-day period to destinations including Britain, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Italy and Croation, among others. Lufthansa, based in Cologne, owns or holds significant stakes in airlines including Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, JetBlue of the U.S. and Britain’s BMI. Those are not affected. The pilots are seeking increased job security and want German labor conditions to apply to Lufthansa pilots hired abroad, in an effort to prevent their jobs from migrating to neighboring countries with cheaper conditions. Lufthansa said that was not being considered. “Not one job has been moved. No Lufthansa pilot’s job has been scrapped and no job cuts are planned at the moment,” said Christoph Franz, Lufthansa’s deputy chairman. The airline said it was trying to rebook travelers on partner airlines or trains. Travelers unable to be rescheduled are being reimbursed for their tickets, it said. The airline reached out to travelers online, too, posting a strike schedule on its Web site and offering updates on whether flights were canceled or not on its Twitter feed. The airline, Germany’s largest, estimated the strike could cost it some euro25 million ($34 million) per day. — Bharti Airtel Mulls Dollar Debt for Zain Bid India’s largest mobile phone operator by subscribers is exploring the possibility of funding the deal–which involves a $9 billion cash payout–with a seven-year dollar loan paying an interest rate of around three percentage points above the London interbank offered rate, the people told Dow Jones Newswires. “Ordinarily, you’d do a bridge loan first and do longer term financing later, and that’s what we began with as a base case here as well. However, with all the documentation already done for the scrapped MTN deal, we could move right into this (medium-term loan),” one of the people said. Last week, Bharti Airtel said it was in exclusive talks until March 25 to buy the African assets of Zain, except for its operations in Morocco and Sudan, in its latest bid to enter a fast-growing market overseas as intense competition and price wars hurt its growth at home. The deal is estimated to be the second-largest buyout ever by an Indian company after Tata Group’s $13.0 billion acquisition of U.K. steelmaker Corus Group in October 2006. Bharti’s offer to Zain comes after its two failed attempts at a merger with South Africa’s MTN Group Ltd. over the past couple of years, the latest one falling through over regulatory issues. The loan being considered will involve amortisation of the principal after the fifth year and will be backed by a corporate guarantee by Bharti Airtel, one of the people added. Bharti officials declined to comment. The person noted that options such as a rights issue remain on the table as possibilities to prepay the medium-term debt. “Discussions are ongoing with all the participants and one of those dialogues is with the ratings agencies. If the deal remains all-debt without any refinancing later, there may be repercussions on that (the ratings) front,” the person said. Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s last Friday placed Bharti on negative credit watch after the bid was announced. “The CreditWatch reflects our expectation of a significant deterioration in Bharti’s cash flow protection measures and a weakening of the company’s business risk profile…,” S&P credit analyst Yasmin Wirjawan had said in a statement. Black history month shares minorities contribution to history In America, different cultures have played a role in shaping the society in which we live. Unfortunately, some of those cultures’ contributions, like African, have been marginalized. In an effort to familiarize people with the way groups have added to the American experience, months have been named as times of celebration and recognition for those groups, like women, Hispanics, Africans, Native Americans. This month is Black History month. “I think its origin was to familiarize people with contributions made by the black community and to make it a larger part of American history,” said Judge Brown, a Fort Dodge resident and retired teacher/activist. Many people look to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. during this month, and while civil rights was a significant contribution, music is another. “For example, spirituals came out of the slave experience, and they’re still with us today and sung in all types of churches,” Brown said. Jazz is another form of music that originated from African-Americans in New Orleans. “At one time (jazz) was said to be the U.S.’s only original art form, and it generated out of African-American culture,” Brown said. David Drissel, a professor of social science at Iowa Central Community College, said he believed recognition of different American groups during these months is important. “I think it’s very important to raise awareness of a variety of cultures that have impacted American history,” Drissel said. “So often we hear more of the Anglo-English side of American history that has excluded African-American, Hispanic-American, and others’ histories.” To