Friday, November 30, 2012

ASPiRE announces The World Premiere of its Groundbreaking Original TV Series THE ROOT 100

(PRNewswire) -- ASPiRE has announced the world premiere of its new original series, THE ROOT 100. Hosted by Emmy®-winning television journalist and CNN Anchor Suzanne Malveaux, the weekly show is based on online news and commentary site The Root's (www.theroot.com) fourth annual list of 100 of the most influential African-American innovators of the next generation (age 25-45). Featuring first-hand interviews and video profiles of 24 of the list's honorees, THE ROOT 100 explores the lives

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Barbados celebrating 46 years of political independence - PM lists achievements

Barbados is celebrating its 46th anniversary of political independence from Britain on Friday with Prime Minister Freundel Stuart telling nationals that the achievements of the island over the years have “fully justified” the decision to break colonial ties with the United Kingdom.

He said at the social, political and economic levels, Barbados has made tremendous strides.

"At the social level, we can boast of having a Barbados that is more balanced and inclusive today than at any

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As Africa grows, so does the growth in private jet proliferation

Aliko Dangote's private jet. PHOTO/Alex. N

Private jet manufacturers are increasingly targeting Africa's growing economies as the resource-rich continent is quietly emerging as an important hub in global business aviation.

In a continent where commercial routes are often limited, a growing number of smaller, privately owned planes are now taking to the skies, creating new connections in and out of Africa.

Driven mainly by entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals involved in the natural

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Barack Obama takes 'fiscal cliff' on the road; Republicans unhappy

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

(Reuters)- President Barack Obama, reapplying his re-election campaign theme of protecting the middle class, heads to Pennsylvania on Friday suggesting that Republicans could spoil Christmas by driving the country over the "fiscal cliff."

The president's road trip, visiting a factory that makes Tinkertoys, is infuriating Republicans, with House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner calling it a "victory lap" Thursday as he rejected Obama's

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Wilton Munnings appointed Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce President and CEO

The oldest and largest Black chamber of commerce in the United States, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, has appointed Mr. Wilton Munnings (pictured), as its new President and Chief Operating Officer, effective December 1, 2012.

Wilton Munnings has 18 years of experience in the financial service industry working with banks and credit unions and as a consultant. Since 2008, Mr. Munnings has worked to develop his own consulting firm engaged in risk management and bank lending

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Botswana to ban big game hunting by 2014

Botswana says it will ban hunting by 2014 because of fears that the nation is losing its wildlife.

The nation's Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism made the announcement Thursday, saying the decision comes after President Ian Khama said hunting must be stopped to save the nation's big game animals. The ministry said that, left unchecked, rampant hunting would be a "genuine threat" to the country's wildlife.

The ministry said hunts by local communities and with special

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Jamaica looking to produce 30% of energy from renewable sources by 2030

Wigton wind farm in Manchester, Jamaica. PHOTO/Jamaica Gleaner

(Caribbean Journal) - Jamaica is committed to diversifying its energy generation, and is aiming to generate 30 percent of its energy mix from renewable sources by 2030, according to State Minister for Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Julian Robinson.

Robinson was speaking at a stakeholder workshop at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston this week.

"We are also examining other fuel sources," he said. "The LNG

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Haiti and Dominican Republic seek $2 billion to eliminate cholera epidemic 'introduced by UN peacekeepers'

Haiti and the Dominican Republic will require US$2.2 billion over the next 10 years for an ambitious plan to eliminate cholera, an official from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. It is now evident that the epidemic was introduced to Haiti by the UN peacekeepers.

The plan is due to be rolled out in a week or two and it outlines a government-led effort backed by the Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

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Serena Williams named WTA 2012 player of the year

Women’s US Open 2012 champion, Serena Williams with the trophy. PHOTO/Timothy Clary/Getty Images

Serena Williams has been named the Women's Tennis Association (WTA)'s Player of the Year after winning major titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and claiming gold at the London Olympics.

Williams, who has won 15 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals, was 48-2 over the final seven months of the season.

It is the fourth time Williams has won the award, which is voted on

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South Africa: Supreme court rules that Dalai Lama visa delay 'unlawful'

Spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama (r), presents the International Campaign for Tibet's Light of Truth Award to South African Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. PHOTO/Thierry Roge/REUTERS

A South African court ruled Thursday that officials "unreasonably delayed" a decision about whether to grant the Dalai Lama a visa for a planned 2011 trip, largely out of fears of angering the Chinese government.

The Supreme Court of Appeal's decision heavily criticized former Home Minister

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Obama, Republicans continue trading jabs in fiscal cliff battle

U.S. President Barack Obama (r) with the Speaker of the house John Boehner. PHOTO/File


Amid increasing anxiety that the White House and top Republicans are wasting time as the government slides toward an economy-rattling “fiscal cliff,” administration officials are heading to Capitol Hill for talks with congressional leaders.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and senior White House aide Rob Nabors were to visit separately Thursday with the four leaders of the House and Senate to

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Profile: Lowell Hawthorne.,founder and CEO, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill

Lowell Hawthorne.,founder and CEO, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill. PHOTO/Andrew Herthington

Country of origin: Jamaica
Occupation:Founder and CEO, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill

Jamaican born Lowell Hawthorne is the founder and CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill - the largest Caribbean franchise chain in the United States.

Mr. Hawthorne launched the Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill in 1989 when he opened its first establishment in the Bronx, New

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Britain to impose tax law similar to FATCA on Caribbean tax havens

A leaked document has revealed that Britain plans to impose its own version of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) on its overseas territories, such as the Cayman Islands, as well as the crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

FATCA, which will come into force next year, requires foreign banks to report American account holders to the US Internal Revenue Service.

The draft UK equivalent, seen by the magazine International Tax Review, will require

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Eric Hamilton: An entrepreneur partners to create iPhone App that supports black-owned businesses

Eric Hamilton, Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer of Around The Way

Around The Way, a New York-based company, and Clearly Innovative, a Washington, D.C.-based mobile-app development firm, have launched a mobile app that backers claim will empower and support black-owned businesses.

"Other ethnic groups have been supporting their own businesses literally for thousands of years," said Eric Hamilton, chief marketing officer and co-founder of Around The Way. "Around The Way is our

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Sub-Saharan Africa is yet to Harness Cogeneration's Potential as a Green Power-generating Mechanism - Frost & Sullivan

Cape Town, South Africa, Nov. 28, 2012 (PRNewswire) -- The emerging cogeneration market is proving to be an asset in Africa where access to power is limited. However, its worth as an electricity production mechanism for export to the national grid is still undervalued and under-utilized, mainly due to a lack of understanding, funding and support from government and financial institutions.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan ( http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/svcg.pag/EGEP)), The Emerging

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Errol Miller stepping down as Electoral Commission of Jamaica head

Outgoing Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica., Prof Errol Miller

Professor Errol Miller is stepping down as the chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.

Miller is expected to hand in his resignation to Governor General Sir Patrick Allen at the end of December, ending a 12-year run that has seen an electoral system transformed from being fraught with corruption of varying degrees, political intimidation and violence to one of the best in the world today.

Miller, a

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Obama promoting fiscal cliff agenda on social media

President Obama intends to hold a series of events aimed at building support for his approach to avoid across-the-board tax increases. PHOTO/AP

President Barack Obama is introducing a new hashtag to the fiscal cliff debate.

The White House plans to promote (hashtag)My2K on Twitter and other social media — a reference to the estimated US$2,200 tax increase that a typical middle-class family of four would see if the Bush tax cuts expire.

Obama is holding an event with middle-class

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Jamaica's Sean Fraser becomes first Caribbean soccer player to win Golden Boot in Central America

Sean Fraser. PHOTO/File

Jamaica's national midfielder, Sean Fraser, has created history by becoming the first Caribbean player to win the Golden Boot in a Central American league.

Fraser, who plays for Alianza, has finished as the top scorer in the El Salvador premier league with 15 goals.

Alianza, one of the most popular and successful clubs in El Salvador, finished second in the regular season and will now play CD FAS in a two-way semi-final.

Read

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Democratic Republic of Congo rebels withdraw from captured towns after African Union mediation

Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have started withdrawing from two towns captured from government troops, following a deal brokered by Uganda, their military leader said on Wednesday.

The M23 rebel group had seized control of Goma, a key city in eastern Congo, last week and ignored a call by the leaders of the African Union and neighboring states to pull out by midnight Monday.

That would mean the M23 rebel group were giving up gains from a lightning offensive carried

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Sierra Leone: Koroma sworn in as President - to name cabinet after parliament is reconstituted

Newly re-elected Sierra Leone President., Ernest Koroma

Newly re-elected Sierra Leone president, Ernest Koroma, has hinted that he will be naming his new cabinet immediatley after parliament is reconstituted following the just concluded general and presidential elections.

