Monday, December 30, 2013

Millard D. Stith Jr., named president of Saint Paul's college

The board of the closed Saint Paul's College has named a new president in hopes of reopening the school.

Millard D. "Pete" Stith Jr., pictured, will continue negotiations for either a merger or a sale of the 183-acre campus in Lawrenceville.

Saint Paul's College - a historically black college closed in June this year.

Accodring to Stith, that the board would prefer a merger or acquisition with another historically black school. But he says the board is open to discussions with

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East African governments looking at either eliminating or reducing Roaming Charges

East African businesses, especially those that import goods from within the East African Community (EAC) have for long complained about the roaming fees they incur whenever doing business in the region.

This could soon end after regional authorities mooted plans to either scrap, or reduce and harmonize roaming rates to ease business across the east African region.

In a bid to boost cross-border business, the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) authorities from Kenya,

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Trinidad rocked by another earthquake - magnitude of 4.1

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 was felt in several parts of Trinidad on Saturday but there were no immediate reports of injury or damage.

The Seismic Unit of the University of the West Indies (UWI) said the earthquake occurred at 5.17 a.m. (4>17 a.m. EST) and was felt in Diego Martin, Glencoe and Westmoorings, west of Port-of-Spain - the capital.

The Unit said that the earthquake was located 10.55 North and 62.5 West and had a depth of 80 kilometers (50 miles). This was the

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Obama administration urged to hire CEO to run Obamacare

(Reuters) - The White House is coming under pressure from some of its closest allies on healthcare reform to name a chief executive to run its federal health insurance marketplace and allay the concerns of insurers after the rocky rollout of Obamacare.

Advocates have been quietly pushing the idea of a CEO who would set marketplace rules, coordinate with insurers and state regulators on the health plans offered for sale, supervise enrollment campaigns and oversee technology, according to

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Sunday, December 29, 2013

Niger: Thousands protest against President Mahamadou Issoufou administration

A cross section of the crowd estimated by police at about 20,000. PHOTO/Reuters


Thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets of the Niger capital Niamey on Saturday to protest growing corruption, in the first major rally against President Mahamadou Issoufou's rule since his 2011 election win.

Demonstrators chanted "Down with the regime!" and "No to dictatorship" as they gathered outside parliament, with some carrying portraits of ex-president Mamadou Tandja, who was ousted

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Haiti: Surtab tablet manufacturer now has a competitor - Handxom SA

Two tech companies have launched rival ventures to build Android tablets in Haiti, a country with little recent experience in electronics manufacturing.

Startups Surtab SA and Handxom SA began production last month and plan to sell the 7-inch touchscreen devices to phone stores nationwide and markets overseas.

Surtab says it has already sold hundreds of tablets to customers including Haiti's education and planning ministries and mobile phone giant Digicel, which sells the tablets in

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Friday, December 27, 2013

Trinidad & Tobago: Two more oil spills detected - PETROTRIN

Two more oil spills have been reported in Trinidad’s Gulf of Paria, according to state-owned oil firm PETROTRIN.

The spills are the latest in a series that began on December 17.

“PETROTRIN received reports earlier this week of 2 further incidents of oil being discharged into the environment in the Moruga/Rock River area,” the company said in a statement. “Cleanup and investigation efforts have already been initiated with respect to these latest incidents.”

It is still

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South Sudan: Regional leaders intervene to resolve conflict

South Sudan's government has committed to an immediate ceasefire, the country's regional neighbors said on Friday, as they urged opposition, (now rebel) leader Riek Machar to make the same commitment.

Regional heads of state who attended a meeting of east African body Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Kenyan capital Nairobi, said they want all the warring parties in South Sudan to meet for talks by December 31.

"IGAD welcomes the commitment by the government of

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

LeBron James is the AP Male Athlete of 2013

LeBron James. PHOTO/Rocky Widner/Getty Images

LeBron James has been named The Associated Press (AP)' 2013 Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the third basketball player to capture the award that has been annually awarded since 1931. James received 31 of 96 votes cast in a poll of news organizations, beating Peyton Manning (20) and Jimmie Johnson (7).

"I am chasing something and it's bigger than me as a basketball player," James told the AP. "I believe my calling is much higher than

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Serena Williams is the AP Female Athlete of 2013

Serena Williams celebrates her win over Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, to win the WTA Championships title, October 27, 2013. PHOTO/Bulent Kilic/AFP

Serena Williams likes to make one thing clear: She is never satisfied, no matter how many matches and tournaments she wins.

Driven as ever, Williams won plenty this year. She went 78-4 with 11 titles, including at the French Open and U.S. Open, raising her Grand Slam championship total to 17. She compiled a 34-match winning streak. She earned more

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Sign-ups to Obamacare extended as subscribers increase

(Bloomberg) - Consumers waiting until the last minute to buy health coverage under Obamacare received a reprieve as a record number of users visited the U.S. online insurance marketplace.

The deadline to enroll in health plans that begin January 1 was extended to midnight today from yesterday for most of the U.S., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said. The extension was announced as healthcare.gov yesterday saw almost 2 million visitors, a single-day record,and consumers were

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Sabotage suspected in Trinidad & Tobago oil spills

Cleaning crews working to clear up pollution resulting from oil spill. PHOTO/Trinidad Express

The government of Trinidad & Tobago has announced increased security for energy installations on land and sea as the authorities continue to battle with several oil spills that may have been a result of sabotage.

A statement issued following a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) that was chaired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, noted that The NSC had received “an update

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Madagascar: Presidential election deemed fair by observers

Election observers have certified Madagascar's run-off presidential election as free and credible on Sunday, urging the candidates to stay calm as counting continued after the vote.

By late Sunday, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, was leading with 15 percent of votes counted, though both sides accused the other of fraud and his rival, Robinson Jean Louis, demanded a publication of the results be suspended.

However, election observers, both local and international, said they could fault

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Monday, December 23, 2013

Trinidad & Tobago rattled by 3.4 magnitude earthquake

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 rattled Trinidad & Tobago and some neighboring islands on Monday, the Seismic Unit of the University of the West Indies (UWI) has reported.

It said the earthquake, which happened at 1.26 p.m. (12.26 p.m. EST) occurred north-west of Trinidad and the seismic Unit said “this event may have been felt in nearby islands.”

It said that the earthquake was located at 11.34°N 61.98°W and had a depth of 65 kilometers (40 miles).

Last week, Trinidad

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The Bahamas rated as most prosperous nation in CARICOM

The World Bank has rated the Bahamas as the wealthiest Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

The financial institution said that the Bahamas is most economically prosperous country relying on tourism to generate most of its economic activity. It said that the tourism industry not only accounts for over 60 percent of the Bahamian gross domestic product (GDP), but provides jobs for more than half the country’s workforce.

After tourism, the next most important economic sector is

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Ndumiso Madlala opens South Africa's first black-owned brewery

(VoA News) - South Africa is a country that loves its beer. It's a product that has blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry for commercial beverage companies. But now there's a growing popularity for craft beers made by smaller microbreweries which are opening across the country.

There's a new offering for South Africa's growing thirst for good beer. It’s called Soweto Gold, and it’s the creation of master brewer and businessman Ndumiso Madlala. He's making history by

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Haiti: President Martelly has highest approval ratings in Western Hemisphere

Haitian President Michel Martelly. PHOTO/File

(PRNewsire) - The government of Haiti has generally received negative ratings in national and international media yet the majority of Haitians appear to strongly disagree with what journalists and pundits have been saying about their government.

That is what Newlink Research, a Miami based firm that polls extensively throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and Dagmar Research, one of Haiti's leading public opinion firms, found in their

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Sunday, December 22, 2013

Sonja Hines, President and CEO of H&S Resources Corporation receives 2013 Women of Color Award

Sonja Hines - President and CEO of H&S Resources Corporation. PHOTO/Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun

(PRNewswire) - Columbia, Maryland - Sonja Hines of H&S Resources Corporation was one of 25 women selected to receive the 2013 Women of Color Award from 100 Black Men of Greater Washington, D.C.

Presented in partnership with the Women Presidents' Organization, the awards are based upon the success of these distinguished business leaders and for service to the community.

"I am honored

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Nigeria: Security boosted over Christmas against Boko Haram Islamist terror attacks

Fearing attacks by the al-Qaeda affiliated Islamist militant group Boko Haram over Christmas, Nigerian police said on Sunday they had ordered extra patrols, surveillance and covert operations to better secure potential targets during the festive period.

The militants have struck every Christmas for the past 3 years, most dramatically in 2011, when they bombed 3 churches. One of them, on St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, on the edge of Abuja, killed 37 people and wounded 57.