discuss these accomplishments, and other taboo subjects like racism, the college brought in “The Black Jew Dialogues” Feb. 16. The national group came in from out of state using the tool of humor to explain absurdities of racism and prejudice. The duo composed of an African-American man, Ron Jones, and a Jewish man, Larry Jay Tish, was selected by the Student Senate. “We ask you to turn off your bigotry, hatred and preconceived ideas,” Jones said to the crowd. “And we ask you to turn on your hope, tolerance, understanding and love,” Tish added. Using puppets, costumes and improv the duo started the show with what their two cultures hold in common: both are minorities, both are persecuted, both have lived in ghettos. “You made ’em, and we took ’em over,” Jones said. But by looking at their histories, the two began a new type of conversation on divisive issues of race, gender, age and weight. “This is all about our collective American experience,” Jones said. Hopefully, Brown said, months will no longer be necessary to shed light on all cultures’ contributions to America. “The Iowa Multicultural mandate for curriculum has been in place for the last 35 years,” Brown said. “The idea was to include women and various ethnic groups in lessons throughout the year so society could eventually do away with these compartmentalized months.” In Marshall Hoolver and Staci Laird’s Fort Dodge Senior High honors literature classrooms, inclusion is key. “We look at all kinds of different literary theories – feminist, Marxist, African. Our section on African literary theory just happened to be during Black History month,” Laird said. As part of the learning experience, panel discussions dig deeper in to the theories Laird and Hoolver’s students study. Brown and Jane Burleson – who was the first woman and African American to serve on the Fort Dodge City Council – answered questions created by the literature students Feb. 17. Probably the most poignant question asked was, can racial equality be achieved? “It could be, but how we’d go about it I can’t tell you,” Brown said. “There will always be the Rush Limbaughs of the world, but every one in this country is an immigrant, with the exception of Native Americans. There is plenty of space in this country for other people, just look at Montana.” Burleson said it will take a new perspective of embracing differences rather than rationalizing them. “It’s shocking to us that public figures – I use that term loosely – are so overt with racism,” Burleson said, referring to Limbaugh and Pat Robinson. “A bigger problem is our socio-economic classes, which affects all races equally.” Nigeria: Bush, Blair Visit Jonathan Abuja — Former President George W. Bush of the United States (U.S.) and ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain yesterday advocated a tougher war against corruption in Nigeria with Bush saying that those who loot public treasury should be in jail. Also, international support for Acting President Goodluck Jonathan increased weekend following separate visits by Bush and Blair to the State House in Abuja. However, speaking earlier at a special luncheon hosted by the former U.S. Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice as part of activities lined up for the 15th THISDAY Awards in Abuja Bush said, stealing public money is not good governance. “When leaders steal from the people that is bad governance, they ought to be in jail,” he said. In separate remarks Blair said “corruption is wrong, it is the least efficient way of doing things and it is important that the next election must be free and fair and nobody should try to interfere. Elaborating on the issue, Bush said: Bad governance is when you steal peoples money that is entrusted in your care. That is the hallmark of what is bad governance. When you ask me what is good governance. It is honest officials who are there to serve the interest of the people and will make sure tax payers monies are spent on education, health among others.” Both leaders said transparency, accountability and war against corruption among public officials are necessary ingredients for good governance. Both leaders said Africa is important in the new world and the development of Nigeria is important to the development of Africa . But in spite of all the support Africa gets, the future of Africa should be shaped by Africans. Both Bush and Blair said the interest of America and Britain in Nigeria during their tenure in office was spurred by poor indices of development especially health, debt burden and capacity building. For instance, Bush said he was concerned by statistics of HIV/AIDS when he was in office. He said, over 50,000 infected persons had access of anti-retroviral drugs but by the time he left office it has increased to over 2 million. Both leaders argued against protectionism and encouraged free trade. However, they agreed that agriculture subsidies in the developed nations hamper the potential of African farmers for export. On Press freedom, they said vibrant and healthy press is good for societal development and democracy. They said the freedom