In a press release, Koroma reiterated that the time for politicking is over, and work on the agenda for prosperity will now commence. Koroma won a decisive victory with an overwhelming 58.7 percent of the vote.

Mr.

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African-American-owned banks struggling to remain solvent, and relevant

After more than a century of delivering financial resources to under-served communities, African-American-owned banks that once offered financial credit and stability to the African American community are struggling to remain relevant, and solvent in an economic environment full of pitfalls.

The number of African-American-owned banks across the United States has dwindled. In 1994, 54 such banks were identified by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); now there are just

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Africa textile and garment manufacturing threatened As End Of AGOA Lifeline Nears

The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows certain African exports to enter the US quota and duty free, has been a great boon to textile producers in some of the poorest African countries. But the textile preferences have come under increasing attacks from other exporters. Congress has just extended the provisions for another three years. What happens to African textile exports after that date?

Battling a rearguard action against a relentless flood of cheap Chinese

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St. Kitts & Nevis: Gonsalves administration to present budget - pension reform anticipated

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves will deliver the 2012-13 national budget on December 3 as his administration prepares to law the estimates of income and expenditure in Parliament later this week.

Last year, legislators approved estimates of EC $793.9 million (US $297.4 million) for the budget that was 0.7 percent or EC $7.42 million (US $2.78 million) more than the approved budget for the previous year.

Gonsalves, who is also Finance Minister, has already hinted that pensions will

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Susan Rice meeting with senators whose support is key if nominated as next Secretary of State

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations., Susan Rice. PHOTO/File

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice is meeting with key lawmakers in what could be her final pitch for their support if she is nominated to be the next secretary of state.

The discussions, beginning Tuesday, will focus on her much-maligned explanations of the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans, officials said, but she's also clearly auditioning for America's top

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Nigeria: Boko Haram militants call for dialogue

(Reuters) - A purported senior member of Islamist militant group Boko Haram has distributed a letter requesting talks with the government, a day after a double suicide bombing blamed on the sect killed at least 11 and wounded 30 in an army barracks.

The letter was signed by Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man known by local security sources to be a sect member but considered to be a moderate.

If the letter is genuine, it would appear to mark a change of tack for the Islamists

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Why Mitt Romney Lost

Before November 2012, the last Republican to lose to Barack Obama was unfortunate. Not only was he dealt a remarkably bad hand by the global financial crisis; he also personally failed to provide plausible solutions to fix it. Then, juxtaposed with the young presidential Senator from from Illinois, Senator John McCain was the old energetic uncle that kept his vigor by wrestling with his young nieces and nephews. Importantly, in his loss was the spark of energy he gave his party: In the Sarah

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Marlon Samuels breaks into the International Cricket Council top 20 rankings

Marlon Samuels of the West Indies. PHOTO/AFP

Marlon Samuels has broken into the top 20 for the first time in the Reliance International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

Samuels, who scored 260, entered the top 20 for the first time in his career after rising 11 places to 20th position while team mate Darren Bravo gained three places following his 127 and is now in 22nd position.

Michael Clarke of Australia regained his ranking as the No.1 Test batsman in the

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Mike Tyson launches children's charity foundation

Throughout his career, Mike Tyson has been viewed as one of the all-time boxing greats to ever set foot inside the ring. Now the former heavyweight champ, who was once dubbed the “Baddest Man On The Planet,” is aiming to provide an outlet for impoverished children through his Mike Tyson Cares Foundation.

Tyson announced the launch of the organization last week. The organization vows to "give kids a fighting chance" by offering innovative centers that provide for the comprehensive

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Obama health care law beneficial to the States

Pro-Obamacare demostrators lobbying outside the U.S. Supreme Court. PHOTO/Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

A new report says states can receive more than US$9 in federal money for every dollar they spend to cover low-income residents under President Barack Obama’s health care law.

Expanding Medicaid to cover about 20 million more low-income people will cost a total of more than US$1 trillion from 2013 to 2022, the report estimates. But states will pay just US$76 billion of that, or

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Africa continues to be most attractive for Private Equity investment

In the last decade, Africa has experienced an unprecedented influx of private equity investments. The Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) estimates that private equity investments in Africa rose from US$151 million in 2002 to US$3 billion in 2011.

Nearly two thirds of private equity firms are eyeing investments in emerging markets in order to tap into the growing demand for goods and services.

The third quarter survey by the EMPEA released last week indicates that

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BEF: Working to create create the new competitive Barbados

Few countries in the world have the potential that Barbados does to reach the top tier of most Competitive Countries in the world.

Barbados is now ranked at # 44 (down 2 places from 2011) in the latest World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index.

The immediate challenge facing Barbados is moving from a Transition Economy to an Innovation Driven Economy - the space the winners occupy. Cyprus, Malta and Singapore, all small islands, have already achieved that

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Antigua & Barbuda: Gaston Browne, new opposition leader - begins prepping for general elections

New opposition leader of Antigua & Barbuda., Gaston Browne. PHOTO/File

For the first time in its 66 year history, the Antigua Labor Party will not be led by a member of the Bird family.

On Sunday, Gaston Browne defeated former Prime Minister Lester Bird by a 213-180 margin to take control of the main opposition Antigua Labor Party now preparing to rebuild in time for the general election.

But the leadership is not far off from the Bird family circle, as Browne also announced Sunday

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Who will Obama pick for his 2nd term cabinet?

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

As President Obama prepares for his second term, preparations have begun for the traditional shuffling of the Cabinet.

Top priority for Obama: filling slots for those top officials heading, if not running, for the door: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.

To replace Clinton, Democratic insiders suggest that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Susan Rice is the frontrunner, with Sen. John Kerry,

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South Sudan says Sudan putting new block on oil sales

(Reuters) - Sudan has put a fresh obstacle in the way of allowing its land-locked southern neighbor to pipe its oil to the Red Sea, South Sudan's president Salva Kiir said on Monday, dashing plans to re-start production after 11 months.

South Sudan took over the national oil company when it seceded last year but left the northern state with 25 percent of the oil fields which straddle their border as well as the sole pipeline to Port Sudan and the adjacent refinery.

In January South

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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Barbados: Videoconferencing to be introduced in courts

(Barbados Nation) - The days of victims of crime costing the government and people of Barbados thousands of tax-payer dollars to fly them back to country to provide evidence in the courts of law may soon be a thing of the past.

The country intends to introduce videoconferencing as part of the judicial process, once the required changes are made to the legislation, mainly the Evidence Act.

The Royal Barbados Police Force Commissioner, Darwin Dottin, in an interview, revealed that the

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Republican opposition to a possible nomination of Susan Rice at State Dept. begins to crack

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N Susan Rice

Republican opposition to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as the next secretary of state began to crack Sunday as Sen. John McCain said she was "not the problem" in the White House’s handling of the September 11 attack in Libya and suggested he could be persuaded to swing behind her possible nomination.

McCain’s comments provide an opening for the Obama administration, which struggled mightily in the weeks leading up to the November 6 election to tamp

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Tino Best sets-up West Indies to 2-0 win over Bangladesh

Tino Best celebrates a wicket in the Bangladesh second innings. PHOTO/WICB Media

Paceman Tino Best claimed 6-40 after Marlon Samuels smashed 260 to guide the West Indies to a 10-wicket win in the second and final cricket test against Bangladesh and a 2-0 series whitewash. Resuming at the overnight score of 226-6, Bangladesh lost its last four wickets for just 61 runs to narrowly avoid an innings defeat.

The West Indies dismissed Bangladesh for 287 and needing just 26 runs to win the

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Nigeria: Suicide bomb on church kills 11 - Boko Haram suspected

AP - At least 11 people were killed and about 30 injured when twin car bombs hit a Protestant church in a major military establishment in northcentral Nigeria, officials said Sunday, a month after a deadly church bombing in the same state.

A bus laden with explosives first rammed into St. Andrew Military Protestant Church in the military barracks in Jaji in Kaduna state at about 12 noon, said the director of army public relations Brig. Gen. Bola Koleoso. Then a Toyota Camry car parked

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Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix named IAAF World Athletes of the Year

Prince Albert of Monaco, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, US sprinter Allyson Felix and IAAF President Lamine Diack during an event marking the centenary of the IAAF, in Barcelona, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. PHOTO/Manu Fernandez/AP

Usain Bolt won the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Athlete of the Year award for the fourth time Saturday after defending his 100 and 200 meter gold medals at last summer's Olympic Games in London.

