{jcomments on}OMAR, AGNEWS, BXL, le 29 avril 2010 – www.mediacentre.go.ug- April 29, 2010–The Iranian president Dr. Mahamoud Ahmadinejad has lambasted the hostility of US and UK towards Iran on nuclear programme calling them a bunch of liars.

RWANDA

Rwanda case’s evidence may be excluded
www.kansas.com/BY RON SYLVESTER/Thu, Apr. 29, 2010

The Wichita Eagle
A federal judge will decide whether to exclude evidence seized last year at the Topeka home of a man accused of participating in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

U.S. District Judge Monti Belot heard testimony Wednesday from two Virginia men who acted as interpreters of letters, writings and conversations in the Rwandan language by 83-year-old Lazare Kobagaya.

Kobagaya’s defense argued that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents improperly seized letters and photographs.

Lawyers Kurt Kerns and Melanie Morgan claim that the warrant overstepped limits in the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Kobagaya is a U.S. citizen.

“It permits a general rummaging through Mr. Kobagaya’s papers in the hopes of stumbling upon something that would indicate that he lived in Rwanda in 1994 or participated in genocide,” the defense motion stated.

Kobagaya denies participating in the genocide and says he fled Rwanda during ethnic violence which left as many as 700,000 people dead between April and July 1994.

Steven Parker, with the Department of Justice’s special investigations unit, said ICE agents seized photographs from 1994 they say show Kobagaya in Rwanda. Parker said agents think the letters and papers talk about the genocide.

Kobagaya’s defense challenged the credibility of the interpreters, who lawyers say belong to the ethnic group that was persecuted during the violence.

The two men testified they were Rwandan expatriates hired by the Department of Justice to assist in the search. They speak Kinyarwanda, the primary language spoken in Rwanda.

One witness, Joseph Sebarenzi, said he’s a former member of the Rwandan parliament and moved to the U.S. in 2000.

Sebarenzi testified he was hired in February by the Department of Justice as an analyst. His duties include working on Kobagaya’s case.

The other witness, Boniface Benzige, said he hadn’t lived in Rwanda since 1961 and has been living in the U.S. since 1992.

Both are U.S. citizens.

Each told the judge they knew no details about the searches, didn’t participate in taking of items and didn’t know the charges against Kobagaya.

Kobagaya is scheduled for trial Oct. 12 on charges of fraud and unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship in 2006. Prosecutors said he lied about being involved in the genocide.

Kobagaya denies participating in the violent acts and has said he was fleeing Rwanda during an ethnic civil war.

If convicted, Kobagaya could be deported.

Rwanda rebels deny link to opposition chief
EthiopianReview.com/Agence France-Presse (AFP)/ April 29th, 2010

.NAIROBI — Rwandan rebels based in the Democratic Republic of Congo denied on Wednesday any links to a Hutu opposition leader arrested in Kigali for having ties to their group and for denying the 1994 genocide.

Victoire Ingabire, a likely challenger to Rwandan President Paul Kagame in August presidential elections, was arrested on April 21 on suspicion of denying the mass killings and of “collaborating with a terrorist organisation.”

Rwandan authorities have also announced the arrest of three alleged members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group on suspicion of complicity with Ingabire.

“The reality is that there is no form of collaboration between the two organisations,” the FDLR said in a statement.

It said the three men in question were deserters who had been “corrupted” by Kagame’s regime.

“Such claims serve only to sow fear, terror, disarray and tension within the organisations that are struggling against this regime, to make them lower their guard and give up,” the rebel group added.

The FDLR has been active in eastern DR Congo for 15 years. Some of its older members are accused of taking part in the 1994 genocide.

The charges against Ingabire stem from remarks made after her return to Rwanda in January, in which she called for the trial of those responsible for the death of Hutus in the genocide.

The opposition chief has since been granted a conditional release.

An estimated 800,000 people were killed in the massacre planned and carried out by ethnic Hutu extremists. Most killed were Tutsis but moderate Hutus were also victims.

Ingabire heads the United Democratic Forces (FDU) party which was formed in exile but is not yet registered in Rwanda.

UGANDA

Ahmedinajad visits Uganda
www.mediacentre.go.ug/Phionah Kesaasi/Thursday, 29 April 2010

The Iranian president Dr. Mahamoud Ahmadinejad has lambasted the hostility of US and UK towards Iran on nuclear programme calling them a bunch of liars.
“They say they are concerned about building of a nuclear bomb but they are lying like previous lies. They themselves have thousands of nuclear war heads in their arsenals but say they are concerned about the nuclear programme in Iran and if we divert from its peaceful purposes. They repeat the same joke all the time,” he said.

Ahmadinejad reiterated Iran’s stand on her nuclear activities based on peaceful purposes. “The measures that have been taken by US and its allies in UN lack legal validity”.

“We are seeking to cooperate and this dialogue must be on basis of respect and justice, will not accept all kinds of pressures and will not follow illegal decision’”

Adding that by issuing resolutions against Iran, Obama will suffer more; “The fact that he is going to take decisions against the Iranian people is an end to his stature,” he said.

Asked why he thinks world major powers at the UN are not convinced that the nuclear programme is not for peaceful purposes, president Ahmadinejad said that the entire international community is ware of the politicised nuclear issue of Iran.

“It is not at all a legal question or a legal problem because Iran has observed all regulations and laws. The nuclear issue has turned into a big test for the entire world. Because this is going to separate those who commit to the international law and those who don’t,” he said.

Meanwhile president Museveni revealed that he had received a phone call from the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown asking him to support the position of their government and allies against Iran but declined to adopt that position because he did not have sufficient information about Iran’s uranium enrichment programme.

“On Iran’s nuclear programme, we are just students. I was not following this matter until Gordon Brown rang me and told me I should vote with them against Iran,” he said.

The president said that he later invited the Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministers, whose visit was followed by that of President Ahmedinejad.

“I have now discussed in detail with the president and it is clear that there are two positions, the Iranian position and that of the US and others,” he said, adding that he will hold meetings with African leaders to reach a position to be made clear to the members of the Security Council.

The two presidents witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding in the sectors of oversees development assistance and cooperation in health. The Iranian delegation also submitted drafts for consideration in establishing a vocational institute, reciprocal promotion and protection of investments, customs cooperation, avoidance of double taxation, preferential trade agreement, geological surveys and mines, waiver of visas for holders of diplomatic, service and official passports and cooperation in agriculture, agribusiness and agro processing.

In a joint communiqué, the two leaders agreed to work together in the fields of health, agriculture and agro processing, vocational training, energy and mineral development, tourism and culture, investment and trade.

The Iranian president was accompanied by ministers, senior government officials, members of parliament and representatives of the Iranian business community.

Riverside’s May Day Bazaar to benefit Invisible Children
Submitted by Irina Danescu/ www.greenvilleonline.com/April 29, 2010

The Riverside (High) Invisible Children Club is preparing for our annual May Day Bazaar. This event is our biggest fundraiser in our effort to contribute to the international movement to assist child soldiers and families displaced in Uganda and throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

As the destruction invoked by the Lord’s Resistance Army under Joseph Kony spreads beyond the borders of Uganda, the need for outside assistance grows as well. The May Day Bazaar is a benefit sale at which we will be selling African products, including Beads for Life, handmade jewelry crafted by Ugandan women out of colorful recycled paper.
We will also be selling baked goods and raffling off gift certificates donated by local businesses and artwork by artists in the area. Although the Invisible Children Club has grown greatly in the past few years, we still need the community to get involved in our aid effort so we can truly make a difference. Please join us on Monday, May 3rd from 2:30 to 6:00 in the Riverside T-mall (entrance hall).

TANZANIA:

Tanzania Mines Body Says New Law Undermines Investor Confidence
Publié le 29 Avril 2010/www.easybourse.com

– DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Tanzania’s 2010 Minerals Bill threatens to undermine investor confidence and curtail future mining projects in the country if it takes effect in its current form, Tanzania’s Chamber of Minerals said.
The bill, passed by the Tanzanian parliament last week and now awaiting the approval of the Tanzanian president, would raise mining royalties, prohibit foreign investors from gemstone mining, make it mandatory for mining companies operating in the country to list on the Dar Es Salaam stock exchange, and allow the government to take stakes in mining projects.
The new bill should be revised to restore investor confidence in Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer before the Tanzanian president assents to its passage, the chamber said in a statement Wednesday.
“The Bill fails to appreciate that Tanzania’s desire to become the preferred destination for mineral exploration and investments demands that it become significantly competitive,” the chamber said.
The bill is expected to replace the 1998 Minerals Act, which has been credited with attracting investments of at least $2.5 billion in the gold mining sector since that year.
However, according to the chamber, in its current form, the new bill would only serve to hinder further growth of the mining sector as existing investors would resort to curtailing existing and expansion projects, and that would be bound to scare potential investors. Tanzania’s mining sector is primarily focused on gold and diamonds.
The Chamber of Minerals is an industry body representing mining companies. Companies operating in Tanzania include Africa Barrick Gold, a unit of Canada-based Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), South Africa-based Anglogold Ashanti Ltd. (AU) as well as Australia-based Resolute Ltd.(RES.AU).
-By Nicholas Bariyo, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; 256-75-2624615 bariyonic@yahoo.co.uk
Dowjones

CONGO RDC :

KENYA :

Kenya: Trip to Air Crash Site Was Long and Bumpy
29 April 2010/allafrica.com/Daily Nation On The Web

Nairobi — News that the wreckage of Flight KQ 507 had been found less than 20 kilometres from Douala International Airport reached the Nation at 7pm.