of the press must be exercised with some responsibility, and that stories must be factual to make the right impact and must be devoid of sensationalism. On women empowerment, both leaders recalled having strong women around them as mothers and spouses when they were in government, explaining that human capital development is the greatest resource of a nation and so discrimination against women is a colossal waste of human resources. Blair said “it is wrong and stupid”, adding that “If you want a tough job done get a woman to do it”. Bush and Blair explained the sensitivity of their respective countries to terrorism against the background of September 11, 2001 attack on the U.S. For example, Bush said, “We are still very nervous after 9/11”. Meanwhile Dr. Rice has said there is something that Nigerians must do to strengthen democracy in the country. These include: “Demanding accountability of the government, overcoming old grievances by government, overcoming grievances by society, overcoming grievances by the people, and overcoming grievances one by one. “And a multi ethnic and multi religion state, the overcoming of grievances through democratic institutions is of absolute necessity.” CANADA :
Aids ‘could be beaten in 40 years’ Testing most of the world’s population for HIV then treating those found to be infected would halt transmission of the virus by 2015, according to Professor Brian Williams. By 2050, when a large proportion of HIV carriers undergoing treatment will have died, the epidemic would effectively be over, he argues. The price would be enormous, costing around £2 billion in South Africa alone. But this would be offset by eradicating the massive disease burden of HIV/Aids, and saving the lives of productive, working-age individuals, Prof Williams believes. He told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: “The problem is we’re now using HIV drugs to save people’s lives; we’re not using them to stop transmission. “Can we use anti-retroviral drugs not only to keep people alive but also to stop transmission? I believe we can. I believe we can effectively stop transmission within five years.” He said the idea had growing support from other experts. Feasibility studies based on small high-risk communities were already under way in the US, Canada and sub-Saharan Africa. Prof Williams, who founded the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, is setting up a key trial in his home country at Hlabisa. This will be the first study comparing two groups selected at random, one of which will undergo whole population screening. HIV/Aids is “one of the worst plagues in human history”, said Prof Williams. AUSTRALIA :
Ausdrill flags dip in net profit The company on Monday forecast an interim net profit of $21.2 million, down from $25.05 million for the previous first half. Excluding unrealised foreign exchange adjustments and costs associated with the acquisition of fellow driller Brandrill Ltd in December, normalised profit was $23.1 million, up from $22 million previously. “This is an exceptionally strong result given the difficult economic period and is Ausdrill’s best ever operational result,” the company said in a statement. The company said it was on track to deliver an improved full year result, excluding the Brandrill integration costs and any further appreciation of the Australian dollar. Ausdrill chief operating officer Andrew Broad told AAP the underlying net profit for the first half was a company record. Mr Broad said Ausdrill expects to soon win new contracts in Africa, mainly in the gold space. “There are certainly a lot of prospects out there at the moment that are outside the gold sector as well,” he said. “They are all projects that are fairly robust, even if the gold price dips.” Normalised revenue for the first half of 2009/10 fell five per cent from $273 million to $259.3 million, due mainly to the stronger Australian dollar and completion of a major contract in Africa. Ausdrill’s interim dividend is unchanged at five cents fully franked. Its shares closed four cents, or 2.04 per cent, higher at $2.00 on Monday. Ausdrill will release detailed first half results on Thursday. Whaling not to disrupt bilateral ties: Australia, Japan ministers Whaling continues to bedevil bilateral ties between Japan and Australia. Both countries’ foreign ministers used weekend talks in Australia to signal they’re ready to do battle on the issue in the International Criminal Court. Australia is also putting to the International Whaling Commission a proposal to phase out Japan’s Southern Ocean whaling. And while the weekend talks were frank when Australia’s Foreign Minister Stephen Smith met his Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada, both sides continue to stress that the long and strategically important relationship can rise above the current rancour over whaling. Presenter: Linda Mottram, Canberra correspondent Listen:Windows Media SMITH: We had extensive discussions covering the array of Australia and Japan’s comprehensive economic, strategic, security partnership. OKADA: (Translation) We were able