The Jamaican sprinter, who beat

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Lewis Hamilton wins pole position for Brazilian Grand Prix

A victorius Lewis Hamilton holds aloft his trophy next to second placed Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel (l) and third placed Ferrari Formula One driver Fernando Alonso after the U.S. F1 Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas November 18, 2012. PHOTO/Adrees Latif/REUTERS

AP -- Lewis Hamilton won the pole position for the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday, while Formula One leader Sebastian Vettel will start fourth and title challenger Fernando

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As Africa eyes nuclear energy to meet growing energy demands - is continent ready to handle related risks?

Africa is growing rapidly, yet the continent, which is faced with an energy deficit, is keen on finding new sources.

Speakers at a recent meeting dubbed “Stakeholder Involvement and Public Communication for New and Expanding Nuclear Power Countries in Africa,” held in Nairobi between November 5 and 8, spoke of a continent that has realized the importance of nuclear energy.

By 2011, at least 10 African countries had expressed interest in becoming the continent’s next nuclear

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Caribbean Investment Promotion Agencies To Meet In The Bahamas

A meeting of the Caribbean’s investment promotion agencies (IPAs) is scheduled to take place on November 27 and 28, 2012, in The Bahamas.

Entitled “Strengthening our Foundation, Expanding our Reach”, the two-day conference will explore strategic approaches for increased collaboration between investment promotion agencies within the framework of a Caribbean Association of Investment Promotions Agencies (CAIPA).

Site selection firms have noted that investors view the Caribbean

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West Indies 639-8 vs Bangladesh 387 - day 4 2nd test

West Indies'€™ Tino Best celebrates the dismissal of Bangladesh'€™s Naeem Islam during the fourth day of the second cricket test match between Bangladesh and West Indies in Khulna, Bangladesh, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. PHOTO/A.M. Ahad/AP

(Reuters) - West Indies were 639 for eight wickets in their first innings at lunch on the fourth day of the second test against Bangladesh at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium on Saturday.

Scores: Bangladesh 387 (Abul Hasan 113, Mahmudullah 76, Nasir

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Friday, November 23, 2012

Academic excellence: Three African-American women awarded Rhodes scholarship

Joy A. Buolamwini (l), Rhiana E. Gunn-Wright (c), and Nina M. Yancy. PHOTO/Journal of Blacks in Education

The Rhodes Scholarships, considered by many to be the most prestigious awards given to U.S. college students, were created in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, an industrialist who made a vast fortune in colonial Africa. Each year, 32 Americans are named Rhodes Scholars. The scholarships provide funds for two or three years of graduate study at Oxford University in Britain. Rhodes

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Academic excellence: Three African-American women awarded Rhodes scholarship

Joy A. Buolamwini (l), Rhiana E. Gunn-Wright (c), and Nina M. Yancy. PHOTO/Journal of Blacks in Education

The Rhodes Scholarships, considered by many to be the most prestigious awards given to U.S. college students, were created in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, an industrialist who made a vast fortune in colonial Africa. Each year, 32 Americans are named Rhodes Scholars. The scholarships provide funds for two or three years of graduate study at Oxford University in Britain. Rhodes

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Haiti looking to curb "disruptions" from ex-soldiers

The Haiti government issued a warning Friday telling a band of former soldiers who have been in hiding for six months that it will not tolerate any actions that disrupt public order.

The statement suggested the ex-soldiers who once embarrassed the government and the United Nations peacekeeping mission with their paramilitary-like presence could be planning a new public campaign.

The Haiti defence ministry's statement said it had received word that former soldiers were preparing to

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Sierra Leone: Ernest Koroma re-elected president

Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma celebrates his electoral victory. PHOTO/AFP

(Reuters) - Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma won re-election in November 17 polls with 58.7 percent of the vote, ahead of his top rival Julius Maada Bio on 37.4 percent, the West African state's electoral body announced on Friday.

Koroma has overseen an investment boom in the country's resources sector that could make it one of the world's fastest growing economies this

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African-American voters want Obama to focus on jobs

President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

President Obama's coalition came through for him big time on Election Day, and now members of the coalition want him to return the favor.

African-Americans, who backed Obama with 93 percent of their votes, are calling on Obama to pursue new jobs programs and make sure that budget cuts do not fall too heavily on middle- and lower-class Americans.

"I think the president heard us loud and clear," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, reports the Associated Press.

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West Indies dominates Bangladesh: Marlon Samuels hits a magnificent 260

Marlon Samuels raises his arms in celebration

Marlon Samuels smashed a magnificent 260 to guide West Indies into a commanding position against Bangladesh on the third day of the second and final Test in Khulna on Friday.

The 31-year-old Jamaican notched his maiden double century, putting on 326 for the third wicket with Darren Bravo (127) and another 177 for the fourth wicket with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who ended the day 109 not out.

Denesh Ramdin finished not out on four as the

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Profile: Sibongile Sambo founder and CEO of SRS Aviation

Sibongile Sambo, founder and CEO of SRS Aviation. PHOTO/sibongilesambo.co.za

Pioneer female aviation entrepreneur Sibongile Sambo is the founder and CEO of SRS (Sibongile Rejoice Sambo) Aviation.

Ms. Sambo founded the company in 2004 without any formal experience in the aviation industry. She did not take on any formal debt to finance her project; rather, she relied on her family. Her mother and aunt lent her the money she needed for the company to take off.

SRS aviation found its

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Remittances to the Caribbean projected to exceed $400 billion in 2012

A new World Bank report says remittance flows to the Caribbean countries are expected to exceed earlier estimates and total US$406 billion this year, an increase of 6.5 percent over the previous year.

The report said remittances to developing countries are projected to grow by 7.9 percent in 2013, 10.1 percent in 2014 and 10.7 percent in 2015 to reach US$534 billion in 2015.

Worldwide remittances, including those to high-income countries, are expected to total US$534 billion in 2012,

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Rep. Marcia Fudge elected to lead Congressional Black Caucus

Rep. Marcia Fudge., new Chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio has been elected to lead the Congressional Black Caucus.

Ms. Fudge, a Democrat and former mayor of Warrensville Heights near Cleveland says key caucus issues include jobs, especially double-digit unemployment among African Americans.

Fudge will lead the caucus for the upcoming 2-year congressional term. The caucus has 43 members.

Fudge was elected in 2008 to serve the final

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West Indies attains 241 for 2 - trails Bangladesh by 146 runs

West Indies players celebrating the dismissal of Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh. PHOTO/AP

Marlon Samuels smashed an unbeaten century and Darren Bravo added 85 not out Thursday to help West Indies cruise to 241-2 to trail Bangladesh by 146 runs by stumps on the second day of the second and final test.

Samuels hit 13 boundaries and a six in 109 from 231 balls. He and Bravo put on an unbeaten 198-run partnership for the third wicket as Bangladesh struggled throughout against the

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Aliko Dangote, tops Forbes list for Africa's richest person 2012

Aliko Dangote

Forbes magazine says Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian tycoon who built his empire on commodities like flour, sugar and cement, is Africa's richest man.

Dangote topped the Forbes' list published this week for the second year running. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of US$12 billion.

Forbes' list of the 40 richest Africans living in Africa also includes:

— Nicky Oppenheimer and family, South Africa, US$6.4 billion

— Johann Rupert and family, South Africa,

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Nigeria: Central Bank looking to offer incentives to grow cashless economy

To ensure the success of Nigeria’s cashless scheme, the Central Bank of Nigeria has disclosed plans to introduce incentives for traders through commercial banks.

While speaking at a cashless policy seminar organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nigeria central bank Deputy Governor, Tunde Lemo, said based on the report generated from the appraisal of the Lagos roll-out of the cashless scheme, some far-reaching decisions would be taken to improve the

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Profile: Leanna Archer, founder and CEO of Leanna’s Inc.

Leanna Archer. PHOTO/Farriella/New York Daily News

Sixteen-year old Leanna Archer is the founder and CEO of of Leanna’s Inc., a creator and marketer of hair and skin-care products.

Miss Archer launched her company when she was 9 years old, and she has grown it to the extent that it makes US$ 100,000 a year.

According to Archer, her mother would make a hair pomade using natural ingredients from Haiti and a secret recipe passed down from her great-grandmother. After getting multiple

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Grenada: New party formed by expelled ruling NDC ahead of impending elections

Expelled members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) are forming a new political party ahead of general elections that political observers here say could be held as early as January 2013.

The polls are constitutionally due in mid 2013 and Jerome Joseph, a founding member of the ruling party has confirmed that plans are underway to form the new political organization.