It came when we had given up for the second consecutive day of waiting. Earlier, Cameroonian officials had said the search had been extended to about 150 kilometres away, in the tropical forest in the south of the country.

We then agreed with Kenya’s Transport minister at the time, Mr Ali Chirau Mwakwere, that if he was informed of the finding of the plane that had gone missing with 114 people aboard, he should alert us.

But as it would happen in any emergency situation, Mr Mwakwere did not inform us about where he was headed.

Relatives of the 114 passengers and Kenya Airways personnel, who were staying at Sawa Hotel, swung into action on hearing the news that the plane had been located at Mbanga Pongo, a swampy mangrove forest on the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean.

The quiet Sunday evening was shattered by the banging of doors and cars revving madly as everyone attempted to go to the crash site. I quickly called my colleagues, photographer Joseph Mathenge and the NTV crew of Dennis Onsarigo and Sarah Kimani.

A taxi we had hired for our stay in Douala was on standby. Sirens were blaring all over Cameroon’s second biggest town. The doors of the taxi had hardly been closed when we told the driver to move.

We spotted a van emblazoned with the Kenya Airways logo and we instructed the driver to follow it. It turned out to be our saviour. We sped towards the home of the governor-general of Douala, where we found the minister’s car parked, awaiting fresh instructions.

It was then that we learnt that the vehicles were to move in a convoy, led by the governor-general and Mr Mwakwere. But the taxi later got stuck in sandy soil. We jumped into the Kenya Airways van as the race towards the crash site heated up.

As we moved deeper into the forest, the terrain became more treacherous. We then resorted to walking but it was tough. A spotlight was turned on part of the plane wreckage.

The damage was enormous. The plane had cleared forest area almost the size of a football pitch.

Hawaii Legislature Birther
By: Mary Smithwww.newsoxy.com/Published: Apr 29, 2010

Hawaii Legislature birther law has been voted on and passed. This Legislature measure allows the state of Hawaii to ignore repeated birther requests. The bill was needed because the state is receiving repeated requests over Barack Obama’s birth certificate.

Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4,1961. This is listed in public records but the birther movement has doubts. They want to see the original copy of his birth certificate.

Those that have doubts about Obama’s claim that he was really born in Kenya or Indonesia. If true, it prevents him from serving as President of the United States. Hawaii has already issued two statements confirming they have vital records proving the President is a natural-born American citizen.

President born in Honolulu

Barack Obama was born in Honolulu to a Kenyan father and an American mother. Even so, state officials say they still get between 10 and 20 emails each week seeking verification of his birth. With all the nerve, and while the surf’s up, they have to answer to make time to answer the repeated requests by the right-wing movement.

Bill Passed, Now Get Ready For Lawsuits

The new legislation in Hawaii might ward off the repeated requests, but there are lawsuits. Yes, frivolous lawsuits, challenging Obama’s qualifications for office. It is choking the court system at a time when such institutions are already strapped for resources.

Live Birth Document Released 2008

In 2008, the presidential campaign of Barack Hussein Obama released a copy of his Certificate of Live Birth. However, that proved insufficient evidence for those who believe he was born in Kenya. The White House Secretary, Robert Gibbs, also weighed in on the debate suggesting the so-called birthers would never be happy with any evidence.

Ocampo prepares for Kenya trip
BY JUDIE KABERIA/www.capitalfm.co.ke/Apr 29

THE HAGUE, Apr 29 – “Those who caused violence in 2007/2008 were aiming to have a seat in the Cabinet, but they have to understand if you commit violence you have a seat in jail! says International Criminal Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.

In this exclusive interview with Capital News, Mr Ocampo affirms his commitment to pursue the perpetrators and also shares his thoughts about international justice and the importance of cooperation by member States.

“The weakest people are the victims, the women and the children,” said the prosecutor.

The man, widely perceived in Kenya as the deliverer of justice explains what motivates his stressful and risky job which entails dealing with powerful individuals.

Q. Tell us about Luis Moreno-Ocampo

A. I am the Prosecutor of the ICC. My work is to investigate massive crimes when the nationals are not doing that. Particularly people in the slums… sometimes they are ignored and I would like to listen to them and they have to listen to me too because I have to represent them in court. Sometimes they are victims of this type of crimes. Even as a global prosecutor I would like to work for them.

When someone is protected by someone else, I should not interfere. In Colombia there are national prosecutors doing the job so I don’t need to intervene, so I intervene when the people are not presented, (when) no one is taking care of their interests. That is why I like this job. I have to go normally to people who are ignored, very poor, marginalised and then. Yes! We go and work for them.

Q. Is it that Kenya doesn’t have a strong judicial system to prosecute the crimes you are handling?

A. No, we are not making any judgment on the Kenyan judicial system. In fact one of the judges at the ICC is Kenyan. The problem is, there are no national proceedings in Kenya about the post election violence, and that is the issue. When there are no cases, we do a case.

Normally the States organise themselves to have their own police, their own Judiciary. But with these massive crimes they agreed to have this International Criminal Court, so when a country like Kenya joined the court, we are part of the Kenyan justice system. We are the independent part of Kenyan judicial system supported by Kenya, supported by other 100 member States. Then our job is to end impunity for the most serious crimes and that is what we are doing. What we expect from the state parties such as Kenya, is respect for the law and support.

Q. How will the ICC deal with powerful individuals who are suspects?

A. We will be looking at the crimes. I will prosecute the most responsible because really we are a court where we focus on the most responsible. We cannot investigate many people here.

At the same time we respect the accused rights. In Kenya some people are suspects but we will see if they are guilty or not, so as a prosecutor I have to be impartial.

It is my duty to investigate – incriminating but also exonerating to seek for justice. We are willing to meet and receive those considered to be suspects and listen to them and what they have to say.

Q. Is the ICC also concerned with the process of Truth Justice and Reconciliation in countries under its investigation?

A. Yes! We would like to work with others like truth and justice commissions and local leaders among others. This is important as the common goal is to be sure that the next election in 2012 is peaceful.

We are more than happy to work with whoever is working with this goal and in fact I m going to Kenya in May and I would like to meet the local leaders, people in the slums, discussing how we can help them. I came from Argentina when there were serious crimes. The way to reconcile is to establish the law because if someone raped my daughter no one can force me to reconcile with this person, in this case the rapist. However, according to a legal system, I cannot kill the rapist, so that is why the justice effort could help to reconcile the people.

Q. You seem to believe that reconciliation processes are important. Explain this further.

A. We need to organise a system to live together not just in Kenya but in the world. The issue is to live together. I remember I met with President Museveni in Uganda because he invited President Bashir and he explained to me that Bashir is his tribe, you cannot understand and I said, I love the tribal idea. In fact you and I are in the same tribe, we are the ICC tribe, a bigger tribe.

Because you are the Bashir tribe, invite him to Uganda, then arrest him. For me whatever we are building is a global tribe. The basic idea is no more massive killing… we are united for this but this is a very important tribe.

Q. Sudan’s President Omar al Bashir has been indicted, yet he hasn’t been arrested. Do you think Kenyan suspects will be arrested?

A. The problem is al Bashir is using the army and the police and the State operatives to commit crime. Here in Kenya, the government is not committing crime; the government is trying to control crime.

So I think the Kenya State will help to arrest the people. But there is always a chance and we are evaluating every moment that the accused appear voluntarily and we don’t have to arrest them.

In each country we request territorial States to arrest individuals. That is what we are requesting Sudan to arrest Al Bashir and he has a responsibility to appear voluntarily in court.

Q. When you last visited Kenya in November 2009, PEV victims were not happy that you didn’t meet with them. Why did you choose not to?

A. I had my limits because I could not meet with the victims before the judges authorised my investigations. That is why I said I will come to Kenya as soon as the judges authorise my investigations to meet the victims.

The President and the Prime Minister are in charge of Kenya, so I had to inform them what I had come to do. I had to inform them that I would open investigations requesting the judges’ authorisation. Now it is my time to meet the victims. It will be the beginning. I will see how many places I can visit, but I will try to come back in September or October to be there again and meet more victims.