to confirm that the Australia-Japan relationship has gone beyond that of economic complimentarity and is now a strategic partnership. MOTTRAM: In particular, they focused on how much work Australia and Japan are doing on nuclear disarmament and the North Korean question. But both ministers had deliberately pre-empted the inevitable headlines that the meeting would be dominated by whaling – that it could be a threat to the relationship. They had said they would discuss whaling. And when they came together, neither minister shied away from the issue. Stephen Smith. SMITH: The Australian government has thought very carefully about this issue and in the last week or so has come to the conclusion thay Australia will pursue before the International Whaling Commission a proposal which would see whaling in the Great Southern Oceans phased out over a reasonable period of time. And that is a position that we will put formally to the International Whaling Commission in the very near future. We would hope that we could get agreement to that position but as the Prime Minister and I have made clear in the past, if we can’t get agreement to that position, then Australian would propose to seek to have that matter arbitated for internationally. MOTTRAM: That means taking Japan to the International Court of Justice by November if it’s whaling hasn’t ceased by then. Japan’s Katsuya Okada put Japan’s view of potential legal action. OKADA: (Translation) Should court action become a reality then Japan will seek to represent its case to the IWC in supporting the fact that its activities are legal. MOTTRAM: And so the two sides are ready for a full-blown international legal stoush. But there are loud calls in Australia that whaling not be allowed to damage such an important relationship. And both ministers strongly emphasised their intention to separate out their key difference from their wider bonds. Katsuya Okada again. OKADA: (Translation) We also agreed on the point that the whaling issue should not jeopardise the Australia-Japan relationship which overall is an extremely good one. MOTTRAM: And Stephen Smith. SMITH: We agreed that whatever our difference on whaling we will not allow this to jeopardise the strength and the growth of our bilateral relationship. MOTTRAM: But as well as the calls not to sacrifice the Australia-Japan relationship over whales, the Rudd government domestically is facing political pressure in an election year that it has failed to keep it’s more than two-year-old promise to take legal action against Japan. And while one of the elements helping to contain diplomatic damage is Australia’s condemnation of conflict at sea over whaling, the anti-whaling protesters of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society continue to keep the harsh facts of Japan’s whaling in the public eye. Captain Paul Watson is the Society’s founder and president and he’s aboard one of the anti-whaling vessels in the Southern Ocean. WATSON: I don’t think Japan really cares. Japan has enough economic muscle to get what it really wants. The Japanese whalers are no different from elephant poachers in East Africa. MOTTRAM: To underline his point, Paul Watson says the only difference between Japan and African poachers, is the latter are black, poor and get shot for what they’re doing. EUROPE :
The Long Road to an Alternative-Energy Future online.wsj.com/FEBRUARY 22, 2010 By MICHAEL TOTTY Just don’t expect them anytime soon. Why the delay? After all, the computer revolution has shown how rapidly new innovations can be imagined, developed, brought to market and have an impact. But new energy technologies don’t work that way—they can take years to gain just a toehold in the market, and 20 to 30 years to push aside existing products or techniques. That’s partly because of the sheer size of the energy market. Global power consumption is estimated to total 150 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2010. The utility industry in the U.S., the most energy-hungry nation on the planet, produced an estimated 3.7 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2009. Nearly half of that was produced by coal, while solar power contributed less than 0.1%. Wind power is one of the fastest-growing sources of renewable energy in the world. But by the end of 2008 there were still only 121.2 gigawatts of generated capacity—representing around 1.5% of global electricity consumption. Of course, no single technology needs to replace all that carbon-producing power. Researchers planning for future energy supplies are working on several technologies simultaneously, including carbon capture to produce electricity, and next-generation biofuels and electric-powered cars to move us around. They talk about the need for “silver buckshot,” instead of a silver bullet. Researchers also agree that policy makers can speed or delay these developments—at least up to a point. A price on carbon, either through a tax or a carbon-trading mechanism, would make new technologies competitive with cheap oil and coal more quickly, spurring investment in and adoption of