‘We have had lots of discussions and are presently in the final stages of making the announcement with

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Kelvin Doe - whiz kid from Sierra Leone built own battery, radio transmitter

Kelvin Doe. PHOTO/Paula Aguilera, MIT Media Lab

At the age of 13, Kelvin Doe, while living in Sierra Leone created batteries and generators using materials he picked up around the house or from trash bins. Now, he's wowing experts in the United States.

Doe, now 16, became the youngest person in history to be invited to the "Visiting Practitioner's Program" at MIT, according to CNN.

Doe, a completely self-taught engineer, manages his own fully-staffed community radio station in Sierra

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Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., resigns from Congress

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. addresses the audience at the Democratic National Convention 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, on August 25, 2008. PHOTO/Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has resigned after a months-long leave for mental illness, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday.
Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel confirmed his office had received a letter of resignation from Jackson but did not comment further.

Jackson, 47, disappeared

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Jamaica: Recession deepens - economy contracts by 0.6% in 3rd quarter

Jamaica went deeper into recession in the third quarter, during which the economy contracted by 0.6 percent year over year, said the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

The July to September performance would follow gross domestic product (GDP) declines in the first and second quarters of 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent respectively, as recorded by the Statistical Institution of Jamaica (STATIN).

“The out-turn for the July to September 2012 period largely reflected the impact of the

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Significant decline in new HIV infections in Caribbean

The number of children born with the deadly HIV declined significantly in the Caribbean during the period 2009 and 2011, according to the 2012 global report by UNAIDS.

The report noted that the Caribbean, also recorded the highest decline in AIDS-related deaths of any region between 2005 and 2011.

“The number of people (adults and children) acquiring HIV infection in 2011 was 20 percent lower than in 2001. The sharpest declines in the numbers of people acquiring HIV infection since

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Obama administration issues new rules on healthcare coverage

(Reuters) - The Obama administration on Tuesday formally proposed new rules requiring insurers to cover people with preexisting conditions and set minimum health benefits to millions of others under U.S. healthcare reform law.

Two weeks after President Barack Obama's re-election ensured the survival of the 2010 law that Republicans have vowed to repeal, the proposal is the first in an expected deluge of rule-making to implement the law in time for its January 1, 2014, start

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University of Botswana awarded $115,000 to develop business education program in Africa

News Release
(Marketwire) -- The University of Botswana Faculty of Business will receive a US$115,000 grant to develop graduate and executive business programs from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Management Education for Tomorrow (MET) Fund. Ben Glover, regional director for GMAC Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will present the grant to Thabo T. Fako, Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana, at 6:30 pm Central Africa Time (11:30 am EST) on Thursday, November 22,

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Sherrilyn Ifill becomes Head of NAACP Legal Defense Fund

University of Maryland law professor Sherrilyn Ifill (pictured), will assume the helm of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in January 2013, the organization announced November 19.

Ms. Ifill is a law professor, and a respected civil rights litigator who has specialized in voting rights and political participation. She has also made regular television and radio appearances to discuss politics, not much unlike her older cousin PBS correspondent Gwen Ifill.

According to its website, the NAACP

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Impressive growth of mobile banking (M-Pesa) spawns renewed interest in Africa's banks

The mobile phone has entirely changed the story of banking in Africa. Today a cellular phone is an all-purpose bank account, an Automated banking machine (ABM/ATM) and an Electronic funds transfer (EFT) gadget all rolled into one.

In 1998 Africa had less than 2 million mobile phone subscribers. By 2011 and the number had risen to over 500 million cellular phone subscribers making it, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as the region with "the highest growth of

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Senator Meredith reflects on National Child Day and children’s rights

News Release

Ottawa, November 20, 2012 – Senator Don Meredith has issued the following statement in celebration of National Child Day:

“Today individuals and organizations across this country are celebrating National Child Day. As we commemorate Canada’s adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this occasion reminds both adults and children of the basic rights that are due to every child born into this world.

I commend our government for the

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Trinidad & Tobago reports huge natural gas find

(Trinidad Express) BP Trinidad and Tobago (bpTT) has made an estimated 1 trillion cubic feet natural gas discovery off Trinidad’s south east coast, the company said in a release yesterday.

The energy giant is the largest producer of natural gas in the country, with 54.88 percent of market share in 2011.

bpTT’s parent company BP made the announcement yesterday, during a meeting between Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine and Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commissioner to London, Garvin

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Sierra Leone: Citizens await election result - incumbent confident of victory

Sierra Leone's governing party said Monday it was confident that incumbent President Ernest Bai Koroma would win the weekend election without the need for a second round.

The announcement came as Sierra Leoneans awaited official results from the country's National Electoral Commission, which legally has 10 days to announce the results from Saturday's vote.

Koroma must garner 55 percent of the ballots cast or he will face his main opponent Julius Maada Bio in a second round of

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Profile: Tamar-Melissa Huggins founder and CEO of Driven Accelerator Group

Tamar-Melissa Huggins founder and CEO of Driven Accelerator Group

Tamar-Melissa Huggins is founder and CEO of Driven Accelerator Group - a digital startup accelerator for businesses led by minorities – African-Canadians and women.

Ms. Huggins was inspired to found the company after watching an episode of the Black in America television show that featured the NewME Accelerator, which supports minority entrepreneurs in the United States.

The Driven Accelerator Group accelerates

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Jamaica: Opposition JLP leader, Andrew Holness lays out his vision in preparation for 2012 election

Jamaica Labor Party leader Andrew Holness. PHOTO/File

Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) Leader Andrew Holness, yesterday declared that the 2016 election campaign would begin immediately to replace the Portia Simpson-Miller administration.

Holness, who has been criticised for a lacklustre leadership style, lashed out at the Simpson-Miller administration for the deteriorating economy, blaming it on the delay in implementing structural reform measures and signing of a new pact with the

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Ellinah Wamukoya of Swaziland becomes Africa's first female Anglican bishop

Anglican Church officials applaud Bishop Ellinah Wamukuoya (c) at the conclusion of her consecration as Bishop. PHOTO/File

As the Church of England weighs whether it will allow women to become bishops, the Anglican Church has ordained its first female bishop in Africa.

Ellinah Wamukoya, 61, was consecrated Saturday to serve as the church’s bishop in Swaziland.

Speaking Monday to The Associated Press, Wamukoya said she wanted to bring integrity to the church.

“I am going to try

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Lewis Hamilton wins U.S. Grand Prix

A victorius Lewis Hamilton holds aloft his trophy next to second placed Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel (l) and third placed Ferrari Formula One driver Fernando Alonso after the U.S. F1 Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas November 18, 2012. PHOTO/Adrees Latif/REUTERS

Lewis Hamilton wanted to make Formula One's return to the U.S. something special, for him and for racing.

Hamilton did just that Sunday, using a thrilling pass of Sebastian Vettel at the

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A Timely US - Africa Trade Policy?

By Dennis Matanda
editor@thehabarinetwork.com

Most people do not know who Jim DeMint is.

With his ruggedly handsome face, pensive demeanor and non-combative tone of voice, even those familiar with the Republican senator from South Carolina don’t play up his charm or approachability. Instead, a majority in and outside the beltway relate to him as the lightening rod of those who stridently opposed Barack Obama’s efforts at buttressing a battered economy. And for this role in the Party

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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Dangote Cement projects a profit of $910 million in 2012

Aliko Dangote. PHOTO/File

(Reuters) - Nigeria's biggest listed company, Dangote Cement revealed early this month that it expects pretax profit to hit 143 billion naira (US$910 million) in 2012 on strong local demand, compared to 118 billion naira (US$750 million) it achieved last year.

Dangote Cement shares closed up almost 1 percent at 121.25 naira (US$ 0.77).

The limestone mixer said it forecasts were based on selling 2.6 metric tons of cement in the last quarter of the year and on

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University of the West Indies (Mona) to commission new state-of-the-art medical school

(Jamaica Observer) - Only 15 percent Of the 15,000 qualified students applying to study Medicine at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus each year are accepted because of space constraints. This is set to change with the completion of a new J$3.5-billion (US$39 million) medical faculty building.

The 50,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility is 90 percent completed; however, the university’s current batch of 350 medical students started classes two weeks ago in the

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African-American unemployment rate still high despite economic recovery

Job applicants fill out applications for positions at a new bar and restaurant in Detroit. PHOTO/Paul Sancya/AP

The US economy is growing again, but African-American women are still losing work – thank to public sector cuts. And racism.

When pressed about whether or not he feels an obligation to address the crisis of black unemployment, President Obama has supplied a reliably consistent answer over the past four years: a rising tide lifts all boats. That is to say, he is of the belief

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Sierra Leone: Voting concludes peacefully in presidential election - awaiting results

Voter casts ballot in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Citizens of Sierra Leone chose Saturday between keeping an incumbent president who has expanded health care and paved roads or electing an opposition candidate to lead this war-scarred nation still recovering a decade later despite its mineral riches.

