Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Commentator and entrepreneur Armstrong Williams to acquire another TV station

Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams a conservative commentator and entrepreneur has revealed that he intends to acquire the WMMP-TV in Charleston, South Carolina through his company, Howard Stirk Holdings from Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

This will bring the number of TV stations that Williams has acquired or in the process of acquired this year to 3.

Earlier this year he finalized the acquisition of WEYI-TV, an NBC affiliate in the Flint/Saginaw/Bay market, Michigan, and the

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Gabon to implement new transparency measures when licensing offshore oil blocks

(Reuters) - Gabon has informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it will hold a licensing round for offshore oil blocks later this year, and that it will bring in new transparency requirements for its natural resources sector.

In a confidential document circulated during a two-day trade policy review that ended on Wednesday, Gabon said it was adopting a new hydrocarbon code which would provide a basis for the new bid round.

Gabon, a former OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum

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More youth in Jamaica turning to entrepreneurship as unemployment lingers - JDBC

Entrepreneurship in Jamaica is on the rise - and this partly fueled by a persistently high unemployment rate - national unemployment currently stands at 14 percent while youth unemployment is at 37 percent.

According to Harold Davis the deputy CEO of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), there has been increased activity in accessing the services provided by the corporation by the country's youth - an indicator many are taking the entrepreneurial route.

The JBDC has

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Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey partnership deal yielding results as OWN begins to make money faster than anticipated

The partnership between Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry has yielded results - only 9 months after it was announced that Perry would start to produces shows exclusively for OWN - Oprah Winfrey's Network.

OWN is making money four years after its debut, as stronger ratings and advertising growth helped turn around the joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. sooner than expected.

The news was a bright spot for Discovery, which jointly owns the two-year old channel. Discovery Chief

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Cheryl Boone Isaacs elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

A veteran publicist is the new president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The organization's board of governors elected Cheryl Boone Isaacs to the position Tuesday evening.

She is the first woman to hold the post in three decades and the first African American president in the academy's history.

Isaacs was elected to a one-year term but is eligible to serve four successive terms. She succeeds Hawk Koch, who served for one year but was

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Zimbabwe Presidential election 2013: Voting underway in Mugabe vs Tsvangirai

A voter casts her vote in the Zimbabwe presidential elections, Wednesday July 31, 2013. PHOTO/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

In an election that poses one of the biggest threats to President Robert Mugabe's grip on power, Zimbabweans flocked to polling stations Wednesday to determine the future course of this country.

Lines of voters snaked around a school in Harare, where polling booths opened just after the scheduled time of 7 a.m. (1 a.m. EDT) Wednesday.

The contest pits the incumbent

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At Last: An AGOA With Teeth

In a thorough first-of-its-kind study, the Brookings Institution made an excellent point: The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of 2000 has always had an excellent opportunity of its own to actually benefit more than the handful of African countries its currently benefitting. To date, the biggest export to the U.S. under AGOA is oil from countries like Nigeria and Angola. South Africa exports Mercedes Benz parts, and of course, joins Lesotho, Kenya and Mauritius in exporting

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Bahamas targets to become Caribbean tourist hub

With several multi-million-dollar investments coming to its islands and a new US$3 billion resort in Nassau opening later this year, the Bahamas is on its way back, Prime Minister Perry Christie said Friday in Miami.

"The Bahamas is a place you can do business in. You can do business effectively and you are able to make a return," said Christie, speaking at the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD) conference at the Biscayne Bay Marriott in

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Alfred Baku becomes Gold Fields Limited Head for West Africa Region

(PR Newswire) - Johannesburg - Gold Fields Limited is pleased to announced the appointment of Alfred Baku (pictured), as Head of its West Africa Region, the largest geographic contributor to the company's production. He will also join the Group Executive Committee. The appointment will take effect on August 1 2013.

Baku, who is currently Vice President of Operations for the West Africa region, is the first Ghanaian to head up the region. He will be based in Accra, Ghana.

Having worked

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U.S. Economy: Obama proposes 'Grand Bargain' for jobs

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

President Barack Obama, seeking to break Washington's fiscal stalemate, is proposing cutting corporate tax rates in exchange for more spending on jobs programs. However, his offer was immediately panned by congressional Republicans, casting doubts about its prospects.

The White House painted the new offer as a way for Washington to create jobs and generate short-term economic growth even as hopes for a grand deficit reduction deal fade. Obama

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Brandon Frame: A young African American seeking to address negative stereotypes about the black man launches TheBlackManCan.org

Brandon Frame (pictured), a young African American man, is concerned about the prevalent and negative images of black men in society.

At only 25 years old Frame launched TheBlackManCan.org, a website that highlights black male role models that are having a positive impact in their communities.