Q. What is your itinerary when you come to Kenya in May?

A. I will come to Kenya to listen to victims. I will ask what happened to you, how were you affected? I don’t want people thinking I’m coming to put you in jail. They have to understand my mandate, what I can do and what I cannot do. I will fulfill my role. I will do what I am promising to do. I would like to tell the Kenyan people to keep reporting justice and justice will come to them.

Q. Israel and the US are not signatories to the ICC Treaty. Why should Kenya be a member and what do you mean that Kenya will be an example to the world, is it a threat?

A. Kenya accepted the idea as many as 29 other African countries, as Europe, as South America. We suffered crime during the pre-colonial time, we suffered crimes during the cold war, and that is why we learn the law is important to protect us. It is showing the sophistication of Kenya to accept and join the treaty and the others will learn.

They feel they can be protected by armies, and we are thinking no! We can be protected by law. That is why we are saying Kenya will be an example to show that. It will be an example of how we can use the law to do justice for the victims and to prevent violence in the future, it is the example we are giving together; the Kenyan people, the Kenyan authorities and the court working together.

Q. Kenyans have a high level of trust and expectations in you. Should they?

A. Oh, I (hope) they continue to trust me. I would like to see them, to be connected to them w
ho are the poorest. I will do a couple of cases. It will not be the end of the story but the beginning of the story. I believe this will help a lot to understand that there will be no more violence.

ANGOLA :

SOUTH AFRICA:

Afgri, ArcelorMittal, MTN, Seardel: South Africa Equity Preview
April 29, 2010/By Janice Kew and Nasreen Seria/Bloomberg

April 29 (Bloomberg) — The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in South Africa. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names and prices are from the last close.

South Africa’s FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index lost 784.69, or 2.7 percent, to 28,524.78 in Johannesburg, the biggest retreat since Aug. 17.

Afgri Ltd. (AFR SJ): Wheat farmers plan to cut production by about 300,000 metric tons to 1.6 million tons this season, the lowest level in 40 years, Business Report said, citing Grain SA, which represents grain producers. Afgri, which handles about a quarter of South Africa’s grain, fell 10 cents, or 1.4 percent, to 6.90 rand.

ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. (ACL SJ): Africa’s biggest steelmaker said it has been advised that it will continue to receive iron ore from Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.’s Sishen Iron Co. at cost-plus 3 percent until a dispute over pricing has been resolved. ArcelorMittal declined 2.27 rand, or 2.5 percent, to 87.98 rand.

Aquarius Platinum Ltd. (AQP SJ): The producer of platinum in South Africa and Zimbabwe releases its fiscal third-quarter report. Aquarius fell 1.59 rand, or 3.2 percent, to 48.83 rand.

Exxaro Resources Ltd. (EXX SJ): The company expects coal production this year to match last year’s output of about 45 to 46 million metric tons, while exports are expected to decline because of rail constraints, Business Day reported. Exxaro shares fell 1.75 rand, or 1.4 percent, to 125.50 rand.

Firestone Energy Ltd. (FSE SJ): The coal-exploration company plans to submit an application for mining rights in May. The shares were unchanged at 42 cents.

Metorex Ltd. (MTX SJ): The copper-mining company said production of the metal in the three months through March rose 2 percent to 12,880 metric tons. Metorex lost 14 cents, or 3.2 percent, to 4.25 rand.

MTN Group Ltd. (MTN SJ): Africa’s largest mobile-phone company publishes first-quarter subscriber numbers. MTN fell 2.72 rand, or 2.5 percent, to 106.78 rand.

Seardel Investment Corp. (SER SJ): The clothing and textile manufacturer plans to fire more than 800 staff at its Durban and Cape Town plants, Business Report said, citing Chief Executive Officer Stuart Queen. Seardel shares were unchanged at 38 cents.

Sekunjalo Investments Ltd. (SKJ SJ): The investment company said basic earnings per share for the six months through February will be between 57 cents and 85 cents. Sekunjalo was unchanged at 25 cents.

Tradehold Ltd. (TDH SJ): The retail investment company said it expects to report annual earnings per share excluding one- time items of 0.4 pence, compared with a 3.1 pence per share loss a year earlier. Tradehold slid 3 cents, or 3.3 percent, to 88 cents.

Shares or American depositary receipts of the following South African companies closed as follows:

Anglo American Plc (AAUKY US) fell 0.4 percent to $21.41. AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU US) gained 1.5 percent to $41.04. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BBL US) increased 0.8 percent to $63.42. DRDGold Ltd. (DROOY US) gained 0.7 percent to $5.02. Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI US) gained 1.8 percent to $13.28. Harmony Gold Mining Co. (HMY US) advanced 2.4 percent to $9.70. Impala Platinum Holdings (IMPUY US) increased 0.9 percent to $27.80. Sappi Ltd. (SPP US) rose 2.7 percent to $4.19. Sasol Ltd. (SSL US) increased 0.6 percent to $40.31.

–Editor: Glenn J. Kalinoski, Paul Richardson.

Man Receives 25 Years For Strangling Ex-Girlfriend In NYU Building
By: NY1 News/04/29/2010

The man convicted of manslaughter in the 2007 killing of his former girlfriend inside her family’s NYU apartment was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison.

Michael Cordero pleaded guilty last month in exchange for the sentence.

He told the court he would spend the rest of his life begging for forgiveness for killing Boitumelo McCallum, a 20-year-old college student from South Africa.

Her parents, both of whom are NYU professors, bared their grief at the sentencing.

In a statement read by the prosecutor, McCallum’s mother said that her daughter was killed because she made a wrong choice of whom to share her love with.

4th UPDATE: Algeria Government Opposes Orascom-MTN Deal
By Summer Said /online.wsj.com/APRIL 29, 2010

Of ZAWYA DOW JONES
CAIRO (Zawya Dow Jones)–Algeria’s government is opposing a deal under which South Africa’s MTN Group Ltd. (MTN.JO) would acquire the prized Algerian unit of Egypt’s Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CI), the Telecommunications Ministry said Wednesday.

“The government is opposed to the planned deal between MTN and Orascom” with regard to the unit, Orascom Telecom Algerie, also known as Djezzy, the ministry said in a statement. “Any transaction concerning OTA will be void…and could lead to the withdrawal of the telephone license granted to the company,” it said.

Djezzy has the largest share of the Algerian market and is Orascom’s single biggest revenue source. Cairo-based investment bank Beltone Financial values the unit at $6.7 billion, or 51% of its valuation for all of Orascom, which is under pressure to cut debt.

The news prompted Orascom Chairman Naguib Sawiris to say he plans to visit Algeria and discuss the matter “once I get an appointment.” Sawiris made the comment in a telephone message to Dow Jones Newswires.

He also asked the Egyptian foreign minister to arrange a meeting with the Algerian prime minister and relevant ministers in the country to clarify the issues raised by the Algerian authorities.

Earlier Wednesday, MTN, Africa’s largest cellphone network operator, confirmed it was discussing the possible acquisition of Orascom Telecom or some of the businesses of the Cairo-based company.

A spokeswoman for MTN wasn’t immediately available for comment on the statement by the Algerian ministry.

MTN last year was thwarted in its ambition to enter the massive Indian market when merger talks with Bharti Airtel Ltd. (532454.BY) failed. Bharti has since agreed to buy most of the African assets of Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Co. (ZAIN.KW), or Zain, in a $10.7 billion deal.

Acquiring Djezzy would give the South African company, which already has operations in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East, a foothold in Algeria as it faces tougher competition from former suitor Bharti.

Algeria’s telecommunication ministry asked the Egyptian company, which holds more than 90% of Djezzy either directly or through subsidiaries, to contact authorities to determine the unit’s future and discuss the conditions of any possible deal.

Algeria “has decided to exercise its right of pre-emption to the entire capital” of Djezzy, the ministry’s statement said.

“Any attempt to circumvent this decision could lead, in this case, to the implementation of the procedure of expropriating the current OTA shareholders,” it said.

Under Algerian law, the government has the right of first refusal for Orascom’s stake in OTA, should it decide to sell.

Algerian Finance Minister Karim Djoudi said his country could take a 51% in the company if a sale takes place according to the law.

“We have rules and we will apply them,” Djoudi said in comments carried by state-run Algerie Presse Service, or APS, Wednesday.

Orascom Telecom, the largest Arab mobile operator by subscribers, said last week that the central bank of Algeria has blocked OT’s Algerian unit from repatriating dividends out of the country.

In November, Algerian authorities slapped Orascom Telecom with a $600 million tax claim and penalties for fiscal years 2004 to 2007 even though OTA’s operation was tax-exempt until mid-2007.

Orascom, which runs networks in a dozen countries, said earlier this month it paid $113 million to the Algerian tax authority, representing the remaining balance of the total tax claim. It lost its final appeal against the tax reassessment and said it would now challenge it in the courts.

Wednesday’s statement said that Djezzy would be blocked from repatriating its earnings until questions about its tax payments and its future ownership have been cleared up.