alternatives. Governments can also spend money on research, development and pilot projects, speeding the move from the drawing board to the market. Higher oil prices also make all the energy alternatives more attractive to investors and consumers. But even if you combine all the current alternatives, they aren’t likely to make much of a dent for quite a few years. To better understand why, we offer a closer look at a handful of the most-promising clean-energy alternatives, and the reasons they’ll be a long time coming. New Nuclear Reactors These “generation 3+” reactors consume more of the nuclear fuel, lowering operating costs and trimming waste. Looking ahead, some generation IV designs can recycle used nuclear fuel, producing even less waste and relying less on new uranium supplies. CURRENT STATUS: About a dozen generation 3+ reactors are being built around the world, and more are planned, including nearly two dozen in the U.S. awaiting certification and licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. For generation IV reactors, an international group of scientists and researchers is coordinating research and development, and they’ve agreed to a list of six technologies to pursue. WHY IT’S GOING TO TAKE SO LONG: While China and France, among others, are moving ahead with construction of the generation 3+ reactors, the first new plants in the U.S. aren’t likely to appear until late in the decade; NRC certification of the new designs may not occur before early 2012, and construction, even if accelerated, will take at least four or five years. Even in France, Europe’s most enthusiastic devotee of nuclear power, a third-generation plant at Flamanville in Normandy, which is intended as a prototype for up to 40 others, won’t be completed until late 2012. Generation IV reactors aren’t expected to enter commercial development until after 2020. In 2006, France started funding prototype fourth-generation, sodium-cooled fast reactors. But the technology will not be ready for industrial deployment until after 2035 at the earliest. Carbon Capture and Storage CURRENT STATUS: A handful of small-scale carbon-capture and storage pilot and demonstration projects are under way around the world. In a test to capture CO2 from an operating power plant, American Electric Power Co. is running a pilot at its Mountaineer plant in West Virginia, collecting about 1.5% of the plant’s CO2 emissions and storing them under the site. Other sites in Europe, Africa and Australia are investigating underground storage, but Mountaineer is the first to integrate capture and storage. Work has also begun on a carbon capture and storage test power plant at Schwarze Pumpe in Germany. It will be used to test oxy-combustion, which generates purer carbon dioxide that is easier to capture and store. WHY IT’S GOING TO TAKE SO LONG: Technically, carbon capture has been shown effective in small, less expensive pilot projects. In capturing larger emissions streams, operators have to fine-tune the equipment and see how it works in different weather conditions and using different grades of coal. In a test at AEP’s Mountaineer plant, this stage is expected to take at least a year. Once that is done, the next stage is building and operating a commercial-scale demonstration plant. AEP recently received $334 million in U.S. government stimulus funds for its planned 235-megawatt demonstration plant. AEP expects that power-plant builders could begin offering commercial versions of the technology by 2020. The Schwarze Pumpe facility in Germany is also only a prototype for a prototype. Eventually, larger demonstration plants will be built in Germany and Denmark, but not until 2015. Earlier this month, the European Union agreed to provide as much as $13.6 billion in funding for carbon-capture trials but does not believe the technology will be commercially available until 2020. Ultimately, commercial adoption will depend on whether governments decide to impose a price on carbon and what that price is. Carbon capture is expensive—it could double the price of electricity from some existing coal plants, and cuts plant efficiency by about 30%. Most experts agree that it is going to take a carbon price of at least $50 a ton for carbon capture to become economically feasible. THE TECHNOLOGY: Algae are fast-growing, consume carbon dioxide and have the potential to produce more oil per hectare than other biofuels. The oils they produce can be used to make substitutes for diesel fuel, aviation fuel and gasoline. CURRENT STATUS: About 150 companies world-wide are working to commercialize algal biofuels. U.S. government support has soared in the past few years; the Energy Department recently granted $44 million for research into commercializing algal biofuels and $97 million for algae pilot and demonstration projects. In the biggest project, Sapphire Energy of San Diego, Calif., plans to break ground on a 300-acre (121- hectare) biorefinery in New Mexico later this year. Another recipient, Solazyme Inc., uses a fermentation method to produce algae-based fuels and has contracts to provide the U.S. Navy with 1,500 