"All

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Barbados: Another downgrade from Moody's as economy continues to struggle

Barbados has received yet another downgrade from Moody’s Investors Service.

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the Barbados government bond rating from Ba1 to Ba3, citing poor economic growth and rising fiscal deficits.

Moody’s also pointed to the rising costs of funding and the increasing reliance on short-term funding, citing the island-nation's “continued anemic economic performance”; a decline in the government’s financial strength, due to persistently large

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Friday, December 20, 2013

Haiti and the Dominican Republic to discuss Court ruling on citizenship

Haiti and the Dominican Republic will meet next month in an effort to resolve questions over a widely debated court decision that could render thousands of Haitian Dominicans stateless, Haiti's foreign minister said Thursday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre-Richard Casimir told reporters that 5 senior officials from each country will meet on January 7 in the Haitian border town of Ouanaminthe.

With representatives from the Caribbean Community, European Union and United Nations,

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Usain Bolt, Mo Farah continue to dominate in athletics

Usain Bolt. PHOTO/File

What would a year of track and field be without mention of the indomitable Usain Bolt at its fore, dragging the doping-mired sport out of the doldrums?

The 2013 season was no different, the towering Jamaican again dominating the sprints and underlining his formidable track prowess by claiming double individual gold in the 100 and 200m at the Moscow World Athletics Championships, respectively his second and third titles in the events.

It means that apart from

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South Africa: Zuma re-election in trouble as largest trade union NUMSA breaks with ANC

South Africa's largest trade union on Friday said it will no longer back the ruling African National Congress, a tectonic shift in the country's politics ahead of elections next year.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) announced the break at a special congress of members.

"NUMSA as an organization will neither endorse nor support the ANC or any other party in 2014," said leader Irvin Jim, who also called on President Jacob Zuma to resign.

The announcement

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Major setback for the Lakers as Kobe Bryant fractures left knee

Kobe Bryant (r) in action against the Memphis Grizzlies., Dec. 17, 2013. PHOTO/Joe Murphy/Getty Images

(Reuters) - Just 11 days after Kobe Bryant made his long-awaited return for the Los Angeles Lakers, the shooting guard is expected to be out for "approximately 6 weeks" because of a knee injury, the team announced on Thursday.

Bryant, 35, who spent almost 8 months on the sidelines with a torn left Achilles' tendon before making his comeback on December 8, hyper-extended his left knee

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Thursday, December 19, 2013

RLJ Equity Partners acquires Naylor, LLC

Robert L. Johnson, Founder and Chairman of The RLJ Companies

(PRNewswire) - Bethesda, Maryland - RLJ Equity Partners, LLC, an RLJ portfolio company, today announced its acquisition of Naylor, LLC (Naylor), a leading provider of outsourced business and communications services for the North American association marketplace.

Founded in 1969, Naylor provides customized communications and business services that include a full suite of print and digital media, event management, exchange

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Nigeria: President Jonathan re-election hopes take further hit as 37 MPs defect to opposition

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. PHOTO/File

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan lost his majority in parliament on Wednesday after 37 lawmakers defected from his party for a new opposition coalition, the latest political blow to hit the leader seeking re-election.

In a letter presented to the speaker of the lower house, the lawmakers elected under Jonathan's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declared that they had joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), stripping the PDP of

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Trinidad & Tobago growth projected to 1.5% in 2013 - Central Bank

The economy of Trinidad & Tobago is now projected to grow by 1.5 percent this year as against earlier predictions of 2.5 percent, the central bank of the twin-island nation has revealed.

It said that the local economy had grown by 1.3 percent during the first 9 months of the year, compared to 0.3 percent for the same period last year.

In January this year, the central bank had projected a 2.5 percent economic growth for 2013.

The bank’s Monetary Policy Report for April 2013 had

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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic named ITF world champions for 2013

Serena Williams (l) and Novak Djokovic (r) at the awards ceremony. PHOTO/Getty Images

Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic are the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) world champions for 2013.

Williams captured the women's award for the fourth time, and Djokovic took the honor for the third successive year.

The 32-year-old Williams has ended the 2013 Calendar season holding on to her no.1 ranking for the second consecutive year.

Djokovic started the year by winning a third

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Mali: Successful parliamentary election solidifies country's transition to democracy

The party of Mali's new president and its political allies have won a comfortable majority in a parliamentary election intended to seal to a return to democratic civilian rule following an army coup in March 2012.

Completion of the parliamentary election presents the country with an opportunity to heal and enable its citizens to rebuild and in addition develop the once lawless desert north, where Islamists seized control in the aftermath of the coup.

External military intervention

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Mia Love on track to becoming first African American, female Republican elected to Congress

Mia Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, addresses the Republican National Convention, August 28 2012. PHOTO/J. Scott Applewhite

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson of Utah will not run for an eighth term in Congress next year, the congressman announced earlier this week.

Matheson was expected to face a tough repeat challenge in 2014 from Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love, a Republican who he narrowly defeated in 2012.

Matheson announced the news in a Facebook posting and

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Suriname admitted as full member of Caribbean Development Bank

The Caribbean Development Bank has admitted Suriname as a full member of the financial body.

As a result, Suriname will now have easier access to subsidized loans that will boost development projects.

According to Warren Smith, the president of the bank, "Suriname has a sound economy, which is growing rapidly. The government runs a tight fiscal operation and debt accounts for only about 25 percent of GDP," in remarks to the regional financial institution's board of directors on

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Update to Nigeria GDP figures to current production rates may displace South Africa as largest economy on continent

(Bloomberg) - Nigeria’s plan to rebase its gross domestic production (GDP) figures next year may boost the assessment of the size of its economy by as much as 60 percent, leapfrogging South Africa as the continent’s largest nation in terms of total wealth, Renaissance Capital Ltd. said.

Africa’s biggest oil producer may see its economy measured at between about US$384 billion and US$424 billion in 2014, according to projections by Charles Robertson, the global chief economist at

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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Kenya, a crucible of technology and business

By Bitange Ndemo



Kenya is a frontrunner in technology and communications, but it must not slacken pace: the next decade will throw up opportunities to succeed in the global arena.

Kenya has made a name for itself in technology. Our M-PESA mobile-money transfer scheme, developed by Safaricom in 2007, is being copied world-wide. Our East African Community was the first to harmonize phone tariffs across the region, allowing a Kenyan to talk to a Ugandan or Tanzanian for no extra

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Michelle Howard nominated to become the first female 4-star admiral of the U.S. Navy

U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Vice Admiral Michelle Howard (pictured), for a fourth star Friday, becoming the first woman in Navy history to attain the rank.

Howard, 53, currently serves as deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, and strategy. She has been tapped to serve as vice chief of naval operations, the Navy’s second-ranking officer, and a single step below the chief of naval operations, the service’s top officer.

Howard graduated from the Naval

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First case of locally acquired case of chikungunya reported in Caribbean

The Trinidad & Tobago-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Tuesday said that for the first time, locally acquired cases of chikungunya have been detected in the Caribbean region.

CARPHA said it had recently received notification of 10 confirmed cases of locally acquired chikungunya virus infection on the French side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.

Chikungunya is a viral disease, carried mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and causes a dengue-like

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iROKO Partners secures a new round of financing totaling $8 million

Jason Njoku, founder and CEO, iROKO Partners

iROKO Partners, the world's biggest online distributor and platform for Nigerian movies and music, has revealed that the company has secured a new round of financing totaling US$8 million. The financing is as result of investment by venture capitalist firms Tiger Global, Swedish firm Kinnevik and US-based firm, Rise Capital.

This brings the total amount of financing raised by iROKO Partners to US$21 million, making the young company one of

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College student Jeramey Anderson sworn in to the Mississippi House of Representatives

Rep. Jeramey Anderson. PHOTO/Mississippi House of Representatives

Jeramey Anderson was sworn in to the Mississippi House of Representatives on December 6, a date which happened to be his 22nd birthday.

Anderson won the special run-off election on November 26 to fill the seat former Rep. Billy Broomfield vacated to become mayor of Moss Point. Anderson's first legislative session will be on January 7, 2014.

Anderson who is still a college student, was born and raised in Moss Point,

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Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago rattled by earthquakes

Barbados has been rattled twice within a 24 hour period by earthquakes that also affected Trinidad & Tobago, according to reports generated by the Seismic Unit of the University of the West Indies.

The report said that on Monday, earthquakes occurred north of Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados respectively during the period 2:15 a.m. (1:15 a.m. EST) and 6:00 a.m. (5:00 a.m. EST).