The election marked the third presidential vote since the West African nation's 11-year conflict ended in 2002.

Voters said Saturday they wanted to demonstrate just how far Sierra Leone has

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West Indies defeats Bangladesh in first test by 77 runs

Victorius West Indies team members celebrate win. PHOTO/AFP

West Indies won the first Test against Bangladesh by 77 runs on the fifth and final day in Dhaka on Saturday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

Bangladesh, who were set a 245-run target, were bowled out for 167 in their second innings to lose for the 64th time in their 74 Tests.

Sohag Gazi took 6-74 -- the best figures by a Bangladeshi bowler on debut -- to raise hopes of a home win as the West Indies were dismissed

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Friday, November 16, 2012

South Africa on target to building 1.2 million vehicles per year by 2020

Africans at Work. PHOTO/Volkswagen South Africa

South Africa’s government is working with its partners to ensure that by the year 2020 some 1.2 million vehicles will be produced in the country.

Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies revealed the ambitious figure during the African Automotive Week Conference held in Port Elizabeth earlier this week.

He said: “The realization of the target of producing 1.2 million vehicles per year by 2020 depends on the contribution of all the

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Obama calling for 'tough compromises' in fiscal cliff talks

U.S. President Barack Obama (r) shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (l) during a meeting with bipartisan group of congressional leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on November 16, 2012 in Washington, DC. PHOTO/Getty Images/Olivier Douliery

President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders vowed Friday to make difficult compromises on taxes and spending as they opened talks on dodging a looming fiscal cliff and trimming the US deficit.

With only weeks to avoid

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CARICOM countries call for lasting reform of UN Security Council

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have joined other developing countries in calling for a "lasting and comprehensive reform" of the United nations Security Council.

Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Raymond Wolfe, speaking on behalf of the L69 Group of countries that include CARICOM, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, outlined the developing countries position as he addressed the United Nations on the question of equitable

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Sierra Leone: Tight race expected in Saturday's Presidential election

Sierra Leone readied Friday for a high-stakes election in which incumbent Ernest Koroma is seeking a second term in what is billed as a tight race with his main rival Julius Maada Bio.

Saturday's election is the third since the end of the 11-year civil war which ended in 2002. It will provide a crucial yardstick of the west African nation's recovery and put the victors in charge of a lucrative mining boom.

In the capital Freetown, a city undergoing a construction boom and newly paved

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Cory Booker to make decision on New Jersey gubernatorial bid

Newark mayor., Corey Booker. PHOTO/File

Cory Booker says he'll decide quickly on whether to make a bid next year for New Jersey governor.

But Newark’s Democratic mayor says his decision has been pushed back because of Hurricane Sandy, which slammed into the Northeast late last month, leaving many parts of the Garden State severely damaged.

Mr. Booker is viewed as the strongest potential Democratic challenger to Christie, the outspoken first-term Republican governor.

"The reality

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Private equity investors jostling to take advantage of growing opportunities in Africa

Investors are forming partnerships and increasing manpower to take advantage of the opportunities for private equity investors in sub-Saharan Africa.

A private equity value chain is beginning to form as funds focus their sights on returns from Africa's economic growth.

At the small end of the scale, Fidelity Capital Partners, a Ghana-based fund manager, changed its name to Jacana Partners in August as part of a move towards a merger with the UK- based firm of the same name.

"It's a

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The Bahamas: Former official urges caution in the implementation of stem cell therapy

A stem cell emerging from rat bone marrow. PHOTO/Imperial College London

Former Bahamas Minister of Health Dr. Marcus Bethel has warned of the potential for abuse if stem cell therapy is not properly regulated in The Bahamas.

Bethel, who was part of the former Christie administration, banned stem cell therapy in The Bahamas in 2004, after it was discovered that such procedures were bing conducted at a Freeport clinic without any regulations in place.

The current Christie government

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Closing the African-American Startup Gap

Many African-Americans want to run their own businesses. Some surveys show that African-Americans are more interested in running their own businesses than whites. African-Americans are more likely to initiate the new-business creation process than whites although they are less likely to have an up-and-running business a few years later, according to the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, a representative survey of the adult-age population housed at the University of Michigan.

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Why do very few African-American politicians run, and not win?

President Obama won a second term last week, but it wasn’t a great week for other African-American candidates.

Despite Obama’s big win, there remain no black senators, only one African-American was even nominated for major statewide office, and black candidates lost seven of eight competitive House races, six of them by very close margins.

The end result: the number of African-Americans in the House will likely remain the same in 2013 as it was this Congress.

As of this

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Jamaica: Economy to contract as a result of Hurricane Sandy - BoJ

The Jamaican central bank is projecting that the economy will contract in the current quarter as a result of the negative impact of Hurricane Sandy.

Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) governor, Brian Wynter, told the bank's quarterly briefing Wednesday morning that this will result in economic output in the December quarter contracting between point seven and minus 1.7 percent.

Wynter says the negative outlook is influenced by preliminary estimates of the damage caused by the Hurricane on both the

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South Africa: Industrial action in mining sector ends, tensions remain

(Reuters) - The last of a wave of illegal strikes that have swept South Africa's mining sector ended on Thursday after workers accepted an offer from Anglo American Platinum Ltd, the world's top producer of the precious metal.

South Africa's platinum and gold sectors have been rocked for months by industrial action, spawned by income disparities and a union turf war for members, and more conflict could be sparked by looming job cuts and wage talks next year.

The labor unrest has

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Didier Drogba scores as Ivory Coast beat Austria 3-0

Didier Drogba (c) congratulates Didier Ya Konan (2nd L) for scoringthe first goal. PHOTO/Alexander Klein/AFP

Captain Didier Drogba was among the scorers as title favourites Ivory Coast warmed up for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 friendly victory in Austria Wednesday.

Veteran striker Drogba, who moved to China last year after helping Chelsea win a maiden Champions League title, scored on 61 minutes in Linz to put the Elephants two goals ahead.

Lacina Traore completed a

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International Developmental Fast Football League (IDFFL) promoting sport and discipline in youth

The Big Game!!
The Toronto Argonauts (Argos) hosted the Edmonton Eskimos three days ago in the Eastern Semi-Final. This was the Argos' first playoff game since 2007. It was a good game for the Argos who dominated the Eskimos 42-26 to advance to the Canadian Football League (CFL) eastern final against the Montreal Alouettes.

Many of the International Developmental Fast Football League (IDFFL) coaching staff are currently playing for the Argos.

GET YOUR OWENS3K3 T-shirt

Chad Owens

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Profile: Tabatha Turman, founder and CEO, Integrated Finance and Accounting Solutions (IFAS)

Tabatha Turman, founder and CEO of Integrated Finance and Accounting Solutions

Tabatha Turman is the founder, President and CEO, Integrated Finance and Accounting Solutions (IFAS).

Ms. Turman founded IFAS in 2007, and under her stewardship the company has experienced exponential growth to the tune of over 500 percent. IFAS primarily integrated accounting and financial solutions to help companies (clients) build sustain, and maintain a profitable business models. The company now boasts

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Dangote on course to building Africa's biggest fertilizer plant

Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Nigeria's Dangote Group speaks during the final session of the World Economic Forum on Africa meeting in Cape Town June 6, 2008. PHOTO/Mike Hutchings/REUTERS

In another move to create more employment and facilitate the growth of the Nigerian economy, Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, announced Monday plans to build a 300 billion naira (US$1.9 billion) fertilizer plant in Edo State, Nigeria.

The fertilizer plant which will have a

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Quality of life improves: significant increase of middle class in the Caribbean

A recent World Bank report has found there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of people joining the middle class in the Caribbean and Latin America over the last decade.

The report, titled “Economic Mobility and the Rise of the Latin American Middle Class” notes that the middle class in the region grew to an estimated 152 million in 2009, compared to 103 million in 2003.

"The recent experience of the Caribbean and Latin America shows the world that policies balancing

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Barbados to grant oil exploration licenses - Prime Minister Stuart

Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart says his administration expects to soon award exploration licenses for two offshore blocks that he hopes may eventually provide a petroleum windfall.

Mr. Stuart revealed that two acts recently passed by the Caribbean nation's House of Assembly paved the way for offshore licenses to be granted to Australia-based BHP Billiton.