“I’m trying to prove that the black man can, the black man is very diverse. We’re politicians, we’re just everyday men who are raising families and kids,” said Frame. “Just to show

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Mali Presidential elections 2013: Initial results expected Tuesday

The first official results from Mali's elections were expected Tuesday after a strong turnout Sunday for a vote that was the first since a military coup in March 2012 that has left the country leaderless and racked by violence for more than a year.

Full provisional results are not expected until Friday, the country's director-general for territorial administration told state television late on Monday.

Former Malian prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's campaign team said on Monday

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Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to lead team Jamaica in Moscow

Jamaica athletes, Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. PHOTO/Bryan Cummings/Jamaica Observer

(Reuters) - Olympic champions Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce headline a Jamaican world athletics championships squad that will come under intense scrutiny in Moscow following several positive doping tests by some of the country's athletes.

Five athletes, including Olympic gold medallists Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, tested positive for banned substances at the island-nation's

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Jesse L. Brooks becomes Interim CEO of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce

(Black PR Wire) - Miami, Florida - The Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce has announced the appointment of Jesse L. Brooks (pictured), as their Interim CEO, in light of the resignation of William (Bill) Diggs from his position as president and CEO of the Chamber, effective August 16, 2013.

Brooks is a former Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman and an internationally recognized consultant in strategic planning and organizational development.

He will provide oversight for the

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East Africa edges towards monetary union - safeguards in place to avoid Eurozone type of crisis

The five East African Community countries including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are edging closer to establishing a single currency.

The creation of the monetary union is the next step in the integration of the East African Community after the adoption of a common market and a customs union which provides for the free movement of capital and labor.

The monetary union protocol, to be approved in November this year, concludes years of negotiations that often exposed the

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Ecuadorian soccer striker Christian Benitez dies of suspected heart attack

Christian Benitez. PHOTO/AP

Ecuador striker Christian Benitez has died of a suspected heart attack, a day after playing in a match for Qatari club El Jaish, the team said.

The club said the 27-year-old Benitez, who moved from Mexican club America to play in Qatar this year, died Monday but provided no further details.

However, the player's agent Jose Chamorro told Ecuadorian Gama TV that Benitez, known as "Chucho'', had suffered a heart-attack.

He had complained of abdominal

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Longtime Tennessee lawmaker Lois DeBerry dies at 68

Tennessee Rep. Lois DeBerry. PHOTO/AP

Tennessee Rep. Lois DeBerry, one of the longest-serving women lawmakers in the United States and a powerful influence in state politics, died Sunday after a nearly five-year bout with pancreatic cancer. She was 68.

Ms. DeBerry, was surrounded by family and friends when she died at a Memphis hospital, her nephew, Gary DeBerry, told The Associated Press.

First elected in 1972, DeBerry was the longest-serving member of the state House of

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Jamaica confident of economic upturn

Jamaica says it is confident the island-nation will start to see economic growth as it implements the multi-million Economic Reform Program with assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips is urging citizens to support the economic reform program, which aims to reduce the country’s debt, and set a platform for growth.

(More: A Stellar Record of Failure: The IMF and Jamaica)

He told a Manchester Chamber of Commerce Biz Clinic 2013

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Mali Presidential elections 2013: Ibrahim Boubacar Keita takes the lead as vote count continues

Preliminary results collated by journalists in polling stations gave a clear early lead to former premier Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (IBK) in Mali's presidential elections, sparking celebrations among his supporters early Monday.

The unofficial projections, based on the accounts of reporters watching counts across the country, suggest that 69-year-old Keita, could even cause an upset and win the first round outright.

Analysts have characterized the election as a "two horse race", with

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Inspired Initiatives: One Black Man's Desire to Inspire our Youth

Forward By Ryan Elcock



In a world where a black male could be shot for wearing a hoodie and carrying a bag of skittles and a can of red bull, there is one black man striving to impact the youth in our generation. His name is Christopher Duff and I am proud to have him his as a colleague and a friend.

Every July, Christopher holds an event called 'Inspired Initiatives' in Toronto in order to encourage others to achieve their dreams and inspirations. This year, the event was held on

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LeBron James surpasses Kobe Bryant as NBA's most popular player - ESPN poll

LeBron James. PHOTO/Rocky Widner/Getty Images

(Reuters) - Kobe Bryant, take a backseat because LeBron James is once again the most popular NBA (National Basketball Association) player.

According to an ESPN fan poll, James of the Miami Heat, has unseated the Los Angeles Lakers star for the first time in four years.