Both magnitudes of the earthquakes were 3.6 and depths of 56 km (35 miles) and 27 km (17 miles) respectively

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Attempted coup in South Sudan

There has been a coup attempt in South Sudan. Government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters that police had arrested 5 political leaders with suspected links to the coup attempt and that many more were yet to be traced. Chief among the wanted is former Vice President Riek Machar, he said, who is now believed to be in hiding after he was identified by President Salva Kiir as the political leader favored by a faction of soldiers who tried to seize power unconstitutionally

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Monday, December 16, 2013

Africa Private Equity raises $2 billion between January and September this year

Africa-focused Private Equity fundraisers brought in over US$2 billion between January and September this year, exceeding 2012 full-year figures, according to Private Equity Africa, an industry publication for fund managers, investors and advisors.

This year’s figures have been driven in part by an US$800 million fund closure at the beginning of the year by Ethos, Vital Capital’s US$350 million maiden vehicle and another US$243 million debut fundraiser by Phatisa, Private Equity

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HBCU Wellness Project promoting healthy lifestyles

(Black PR Wire) - The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Wellness Project uses human and social capital in Tennessee to promote health and wellness in the surrounding communities.

“I look at wellness holistically,” said Candace Jones, a senior sociology student from Detroit, Michigan. Jones is a wellness project health ambassador at Fisk University. “It is important that we as people stay healthy - physically, mentally, emotionally and most of all

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Barbados: Stuart administration to reduce size of gov't in bid to revive ailing economy

The head of the Barbados Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAB) says that the Freundel Stuart administration Barbados government delayed in making a decision regarding the laying off of 3,000 public workers in a bid to revive an ailing economy.

The island-nation's Finance and Economic Affairs Minister, Christopher Sinckler announced earlier this week that the Stuart administration would trim the public service by as much as 3,000 in 2014, and that government ministers, government

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Sunday, December 15, 2013

Jameis Winston wins the Heisman Trophy - the youngest ever recipient of the award

A jubilant Jameis Winston with Heisman Trophy. PHOTO/Julio Cortez/AP

(Reuters) - Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston won the Heisman Trophy as the top player in college football on Saturday, at 19 and 342 days becoming the youngest ever recipient of the award.

The award came despite the cloud of a sexual assault case hanging over his season. State Attorney Willie Meggs announced on December 5 he would not file charges against Winston due to insufficient

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South Africa: Nelson Mandela laid to rest

The casket bearing Nelson Mandela's remains prior to being lowered into his grave. PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images

Nelson Mandela was laid to rest Sunday in the green, rolling hills of the eastern hamlet where he began his extraordinary journey — one that led him from prison to the presidency, a global symbol of endurance and reconciliation in the fight against South Africa’s brutal racist rule.

Artillery boomed and military aircraft roared through a cloud-studded sky, as the simple and

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Friday, December 13, 2013

Construction of African American History museum underway - On track for completion in 2015

Design concept for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. IMAGE/David Adjaye

The construction of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History & Culture is currently underway and on track to be completed in 2015.

Four years ago, the Institution chose a team led by award winning Tanzanian-born architect, David Adjaye to design the new museum which will be situated in a prominent position on Washington DC's iconic mall.

The building

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Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean projects 2.1% growth in 2014

The Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is predicting that the Caribbean will experience a recovery and post at least 2.1 percent economic growth next year after recording a 1.3 percent growth in 2013.

According to the regional Economic Commission, the economies of the Carribean and Latin America will expand by 3.2 percent, on average, in 2014, higher than the 2.6 percent predicted for 2013.

In its new report titled “Preliminary Overview of the Economies

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Democratic Republic of Congo signs peace deal with M23 insurgents

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has signed a peace deal with the M23 rebels it had been fighting until they laid down their arms last month, Kenya's presidential spokesman said on his official Twitter account on Thursday.

"Democratic Republic of Congo govt, M23 sign peace agreement in Nairobi," Manoah Esipisu wrote on his account.

The M23 are insurgents who have battled Congo's government in its mineral-rich eastern regions for more than two decades.

Congo government

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Somalia: President Mohamud nominates Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed as Prime Minister

Somalia's president has nominated a political newcomer as prime minister Thursday, days after his predecessor was ousted following a vote of no confidence.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud revealed that he had nominated Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed (pictured), an economist who has worked with several international organisations and banks.

"After a long consultations, I have taken the decision to name Abdiweli Sheik Mohamed as prime minister," the president told reporters in Mogadishu at Villa

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African American and Latino households hardest hit by decline in retirement savings

(Business Wire) - A new report calculates the severity of the U.S. retirement security racial divide. The analysis finds that every racial group faces significant risks, but people of color face particularly severe challenges in preparing for retirement. Americans of color are significantly less likely than whites to have an employer-sponsored retirement plan or an individual retirement account (IRA), which substantially drives down the level of retirement savings.

Race and Retirement

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Obamacare gradually gains traction as enrollments surpass 1 Million

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

More than two months after Obamacare's debut, the number of Americans using the system is starting to grow: Nearly 1.2 million people are on track to have health coverage in place next year from the law's health insurance exchanges, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday.

From October 1 through November 30, almost 365,000 people enrolled into private

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Bermuda: Premier Cannonier re-shuffles cabinet in attempt to reducing size of government

Bermuda Premier Craig Cannonier. PHOTO/Royal Gazette

Bermuda Premier Craig Cannonier re-shuffled his cabinet on Wednesday in a cost-cutting measure that reduces the number of government ministers from 13 to 10.

Cannonier told a news conference the changes were “part of a process toward better governing and greater efficiency” and that the cuts would save the taxpayer around US$240,000.

The changes are effective immediately.

Immediate former Education Minister Nalton

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Dangote still on track to investing $16 billion in Nigeria and Africa in the next 4 years

Aliko Dangote, Founder, President and CEO of the Dangote Group. PHOTO/Mike Hutchings/Reuters

The Dangote Group, the Nigerian company founded and run by Aliko Dangote, plans to invest about US$16 billion in cement, petrochemicals and agriculture over the next 4 years to boost expansion.

“We are investing US$4.7 billion to finish our projects in cement in about 18 countries, including Nigeria,” Dangote said in an interview. “We are also spending about US$2.3 billion on

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Jamaica: Legislators move to clamp down on Ponzi/ Pyramid schemes

Anatomy of ponzi scheme. Image, courtesy of The New York Times

Legislators in Jamaica have passed a bill which grants the court powers to imprison persons for a term not exceeding 10 years, and or a fine, should he/she be convicted of operating a Ponzi scheme.

The bill, known as the Securities Amendment Act, seeks, among other things, to clamp down on the unauthorized dealing in securities. The bill expressly prohibits a scheme, known popularly as Ponzi, which the bill defines as

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Otema Yirenkyi becomes Microsoft's first female country manager in Africa

Otema Yirenkyi

Otema Yirenkyi, has been appointed as Microsoft's first female country manager in Africa to head up the company's investment in the rapidly growing west African country of Ghana.

The appointment of Yirenkyi, a tech professional with over 14 years of experience in the sector, signifies a continued dedication to the long-term growth opportunities in the country.

"We have seen tremendous growth in broadband availability and internet penetration in Ghana, as well as the

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U.S. senate confirms Mel Watt to lead Federal Housing Agency

U.S. Rep. Mel Watt. PHOTO/Reuters

Democrats have taken advantage of their weakening of filibusters and muscled through the Senate President Barack Obama's pick to lead a housing regulation agency.

By 57-41 Tuesday, senators confirmed Rep. Mel Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Obama nominated Watt, in May but he has been in limbo ever since.

Republicans have said he is not qualified, while Democrats say the 21-year House veteran has the needed experience.

Until

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Haiti: President Martelly sends election law for publication

Haitian President Michel Martelly. PHOTO/File

The Martelly administration in Haiti took an important step on Tuesday to organize legislative and local elections that are 2 years overdue.

President Michel Martelly's office announced that it had sent an electoral law to the official gazette for publication. The document, which has not been made public, seeks to clarify debate surrounding the question of term limits.

Opposition lawmakers have said that the terms of 10 Senate seats

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South Africa: Thousands queue in Pretoria to bid farewell to Nelson Mandela

Former South African President Nelson Mandela's body lying in state. PHOTO/Marco Longari/AFP

Thousands of people queued on Wednesday to say goodbye to Nelson Mandela, whose body was lying in state in Pretoria in the building where the anti-apartheid hero was inaugurated in 1994 as South Africa's first black president.

Foreign dignitaries and celebrities joined thousands of South Africans at the imposing Union Buildings, perched on a hill overlooking Pretoria, for a last chance to see

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Jesse Owens Olympic Gold medal fetches $1.4 million at auction

Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. PHOTO/File

An Olympic gold medal won by Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games has sold for a record US$1.4 million in an online auction.