gallons (5,678 liters) of jet fuel and 20,000 gallons of diesel to power navy ships; the company is converting a plant in Pennsylvania into a demonstration biorefinery. Big oil companies, including ExxonMobil and BP, have invested in algae-biofuel projects or companies. European support for biofuels has oscillated wildly. The European Union originally imposed a compulsory 10% quota of biofuels in all petrol and diesel by 2020 but came close to scrapping this amid concerns it would jeopardize food production. The focus has shifted to sustainable biofuels—a likely boon to funding for algal biofuels, according to experts. WHY IT’S GOING TO TAKE SO LONG: As promising as the technology is, it hasn’t proved that it can produce fuels in sufficient quantities or at a low enough cost to make a dent in global liquid-fuel consumption. Solazyme’s fermentation method, which grows algae in dark, enclosed tanks, is considered by some experts to be closest to maturity; the company expects to reach commercial-scale production by 2013. Wind CURRENT STATUS: Seven of the world’s 10 largest markets for wind-powered electricity generation are in Europe, which accounted for 54% of the world’s total installed wind capacity at the end of 2008. In the U.S., wind produced about 73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year, about 2% of total generation and enough to power about 13 million homes. Industry capacity rose nearly 10,000 megawatts, or 39%, last year to a total of about 35,000 megawatts. Plans for the Beauly-Denny line, a backbone of pylons to carry electricity from wind farms in the Highlands of Scotland to the more densely populated parts of the U.K., were conceived in 2003 but have only just gained approval. WHY IT’S GOING TO TAKE SO LONG: It may not. Wind power capacity in Europe is expected to increase by roughly 9% a year until 2030. In the U.S., the Energy Department laid out a scenario for how wind could meet 20% of the nation’s total electricity demand by 2030—about 300 gigawatts—displacing half of natural gas-powered and 18% of coal-fired generation. But a recent report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL, found that the Eastern U.S., which isn’t blessed with substantial onshore wind resources, could hit the 20% target by 2024. Still, reaching that goal is going to take significant investments in new transmission lines, especially in a transmission “superhighway” to carry electricity from parts of the U.S. with lots of wind to places where demand is highest. The NREL study estimates the price tag could be as high as $93 billion. Local opposition to transmission lines can also present a challenge, especially when lines have to cross state lines. And hitting the U.S. goal also may require significant additions of offshore wind power, which the Energy Department predicts could deliver about 17% of its projected 2030 total. Offshore wind generation promises more reliable power. But it’s about twice as expensive as onshore wind power. Solar CURRENT STATUS: Total capacity—the amount of power that could be produced if the sun shone constantly—of solar photovoltaic systems has been nearly doubling every two years in both the U.S. and Europe, and the pace of increase is expected to rise further. In the U.S., the estimated 2,000 megawatts of solar capacity in 2009 was nearly 45% higher than in 2008. That includes about 980 megawatts of concentrating-solar projects; an additional 81 megawatts are under construction. In the EU, there was an estimated 9,530 megawatts of solar capacity in 2008, up from 4,940 megawatts in 2007. WHY IT’S GOING TO TAKE SO LONG: Even at that rate of growth, solar power is still minuscule: Solar generation in 2009 accounted for less than 0.1% of total electricity production in the U.S. Solar capacity remains less than 1% of the total. “The biggest obstacle is that we’re starting at such a low level,” says John Benner, a research manager at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In Europe, nearly 92% of total solar power capacity is accounted for by just Germany and Spain. Spain alone more than quadrupled its photovoltaic capacity between 2007 and 2008. This surge has been driven by government incentives that have yet to be matched in the rest of Europe. The cost of solar installations has fallen in recent years, but remains high, partly because demand continues to keep pace with supply. And like wind farms, utility-scale solar photovoltaic and concentrated-solar projects also require additional transmission connections. Electric Vehicles CURRENT STATUS: About 56,000 electric vehicles are in use world-wide, but the numbers are deceiving—most are limited to low-speed driving and have limited range. So far, Tesla Motors Inc.’s Roadster is the only open-road electric vehicle in the U.S., but a handful of other all-electric cars, including Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf, are expected to come to market in 2010. The first commercial plug-in hybrids, led by General Motors Co.’s Chevy Volt, also are slated to be available later this year. In Europe, there is a wider range