Nearly 13 percent (12.9) of NBA fans polled, said James was their favorite player this season, while 12.5 percent said Bryant was their

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Stop and Frisk not a deterrent to crime - instead, increases it - Latest Study

Policewoman frisking man. PHOTO/Hill Street Studios

In the latest study of stop and frisk policies, in which law enforcement randomly stop individuals for questioning even if they aren’t engaged in criminal activity, researchers found that those who were stopped were more likely than those who were not to engage in delinquent behavior later on.

The results, published in the journal Crime and Delinquency, are only the latest among a growing body of data suggesting that some juvenile

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Lewis Hamilton wins Hungarian Grand Prix

A jubilant Lewis Hamilton after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix. PHOTO/AFP

Britain's Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday for his first victory of a frustrating season and a record-equaling fourth triumph on the Hungaroring circuit.

Hamilton's first year with Mercedes has been tricky, and he came into the race with low expectations of victory despite securing his fourth pole this season and his third in a row. "This is probably one of the most

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Usain Bolt anchors Jamaican relay team to victory at Diamond League in London

Jamaican super star sprinter Usain Bolt crosses the line to win the men's 400m relay for his team. PHOTO/Matt Dunham/AP

Usain Bolt sprinted to a second Diamond League victory within 24 hours at Olympic Stadium on Saturday, one year after the start of the London Games.

Bolt anchored a Jamaican 4x100 relay team to victory in 37.74 seconds, a day after winning the 100 meters in the stadium where he swept three gold medals last year.

"We haven't run a lot of relays together," Bolt said

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Mali Presidential election 2013: Voters turn out in large numbers - hopeful election will heal nation

A Malian lady casts her vote during Mali's presidential election, July 28, 2013. PHOTO/Joe Penney/Reuters

Voters in Mali turned out in large numbers to vote on Sunday in a presidential election they hope will provide a fresh start for the West African nation after more than a year of turmoil, that included an army coup and an invasion by al-Qaeda linked Islamists.

From the lush, bustling riverside capital, Bamako, to the northern desert town of Timbuktu, voters crammed into schools

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Friday, July 26, 2013

Ghana making changes to investment law to protect local businesses

Law makers in Ghana have revised investment laws to rectify the abuse of sectors reserved for citizens of Ghana by foreign investors, particularly in the retail and trading sectors.

The bill, when given presidential assent, will increase the minimum capital requirement of foreigners to engage in retail trade from US$300,000 to US$1 million in cash or goods in Ghana.

The Ghana Investment promotion Center (GIPC), the body responsible for the encouragement and promotion of investments

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U.S. FATCA law a threat to Caribbean business - Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

The Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) will put pressure on offshore companies seeking to do business in the Caribbean, says Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.

FATCA requires foreign financial institutions (FFIs) to register with US tax authorities and report information on accounts housing the assets of US taxpayers. Failure by a foreign financial institution to sign an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and disclose information would result in a

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Mali presidential election 2013: A profile of the main candidates

(Reuters) - Mali holds a presidential election on Sunday after more than a year of turmoil including a coup and military intervention to free the north from al Qaeda-allied Islamists.

Here are some details on the front runners out of a field of 27 running in the election:

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita





Universally known as IBK, Keita is the political heavyweight in the election race. He has held several portfolios in previous governments and served as prime minister from

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Darren Walker named new president of The Ford Foundation

Darren Walker - Incoming president of the Ford Foundation. PHOTO/Ford Foundation

Darren Walker, who emerged from small-town Texas to an international career in law and finance before becoming a leader in the non-profit and philanthropic worlds, will become the 10th president of the Ford Foundation this September, succeeding Luis A. Ubinas, the foundation's Board of Trustees announced Thursday.

"In Darren Walker we have found a president of powerful and diverse ability, deeply

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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Aliko Dangote: African entrepreneur, capitalist, philanthropist and patriot

Aliko Dangote

African capital markets and investment landscape are quite bullish for investors; greater returns of 30 percent dividends or even more on average investment have been chronicled. With this rosy development, African capital markets have been noticed by many money managers and portfolio strategists around the world.

Investors have become increasingly attracted to Africa as it has begun to demonstrate strong economic growth, an emerging middle class, greater political

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Haiti, Dominican trade dispute: Young Dominican entrepreneurs call for free trade pact

The on-going trade row between Haiti and the Dominican Republic has prompted the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs of the Dominican Republic known as ANJE, to call for a free trade agreement between the two Caribbean nations.

Haiti has imposed a ban on imports of domestic plastic products beginning August 1 this year. Haiti argues that the ban on plastic imports will work towards protecting its environment. Earlier this year, Haiti imposed a ban on Dominican dairy

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For 'Fruitvale Station' Director Ryan Coogler, debut film gathers Oscar buzz - could be the start of greatness

Director Ryan Coogler speaks at the premiere of 'Fruitvale Station' June 17, 2013. PHOTO/Michael Buckner/Getty Images

(Reuters) - Two years out of the University of Southern California's film school, Ryan Coogler is still paying down his debt.