In a Tuesday statement, Stuart says his government has received offers from several companies to undertake speculative

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Obama to hold first post-election press conference

President Barack Obama was expected to make his first public comments Wednesday on the growing scandal around two of the country’s most well-known generals, while lawmakers dug into the tangled tale of emails that exposed one general’s career-ending extramarital affair and the other’s questionable relationship with a Florida socialite. Their question: Was national security threatened?

David Petraeus, who resigned as head of the CIA on Friday after admitting an extramarital affair

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Ivory Coast: Political crisis as President Ouattara dissolves cabinet

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara. PHOTO/Reuters/Charles Platiau

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara dissolved his Cabinet on Wednesday, officials said, in a sudden and surprising turn of events suggesting a political crisis in a country struggling to get back on its feet after a near civil war.

Reached by telephone, presidential spokeswoman Kady Traore confirmed that Ouattara had dissolved his government, but gave no reason for the development.

Ouattara came to power in a

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Cricket: West Indies restricts Bangladesh

The West Indies squad in training for Bangladesh. PHOTO/AFP

Ravi Rampaul of the West Indies took two wickets to restrict Bangladesh to 164-3 at stumps after West Indies declared its first innings at 527-4 on day two of the first cricket test.

Opener Tamim Iqbal collected a stormy 72 from 71 balls but Bangladesh also lost opener Junaid Siddique (7) and Shahriar Nafees (31).

Naeem Islam (27) and Shakib Al Hasan (16) were unbeaten at stumps as Bangladesh still trailed by 363

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Dropifi, a Ghana Tech startup wins top spot in International startup open

Dropifi founders.,Kamil Nabong (l), David Osei (c) and Effah Philips Mensah (r). PHOTO/Dropifi

Dropifi, a startup tech company in Ghana has taken the top spot in the 2012 Startup Open, beating 49 other competitors from around the world, including Canada.

“Each year, thousands of new startups come to life through their experiences in Global Entrepreneurship Week which officially starts today in 130 countries,” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of Global Entrepreneurship Week. “By

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Caribbean BETA conference 2012: The Business of the Internet

The world may not be flat, but the Internet has created a level playing field where the opportunities are greater and there are more routes to creating and finding jobs, owning a business and achieving personal success. That’s the underlying message of the annual Caribbean BETA – Tech Entrepreneurship conference being held in Kingston, Jamaica on Friday November 16th, 2012 at Knutsford Court Hotel.

“We want more people to come to understand that being online, is not just about

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The rise of the African consumer

A Shopper in Kampala, Uganda. PHOTO/Panos /Mikkel Ostergaard

Africa’s large, fast-growing population, combined with rising consumer disposable income, offers companies an enormous opportunity, a new survey by McKinsey shows…

The report, "The rise of the African consumer", sampled 13 000 individuals from 15 cities in ten African countries in 2011 and 2012 and says Africa’s consumer-facing industries are expected to grow by more than US$400-billion by 2020, accounting for more than

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Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr., named President of Morehouse College

Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. speaks at Fayetteville State University's convocation. PHOTO/File

(PRNewswire) - The Morehouse College Board of Trustees has announced that Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. has been named the College’s 11th president. The appointment follows a rigorous, nationwide search conducted with professional recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles. The search was launched following the January 2012 announcement that Dr. Robert M. Franklin would be transitioning from his role

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Oprah Winfrey looking to start new venture - files patents for new products

Oprah Winfrey. PHOTO/File

Oprah is going organic. According to five trademark applications filed at the end of October with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the media mogul could make the jump from the magazine rack to grocery store shelves.

Applications were filed to trademark the name “Oprah’s Organics” for laundry list of foods including salad dressings, sauces, soups, dips, frozen vegetables and beverages. Another application was for a line of bath and body products

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University of the West Indies pioneers new treatment for hypertension and hyperglycemia

A team from the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) has won Innovation Awards for 2012 for its pioneering treatment for high blood sugar and high blood pressure.

The “Novel Treatment Against Hyperglycemia and Hypertension” was adjudged as likely to be the most significant in its effect on the scientific and technological world and topped a field of 177 entrants in the awards competition developed by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining.

The

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Somalia: New government endorsed by parliament

Somalia’s new parliament endorsed on Tuesday all 10 ministers appointed by the prime minister, approving one of the smallest ever cabinets for the war-ravaged nation.

Two women are among the 10, including Somalia’s first female foreign minister, Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Adan, who hails from the self-declared independent state of Somaliland.

“Lawmakers have endorsed the new cabinet with a majority vote, 219 members out of the 225 who attended the session gave the ‘yes’ vote to the

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Profile: Farell Duclair - athlete, educator, entrepreneur and founder of the Everest Academy

Farell Duclair - athlete, educator, entrepreneur and founder of the Everest Academy

Former football star player in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Farrell Duclair is the founder of the Everest Academy - an institution that provides an excellent academic environment coupled with a strong focus on sports.

According to the school's website, Everest students are fully engaged, empowered to excel in their own customized program, designed around what they love to do most. Whether it’s

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South Africa honors former Jamaica Prime Minister Patterson

Former Jamaica Prime Minister., P.J. Patterson. PHOTO/File

Former Jamaican Prime minister P. J. Patterson is to receive the “Order of the Companions of O R Tambo”, which is reserved for citizens outside of South Africa who have contributed to the struggle against racism and the fight for justice, equality and democracy.

Patterson, who served as head of government from 1992 to 2006 before retiring from public life, will receive the award next year and become the second Jamaican

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Investment in Africa: 5 Critical success factors

“There is no template for doing business in Africa. One can also clearly not base one’s investment decisions on data from a spreadsheet.”

So says professional services firm Ernst & Young in a new report, entitled 'Africa by numbers: Assessing market attractiveness in Africa'.

The report, however, highlights five critical success factors for companies in the early stages of their African growth journey.

1. Choose your perspective on Africa – glass half full or half

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Antron Brown NHRA win makes him first African American motor champion

Antron Brown. PHOTO/File

For most of Sunday, Antron Brown could do nothing but watch the competition at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.

A first-round loss put Brown on the sidelines while teammate Tony Schumacher tried to rally to steal the Top Fuel dragster championship.

With two generations of his family providing support, Brown finally took a deep breath when second-generation driver Brandon Bernstein beat Schumacher to the finish line by a margin of 0.008 seconds in

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Trinidad hit with a 3.8-magnitude earthquake

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.8 jolted Trinidad on Monday. There have been no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The earthquake which occurred at 08.08 AM local-time (07.08 AM EST), was located 10.49 north and 61.72 west, and had a depth of 98 km, according to a statement from The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center (SRC) in St Augustine.

The Seismic Research Center said that the quake, which occurred west of Trinidad in the Gulf of Paria, was felt in the

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Ghana: Rescuers end search for survivors at collapsed mall

(Reuters) - Rescuers have ended their search for survivors of a shopping mall collapse in Ghana's capital Accra last week which killed at least 14 people, officials said on Monday.

The four-story building, operated by retailer Melcom Ltd in Accra's Achimota neighborhood, collapsed on Wednesday due to a suspected structural failure as employees gathered before opening for business.

Kofi Portuphy, head of the National Disaster Management Organization, said emergency personnel, who used

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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Why Obama Won in November 2012 - An Editorial Epilogue

Mitt Romney was never, really, supposed to be their nominee. In fact, because he had, as governor of Massachusetts passed universal healthcare, legislation used to create the Obamacare they loathed, his fellow Republicans had taken Romney through the ringer and meat grinder of their primary season. Although Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota, alongside the motley crew assembled as good enough to beat Obama, that socialist, Muslim former community organizer, eventually melted either under the

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Nigeria teenage girls build a urine powered electricty generator

Nigerian teenagers, Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola and Faleke Oluwatoyin with their urine powered generator. PHOTO/BBC

In a breakthrough, four teenage schoolgirls in Nigeria have invented a urine powered generator that converts one litre of urine into six hours of electricity.

Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin, and Bello Eniola presented their invention at the Maker Faire Africa entrepreneurs event, in Lagos, using a resource that is free, unlimited and easily

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Republicans: Deal can be done with Obama to avoid U.S. ‘fiscal cliff’

Speaker John Boehner and U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

(Reuters) - A senior Republican senator voiced confidence on Sunday that U.S. lawmakers would forge a deal on the year-end "fiscal cliff," while a top aide to President Barack Obama signaled a willingness to compromise over raising tax rates on the rich.

Republican Senator Bob Corker said increasing tax revenues from wealthier Americans would have to be part of the plan, but he stressed closing

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Jamaica: Bills approved to allow investors to build casinos

Legislators in Jamaica have unanimously approved two bills that will allow casinos to be built on the island for the first time.

Jamaica currently has only a few hundred slot machines at hotels in the capital of Kingston and in popular tourist areas.