of models, including Reva’s G-Wiz, the most popular electric car in the U.K. Later this year, the Mitsubishi i MiEV, the first electric offering from a mainstream manufacturer, will be launched in Europe. WHY IT’S GOING TO TAKE SO LONG: The biggest obstacle is cost. The advanced lithium-ion battery pack that powers the Volt, which can travel 40 miles (64 kilometers) on a charge, can cost as much as $10,000, though prices are expected to fall as production ramps up. The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that in 2030, the added cost of a plug-in hybrid will be higher than fuel savings unless gasoline costs around $6 a gallon (3.78 liters). Another challenge is the need for public recharging stations. Most American drivers travel fewer than 40 miles a day. For European drivers, the average is even lower. This is well within the range of first-generation electric vehicles, but consumers will balk if they worry about running out of juice. Charging networks are scheduled to be rolled out over the next two years in Denmark, Israel and Portuga Public charging spots are less important for plug-in hybrids, which are more likely to be recharged at home. Still, owners may need to upgrade their existing outlets to recharge more quickly. A 240-volt outlet, which can charge an electric vehicle in about three to six hours, generally requires adding a circuit to the home’s electric system to handle the additional load. Write to Michael Totty at michael.totty@wsj.com CHINA :
Standard Bank, ICBC to tackle cash management deficiencies The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Standard Bank of South Africa have concluded modalities to gather financial experts in Nigeria to brainstorm on issues bordering on cash management. According to financial experts, the deliberation is necessary because it will enhance knowledge on the management of global accounts, deployment of cash at home and abroad to meet the demands of cross-border, inter-bank and multi-currency cash management. A statement on Saturday said Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, a member of the Standard Bank Group, had concluded arrangements to receive senior executives of the ICBC next month in connection with the international conference being organised by the two banks. ICBC in 2008 acquired a 20 per cent stake in Standard Bank, hence becoming the single largest shareholder of Africa‘s largest bank. The Standard Bank Group, on the other hand, has a controlling interest in Stanbic IBTC with over 50 per cent stake. Head, Corporate Affairs, Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Bimbola Ashiru, who confirmed the development, said that the delegation would be in Nigeria for the three-day conference, which, among others, would help mutually. According to him, ”The conference also aims at showcasing ICBC/Standard Bank cash management capabilities as the strategic partnership of the two largest banks in Africa and China generates significant new capacity for growth in emerging markets.” ICBC had on November 24, 2009 inaugurated its global cash management business, which includes accounts management, centralised receipts and payments, domestic and foreign currency pools, investment, financing and risk management. Standard Bank also offers a range of cash management solutions customised to meet clients‘ specific requirements in account management, payments, collections and liquidity management in Africa and across the world. ”The ICBC team and their Stanbic IBTC counterparts will exchange insights, experiences, ideas, best practices, and lessons learned from the growing economic ties between Africa and China,” the statement said. It added that the team‘s visit underscored the growing significance of the partnership between ICBC and the Standard Bank Group as well as the evolving bilateral ties between Nigeria and China, on the one hand, and Africa‘s emerging economies, on the other hand. While in the country, the ICBC delegation will explore business opportunities and visit strategic Chinese corporate clients involved in key industries in Nigeria. The Chairman of ICBC, Mr. Jiang Jianqing, visited Nigeria in June last year and met with major stakeholders in the financial and petroleum sectors. Brazil was second biggest exporter of iron to China in 2009 [ 2010-02-22 ] /(macauhub) Shanghai, China, 22 Feb – Brazil ranked second in the list of countries exporting iron ore to China in 2009, with 140 million tonnes and annual growth of 41.5 percent, indicate figures from China’s General Customs Administration. The top iron ore exporter was Australia, with 260 million tonnes, 42.9 percent more than in 2008, while India was third with 110 million tonnes and annual growth of 18 percent, the official Xinhua news agency reported. In 2009 China imported 630 million tonnes of iron ore, 41.6 percent more in annual terms, for a cost of US$50.14 billion. Iron ore imports from Brazil and Australia accounted for 64.4 percent of the 2009 total. China’s biggest steelmaker, Baosteel, is currently negotiating 2010 prices with Vale and two Anglo-Australian mining