SCP Auctions said Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle paid US$1,466,574, the highest price for a piece of Olympic memorabilia. The online auction ended Sunday.

"We just hope that it is purchased by an institution where the public could have access to it, a museum or something like that," Owens'

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Jumpstart Africa launches campaign to complete build of its crowdfunding platform

(PRNewswire) - Jumpstart Africa has announced the launch of its Indiegogo campaign to raise needed funds to complete the build of its revolutionary crowdfunding platform, JumpstartAfrica.com.

Pioneering in every way, Jumpstart Africa is the first to imagine a better way in which the world can lend its support to the continent's brightest minds to help them raise money for their innovative and creative projects. The Indiegogo campaign (www.igg.me/at/jumpstartafrica.com), which starts

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Jamaica Manufacturers Association urges Simpson-Miller administration to hold Trinidad & Tobago accountable to regional commitments

The Jamaica Manufacturers Association has urged the Portia Simpson-Miller administration to hold Trinidad & Tobago to commitments made to the region as outlined in the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

According to the president, Omar Azan, Trinidad’s National Security Minister Gary Griffith has sent a disjointed message about the stance being taken by the twin island nation as it relates to immigration procedures.

Griffith's declaration came despite a promise by his Cabinet colleague, Foreign

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Caribbean Forum not impressed with Economic Partnership Agreement with EU

The Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) say while they are aware of their responsibilities and commitments under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed with the European Union in 2008, honoring them have “proven to be more difficult than originally expected”.

In a report to the 98th Session of the Council of Ministers meeting, which began on Tuesday, the CARIFORUM grouping, comprising the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic, say this situation is due

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Israel: Parliament approves detention without charge for African migrants

A South Sudanese boy holds onto the arm of an Israeli aid worker as he boards a bus at the south Tel Aviv bus station to be delivered to Ben Gurion Airport, 17 June 2012, as Israel deports hundreds of African migrants. PHOTO/Jim Hollander/EPA

Israel's parliament has moved to ensure African migrants who enter the country illegally can be held without charge, despite a Supreme Court ruling that had struck down a previous detention law.

Legislation approved late on Monday set a maximum

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REDI Foundation offering African Americans opportunity to learn how to earn $1,000,000 of more in Real Estate

(Nationwide) - The Founder of The REDI Foundation, non-profit institute, Richard Michael Abraham, announced yesterday at The REDI Foundation's press conference that the mission to train professionals how to be successful developing their land or packaging joint venture real estate developments is working very well.

"The 6-Month Mentoring ONLINE Real Estate Development Program is teaching professionals from all walks of life how to potentially earn US$1,000,000+ each annually packaging

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Monday, December 9, 2013

ArcelorMittal South Africa CEO Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita stepping down

(Bloomberg) - ArcelorMittal SA's South African unit said Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita (pictured), will step down on February 18 after almost 6 years as CEO at the local operation of the world’s largest steelmaker.

The ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. board will begin a search to replace the CEO and will “in due course” make an announcement on the transitional period, it said in a statement today.

Nyembezi-Heita, 53, became CEO in March 2008.

The steelmaker on November 6 ended a

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Citing security concerns, the WICB withdraws Under-19 players from Bangladesh

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has withdrawn the Under-19 team from its tour of Bangladesh.

The WICB said the decision to withdraw the team is in the best interest of the safety and security of the players and

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Kobe Bryant return dimmed as the LA Lakers fall to the Toronto Raptors

Kobe Bryant (l) dribbles the ball against Toronto's DeMar DeRozan (r). PHOTO/USA TODAY Sports

Nearly 8 months after Kobe Bryant limped off the Lakers' home court with a torn Achilles tendon and a career in doubt, he struggled to keep his composure when he finally stepped back onto the same hardwood.

And though his comeback night didn't quite go to script, Bryant couldn't help reflecting on the work necessary to get back on that court, and all the months of steady labor ahead to

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World leaders, friend and foe coming together for Nelson Mandela

Former South African President Nelson Mandela. PHOTO/PETER DEJONG /AP

More than 70 leaders from across the world, some of them locked in enmity, are flying to South Africa for memorials to Nelson Mandela that will hail one of humanity's great peacemakers, officials said on Monday.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Raul Castro from Cuba, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Britain's David Cameron will be among those attending Tuesday's main send-off in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium,

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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Protests in Haiti over Dominican Republic court citizenship ruling

Protestors in Haiti march against a court citizenship ruling in neighbouring Dominican Republic. PHOTO/Dieu Nalio Chery/AP

Hundreds of protesters gathered Friday to criticize a recent court decision in the Dominican Republic that could strip the citizenship of generations of people of Haitian descent living in the neighboring country.

The crowd peaked at about 2,000 people but thinned out during the march uphill to the Dominican Embassy to protest the decision passed two months ago by

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Sudan: President al-Bashir unveils new cabinet following vice president's resignation

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. PHOTO/Gregorio Borgia/AP

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has unveiled a partially new cabinet, in a move prompted by the resignation of Vice President Ali Osman Taha.

The changes, announced on Sunday, come less than a week after leading former ally Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani said he had launched a new "Reform" party relying on youth support. The party has since attracted thousands of supporters.

"Ali Osman will voluntarily step down", as he did

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Another Glimmer of Hope

Precisely three weeks ago, we sat opposite a cabinet minister of an East African nation. When the subject of regional integration was broached, the Honorable scoffed at Tanzania, one of the five countries in the East African Community. Like everyone knows, the largest country in this part of the world has been torn between its allegiance to the EAC, and to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). But it seems as though Tanzania’s biggest issues are not necessarily that it cannot

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Friday, December 6, 2013

African American unemployment drops slightly in November

The African American unemployment rate for November was 12.5 percent, from 13.1 percent in October. The national unemployment rate also dipped, from 7.3 percent to a 5-year low of 7 percent.

A fourth straight month of solid hiring cut the U.S. unemployment rate in November - the gains in the job market could spur greater economic growth. However, black lawmakers on Capitol Hill, however, are extremely frustrated by the persistently high unemployment rate among African Americans. A

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder planning new civil mortgage fraud cases in early 2014

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department plans to bring civil mortgage fraud cases against several financial institutions early in 2014, using as a template the case that ended last month in JPMorgan Chase & Co's US$13 billion settlement, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (pictured), said on Wednesday.

In an interview, Holder would not say which companies or how many could face lawsuits but said the Justice Department was in contact with them and it was hard to say whether the talks would

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South Africa: Week of mourning declared over the passing of Nelson Mandela

Former South African President Nelson Mandela. PHOTO/Walter Dhladhla/AFP/Getty Images

South African President Jacob Zuma has declared a week of mourning across South Africa for Nelson Mandela that will include several services, ending with burial in the anti-apartheid icon's ancestral home of the small rural village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape on December 15.

A memorial service at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will be held Tuesday.

Zuma said Mandela's body will lie in state at

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

South Africa: Nelson Mandela dies at 95

Former South African President Nelson Mandela. PHOTO/Reuters/Mike Hutchings

One of the most beloved leaders of the 20th century, Nelson Mandela, the father of modern South Africa who led the fight against the brutal and racist apartheid system and then pushed for reconciliation as the nation's first black president, died Thursday. He was 95.

Mandela was a champion of freedom, who spent 27 years of his life in a prison cell; a revolutionary who espoused armed conflict against the

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3D animation industry takes toot in Kenya

Image Courtesy of Fatboy Animations - Kenya

Companies in Kenya are increasingly turning to locally created 3D content to engage with audiences and lure investors both local and international.

Though 3D animation is nothing new in Kenya, it has not been widely used in TV commercials - until now...

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Shonda Rhimes honored by Directors Guild of America for promoting diversity

Shonda Rhimes (pictured), will be honored for providing jobs and other opportunities for women and minorities by the Directors Guild of America.

Rhimes is set to receive the 2014 Diversity Award for her commitment to diversity hiring and history of providing jobs and opportunities to women and minorities and the example she has set for the rest of the industry.

The Directors Guild of America announced Tuesday that the Grey's Anatomy and Scandal producer will receive its 2014 Diversity

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Haiti registers 4% growth in fiscal year 2013

Latest preliminary data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have revealed that Haiti has registered gross domestic product (GDP growth) of 4 percent in the 2013 fiscal year.

In June, the IMF lowered its growth forecast for the country to 3.4 percent, down from an initial projection of 6.5 percent. Haiti's growth this year has been as a result of ongoing reconstruction spending, increased textile exports and a better-than-expected outcome for agriculture.