Religious groups in the country have long opposed casinos, saying they will lead to problems.

Jamaica had approved a law two years ago that legalized casinos, but the measures approved Friday by senators allow those interested to apply

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ECOWAS agrees on 3,300-strong force for Mali

A West African summit on Sunday agreed on a military force of 3,300 troops with a one-year mandate to wrest control of northern Mali from Islamist extremists, Ivory Coast's president said.

"We foresee 3,300 soldiers for a timeframe of one year," Alassane Ouattara told journalists after the summit of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

The troops would come primarily from ECOWAS nations, but possibly from countries outside the

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Bermuda Premier Paula Cox seeks fresh mandate - sets Dec. 17 election date

Bermuda Premier., Paula Cox

Bermuda Premier Paula Cox has called a general election in Bermuda for December 17 and asked Governor George Fergusson to dissolve parliament on Friday.

The announcement ends months of speculation and kicks off the official start of the election campaign.

Jobs and the economy will be the key issues that determine which way islanders vote. However, the state of Bermuda’s education system is also expected to be a hot topic for voters.

At a ruling

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Nigeria: Exxon shuts pipeline after offshore oil leak

(Reuters) - Exxon has shut a pipeline off the coast of Nigeria's Akwa Ibom state after an oil leak started.

The cause of the leak has not yet been determined, the company's local unit said on Saturday.

"(Exxon Nigeria) confirms that on November 9 an oil release occurred offshore Akwa Ibom State," Mobil Producing Nigeria, Exxon's local unit, said in an emailed statement.

"The source of the leak was identified and the pipeline was isolated and

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Friday, November 9, 2012

Cameroon, China in joint venture to assemble environment-friendly vehicles

Cameroon and the local subsidiary of a Chinese manufacturer have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a multi-million dollar plant for environment-friendly vehicles in the country.

The plant will be located in the seaside resort of Kribi in the South Region because the town has a deep sea port, hosts a range of other Chinese companies and is a gateway to other African markets, according to Mr David Yonguet, a director with Cameroon First Automobile Manufacture Company Limited,

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Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown fired after 1-4 start

The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Mike Brown (pictured), on Friday after a 1-4 start to his second season in charge.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak announced the surprising move several hours before they hosted Golden State. Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will coach the Lakers against the Warriors while the club's top brass searches for Brown's replacement after just 18 months in charge.

"The bottom line is that the team is not winning at the pace we expected this team to

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Obama: Wealthy will see higher taxes under plan, insist on balanced approach

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the economy and the deficit, Friday, November 9, 2012. PHOTO/Carolyn Kaster/AP

President Barack Obama says raising taxes on wealthiest Americans must be part of deficit reduction plan but says he is “open to compromise” and “new ideas.” Obama says he will refuse to accept any approach that “isn’t balanced.”

Obama says in his first public comments since the election that Congress should pass a bill that would prevent Bush-era tax

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Mali: Military intervention plan by ECOWAS at advanced stage

West African nations on Friday plotted military force against "terrorist groups" in Islamist-occupied northern Mali as regional foreign and defence ministers met on a strategy to win back the vast territory.

The ministers from the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were to move forward on a plan aimed at returning Mali's north to government control at a summit of the bloc's leaders on Sunday, also in Abuja.

It would eventually be transferred for approval at

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Caribbean economies concerned with FATCA implementation

Caribbean Export Development Agency head Pamela Coke-Hamilton has expressed concern over the burden the forthcoming Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is placing on the region’s financial institutions.

Speaking at the recent Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) Conference on the International Financial Services Sector in the Caribbean Region in Antigua, Coke-Hamilton said that FATCA “will require US tax authorities to levy a 30 percent withholding tax on foreign financial and

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Profile: Robert O. Agbede., President and CEO and owner of Chester Engineers

Robert O. Agbede., President and CEO of Chester Engineers

Nigerian born Robert O. Agbede is the President and CEO and owner of Chester Engineers - the largest black-owned environmental and engineering design company in the United States and the largest water and wastewater treatment plant design and management company in Western Pennsylvania.

Agbede acquired Chester Engineers in 2003 from from U.S. Filter Co., making it part of the ATS Group, the company he founded in 1987. Under

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Dr. Eric Lee, the CEO of Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce resigns

After four years of leadership Dr. Eric Lee (pictured), President and CEO of the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce to become Executive Director of Colorado Community College Online, Chairman Richard Lewis announced today.

"Eric has done a tremendous job at the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce, where he has worked tirelessly on behalf of our growing membership. I am sorry to see him go," Lewis said. "However, the good news is that Eric and his family are staying in Colorado and in

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Cost of borrowing rises for Jamaica after Grenada, Belize default

Jamaica’s borrowing costs are surging to the highest level in nine months after defaults by two Caribbean neighbors combine with the region’s slowest economic growth prospects to undermine investor confidence.

Yields on dollar bonds due in 2019 from Jamaica, which restructured US$7.8 billion of bonds almost three years ago, reached 8.31 percent on October. 31, the highest since February, and traded at 8.25 percent yesterday.

Jamaican notes lost 0.9 percent in October, the worst

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Africa economic growth real and sustainable - Institute of International Finance

Africans at Work. PHOTO/Volkswagen South Africa

Africa's recent robust growth is sustainable and the continent can attract even more investors if it plays its cards well, an influential group representing the world's top financial institutions said on Wednesday.

The Institute of International Finance (IIF) said that the world's second fastest growing region could maintain 4.7 percent annual growth seen since 2007, according to its maiden report on sub-Saharan Africa.

The powerful

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Re-energized Obama and GOP size each other on budget deal

Re-elected U.S.President Barack Obama with Speaker John Boehner. PHOTO/AP

Taking little time to celebrate, President Barack Obama is setting out to leverage his re-election into legislative success in an upcoming showdown with congressional Republicans over taxes, deficits and the impending "fiscal cliff." House Speaker John Boehner says Republicans are willing to consider some form of higher tax revenue as part of the solution — but only "under the right conditions."

All sides are

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Pan African Entrepreneurs Conference to be hosted in Houston

(PRNewswire-USNewswire) -- The Pan African Entrepreneurs Conference (PAEC) takes place November 15-18, 2012, in Houston, TX at the Four Seasons Hotel. PAEC is an arena for entrepreneurs and business people within the Black Diaspora to meet and further business connections.

This is the newly formed international division of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.

The project strategies of the Pan African Entrepreneurs Conference are to promote, help develop and expose procurement

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Kenya Airways posts $56 million half-year loss

Kenya Airways on Monday announced a KSh4.8 billion (US$ 56 million) half-year loss, the second highest in its history, and followed up the bad news with a warning to investors that the persistence of the euro zone crisis would leave the full year result at less than a quarter of last year’s outcome.

The airline, which has recently been in the news over an acrimonious retrenchment programme involving 599 employees, said Europe’s debt crisis had hit its operating environment and

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Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. re-elected while on medical leave

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. addresses the audience at the Democratic National Convention 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, on August 25, 2008. PHOTO/Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. says he's humbled and moved by the support voters have shown through his sickness.

The Chicago Democrat easily won re-election to a ninth full term Tuesday. He first won in 1995.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Jackson expresses "deep and sincere" thanks. He

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Republic Bank Trinidad obtains green light to acquire Barbados subsidiary

Republic Bank in Trinidad says it has received the green light from the regulatory authorities in Barbados to make an offer to purchase the remaining shares for Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited.

Republic Bank controls 65.14 percent of the shares of the Barbados subsidiary. It had originally acquired 57 percent of the shareholding in Republic Bank (Barbados) in 2003.

In a statement, Republic Bank said that approval for acquiring the remaining shares had been given by the government of

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Ghana: Shopping center collapses, at least 1 killed, several trapped

The top floors of a five-story shopping center built earlier this year in a suburb of Ghana's capital collapsed Wednesday, killing at least one person and leaving several dozen people trapped in the rubble, authorities and eyewitnesses said.

Public Affairs Officer of the Ghana Fire Service Billy Anaglate confirmed the fatality at the Melcom Shopping Center at Achimota, a suburb of Accra, though other officials told The Associated Press that the death toll was likely to rise.

“We are

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election 2012: Obama Re-elected President

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama won re-election to a second term in the White House on Tuesday, television networks projected, beating Republican challenger Mitt Romney after a long and bitter campaign.

Obama defeated Romney in a series of key swing states despite a weak economic recovery and persistent high unemployment as U.S. voters decided between two starkly different visions for the country.