firms. Notwithstanding the major growth of Brazilian and Australian sales, the countries with the biggest percentage increase of iron ore sales to China were South Africa, Canada and Ukraine. South Africa exported 34.13 million tonnes to China (up 140 percent over 2008), while Ukraine exported 11.58 million tonnes (up 150 percent) and Canada 8.65 million tonnes (up 130 percent). SA delegation to visit China International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will visit China for two days later this week for continued discussion around business and economic issues, her office said on Monday. Her schedule between Thursday and Friday will include a visit to the South African Pavilion under construction at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo and a courtesy call on the country’s Vice President Xi Jinping. She will address the South African business community in Beijing on Thursday at the Westin Beijing Chaoyang hotel, and other business people in China on Friday in Shanghai. The visit forms part of a “Strategic Partnership Dialogue” between the two countries. According to the department, trade figures show that during the first half of 2009, China was South Africa’s number one export destination, with annual growth of 53,9 percent, taking 11,9 percent of the total market. South African exports there amounted to R42,45-billion, South African imports from there amounted to R59,10-billion with a trade balance of R16,64-billion. The trade deficit, in the last quarter of 2009 was in China’s favour at R46,5-billion per annum, an increase by R13,3-billion since 2007 and 2008. Nkoana-Mashabane will be supported by director-general, Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba and other senior department officials. INDIA :
BRASIL:
UN warns of ‘e-waste’ threat The report on the growth of so-called e-waste said sales of electronic products in countries like China and India are set to soar in the next 10 years, with a consequent rise in the volume of sometimes highly-toxic waste. The report noted that China already produced more than 2.3 million tonnes of e-waste a year – second only to the United States – and had also become a dumping ground for waste from other countries. Without immediate action to ensure proper collection and disposal of materials, many particularly developing countries “face the spectre of hazardous e-waste mountains with serious consequences for the environment and public health”, it said. The report “Recycling – from E-Waste to Resources” was released on the Indonesian island of Bali on Monday at the start of a week-long meeting of officials and environmentalists. Organisers say the conference is the largest world environmental gathering since the Copenhagen climate summit in December. According to the report’s authors by 2020 e-waste in South Africa and China will have jumped by 200-400 per cent from 2007 levels, and by 500 per cent in India. In China’s case they said millions of tons of e-waste was being improperly handled, much of it incinerated by backyard recyclers to extract precious metals often creating toxic pollutants. Achim Steiner, the UN undersecretary-general and executive director of the UNEP said there was a “new urgency to establishing ambitious, formal and regulated processes” for the collection and management of e-waste. He said that besides China, other countries including India, Brazil and Mexico may also face rising environmental damage and health problems “if e-waste recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal sector”. Steiner said advance planning to boost recycling of e-waste in developing nations could “turn an e-challenge into an e-opportunity” by creating jobs, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and recovering a host of valuable metals. The report cited Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco and South Africa as places which it said had huge potential to introduce state-of-the-art recycling technologies for e-waste. For several African nations such as Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Uganda where the volume of e-waste is expected to rise rapidly in the coming years, the report recommended the introduction of manual dismantling. Green economy The report said that since financing and transferring hi-tech equipment from developed countries “is unlikely to work”, developing national recycling schemes would be a more practical way forward. Experts also said the challenge of dealing with e-waste was an important step in the transition to a green economy. “One person’s waste can be another’s raw material,” Konrad Osterwalder, the rector of the United Nations University, said in the report. “This report outlines smart new technologies and mechanisms which… can transform waste into assets, creating new businesses with decent green jobs. “In the process, countries can help cut pollution linked with mining and manufacturing, and with the disposal of old devices.”
EN BREF, CE 22 février 2010 … AGNEWS / OMAR, BXL,22/02/2010 |
BURUNDI – AFRICA / INTERNATIONAL : 22 FEVRIER 2010 [Mediator heads to I.Coast for crisis talks]