Relations between Algeria and Egypt have been strained after violence erupted following a World Cup soccer qualifying match between the two Arab countries last November. A crowd of Algerian team supporters attacked the headquarters of Djezzy, smashing windows and destroying office equipment after the match. Algeria’s finance minister, however, has said that the country makes no distinction between telecom firms operating in the North African state.

MTN Shares closed 2.5% lower at 106.78 rand, while Orascom finished trading 0.1% higher at 7.57 Egyptian pounds.

-By Summer Said, Dow Jones Newswires; +2010-990-9593; summer.said@dowjones.com

(Shereen El Gazzar in Cairo and Robb Stewart in Johannesburg contributed to this article.)

SAfrica prepared if Obama decides to attend WCup
By RONALD BLUM (AP)/29042010

NEW YORK — The top South African World Cup organizer says his country is prepared to have President Barack Obama visit during the tournament.

Obama met last summer at the White House with FIFA president Sepp Blatter, and South African officials have said Obama has told them he might try to attend if his schedule allows.

“I think it would be wonderful it he comes,” Danny Jordaan, the South African organizing committee’s chief executive officer, said Wednesday during an interview with The Associated Press. “We expect a high number of heads of states during the World Cup.”

A little more than six weeks before the June 11 opener, Jordaan gave an update on the tournament at the South African consulate.

“I think we’re going to get many high-profile individuals,” he said. “The government will take the necessary security precautions.”

Blatter and Jordaan hope former South African president Nelson Mandela also can attend. The Nobel Prize winner makes few public appearances these days.

“Of course Mandela is 91 years old,” Jordaan said. “It’s something that we have to wait and see.”

Jordaan said it was hard to evaluate a purported threat by al-Qaida directed at the high-profile U.S.-England match on June 12. Jordaan said the “authenticity of that thing” has not been determined.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said in February that South Africa would fail to draw the 450,000 international visitors it once projected for the tournament, and South African Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said this month the figure could be as low as 300,000.

Jordaan said he projected 373,000 international visitors, of which 100,000 will come from neighboring African countries. There are still 120,000 to 140,000 unsold tickets. Part of the difficulty has been caused by the global recession.

“That crisis affected many of the countries in Europe, including England and Germany, which happen to be the major markets,” he said. “And even now you see the crisis in Greece. And people in 2010 who may have had the capacity to travel in 2004 and ’05 may now not have that capacity.”

Still, the U.S. leads foreign countries with 160,000 tickets bought, despite high prices for airfare and hotels.

“It seems the recovery has been good in the States,” he said. “And certainly fans follow teams that they believe in. And we’ve seen after the United States made it to the final of the Confederations Cup and was leading Brazil 2-0 at halftime, that fans in the U.S. decided this is a team that has a chance in this World Cup. And I think as the teams progress into the second round and latter stages, there will be a further influx of fans into the country.”

Jordaan estimates the tournament will leave a legacy of $80 million to $100 million for South African soccer, which often has struggled for funding in competition with rugby and cricket.

He hopes the World Cup will leave a lasting boost on tourism. South Africa had just over 10 million international visitors last year and hopes to increase the figure to 15 million annually by 2014.

Already, he said up to 30 new hotels are being built and that 557 new buses have been delivered along with 124 new train sets. South Africa wants to be discussed as a travel destination “in the coffee tables and dinner tables of the world,” and the estimated 15,000 reporters attending the tournament will generate discussion about the country’s progress away from the 10 stadiums.

Already a global forum of business leaders has been scheduled for Cape Town during the tournament.

“That’s one of the fundamental reasons as to why we pursued the idea of hosting the World Cup,” Jordaan said. “It’s about further investment in the country, growth in trade and economic opportunities. And the way in which you do that is by demonstrating that you have the infrastructure and the capability to warrant serious consideration for such investment. And the second thing is about your reputation. It’s the country’s ability to deliver on what it promises.”

South Africa may try to follow the World Cup by bringing the Olympics to Africa for the first time in 2020. Jordaan has said he could envision Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban as host.

“If you can host the World Cup and if we have the infrastructure, what about the Olympics? I think that’s the obvious question that’s going to be raised,” he said. “It’s the last of the mega-events outstanding for the continent.”

AFRICA / AU :

Bharti Minutes in Africa
Rohin Dharmakumar & Shishir Prasad/ www.forbes.com/04.29.10

Bharti Airtel changed the Indian mobile scene with its prepaid minutes model. It faces a tough challenge as it tries to take it to Africa through Zain.
“My history is that I’ve been constantly proving people wrong. I did that in 1995, 2000 and 2005. It’ll be the same in 2010 too.” Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and managing director of the Bharti Group, has been telling his senior managers and partners in recent meetings.

Meanwhile, his top lieutenants Manoj Kohli, CEO (International) and joint managing director of Bharti Airtel, and Akhil Gupta, deputy group CEO and managing director of Bharti Enterprises, are busy zipping across Africa, to ensure their boss’ naysayers are proven wrong this time, too.
Bharti Airtel brings to Zain Africa a strong balance sheet, marketing savvy and managerial talent. All of these attributes will come into play only if Kohli and Gupta can ship to Africa Bharti’s treasure chest: The Minutes Factory.

Totally homegrown and yet in tune with the latest management theories, the Minutes Factory enabled Bharti to change the telecom business. And all eyes are on how it teleports this model to Africa.

What is the Minutes Factory? First, here is what it is not. It is not a “subscriber led” model. The description comes from richer economies of the developed world that were the first to launch mobile phone services, Europe in particular. Since it was a new technology, the cost of setting up a network was high. In the 1990s most mobile operators wanted well-heeled customers who would be willing to pay $1 a minute. They were also very selective in rolling out the network. “Even today in many cities in Europe you may not get a mobile signal if you are in a slightly less frequented part of the city,” says Arvind Mahajan, executive director of KPMG. Mobile companies then spent a lot of money attracting high-paying customers.

For almost seven years the Indian market and mobile operators used the same “subscriber-led” model and nobody could make money. While the cost of setting up the network remained high, very few subscribers signed up because the cost of making or receiving a call remained very high: about 8 rupees a minute.
Then in 2001-02, Bharti came up with the Minute Factory model. Bharti outsourced network planning and IT backbone–considered core to the business–and converted its fixed costs to variable costs. Bharti was able to target millions of prepaid customers that the subscriber-led model didn’t allow it to. This allowed it to invest a certain minimum amount to set up a network that can handle a threshold level of calls and then wait for the usage to build. Only when usage started increasing did Bharti invest more in the network.

If minutes were cars, then Bharti puts up the “additional assembly lines in the manufacturing plant”–towers and radios–only when the customers for the additional minutes show up.

The problem in mobile telephony, as in car manufacturing, is that it is not possible to do business in small measure; adding capacity to handle just 50 extra calls or just 50 additional cars, is difficult. New towers and radios will handle at least 5,000 extra calls. A new plant will make at least 5,000 cars. The manufacturer must wait till the demand reaches that level.
The beauty of the Minutes Factory is that it can add small capacities fairly rapidly and economically. The key to this is an array of partnerships that “manufacture” the minutes. The speed comes because each partner is a specialist and can do its bit better than anyone. Financially this works because Bharti doesn’t have to invest in equipment and towers in advance.

But what Bharti does is observe consumer behavior. Essentially, it collects usage statistics from each of the radios in a network, and when it notices the usage level going up in a certain part of the network, it calls into action its partners, to whom it has outsourced its network. Sometimes partners themselves monitor the network and tell Bharti that it is time to install new radio stations or set up a totally new tower to handle the expected increase in traffic. But the final decision on adding equipment is always the company’s because only its staff knows of tariffs and schemes that can change calling behavior and traffic patterns.
This entire arrangement allows Bharti’s network utilization to be high all the time. This is akin to any factory’s capacity utilization being high. Combine this with Bharti’s ability to configure “new” assembly lines for additional “minutes” in quick time and you get a situation where the minutes are made only when they are ready to be consumed.

The $10.7-billion (the price paid for Zain Africa) question is, can the Minutes Factory be transported to Africa? The short answer is, not very easily. Bharti’s top brass will have to think out of the box to transplant this model to Africa.

The physical act of setting up the network will perhaps be the easiest bit. It is a general belief that Africa is an inhospitable place and in many cases road infrastructure is poor or nonexistent. Bharti’s detractors say that a factory model is fine but what if you can’t reach a physical location to set up the towers? Actually, sources inside Bharti say that the company’s network planning staff and its partners have had a good workout on this front in northeast India and even Bihar. “We have used elephants to transport mobile network equipment in Assam. In Bihar we have used boats to move men and material. The logistics should not be a worry for the company,” says a source.