Inflation which had

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Akinwumi Adesina named 2013 Forbes Africa person of the year

Akinwumi Adesina – Nigeria’s minister for Agriculture. PHOTO/Getty Images

Nigeria's minister for Agriculture Akinwumi Adesina, was earlier this week named 2013 Forbes Africa person of the year.

Adesina has put in place initiatives to modernize Nigeria's agriculture in a bid to diversify the economy away from oil and empower millions of rural farmers.

In January this year, he announced a scheme to hand out 10 million devices to farmers to "drive an agriculture revolution" so

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Vincent Gray declares intention to seek 2nd term as mayor of Washington D.C.

Vincent Gray (pictured), has declared his candidacy for a second term as the mayor of Washington D.C., settling a question that had hung over city politics for months.

Gray's campaign will force voters to weigh the prosperity achieved during the Democrat's nearly three years in office against the crimes several close associates committed to help get him elected in 2010.

A federal investigation of the 2010 campaign has been ongoing for most of Gray's term. Four people who worked on the

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Jamaica widens strategies to deal with money laundering

Jamaica has widened its strategy to deal with money laundering with the Senate giving approval to 5 orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

The orders cover non-financial businesses and professions and Justice Minister Mark Golding said the administration had determined that certain sectors that were outside of the traditional financial sector, and in keeping with international requirements and trends, should be subjected to anti money laundering measures.

“The reason for

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South Africa: Nelson Mandela on 'death bed' - putting up courageous fight

Former South African President Nelson Mandela. PHOTO/PETER DEJONG /AP

Ailing former South African President Nelson Mandela is not "doing well" but is continuing to put up a courageous fight from his "deathbed," members of his family have told the South African Broadcasting Corporation in an interview.

His daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, told SABC television news: "Tata is still with us, strong, courageous. Even for a lack of a better word .... on his 'deathbed' he is teaching us lessons;

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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Barbados most transparent and least corrupt country in Caribbean - Transparency International

Barbados is among the least corrupt countries in the world according to the latest figures released by the German-based Transparency International (TI) on Tuesday.

According to Transparency International, Barbados heads the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries on the Corruption Perception Index that ranks countries based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.

Transparency International has ranked Barbados 15th out of 173 countries with a score of 75, down one place

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Ethiopia: The power house spearheading green energy in Africa

Ashegoda Wind Farm. PHOTO/File

From the sky, the 84 glimmering white turbines at Ashegoda wind farm shoot up from the ground like massive spokes, standing out high amid vast expanses of yellow wheat.

Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, mostly populated by cattle farmers who grow the country's staple grains, is an unlikely site for a modern wind farm, let alone sub-Saharan Africa's largest.

With its multi-billion dollar projects in wind, hydropower, solar and geothermal energy,

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BlackTradeLines - a new Mobile App every African American should download and have

BlackTradeLines a mobile application that is connecting black-owned businesses with their customer base using mobile geo-location based technology.

Poverty is an economic problem that has dynamic and social effects on society. For the African American community, this is an everyday ongoing reality.

The African American community continues to have 1 out of 5 households living in poverty.

The African American community is now looking for new ways to support black owned businesses in

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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago ease immigration tensions and avert Trade crisis

Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago - the two largest economies in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), have signed an agreement outlining a path to improve free trade and free movement between the two countries.

“I think we have created a platform for addressing not only the issues which brought this meeting together, but for a wider set of considerations, both in our bilateral relations, and in the relations within the wider CARICOM,” Trinidad & Tobago’s Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran

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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Harrison Odjegba Okene survives 3 days at bottom of Atlantic

A photo of Harrison Odjegba Okene recorded by the rescue diver's headcam. PHOTO/DCN Diving/Associated Press

Entombed at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in an upended tugboat for three days, Harrison Odjegba Okene begged God for a miracle.

The Nigerian cook survived by breathing an ever-dwindling supply of oxygen in an air pocket. A video of Okene's rescue in May - that was posted on the Internet more than six months later has gone viral this

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BrightPath and Columbus recognize Caribbean tech innovators at TechLink initiative

Bevil Wooding, Founder and Executive Director of BrightPath Foundation

Six Caribbean nationals have been recognized for their contribution to advancing technology innovation in the region at the launch of the BrightPath Foundation TechLink initiative in Grenada.

BrightPath in collaboration with its corporate partner Columbus Communications presented 2013 TechLink Caribbean Innovators Awards in 5 categories to Ingrid Riley of Jamaica, Nerissa Golden of Montserrat, Deanne Scott and

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Nigeria: Central Bank Governor Sanusi to step down in June 2014 - investors concerned in run up to 2015 Presidential election

Nigeria’s central bank Governor Lamido Sanusi. PHOTO/File

(Bloomberg) - Nigerian central bank Governor Lamido Sanusi will be stepping down in June next year, raising concerns among investors that his success in curbing inflation and stabilizing the currency may unravel in a pre-election year.

In his 4 years in office, Sanusi, 52, overhauled a banking industry that was near collapse, cut the inflation rate to the lowest level in more than 5 years and helped to keep the currency

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Traffic to healthcare website grows - 1 million new visits on Monday claims White House

U.S. President Barack Obama's chief of staff said on Tuesday that more than 1 million new visitors had checked out the HealthCare.gov website on Monday, the first day after a major overhaul of the troubled site used to shop for health insurance required under new reforms.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said the website's new queuing system, used in times of high traffic, worked "pretty well," with 13,000 visitors choosing to receive an email to return later on Monday when

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Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago working diplomatically to resolve spat

Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago have resumed their talks on Tuesday aimed at settling an immigration matter that had threatened to escalate to a trade war between the two largest Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries.

Trinidad & Tobago Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran, who is leading a delegation to the talks, said that a “trade war’ would not benefit either of the countries and that he had come to Kingston “to open this dialogue, to listen to what these concerns are, to

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Monday, December 2, 2013

Cable & Wireless Communications revamps Bahamas unit brand identity

Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) has updated the brand identity of its Bahamas business. The refreshed brand of Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) seeks to create a new identity for the business and more strongly emphasizes BTC’s customer-focused approach.

The launch of a new interactive website is central to the brand update. The revamped website includes improved navigation and interactive features. An expanded BTC customer support database includes videos, articles and

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Obama announces $100 million HIV research initiative

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at a World AIDS day event. PHOTO/Evan Vucci/AP

U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a new initiative at the National Institutes of Health in pursuit of a cure for HIV.

Obama says his administration is redirecting US$100 million into the project to find a new generation of therapies.

He said the United States should be at the forefront of discoveries to eliminate HIV or put it into remission without requiring lifelong therapy.

Obama made

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Yaya Touré named BBC African Soccer Player of the year 2013

Yaya Touré celebrates after scoring a goal. PHOTO/File

Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Touré was named the BBC's African Footballer (Soccer player) of the Year for 2013 on Monday.

It was the fifth straight year the Manchester City star had made the shortlist but the first time he had taken the award.

"Thank you to all the fans around the world who continue to support me and who love me a lot," said Touré in a BBC statement. "I'm very proud, I'm very happy, this award is

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Tiger Woods is the favorite to win the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge

Tiger Woods at the 18th hole – during the Presidents Cup golf tournament, October 6, 2013. PHOTO/Darron Cummings/AP

Tiger Woods, the world No. 1 is the favorite to emerge victorious again on this coming Sunday at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge.

Woods has won this event 5 times.

Rory McIlroy, has the second-best shot at capturing the final World Challenge title to be contested in California, according to the oddsmakers.

For Woods, the victory in 2011 was especially

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Somalia: Prime Minister Shirdon loses no-confidence vote - to step down

Outgoing Prime Minister of Somalia, Abdi Farah Shirdon. PHOTO/Tobin Jones

Members of parliament in Somalia voted Monday to oust the country's prime minister and his Cabinet after 14 months in office.

Parliamentarians voted 184-65 to oust Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon and his 10-member Cabinet, according to house Speaker Sheik Osman Jawari.

Shirdon will remain in office until President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud nominates a new prime minister, who will then have 30 days to appoint a

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The Bahamas on track to stage inaugural IAAF Relays in 2014

The Bahamas has reassured the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) that it stands ready to stage the inaugural World Relays next year.

A delegation from the IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2014 local organizing committee (LOC), including Sport Minister Daniel Johnson, recently provided an update to the IAAF Council in Monaco.

The Bahamas will host the World Relays at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau May 24-25, 2014, and members of the LOC have been updating the

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Sunday, December 1, 2013

Ivory Coast: Presidential election to be held on schedule: Oct 2015 - President Allasane Ouattara

The Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) is working to move away from it's bitter past as the country consolidates its democratic gains.