Obama's narrow wins in Ohio, Wisconsin,

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Calling the Election for Obama

At 10:03 p.m. on Tuesday night, we might actually start the process of closing our books. While people may be a little more effusive, we are more sanguine. We have seen the polls and believe that Obama will win this election tonight. Obama is probably going to win Florida's 29 electoral votes, he might win Colorado's 9 electoral votes and also New Hampshire's 4 electoral votes. At the end of the day, while most people expected the President's 2008 coalition to crumble, it seems as though

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Unemployment figures rise in Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago has recorded an increase in the number of people unemployed during the first three months of the year, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

It said that the total number of people unemployed during the first quarter of this year was 33,800, “a significant increase of 30.5 percent over the previous quarter when the total number of persons unemployed was 25,900”.

The Central Statistics Office revealed that even though the total labor

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Election 2012: First results declared from some states

U.S. President Barack Obama (l) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. PHOTO/File

The polls have begun closing in the US presidential election, with the first results trickling in from some states.

President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney have each taken several states, exit polls suggest, with no critical swing states awarded so far.

Exit polls showed that Obama has taken Vermont, Washington DC, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Maine awards

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Barbados looking to begin oil exploration in 2013

(Barbados Nation) - The search for oil offshore Barbados could now begin as early as next year.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart told Parliament today, as he introduced the Offshore Petroleum (Amendment) Bill and the Offshore Petroleum (Taxation) (Amendment) Bill, that the legislative changes have brought the exploration by Australia-based mining and petroleum company BHP Billiton closer.

“We confidently expect that once the amended legislation has been enacted . . . that the

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Ethiopian success story SoleRebels expanding into Asia - opens store in Taiwan

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu founder and CEO of SoleRebels. PHOTO/SoleRebels

Celebrated African entrepreneur - the founder and CEO of Ethiopian footwear company, SoleRebels, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, has opened the company’s firs stand-alone store in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city.

The opening of the store anchors the company in Asia, which has a booming retail footwear market. With three more outlets expected to be opened at the end of 2012, SoleRebels plans to open about 30

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Mali: African and U.N. military planners prepare for intervention

Military experts from Africa and the United Nations have drawn up a preliminary plan to recapture northern Mali from al-Qaeda-linked Islamists, African officials said on Tuesday.

The plan will involve a force of more than 4,000 personnel, from West African countries.

The crisis in Mali has become a security concern for West African states and Western governments worried its vast desert could turn into a training ground for militants.

Mali fell into chaos after a coup in March,

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Caribbean nations urged to resist international pressure on tax, regulation, financial centers

At a two day international conference on the financial services sector in St. John’s, Antigua, a leading international expert has urged Caribbean nations to stand their ground over mounting international pressure in the area of tax and regulation.

Senior Fellow at the Caribbean Policy Research Institute and a Governor of the London School of Economics, Avinash Persaud, speaking at the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) Conference on the International Financial Services Sector in the Caribbean

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Election 2012: Obama vs Romney - America Votes

African American voters. PHOTO/John Gress/Getty Images

(Reuters) - After a long and bitter White House campaign, Americans began casting their votes on Tuesday with polls showing President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney neck-and-neck in an election that will be decided in a handful of states.

Polling stations opened across the eastern United States and parts of the Midwest as Election Day dawned. At least 120 million people were expected to render judgment on whether

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Monday, November 5, 2012

On the Eve of an Election

My Ballot Paper for November 6, 2012

On a cold evening here in Princeton, New Jersey - an evening where many people in America's North East are cold, homeless, hungry and absolutely despondent as a result of a super storm named Sandy - we sit and wonder who will emerge as President of these United States. There's the incumbent; a one Barack Obama who was unleashed onto the world in 2004 at the Democratic National Convention and went on to become the first African American to lead this

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On the Eve of an Election

My Ballot Paper for November 6, 2012

On a cold evening here in Princeton, New Jersey - an evening where many people in America's North East are cold, homeless, hungry and absolutely despondent as a result of a super storm named Sandy - we sit and wonder who will emerge as President of these United States. There's the incumbent; a one Barack Obama who was unleashed onto the world in 2004 at the Democratic National Convention and went on to become the first African American to lead this

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Profile: Wayne Purboo - co-founder, president and CEO of QuickPlay Media Inc.

Wayne Purboo - co-founder, president and CEO of QuickPlay Media Inc. PHOTO/QuickPlay Media Inc.

Jamaican born Wayne Purboo is the co-founder, president and CEO of Toronto-based QuickPlay Media Inc.

Wayne Purboo was two years old, his family moved to Toronto, Canada from St. Thomas, Jamaica.

QuickPlay Media Inc., is the leading provider of managed solutions for the distribution of premium video to IP-connected devices such as computers, cellular phones, tablets etc.

Purboo

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Lessons from 3 tech entrepreneurs from Africa

Verone Mankou with his Way-C tablet. PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images

Africa has made promising leaps in the tech space over the past few years. Hubs in Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria are all priming the next generation of entrepreneurs to make a big splash on the continent and the world.

Those entrepreneurs who have already succeeded provide lessons and models for others to follow. They will of course be adapted and changed, sometimes for the worse, but mostly for the better. And if

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Romney vs Obama: Why the Pot Should Never Call the Kettle Black

By Ryan Elcock



If you have been following the US 2012 election, you will agree that this one has been the most contentious since the Bush-Gore debacle in 2000. Both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney appear to be in a statistical tie with Obama having a slight edge in the polls, although Romney was starting to gain some ground until Hurricane Sandy hit America.

I have been following this election with great interest due to the fact that the Republicans have a desire to bring down Obama

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Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba nominated for African Footballer of the Year 2012

(Reuters) -- Last year's winner Yaya Toure heads a list of candidates for the African Footballer of the Year award, which will be announced next month, the Confederation of African Football has said.

Toure is joined by fellow Ivory Coast internationals Didier Drogba and Gervinho on the 10-man shortlist.

Newcastle United striker Demba Ba, Chelsea's John Obi Mikel and the former Arsenal midfielder Alexandre Song ensure a strong representation of players who competed in England's Premier

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Prime Minister Bissessar: No early elections in Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar. PHOTO/File

Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has revealed that her administration intends serving out its full five-year term in office despite increasing calls for her to either dismiss two senior Cabinet ministers or call fresh general elections as the fall out continues over the early implementation of the controversial Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act.

"Let not your heart be

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Usain Bolt, David Rudisha, Aries Merritt: finalists for World Athlete of the Year 2012

From top clockwise: David Rudisha, Usain Bolt and Aries Merritt. PHOTO/IAAF

Usain Bolt, David Rudisha and Aries Merritt are the finalists for the World Athlete of the Year award.

Track and field’s governing body said Monday that they had the most votes in a three-week poll. The winner will be announced during the IAAF’s centenary celebrations in Barcelona on November 24.

Bolt became the first man to retain both 100- and 200-meter titles at the London Olympics.

Merritt won the

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Election 2012: Latest polls suggest Obama will be re-elected

U.S. President Barack Obama (l) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. PHOTO/File

With just one day remaining in the 2012 race for president, the polling picture is now virtually complete. President Barack Obama continues to hold narrow but significant leads over Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in enough battleground states to put him over the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.

The sheer volume of data tells us that Obama's leads in the tipping point states

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Malawi suspends laws criminalizing same-sex relationships

Malawi has suspended laws against same-sex relationships on Monday and ordered police not to arrest gays and same-sex couples pending a decision on whether to repeal the legislation.

Same-sex relationships are banned in Malawi - as in 36 other African states - and carries a maximum sentence of 14 years, but Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara said he wanted debate on the issue before parliament decided whether to keep the laws or not.

"If we continue arresting and prosecuting people

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Sunday, November 4, 2012

Kenya's James Kwambai wins Seoul Marathon

James Kwambai

(Reuters) - James Kwambai stormed to victory in the Seoul Marathon for the second year running on Sunday, winning by almost five minutes to lead a Kenyan 1-2-3.

James Kwambai, 29, won his fourth marathon in a time of two hours, five minutes and 50 seconds and was wrapped up and getting warm by the time countryman Chebon Chebor crossed the line in 2:10:24.

Benjamin Kolum took third place with a time of 2:10:35.

Kwambai, who picked up US$50,000 for the victory,

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Cricket: West Indies expected to beat Bangladesh in Test & one day series

West Indies Captain, Darren Sammy

Captain Darren Sammy has cautioned against complacency as West Indies prepare to face Bangladesh in a Test and one-day series they are expected to win easily.

Last year on the subcontinent, West Indies beat Bangladesh 1-0 in a two-Test series and also took the three-match one-day series 2-1.

Bangladesh prop up the nine-nation Test rankings where West Indies lie seventh and are also ninth of 13 teams in the one-day tables, with the Windies against

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