The most important challenge for the Minutes Factory will come from the low level of urbanization in Africa. Data shows that even in a populous country like Nigeria, the population density is just 162 people in every square kilometer. In India the figure is 339. This has some serious implications for network planning. Combined with a low level of urbanization–20%-60%–this means that subscriber populations are spread out. Therefore, to provide telecom services, more towers and radios are required. The capital requirements naturally go up. Also, due to lack of power many of those towers need diesel generators running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It also requires more security than India to prevent vandalism. “This pushes up the cost of base stations almost three times compared with Europe. In Africa the cost of a single base station (tower, radios, power backup) can go as high as $180,000 to $200,000. In Europe the same thing would cost $50,000 to $60,000,” says Dobek Pater of Africa Analysis. This is why African call rates are still comparatively high.
Yet it would be foolish to cut rates before the business model can support that. So can Bharti convince its partners–Ericsson, NSN, IBM–to do for it what they did in India? “The key question is whether Bharti can assure them of the sort of volumes that they did in India,” says Mahajan of KPMG. Ericsson, NSN and IBM would want to be big in Africa. Huawei, the Chinese company, is already getting entrenched there. “Currently, Ericsson and NSN are No. 1 and No. 2 in Africa, but over the next five years, Huawei claims, it will be the biggest,” says Pater.

So these companies would want to replicate the Minutes Factory, but the challenge will be the lack of scale for all players in each of the markets in Africa. “What makes the outsourcing model economically sound in India is that two or three large operators, who might be competitors, outsource to one vendor, and that generates synergies of scale for the vendor. In most African markets there is one large player followed by three or four smaller ones. So outsourced costs of operations might not be that different from doing it in-house,” says Pater.

But what if Bharti were to stimulate demand by first cutting prices? This would be one way of kick-starting the Minutes Factory. Since the costs can’t drop quick
ly, cut prices, generate high traffic and then use that as a bargaining chip to get lower prices from vendors. In 2008 Zain dropped prices drastically in Kenya to dislodge Safaricom. Its traffic went up but not as much as it had expected. The reason is the African market’s inherent inability to spend on mobile services. “The thing with Africa is that most of the 15 countries score low on the U.N.’s poverty index, with only two ahead of India on this count. Increasing the addressable market in some of these countries would mean lowering tariffs, which could pressure margins,” says Kawaljeet Saluja of Kotak Securities in a research report. The other thing is whether Africans will want to gab the way Indians do even when given low call rates. “If you drop prices in Africa, people will spend a bit more time talking, but instead of using their full budget from the past they will try to save some of it,” says Pater.
Dispersed population, lack of purchasing power and outsourcing partners’ ability to measure up to the challenge are issues that Bharti will need to address quickly. If it does then maybe it will be the one genuine case of an Indian business model that can conquer the world, and Sunil Mittal’s detractors will be proved wrong yet again.

This article appears in the Apr. 30 issue of Forbes India, a Forbes Media licensee.

Somali suspects ordered held on piracy charges
By STEVE SZKOTAK (AP) /29042010

NORFOLK, Va. — One of a group of suspected Somali pirates entered a not guilty plea Wednesday on U.S. charges related to attacks on two Navy ships off the coast of Africa.

Attorneys for ten other suspected pirates asked a federal judge for more time to talk with their clients to determine whether they understood the charges.

U.S. Magistrate F. Bradford Stillman in Norfolk ordered that all 11 remain detained on the charges.

He also delayed the arraignments for 10 of the suspects until Friday, giving them time to talk with their attorneys with help from an interpreter.

“I am concerned about the defendants being fully advised,” Stillman said, citing the “mind spinning, disorienting trip” that brought the suspects to the U.S. for trial.

“I do not want to stumble through the arraignments.”

Each man is charged with piracy, attacks to plunder a vessel, assault with a dangerous weapon, and other weapons counts. Piracy carries a mandatory life sentence, while the other charges carry penalties of 10 to 35 years.

Five of the men were captured March 31, after the frigate USS Nicholas exchanged fire with a suspected pirate vessel west of the Seychelles.

The other six were captured after they allegedly began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland on April 10 about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea. Two of the accused have visible physical injuries, the result of the exchange with the Navy, according to the government.

The Ashland and Nicholas, which are each home-ported in Virginia within 20 miles of the courthouse, were part of an international flotilla protecting shipping in the region.

Despite the language barrier and the distant location from the alleged crimes, an expert in international law said the prosecution of the 11 should not be especially difficult.

“Of piracy cases, I’d think this would be one of the easier ones to prove, in the sense that you have witnesses who can be made available to the court at the insistence of the secretary of defense,” said Ruth Wedgwood, a law professor at Johns Hopkins University.

“Your witnesses are easier to muster and I suspect, with the technology of the Navy, you could even do a video link which would be sufficient for a jury,” she said.

The 11 had been held on U.S. ships for weeks off Somalia’s pirate-infested coast as officials decided whether and where they could be prosecuted.

U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride, who has declined to discuss any aspect of the government’s prosecution, said the Defense Department pushed for a criminal trial because the Navy was “the victim” in the attacks.

“In this particular case, we felt that there was proof beyond a reasonable doubt that crimes, including piracy and others, had been committed and that a criminal prosecution was appropriate,” he said last week after the defendants’ first court appearance.

The Somali mission to the United Nations said the suspects should be tried by a regional or international tribunal, not in a U.S. courtroom.

“I find difficult to believe that the international community is rendered helpless by bunch of Somali teenagers, chewing khat, and armed with AK47 and RPG’s,” Omar Jamal, first secretary to the Somali mission, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Khat is a mild stimulant popular in Somalia and other countries in the region.

He called for a “cessation of this ongoing extrajudicial practice and vigilante justice.”

Puma’s Q1 net profit surges 82 pct
The Associated Press /April 29, 2010

BERLIN

Puma AG, the German athletic apparel maker, said Wednesday that its first quarter net profit surged some 82 percent even though overall sales dipped.

The maker of shoes, shirts, bags and other athletic products said it had a net profit of euro83.1 million ($110.4 million) in the first quarter compared to just euro5.6 million a year earlier.

Puma, based in Herzogenaurach, said the increase in net profit came even as revenue slipped by 2.1 percent to euro683.1 from euro697.4 million a year earlier.

The decline was seen in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while the Americas saw a gain of 6.9 percent with euro190.4 million in revenue compared with euro178.1 million a year earlier.

Sales were down among Puma’s footwear, which dipped 4.6 percent, but accessories was down just half a percent. Sales of apparel were up nearly 2 percent.

Puma, majority held by French luxury goods company PPR, is the world’s third-largest sportswear company after crosstown rival Adidas AG and Nike Inc. of the U.S.

“We had a good start into the new year from a bottom-line perspective, which highlights the effectiveness of our comprehensive restructuring and reengineering efforts,” Puma Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz said.

He said that if planned supplier orders come about, as expected, revenue for 2010 should see low- to mid-single digit growth and “net earnings should jump significantly” as well.

Part of that should come from the upcoming World Cup in June, which is expected to add significantly to the company’s revenue and earnings in coming weeks as fans snap up jerseys, balls and even cleats in the run-up and during the monthlong tournament which starts June 11.

It is the first such tournament ever to be held in Africa, and Puma supplies several African national teams, including Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal.

Shares of Puma were down less than 1 percent to euro251.25 in Frankfurt trading, part of a wider decline of the DAX index, which was down 1 percent.

UN /ONU :

Police hostages home from Sudan today
‘They were so relieved to be free and one of the women started to cry’
Apr 29, 2010/ By HARRIET MCLEA /www.timeslive.co.za

The four South African police officers held hostage in Sudan for 15 days will arrive home today.

Michael Annett, 51, a former top Cape Town drugs detective, Senior Superintendent Ntlogeleng Minda Aucone, believed to be in her 40s, and Michael Malenzi and Meisie Ramantsi, both in their 20s, were kidnapped on April 11 in war-torn Darfur.

They were released following negotiations involving Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and President Jacob Zuma.

Michael Fryer, outgoing head of the joint UN and African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, arranged their release on Sunday.

They were flown to freedom by helicopter.

“They were so relieved to be free and one of the women started to cry” he told The Times yesterday.

Fryer said that Aucone and Ramantsi are from Pretoria, and Malenzi is from Limpopo.

Annett’s son, David, 24, said that his mother, Susan, and sister, Rebecca, 28, will fly to Johannesburg to welcome him home.

“I haven’t personally spoken to him but my mom has. He’s happy to be free and he’s looking forward to seeing us,” David said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him and talking to him again.”

The four officers were part of the 863-strong South African contingent, from the police and defence force deployed to the UNamid peacekeeping operation in Darfur.

On the first day of the five-day multi-party elections in Sudan on April 11, the four were taken hostage as they drove back to their base along a 7km track in the province’s Nyala region.

They were stopped by a group of armed men, reported to have been aligned to the People’s Democratic Struggle Movement, a rebel group, who took them captive.

The group – described by acting South African ambassador to Sudan Rasheeda Adam as “extremely exhausted” – were debriefed by trauma counsellors and given medical check-ups.

Adam said the group were “brave and are holding up OK”, and were “well looked after by the Sudanese”.