According to the country's president Allassane Ouattara, the next presidential election will be held in October 2015.

Presidential spokesperson Kady Traore confirmed that Ouattara announced the election date in Bouake in the north. Ouattara did not confirm if he would seek re-election in 2015, however he insisted that he would not try to recover time lost

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Serena Williams to face Victoria Azarenka in Bangkok, Brisbane as she preps for 2014 Australian Open

Serena Williams (r) holds the US Open championship trophy with runner-up Victoria Azarenka (l) September 8, 2013. PHOTO/Reuters

WTA No.1 Serena Williams, will play Victoria Azarenka in an exhibition match in Thailand next month in a clash of the world's top two female players.

The Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand announced on Thursday that the match will be part of the regular invitational event in Hua Hin, a popular holiday destination southwest of Bangkok.

Azarenka has twice

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CARICOM committed to fighting HIV/AIDS - aims to become first region in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission

The Caribbean has joined the rest of the global community in observing World AIDS Day by issuing a reminder to the region of the commitment to work towards creating the conditions for equitable access by every citizen in the region to adequate health care.

In his message to mark the day, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Irwin Laroque hailed the work of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) for the strides made in confronting the

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

HealthCare.gov website overhauled - crucial weekend as subscribers begin to access service

(Reuters) - Americans are getting their first look on Saturday at whether a five-week, round-the-clock technology overhaul has made it easier to use the troubled website that is the backbone of President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul.

The White House had pledged that HealthCare.gov, which has been plagued by errors, outages, and slow speeds since its disastrous October 1 launch - would be working for most people this weekend.

Fixing the crisis, one of the biggest of

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33 feared dead as Mozambique Airlines plane crashes in Namibia

A Mozambique Airlines plane carrying 33 people crashed in a remote border area, killing all on board, Namibian media reported Saturday.

The plane crashed in a Namibian national park near the border with Angola and there were no survivors, said Namibian deputy police commissioner Bollen Sankwasa, according to The Namibia Press Agency. An investigation of the cause was underway.

The plane was carrying 27 passengers, including 10 Mozambicans, 9 Angolans, 5 Portuguese, and one citizen

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Friday, November 29, 2013

Haiti President Martelly extends olive branch to Dominican Republic despite citizenship row

Haiti’s President Michel Martelly said Haiti will not sever trading ties with the Dominican Republic in light of the chaos created by the September 23 constitutional court ruling, which renders stateless over 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent.

Trade between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is worth almost US$2 billion annually. Severing such ties would be a tremendous loss to the Dominican Republic. Martelly, along with the other heads of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),

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Angola denies that long serving President dos Santos is in ill health

Long serving Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. PHOTO/AFP

Angola on Friday denied a report by external news reports that long serving President Jose Eduardo dos Santos was undergoing cancer treatment, saying the 71-year-old was in good health.

The report on Thursday said Dos Santos had checked in to the oncology unit of a clinic outside Angola. The report further revealed that he was about to undergo surgery. Neither report cited any sources.

According to a statement from

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Canyon Drilling East Africa Limited - East Africa's first locally-owned drilling contractor launched

Oil rig in Uganda. PHOTO/Tullow Oil

East Africa's first land based locally-owned drilling contractor is just starting up, signalling the intention of local investors to get a share of the region's nascent hydrocarbon boom.

The company, Canyon Drilling East Africa Limited (CDEA), has been mostly funded with east African private equity sources and investors include Charles Mbire, chairman of MTN Uganda, a unit of South African mobile phone company MTN Group.

Based in the Kenyan

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Jamaica moving towards adoption of CCJ - parliament to begin debate

Law makers in Jamaica will soon begin a debate on the island-nation's potential accession to the regional Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and thus disengaging with the U.K.-based Privy Council.

It should be noted that this was one of Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller's promises to voters while campaigning for the country's top job prior to the last general election.

According to cabinet minister Phillip Paulwell, the island-nation's parliament will debate 2 bills: an act to amend

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More teething problems for Obamacare - small business access delayed

Small businesses won't be able to buy health insurance via HealthCare.gov until next year, U.S. President Barack Obama's administration announced Wednesday.

The delay in functionality for the so-called SHOP exchanges represents the latest setback in the Obama administration's efforts to implement the 3-year-old Affordable Care Act. The development also comes just days before HealthCare.gov, the online portal for individual and family health coverage in more than 30 states, is supposed to

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Mali: Many parliamentary seats to be decided in runoff, as coup leader Gen. Sanogo faces justice

Officials in Mali have revealed that many of Mali's 147 parliamentary seats will be decided in a runoff next month following a first-round vote on Sunday that was characterized by a low turnout.

As the country progresses towards a functional democracy, latest reports from the country indicate that leader of last year's coup that was a catalyst for the ensuing chaos will be facing justice.

The development indicates that the government of Mali's newly elected president is not afraid to

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

30 believed dead as boat full of Haitian migrants capsizes near The Bahamas

The U.S. Coast Guard found a man Wednesday who survived the deadly capsizing of a boat packed with migrants in the Bahamas as a search continued for survivors or more bodies.

A crew from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spotted the survivor on a small island northeast of Green Cay, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from where a sailboat with about 150 Haitian migrants on board ran aground and capsized on Monday night, officials said.

The man was turned over to Bahamian authorities, who are

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Convergence Partners launches $145 million African Infrastructure Fund

Andile Ngcaba - Founder and Chairman Convergence Partners

Convergence Partners a South African-based investment group, founded and headed by serial entrepreneur Andile Ngcaba, has launched a US$145 million fund that will invest solely in information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa, it said on Wednesday.

According to Ngcaba, the fund would be invested in areas such as the installation of fiber-optic cable, high-speed wireless networks,

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Angela Benton - NewME founder providing minority entrepreneurs an equal chance at starting up businesses

Angela Benton (pictured), did not let rooms full of men intimidate her back in 2007 when she started her first business. Instead, it's guided a career dedicated to giving minorities and women equal chances at starting and building successful companies.

Long before Benton founded the fast-growing NewME Accelerator for minority entrepreneurs, she was the lone black woman in Charlotte’s startup and technology circles.

But she knew there had to be others like her around the United

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Dominica on track to joining CCJ - PM Roosevelt Skerrit

Dominica says it has written to the United Kingdom government informing it officially of its intention to cut ties with the London-based Privy Council in favor of the Trinidad & Tobago-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

“We have in fact written to the Foreign secretary if the British government indicating the Dominica government’s decision to end our relationship with the Privy Council and to establish our relationship with the Caribbean Court of Justice in the appellate

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Nigeria: Defection of 7 State Governors to Opposition Party dims Goodluck Jonathan re-election prospects

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. PHOTO/File

Seven state governors have defected from Nigeria's ruling party and merged their splinter group with the main opposition party on Tuesday, eroding the power base President Goodluck Jonathan would need for re-election.

Nigerian State governors are among the most powerful figures in Africa's largest oil-exporting country - some controlling budgets bigger than many African countries, and their influence carries a great deal of weight in

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Serena Williams bags 5th WTA player of year award

Serena Williams celebrates her win over Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, to win the WTA Championships title, October 27, 2013. PHOTO/Bulent Kilic/AFP

Serena Williams has warned the rest of women’s tennis there is more to come from her after she was named the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player of the year for the second year running and the fifth time overall.

Williams enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in WTA history.

She won 78 of 82 matches, the U.S. Open and French Open among 11

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East African Integration moving closer to reality with the signing of the Monetary Union Protocol this week

East African integration is moving closer to reality with the signing of the East African Monetary Union Protocol during the Heads of State Summit to be held later this week in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

After the endorsement of the East African Monetary Union Protocol, the next 2 years will see the passage of bills to support it. The introduction of a single currency will be spelled out in these bills, and methods and processes which member states can join the monetary union and use

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Officials in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago to meet in hopes to avert trade row, following deportations

Trinidad & Tobago’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Dookeran says if the threat of a boycott of products by Jamaicans materializes this could lead to a serious economic fall out for the twin-island country.

Dookeran who was a guest on a local radio program on Monday said a boycott would not make economic sense as it would only punish workers in both countries.

The boycott has been building steam since last week's deportation of 13 Jamaicans from Trinidad & Tobago as they did not

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ASPiRE TV debuts Season 2 of its original weekly series - "The ROOT 100"

(BLACK PR WIRE) – Atlanta, Georgia – Hosted by Emmy-winning television journalist and CNN Anchor Suzanne Malveaux and featuring first-hand interviews by Political Strategist/Writer/Commentator Jamal Simmons, ASPiRE Tv’s original weekly series THE ROOT 100 returns for a second season on Wednesday, November 27 at 8 p.m. EST.

Based on online news and commentary site The Root’s 4th annual list of 100 of the most influential African American innovators of the next generation (age

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South Africa: Largest labor union, NUMSA looking to break way from ANC - may form political party

(Reuters) - South Africa's biggest union is considering pulling out of the African National Congress (ANC)-aligned Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) labor federation to form its own political entity, a split that could hurt the ruling party in next year's elections, senior union sources said on Tuesday.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is increasingly at odds with the ANC and COSATU over labor policies it says are too pro-business.

Coupled with

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Introducing the Surtab - Haiti's first locally assembled tablet

The first touch-screen tablet manufactured in Haiti and its affordable price have captured the interest of Haitians, particularly within low income households and the youth, who believe they now have a unique opportunity to fulfill their dream to own one, as the use of technological devices grows in popularity in the Caribbean country.

The tablet - known as the Surtab and based on the Android operating system is the very first of it's kind to be assembled in Haiti. It is a a source for

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Monday, November 25, 2013

Obama to fund raise at Magic Johnson house

U.S. President Barack Obama (r) chats with former Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson (l) during the Carrier Classic college basketball game between the University of North Carolina and Michigan State University in San Diego, California, November 11, 2011. PHOTO/Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

(Bloomberg) - U.S. President Barack Obama, is on a 3-day fundraising trip that includes stops at the Seattle home of former Microsoft executive Jon Shirley and Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles

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Haiti and the Dominican Republic begin talks to resolve citizenship row

(CaribJournal) - Haiti and the Dominican Republic have begun talks on the controversial citizenship ruling by the Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court regarding Dominicans of Haitian descent.

Haiti Foreign Minister Pierre Richard Casimir and Dominican Republic Minister of the Presidency Gustavo Montalvo signed an agreement following a meeting in Caracas setting out the way forward for a potential resolution.

The 2 countries announced that they had signed an agreement on three

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Mali holds parliamentary elections as country transitions to democracy

Voters in Mali trickled to the polls amid high security for parliamentary elections on Sunday, in the second set of elections since an international force intervened to dislodge al Qaeda-linked militants from the country's north.

Northern Mali has experienced some Islamist violence since President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was elected in August in elections that marked a return to democracy after a March 2012 coup. The military coup plunged Mali into chaos and allowed Islamists to seize its

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Sunday, November 24, 2013

Anti Stop and Frisk ruling will not be overturned by Appeals Court

Anti stop and frisk demonstrators hold placards during a silent march in New York, June 17 2012. PHOTO/Seth Wenig/AP

A federal appeals panel on Friday denied a request by lawyers for New York that it overturn a judge’s sweeping ruling on the Police Department’s stop and frisk practices, all but ending the Bloomberg administration’s ability to legally challenge the ruling.

Last month, an appeals panel had suspended the effects of a lower-court ruling.

The city had argued that

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Saturday, November 23, 2013

Obama: Important first step as Iran nuclear deal is clinched

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

U.S. President Barack Obama says a nuclear deal with Iran is an "important first step" toward addressing the world's concerns over the Islamic republic's disputed nuclear program.

Obama says the deal includes "substantial limitations" on Iran and cuts off the Islamic republic's most likely path to a bomb.

Obama spoke Saturday night shortly after the U.S. and five partners reached an interim nuclear deal with Iran. The agreement was finalized

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Will Jean-Philippe Désir become the first black president of France

Jean-Philippe Désir. PHOTO/F. Perry/AFP

Late last year, the ruling Socialist Party in France voted anti-racism activist Jean-Philippe Désir as its leader, a move that could potentially put him on track to becoming the country’s first black president.

Désir is the first black man to lead a major political party in France, placing him on a political fast track to the French presidency.

While there is no guarantee the Socialist Party will pick Désir as a presidential nominee in

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Friday, November 22, 2013

U.S. President Obama backing Senate filibuster reform

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday endorsed the move by Democrats to revamp Senate filibuster rules to make it easier for the majority party to confirm nominees.

"I support the step a majority of senators took to change the way that Washington is doing business. More specifically, the way the Senate does business," Obama said during remarks in the White House briefing room. "The vote today, I think, is an indication that a majority of

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Jumia and Konga.com - Africa's equivalent of Amazon.com

(Bloomberg) - When Gbemiga Omotoso bought a Samsung tablet computer last year, he handed over his cash to a man in a van. There was nothing shady, though, about the transaction. It’s part of online retailer Jumia’s attempt to adapt to the unique challenges of selling in Nigeria.

With many of the country’s 160 million residents not familiar with making payments online, the Lagos-based retailer wins over skeptical shoppers by accepting payment on delivery and offering free

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CARICOM acts on Dominican ruling on citizenship - to discuss course of action

A special meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Bureau will be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad, early next week to address the recent court ruling in the Dominican Republic, that renders Dominicans of Haitian descent stateless.

The CARICOM Bureau comprises of Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persaud-Bissessar, who is also the chairperson of the 15-member regional is grouping; St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, Haiti President Michel Martelly and

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Prime Minister Dadnadji of Chad resigns with his entire cabinet - opts to avoid Motion of Censure

(Reuters) - Chad's Prime Minister Joseph Djimrangar Dadnadji (pictured), has resigned along with his cabinet on Thursday, a day before lawmakers from his own ruling majority had planned to examine a motion of censure against his government.

Seventy-four legislators introduced a motion on Monday criticizing Dadnadji for chronic instability in the government and for failing to tackle Chad's high cost of living. Dadnadji has had 5 cabinet reshuffles in the past 10 months.

"Assuming the

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Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce honors Ramsell

Eric Flowers - President and CEO of Ramsell

(Business Wire) - Ramsell, a leading provider of innovative solutions for organizations that serve the underserved, was honored by the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC) with this year’s Oscar J. Coffey Small Business Award for its significant contributions to improving the lives of Oakland and Alameda County residents.

Oscar J. Coffey, Jr. was the founder of the Black Chamber of Commerce for Oakland and later became the

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Update: Dangote Cement gross revenue soars by 29 percent - on track to dominate African market

Dangote Cement's gross revenues grew by 29 percent to US$1.82 billion for the third quarter 2013, up from US$1.41 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2012.

Dangote Cement recorded a profit before tax of US$952 million for the 9 month period to September 2013, an increase of 43 percent Year-on-Year, from US$670 million as at the third quarter in 2012.

Operational expenses grew by 57 percent to US$ 211 million in the 9 month through September 2013, while finance cost

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Oprah Winfrey awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom on eve of anniversary of Kennedy assassination

U.S. President Barack Obama presents Oprah Winfrey with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Wednesday, November 20, 2013. PHOTO/Evan Vucci/AP

U.S. President Barack Obama opened a day of tributes to former President John F. Kennedy on Wednesday by bestowing the Presidential Medal of Freedom on prominent Americans, 50 years after Kennedy was assassinated weeks short of the medal’s first award ceremony.

Obama presented the medal, the highest award the U.S. gives a civilian, to

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S&P downgrades Barbados credit rating

The ratings agency, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has revised downwards the long-term rating for Barbados - the second downgrade in four months.

Late Wednesday, the credit rating agency announced that it had moved the island-nation’s rating from BB+ to BB- in response to a persistent current account deficit and a high fiscal deficit.

“The downgrade reflects the mounting external pressures associated with a persistent current account deficit and external financing challenges, as well

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Latest poll numbers predict overwhelming victory for Gonsalves in the next election

Opposition leader Arnhim Eustace (l) and St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves (r)

The latest opinion polls indicate that ruling Unity Labor Party (ULP) of St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves would win the general election.

However, Gonsalves wants supporters to remember that opinion polls do not win general elections.

Gonsalves, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office at the next general election constitutionally due in

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Acclaimed architect David Adjaye named the Wall Street Journal's Architecture Innovator of the year 2013

Highly acclaimed architect David Adjaye, has been named the Wall Street Journal's Architecture Innovator of the year 2013.

The Tanzanian-born Adjaye who designed the soon to be opened Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture is the founder and CEO of Adjaye Associates and has in the past been hailed as one of Britain's most high-profile architects.

Adjaye Associates has grown into a global design firm that with offices in Berlin, Ghana (his country of

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Jeh Johnson expected to be confirmed by the Senate as the next Secy. of Homeland Security

Jeh Johnson (pictured), the U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee, to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security cleared a key milestone Wednesday after the Senate Homeland Security Committee endorsed him on a voice vote.

Johnson’s nomination now heads for the full Senate. If confirmed, he would fill the vacancy left by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who resigned in July to lead the University of California system.