She said: “There is a lot of goodwill towards South Africans.” She gave credit for this to former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, and to President Jacob Zuma.

To secure the hostages’ release, Adam said, Sudanese President Al-Bashir had “given the matter his personal efforts” and Zuma had spoken to Al-Bashir by telephone.

The four officers attended a Freedom Day celebration on Tuesday arranged by the South African embassy in Sudan.

The function, which had a World Cup theme, was also attended by former president Thabo Mbeki and a former president of Burundi, Pierre Buyoya.

Adam said that the group were so relieved to be free that they stayed “until the very end” of the event and “Malenzi was even dancing”.

An unnamed police major-general flew to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, yesterday to meet the four and will accompany them back to South Africa on their eight-hour flight.

UNamid spokesman Nouredine Mezni said a delegation from the organisation will accompany the four to South Africa because it was their “duty to bring them back home safely and reunite them with their families”.

South African singer and Guyanese cricketer join UN efforts against AIDS pandemic
www.un.org/29 April 2010

28 April 2010 – Grammy award-winning musician Lebo M and West Indian cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan are the latest personalities from the entertainment and sports worlds to join United Nations efforts against HIV/AIDS, lending their talents and public profiles to boost awareness about the disease.
Lebo M, a South African producer, composer and singer whose real name is Lebohang Morake, was on Monday named UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, allowing him to use his music, outreach and understanding of HIV to raise awareness about the epidemic globally, including helping to break the cycle of stigma and discrimination associated with the virus.

In conjunction with the International Cricket Council (ICC), Mr. Sarwan of Guyana was unveiled on the same day as a new Think Wise Champion, part of a global cricket partnership to raise HIV awareness.

He joins high-profile cricketers Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara and Virender Sehwag, as well as his female West Indian colleague Stafanie Taylor, in becoming a Champion for the ICC’s partnership with UNAIDS, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Global Media AIDS Initiative.

The global partners are also working with the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS as part of the “Live UP” campaign to coincide with the cricket tournament ICC World Twenty20 2010, which begins on Friday and runs through 16 May. The initiative encourages youth in the region to take positive action by informing themselves about the facts about HIV, getting tested and protecting themselves.

Lebo M is a long-time HIV advocate and founder of the Lebo M Foundation, which focuses on HIV as well as child welfare and housing issues in South Africa.

“I have always dreamt big and that has carried me from smoky township nightclubs to Los Angeles. Since my dreams have come true, I want to make sure that other children grow up and reach for the skies. The AIDS epidemic must be stopped and prevented from cutting short lives,” he said.

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said: “With his outsized talent, Lebo M has dazzled the world stage. Now he will use his rich and resonant voice to speak up for people living with HIV. Lebo M moves audiences with his music and his insatiable spirit will not rest until AIDS is overcome.”

Lebo M was a co-composer and member of the core creative team for the movie and Broadway production of The Lion King. He is the founder of the Johannesburg-based company Till Dawn Entertainment, which co-produced and staged The Lion King in South Africa. He is currently working with the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa to co-produce the opening and closing ceremonies.

USA :

CANADA :

Wheat crop will be cut, farmers warn
Grain SA seeks action on cheap imports
April 29, 2010/www.busrep.co.za/By Lucky Biyase

Wheat farmers are expected to scale down production by about 300 000 tons to 1.6 million tons, a 40-year low, because the government has failed to implement subsidies or higher tariffs against imports.

Grain SA chairman Andries Theron said on Monday that farmers would reduce production because falling international prices made it impossible to remain profitable.

“We are facing competition from highly subsidised countries in Europe, especially Germany. We have similar problems with imports from the US and to some extent from Canada, Australia and Argentina,” Theron added.

He said to address the problem, Grain SA had last year approached the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) for a tariff hike on wheat imports.

Theron said Grain SA had recommended that an average tariff of $260 (R1 950) a ton be charged for the next five years and proposed a subsidy value. “This is a control measure to cover local farmers against the imports,” he said.

He added that areas under irrigation, particularly in the Free State, would be at a distinct disadvantage because of the recent electricity tariff hike by Eskom.

“In these areas alone, we expect production to fall by at least between 20 percent and 22 percent this harvest season,” said Theron.

He said the organisation had communicated the problem to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, but was still in the dark about the government’s plans.

“Our problem is that we still don’t know how much the price will be and (when or if) it will be implemented,” he said.

Approached for comment, Itac’s communication manager Thembinkosi Gamlashe reiterated an earlier statement.

“Itac investigated the application… already made its recommendations to the Minister of Trade and Industry.

“The minister considered and approved the recommendations made by Itac and forwarded the tariff recommendation to the Minister of Finance for implementation. The implementation is imminent,” said Gamlashe.

He declined to disclose further details.

“Most of the information regarding this matter is confidential at this stage. We will make the report available as soon as the Deputy Minister of Finance approves the recommendations for implementation. We are also not in a position to say when the implementation will be, but it is soon,” Gamlashe said.

However, Theron said the government’s response was pushing farmers to further desperation.

“The planting season is right upon us and we were hoping to have the information with us by now,” he said.

Another problem was that the quality of the imports was low but they were determining the prices of local maize, which maintained high quality standards, said Theron.

Louis van der Merwe, the head of commercial agriculture at FNB, conceded that wheat farmers were under financial stress due to the current low market price.

“The playing field in world markets for agricultural commodities is very uneven – the US and Europe subsidise their farmers to a great extent – which results in depressed commodity prices and South African agriculture, being open to world trade, can be severely affected,” he said.

Van der Merwe added that agriculture was prone to cycles caused by a number of factors, including the weather, world economic conditions, the price of oil and others.

“A measure of help and protection from the government is justified to ensure food security and employment in rural areas, if an agricultural industry, such as the wheat industry, needs to survive the (economic) crisis,” he said.

Van der Merwe added: “It is for the authorities to decide on the nature and extent of assistance, whether in the form of a tariff or subsidy, and to foresee the distortion which this intervention may cause, taking into consideration that wheat products are an important basic food for the majority of the population.”

AUSTRALIA :

Defence boosts satellite communications
April 29, 2010/AAP /news.smh.com.au

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will buy the remainder of a satellite communications payload to further boost global communications of its ships, aircraft and troops.

In a 2009 deal, the ADF agreed to purchase part of the specialised UHF (ultra high frequency) communications package on an Intelsat satellite set for launch in early 2012.

The ADF has now exercised its option to purchase the rest of the communications payload aboard Intelsat 22.

Australia and the United States have also signed a memorandum of understanding setting out terms for sharing of UHF communications resources.

Don Brown, vice-president for hosted payload programs at Intelsat General Corporation, said the growing partnership with the ADF was an example of long-term capabilities which could be provided by commercial satellite operators to government and military users.

“As a result of our direct partnership with the ADF, we are building a payload that will serve the ADF’s growing communication requirements for the next two decades,” he said in a statement.

“This agreement extends Intelsat’s ongoing commitment to the Australian government and exemplifies the powerful tool that hosted payloads offer government users for SATCOM augmentation.”

Intelsat is the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, operating a constellation of more than 50 communications satellites.

Intelsat 22 is currently being manufactured by aerospace company Boeing.

It will be placed in orbit over the Indian Ocean carrying three specific communications payloads, one providing services for the Africa and Asia regions, another providing services to the Middle East, Africa and Europe and the third used only by the ADF.

The ADF has a growing reliance on satellite communications to run operations in theatres such as Afghanistan. The UHF band is used widely by the military because of its adaptability to small, mobile terminals used by ground, sea and air forces.

The deal signed last year is worth $230 million with the contract running for 15 years.

EUROPE :

Unilever reports 33 percent rise in Q1 profit
By TOBY STERLING/Associated Press/ 04.29.10

AMSTERDAM —

Unilever NV, the maker of Lipton tea, Dove soap and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, reported a 33 percent rise in first quarter net profit on Thursday, as the company boosted sales by lowering prices and improved margins by cutting costs.

Unilever said net profit of euro973 million ($1.28 billion) compared with euro731 million in the same period a year earlier. Sales rose 6.7 percent to euro10.1 billion.

Chief Executive Paul Polman said margins were helped by lower commodity costs and lower overhead. The company actually increased advertising spending.

He said Unilever plans to continue following its current strategy: playing off customer preferences for a good deal over a prestigious brand.

That strategy is also winning the company market share in most areas, Unilever said – but it will be increasingly difficult to increase margins by cost-cutting.

“Commodity costs will increase in the second half of 2010, economies remain sluggish and competitive intensity will remain high,” Polman said.

“It is more important than ever to stay focused on the consumer.”

Shares rose 1.9 percent to euro22.955 in early Amsterdam trading.

Analyst Richard Withagen of SNS Securities said the results “came in ahead of expectations.”

“The update makes it clear that competitiveness remains fierce in the global consumer goods area, but Unilever has a much stronger profile than a couple of years ago,” he said in a note on the earnings. He repeated an Accumulate rating on shares.

By product type, Unilever’s ice creams and personal care products showed the strongest growth, better than 7 percent each. The company cited new products under the Magnum, Cornetto and Breyer’s brands, and new Dove and Vaseline products.

By geography, sales volumes grew 12 percent in Asia & Africa, the company’s largest region, followed by 6.3 percent growth in the Americas and 4.0 percent in Europe.

Prices fell in all regions, and a 3.7 percent fall in Europe meant the company’s net sales there were almost flat.

Operating margins improved by 0.6 percent overall, with gains in all areas but especially strong in Europe, where Unilever has been restructuring.

Fears of European sovereign debt default strike markets
Shares fall as Greek bonds hit junk status
April 29, 2010/By Ethel Hazelhurst/www.busrep.co.za

The JSE took fright yesterday as fears grew that several European nations could default on their debt. The all share index fell 2.4 percent in the first minute of the trading day and closed down 2.68 percent at 28 524.78 points.

The tumble followed news from the previous day that ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) had downgraded Greece’s debt by three notches, from BBB+ to BB+, a sub-investment grade commonly described as a junk bond status. S&P’s lowest investment grade is BBB-. A further downgrade could follow, on threats of more strikes and demonstrations in Greece.

Reuters said: “In Athens on Tuesday, about 1 500 private and public sector workers, students and anarchists marched to Parliament chanting ‘Out with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the EU’ in protest against austerity measures that could accompany the bailout.”

S&P left Greece with a “negative outlook” and said its rating could fall further if “the Greek government’s ability to implement its fiscal and structural reform programme is undermined by domestic political opposition or materially weakens for other reasons”.

Other stock markets responded immediately. Sapa-AP said the Dow Jones industrial average fell 213 points on Tuesday, “its worst loss in almost three months”. Meanwhile Reuters reported European shares “fell at their fastest rate in five months”.

The junk bond downgrade immediately hoicked Greece’s debt costs – Sapa-AP reported that the difference between rates on Greek 10-year bonds and the benchmark German equivalent increased to “an astonishing 9.63 points, a massive jump from around 6.4 points on Tuesday”.

The news agency said this meant that Greece would pay four times more than Germany to borrow money. The bill would eventually be footed by Greek taxpayers.

The Hellenic Republic is attempting to negotiate a e45 billion (R442.3bn) rescue package with the EU and the IMF. However, EU governments, particularly Germany, are demanding that Greece does more to reduce its deficit.

S&P also downgraded Portugal’s sovereign risk by two notches on Tuesday from A+ to A-. Spain was downgraded yesterday to AA from AA+. Other countries in line for a downgrade are Italy and Ireland.

Greece’s rerating came after the Greek government revealed last week that its 2009 budget deficit was equal to 13.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), up from the previously estimated 12.9 percent.

But it is only one among several countries where government deficits and debt are at dangerous levels, according to the SA Reserve Bank.

In its financial stability review, released yesterday, it identified the major culprits as the US, the UK and Japan.

The review states that these nations “are running exceptionally high deficits as a result of government spending programmes, following the global financial crisis. In the US, the federal budget deficit was at a post-war high of 10 percent of GDP in the past fiscal year, while publicly held federal debt, which represented 41 percent of GDP in 2008, is expected to double in the next decade”.

Figures provided elsewhere by the Reserve Bank show that the UK has an 11.5 percent deficit and Japan 9.4 percent.

Also telling was that Greece, with gross government debt equal to 115 percent of GDP, was less indebted than Japan, with debt equal to 201 percent. The US and UK’s ratios were at 108 percent and 98 percent, respectively, while South Africa’s was only 36 percent, the bank said.

CHINA :

China-Africa deals threaten Indian diamonds
www.bizcommunity.com/29 Apr 2010

Indian diamond cutters fear Chinese efforts to secure a supply of the rough gems from Africa are threatening their hold on the diamond cutting industry. In a bid to develop a competitive cutting and polishing industry, China has set up direct deals with African governments, providing medicine and resources to build infrastructure in exchange for rough diamonds.
The UK newspaper the Financial Times reported on Wednesday (28 April 2010) that India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council is lobbying the Indian government to strike similar deals with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. India currently has a 60% share of the world’s diamond cutting and polishing business.

The GJEPC also wants India to set up a four billion US dollar fund to support the country’s diamond sector, the FT reported.

Press freedom on the wane again in 2009—survey
Agence France-Presse/04/29/2010

Filed Under: Human Rights, Opinion surveys, Media

WASHINGTON – Press freedom worldwide remained under fire and lost ground for an eighth straight year in 2009, the non-governmental US watchdog Freedom House said in a report Thursday.

The largest losses were registered in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa.

The Asia-Pacific region in contrast was the only one where overall progress was made in the year, Freedom House said.

Iran saw the worst decline in the Middle East and North Africa on the heels of the controversial June 2009 presidential election. North African nations lost ground, the report said.

Israel was one of the region’s few outposts of progress; it regained “free” status after it ended restrictions imposed after the war in Gaza in late 2008.

South Africa and Namibia were among the many nations in sub-Saharan Africa with worsening press freedom. They went from a “free” press ranking to “partly free.” Madagascar slid into the “not free” ranks.

In Latin America, the worst cases of lost ground were seen in Mexico and Honduras, while the situation also worsened for newspeople in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

In Asia, Bangladesh and Bhutan moved from “not free” to “partly free.” And there were improvements in six other countries including India and Indonesia, but not China.

Russia, according to Freedom House, “remained among the world’s more repressive and most dangerous media environments.”

In western Europe, a region where most nations have a free press, Italy was ranked “partly free” due to the concentration of media and official interference in state media, the report said.

The 10 countries Freedom House deemed worst in 2009 on press freedom were Belarus, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

“In these states, independent media are either nonexistent or barely able to operate, the press acts as a mouthpiece for the regime, citizens’ access to unbiased information is severely limited, and dissent is crushed through imprisonment, torture, and other forms of repression,” Freedom House said.

INDIA :

Unilever Q1 net profit rises 31% yoy
India Infoline News Service / Apr 29, 2010

Unilever Q1 turnover recorded at euro 10,143mn, up 6.7% yoy

STRONG MOMENTUM: VOLUME GROWTH ACCELERATES TO 7.6%

First Quarter highlights

Underlying volume growth 7.6%. Underlying sales growth also accelerated to 4.1%. Underlying price growth was (3.3)% reflecting pricing action taken in 2009; in-quarter pricing was stable.

Underlying operating margin up 60bps driven by improved gross margins and lower overhead costs with advertising and promotions spend up by 220bps behind a strong innovation programme.

Net cash flow from operating activities up by €666mn with over €300m from improved management of working capital.

Fully diluted earnings per share increased by 32%; 2nd quarterly dividend will be increased by 6.7% over Quarter 1 to €0.208 per share.

Chief Executive Officer

“We show strong momentum across all geographies with continued strengthening of our competitive position in line with our strategy. Growth was supported by the quickening pace of innovation and the introduction of brands such as Cif, Domestos, Lifebuoy and Lipton into new markets. Growth has been especially strong in emerging markets despite the heightened competitive activity. We have continued to invest more in advertising and promotions to build brand equities and support the rollout of our innovations.

The improvement in underlying operating margin shows the impact of extensive savings programmes, lower commodity costs, and the benefits of volume leverage.

We will face a tougher environment as the year progresses and thus it is more important than ever to stay focused on the consumer. Commodity costs will increase in the second half, economies remain sluggish and competitive intensity will remain high. We will continue to focus on profitable volume growth, whilst delivering a steady and sustainable improvement in operating margin and strong cash flow. Importantly, we will be doing all of this while continuing to improve our overall environmental footprint.”

Volume growth continued to improve in all regions accompanied by widespread share gains. Underlying price growth was similar to Q4 2009, reflecting the flow-through of pricing actions taken in previous quarters; inquarter pricing was broadly flat with increases in some areas being offset by selective price reductions elsewhere. Gross margins strengthened due to continued strong cost savings, lower commodity costs and better fixed cost leverage. The improvement in underlying operating margin was achieved whilst significantly increasing advertising and promotions spend in all regions and categories.

Asia Africa CEE – Q1 USG +7.6%, Volume +11.7%, underlying operating margin +30 bps

Broad-based volume growth, ahead of our markets, came from our focus on leading market development, improving in-market execution, accelerating the pace of innovation and by brand extensions into new countries. Where we have seen high levels of competitive intensity, our growth has accelerated.

We have driven double digit growth on the back of accelerated innovation in markets like Indonesia, with new launches such as Rexona Shower Clean in Deodorants and the launch of Citra in Personal Wash. In Turkey, we launched Sunlight Dishwash liquid, Omo liquid detergents and Lifebuoy. India has seen an intense competitive battle and we are encouraged by the improvement in volume growth; Laundry shares have stabilised and we are gaining share in Hair. In China we have gained share in all categories except one, driven by successes such as the launch of liquid detergents.