While Johnson cleared

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Barbados to impose a 15% tax on lottery winnings

The Freundel Stuart administration in Barbados has announced that it will implement a 15 percent tax on lottery winnings over a certain amount, even as it acknowledged that “some changes” had been made to the measure announced in the national budget.

A statement from the island-nation's Ministry of Finance indicated that the new measure would come into effect now that the appropriate legislation has been approved.

It said that when the measure was first announced, “some industry

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South Africa: Search for survivors at collapsed building site ends

Rescue workers sift through the debris of the collapsed building in Tongaat, South Africa. PHOTO/Mario Lungelo via Twitter

(Reuters) - Rescue workers called off the search for survivors at a collapsed South African building site on Wednesday, believing there are no more trapped construction workers beneath the half-built shopping mall.

One person was killed and dozens injured in Tuesday's collapse of the 3-story building in Tongaat, 30 km (20 miles) north of Durban.

"The entire

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Thurgood Marshall College Fund helping students obtain higher education

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) raised over US$3.8 million during its recent annual Leadership Institute and Gala, which was held in Washington, DC for the first-time ever, announced Thurgood Marshall College Fund President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.

The Gala, themed "Developing Minds Delivering Dreams", is the Thurgood Marshall College Fund's signature fundraising event and has been at the core of the organization's mission of helping nearly 300,000 students reach beyond

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Ghana: President Mahama and appointees to take pay cut - to contribute to health service improvements

Ghana President John Mahama. PHOTO/File

Ghanaian President John Mahama and all his political appointees have taken a ten percent pay cut in order to boost a special fund for the construction of Community Health Planning Service compounds.

According to the country's Finance minister Seth Tekper, the Community Health Planning Service compounds are district-based one-stop health facilities for pre-maternal and post-maternal care in the country.

The special funds, Tekper said, will

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South Africa: Mall under construction collapses - unconfirmed number of workers trapped

Paramedics in South Africa say part of a shopping mall under construction has collapsed, trapping up to 50 workers inside.

The South African Press Association (SAPA) reported that the accident happened in Tongaat, near the eastern coastal city of Durban.

SAPA is quoting Chris Botha, a spokesman for emergency responders in the area, as saying an "unconfirmed number" of 50 people are trapped inside.

The agency also quotes a fire department chief, Mark te Water, as saying workmen were

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Barbara Sharief becomes the first African American woman Mayor of Broward County

Incoming Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief. Screen grab/NBC Miami

(CBSMiami) – Broward County has a new Mayor and Vice-Mayor.

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the commission tapped Commissioner Barbara Sharief to be the new mayor.

Sharief, is the first African American woman to be named county mayor. She was elected Vice Mayor last year.

Sharief will succeed Commissioner Kristin Jacobs whose been elected mayor twice by the commission. Prior to her election to the County

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Dominican Republic moves to avert PetroCaribe suspension threat over citizenship row

The Dominican Republic has taken prompt action to avoid a threat of suspension from Venezuela’s PetroCaribe energy program.

St Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves has written to the Venezuelan president asking him to suspend the Dominican Republic from the program.

Gonsalves also advocated that the Dominican Republic be suspended from CARIFORUM, over the September 23 ruling by the country’s constitutional court that strips tens of thousands of Dominicans of

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Nigeria: Dispute over gov't spending delays Goodluck Jonathan budget

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. PHOTO/File

(Reuters) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan will not present the 2014 budget to the federal national assembly as planned on Tuesday because of a disagreement between his team and lawmakers over plans to curb spending.

A letter from Jonathan read out in the assembly by Senate president David Mark said: "It is infeasible for me to present the budget in the absence of a harmonized position," with executive, upper and lower house all

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Monday, November 18, 2013

Nigeria on track to privatizing 4 state run oil refineries in 2014

Kaduna Refinery

(Bloomberg) - Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, plans to begin privatizing its 4 state-owned oil refineries before the end of the first quarter of next year, petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke said.

“We would like to see major infrastructural entities such as refineries moving out of government hands into the private sector,” Alison-Madueke told reporters. “The federal government does not want to be in the business of running major infrastructure

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Haiti: Anti Martelly, corruption protests staged in the capital Port-au-Prince

Thousands of critics of Haiti's President Michel Martelly staged protest marches on Monday, some ripping down billboards of the president and vowing to drive him from power.

Protesters in the capital, Port-au-Prince, called for Martelly's departure from the office he's held since 2011. Demonstrators also tore down posters and billboards bearing Martelly's face.

Martelly, his prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, and the first lady attended a church ceremony in the northern city of

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Magic Johnson dedicates the World AIDS Museum and Educational Center

Earvin 'Magic' Johnson

In anticipation of the opening of the World AIDS Museum and Educational Center early next year, Earvin “Magic” Johnson dedicated the Museum on November 7 to the millions of people who suffered due to HIV/AIDS.

The World AIDS Museum and Educational Center will be the first museum dedicated to the HIV/AIDS epidemic with a mission of enlightening the world to this continuing tragedy while empowering its survivors. Magic Johnson has become one of the most

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Guinea Supreme Court: No sufficient evidence to support election complaints

(Reuters) - Guinea's Supreme Court on Friday rejected all the complaints lodged against the result of the September 28 parliamentary election in which President Alpha Conde's RPG party won the most seats.

The RPG took 53 seats, defeating its rivals but falling short of an absolute majority in the 114-seat parliament.

A few dozen young opposition activists gathered on a main street in the capital Conakry on Saturday to protest against the decision.

Aboubacar Sylla, a spokesman for

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A Glimmer of Hope for Africa

Over the next three weeks, the Editorial Team here at the Habari Network is going to be busier than a hive of bees. Not only are we in the throes of publishing our first hard copy magazine: It will be a full-throated effort to make the case for the ideal commercial relationship between the world's largest economy and what could be the fastest growing region and savior of the global consumer trend.

Simply, the value of gathering some of the most influential thinkers and decision makers to

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Sunday, November 17, 2013

Profile: Herman Russell founder and Chairman of H. J. Russell & Company

Herman Russell (pictured), is the founder and chairman of H. J. Russell & Company - one of the largest minority owned construction and real estate firms in the United States.

Russell founded the company in 1952, and under his stewardship, the company has grown and presently attains revenues of US$300 million annually and a workforce of over 1500 employees and offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee.

According to the company's

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Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce named IAAF Athletes of the Year 2013

Jamaican sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (l) with Usain Bolt IAAF annual athletics awards ceremony November 16 2013. PHOTO/Reuters

Jamaican sprint duo Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have been named as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) male and female World Athletes of the Year for 2013.

The 27-year-old Bolt, who also won the award in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012, successfully defended both his 100 and 200 meters titles at August's world championships

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South Africa: Nelson Mandela remains Ill, cannot speak

Former South African President Nelson Mandela. PHOTO/PETER DEJONG /AP

South Africa's former president, Nelson Mandela, remains "quite ill" and unable to speak because of tubes that are keeping his lungs clear of fluid, though he is relaxed, his former wife told a South African newspaper.

"He remains very sensitive to any germs, so he has to be kept literally sterile. The bedroom there (in his suburban Johannesburg home) is like an ICU ward," Winnie Madikizela-Mandela told the Sunday

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Saturday, November 16, 2013

The Give Love Campaign: A Group Of Young People Respond To The Recent Calamities That Struck The Philippines

On October 15, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Central Philippines, leaving, as of the latest count 222 people dead over 1000 people injured. Three weeks later on November 7th the Category 5 super typhoon named Haiyan slammed into the country’s central region of island provinces, setting off landslides, leaving 1 million homeless and taking the lives of more than 2500 people with estimates of going higher.

In response to these calamities, Pinoy Pride, an Initiative operating under

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Friday, November 15, 2013

RapidSMS - an innovation improving the lives of Africans

RapidSMS data flow. IMAGE/Technology for Humanity

A technological innovation to boost Malawi's food security surveillance 4 years ago has become a secure tool in the area of data transfer around Africa. In Nigeria, the system has had a huge impact on the lives of many.

When in 2009 Christopher Fabian and Erica Kochi, two employees of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), developed RapidSMS, a platform for data gathering and group communication using the short messaging system

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Eye Got You Covered app turning smartphones into mobile personal security service

(PRNewswire) - Eye Got You Covered, Inc. (EGYC) has just released the debut of its eagerly anticipated new high-tech security camera and emergency notification app. The 'Eye Got You Covered' app records video and sends alerts to an emergency contact whenever a smartphone owner encounters a dangerous situation.

Eye Got You Covered features a one-touch recording button that enables users to immediately capture footage during an emergency. As soon as the recording function is activated, Eye

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