The Americas – Q1 USG +3.7%, Volume +6.3%, underlying operating margin +40 bps

The momentum in the Americas continued with another good quarter of volume growth and a step-up in underlying sales growth. North America had a good quarter delivering volume growth of more than 3% with both the US and Canadian businesses growing ahead of their respective markets. This is driven by the success of the Dove new product launches and share gains in Margarine, Hair and Deodorants. The Slimfast recall adversely impacted market share and growth in the quarter but is now back in full distribution.

Latin America delivered double digit volume growth. In Brazil, volume growth continues to accelerate and we saw particularly strong performances in Deodorants, Skin Cleansing and in Ice Cream where Magnum and Fruttare continue to do well.

Western Europe – Q1 USG 0.2%, Volume +4.0%, underlying operating margin +130 bps

Volume growth at 4% was well ahead of the market and was again broad-based. Market shares continue to grow in both volume and value terms. Good progress was made in the UK and the Netherlands on the back of strong innovations such as Dove Men+Care, Magnum Gold?! and Knorr Stockpot. The economic situation remains challenging in southern Europe as consumer confidence has not yet recovered. Despite this, the businesses in Italy and Spain both delivered much better performances than in 2009. Customer service levels continue to improve. The underlying operating margin was up 130bps despite significant additional investment in advertising and promotions spend, reaping the benefits from the accelerated restructuring programme.

OPERATIONAL REVIEW: CATEGORIES

Volume growth accelerated across all of our categories in the first quarter as we focus on bigger innovations, rolled out to more countries, more quickly. Dove Men+Care has now been launched in 21 countries whilst Dove Minimising deodorant is now present in more than 50 markets. Knorr Stockpot which started in China has been extended to 16 countries. The Lipton brand has been launched in Spain and is continuing to build well in the UK. Consumers will have the opportunity to enjoy Magnum Gold?! in 28 countries in 2010.

Savoury, Dressings and Spreads – Q1 USG +0.1%

The category performance improved in the first quarter with positive volume growth. The continued success of Knorr Stockpots (jelly bouillon) contributed to the growth in Savoury and the new range of Knorr cook-in bags is now rolling out. The PF Chang range of frozen Asian restaurant-quality cuisine has been launched in the US and the initial reception has been positive.

Spreads delivered a step-up in volume growth and global shares. US volume shares reached multi-year highs with margarine benefiting from the trend to healthy eating and our initiatives in removing trans-fatty acids from the formulations. Underlying sales growth has been held back by prior year pricing actions. Dressings overall performance was disappointing. Despite this, the Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Cage-Free eggs innovation continues to do well.

Ice Cream and Beverages – Q1 USG +7.4%

Ice Cream and Beverages delivered strong growth. The Tea business had another quarter of strong volume growth, driven by innovations across the price points. For example Brooke Bond Sehatmand tea with added vitamins was launched to meet the needs of lower income consumers in India. In France, the Tea business is gaining share supported by the Rainforest Alliance certification and premium infusions for Lipton and the relaunch of the Elephant brand with its good value for money positioning.

Ice Cream made good progress in the quarter with strong performances in Australia and Brazil during their summer months. Magnum Gold?! has now been launched and Cornetto Enigma, a premium variant, is now in 12 markets. In the US, Breyer’s Smooth and Dreamy has been introduced and Starbucks ice cream and Klondike are doing well. The Ben and Jerry’s quality improvement programme continues and we have committed to become fully Fairtrade certified by the end of 2013.

Personal
Care – Q1 USG +7.9%

Personal care delivered another excellent quarter on the back of a strong flow of innovations such as Dove Men+Care. A superior range of Dove body washes was launched in Europe using the patented ‘Nutrium’ moisture technology and Dove Hair Damage Repair has been launched in the US and will be rolled out to many more markets in 2010. Both Dove and Vaseline are driving growth in Hand and Body with revitalised product ranges. The Sunsilk Co-Creations range of hair care products is being rolled out and TiGi brought ‘Curlesque’ to market, the latest collection from Catwalk.

In personal wash, Lifebuoy soap has been rolled out to new markets including Turkey, Malaysia and Egypt. After the success of White Now, Signal anti-age toothpaste has been launched in our main Oral markets in Western Europe.

Home Care and others – Q1 USG +2.5%

Home Care delivered growth despite the intense competitive price activity in several key markets. Volume growth has been broad-based on the back of strong innovations and new brand introductions. Liquid detergents in China continued to do well and are now being extended to Turkey. Wheel in India has been re-launched with a superior formulation and an improved Radiant, with a new patented technology to wash clothes whiter, has been launched in Thailand and South Africa. In Household Cleaning we have launched Cif into India and Domestos into Italy. Cif Active Shield continues to deliver good results.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Restructuring

Restructuring in the quarter at €119m amounted to 120bps of Turnover. We continue to look for opportunities to accelerate restructuring to drive efficiency in this highly competitive environment. We now expect that full year restructuring will most likely exceed the 50-100bps guidance given previously.

Finance costs and tax

The cost of financing net borrowings was €109 million, €29 million lower than last year. The interest rate on net borrowings was 6.5%, compared with 5.9% last year reflecting the impact of currencies and increased cash levels earning low rates of interest. There was a small credit for pensions financing compared with a net charge of €45 million in the previous year.

The effective tax rate for the quarter was 24.5%, compared with 27.0% for 2009 primarily reflecting favourable prior year tax settlements.

Joint ventures, associates and other income from non-current investments

Net profit from joint ventures and associates, together with other income from non-current investments contributed €57 million compared to €39 million last year. The main factors behind the increase were the partial redemption of a portion of the preferred shares that had been held as consideration for the sale of Unilever’s US laundry business in 2008 and a fair value adjustment on the warrants in Johnson Diversey.

Earnings per share

Fully diluted earnings per share at €0.34 for the quarter were 32% higher than the same period in 2009. The principal driver was improved underlying profit, as well as lower pension costs, lower restructuring costs and a lower tax rate.

Cash Flow and Net Debt

Net cash from operating activities at €588m was up €666m versus the prior year. This was mainly driven by an improved level of working capital which contributed €329m to the improved cash flow.

Capital expenditure increased by €121m as we invested in manufacturing capacities to support future growth in markets such as Russia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico and South Africa.

Net Debt at €7.1 billion, was up from €6.4 billion as at 31st December 2009, reflecting the above and the move to quarterly interim dividends with the first payment made in March 2010.

Pensions

The net deficit in pension schemes was broadly stable at €2.7 billion reflecting lower discount rates only partially offset by higher asset values.

DIVIDEND

As agreed at the 2009 Annual General Meetings, Unilever moved to the payment of quarterly dividends with effect from 1 January 2010. The first quarterly interim dividend was paid in March 2010, and for the remainder of 2010, the quarterly interim dividends will be paid in June, September and December 2010.

The Boards have declared a quarterly interim dividend of €0.208. Further details, including amounts payable in sterling and US dollars are given in note 10 on page 15, together with the dividend timetable for the remainder of 2010.

COMPETITION INVESTIGATIONS

As previously reported, in June 2008 the European Commission initiated an investigation into potential competition law infringements in the European Union in relation to consumer detergents. Unilever has received a number of requests for information from the European Commission regarding the investigation and has been subject to unannounced investigations at some of its premises. The investigation is ongoing although no statement of objections against Unilever has been issued to date. It is too early reliably to assess the ultimate resolution or estimate the fines which the Commission will seek to impose on Unilever as a result of this investigation. Therefore no provision has been made. However, substantial fines can be levied as a result of European Commission investigations. Fines imposed in other sectors for violations of competition rules have amounted to hundreds of millions of euros.

As previously reported, in December 2009 Unilever received separate statements of objection from the French competition authority and from the Italian competition authority in connection with investigations into certain product markets in France and Italy respectively. In April 2010, Unilever received a statement of objections from the Dutch competition authority in relation to its investigation into certain product markets in The Netherlands.

An earlier decision by the Greek authority fining Unilever in relation to alleged restrictions on parallel trade within certain of its contracts with retailers in Greece is under appeal. Provisions have been made, to the extent appropriate, in relation to these investigations and the fining decision.

In addition and as previously reported, Unilever is involved in a number of other ongoing investigations by national competition authorities. These include investigations in Belgium, France and Germany. These investigations are at various stages and concern a variety of product markets. In several cases it is not clear that the authorities will seek to impose a fine on Unilever and in others it is too early to be able reasonably to assess the level of fines which the authorities may seek to impose.

Following a February 2010 decision, a previously reported investigation by the Czech competition authority has been closed as regards Unilever.

It is Unilever’s policy to co-operate fully with the competition authorities in the context of all ongoing investigations. In addition, Unilever reinforces and enhances its internal competition law compliance procedures on an ongoing basis.

BRASIL:

EN BREF, CE 29 avril 2010 … AGNEWS / OMAR, BXL,29/04/2010