That may not be the case for long. Coogler's first feature film, "Fruitvale Station," goes into wide U.S. release this weekend, having earned universal acclaim from critics, awards at the Sundance and Cannes film festivals and some early Oscar

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West African banks setting up shop in East Africa to service nascent oil and gas sector

Oil rig in Uganda. PHOTO/Tullow Oil

West Africa’s insurance companies and commercial banks are setting up subsidiaries in East Africa to take advantage of the oil and gas financing skills gap following recent discoveries in the region.

Kenya and Uganda are estimated to have recoverable oil reserves of 2.5-billion barrels, but prospectors and geologists believe the amount will increase as the drilling activities continue, especially in the East Africa Rift Valley basin.

Tanzania

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder working to protect voting rights

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. PHOTO/File

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is in Philadelphia to discuss how voting rights could be affected by a recent Supreme Court decision.

Holder is addressing the National Urban League, Thursday. The civil rights group is holding its annual conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Holder has announced that the Justice Department would ask a court to require that the state of Texas get clearance from the Justice Department before

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Usain Bolt confirms participation at Diamond League meet in London

Usain Bolt. PHOTO/Joe Klamar/AFP

Usain Bolt is among 29 London 2012 Olympic Games medallists who have so far been confirmed for the IAAF (International Amateur Athletics Federation) Diamond League meeting in London this weekend.

The IAAF says Bolt will compete in the 100m on Friday evening and in the 4x100m on Saturday afternoon in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The Jamaican sprinter will compete at the IAAF Diamond League in London for the first time since 2009.
"I'm looking

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Togo: Legislative elections likely to break ruling Gnassingbe grip on power

Togo has begun voting in a twice-delayed legislative elections - elections that are likely to significantly loosen the ruling party's grip on power, given the mounting discontent with the West African nation's long-ruling family dynasty.

Eyadema Gnassingbe came to power through a coup and governed Togo from 1967 until his death in 2005, when his son Faure Gnassingbe took over following a hastily arranged election.

Faure Gnassingbe has governed since, but frustration with the

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Magic Johnson charity opens two new schools in Chicago

The Magic Johnson Bridgescape organization is opening two more schools to be located the South Shore and North/South Lawndale neighborhoods of Chicago this fall.

The launching of these two schools will bring the total number Magic Johnson Bridgescape schools to 15 across the United States - with the majority located in the state of Ohio.

Entrepreneur, business man and basketball great and hall of famer, Magic Johnson found the charity to provide a second chance to students who had

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University of the West Indies looking to actively reach out to Africa

Incoming principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, Professor Archibald McDonald, says if the institution is to remain viable, it will have to find new and creative ways to attract not just local students, but students from Africa.

McDonald said the university could not continue to focus on just the Caribbean region to fill the seats in the institution.

"There are wonderful opportunities in Africa. There are opportunities in South Africa and West Africa. But

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EthicsSA launches fact vs feelings survey on perceptions of Africa China growing trade

(PR Republic) - The Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicsSA) has launched a survey to gauge perceptions about Chinese companies doing business across 15 African countries. The Institute's CEO, Deon Rossouw, says the survey aims to provide a factual basis for dialog with the Chinese government and Chinese companies about their involvement in Africa.

“China has become a major investor across Africa and it's clear that there are widespread negative perceptions about its involvement,”

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Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke applauds plan to aid undocumented Caribbean immigrants

Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (pictured), has welcomed a plan by New York City to aid undocumented Caribbean immigrants.

New York City officials say the city will spend US$18 million to help undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants find jobs.

The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project will provide free legal services to immigrants threatened with deportation who are unable to represent themselves in proceedings.

“New York has always been a city of immigrants within a nation of

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Passion Unveiled

By Christopher Duff



There is a world that has been pulled over our eyes. A world that is designed to make us believe that we are drones; mindless, thoughtless creatures of robotic routine.

Wake up, work, come home and sleep. And repeat the same cycle the next day. Nowhere in this cycle are we given an opportunity to be who we were designed to be.

This world suppresses our potential as human beings.

Imagine a bird who was designed to fly but has broken wings. Humans are not

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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

South Sudan president suspends Vice President in massive re-shuffle to combat creeping corruption

South Sudan President Salva Kiir has suspended his entire cabinet and vice president in the largest reshuffle in the history of the two-year-old nation, the former information minister told reporters Tuesday.

"President Kiir wants to make a major reshuffle, so from the vice president downwards, all national ministers and deputy ministers have been removed," said Barnaba Marial Benjamin, who until his suspension Tuesday was the information minister and government spokesman.

Those

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St Kitts & Nevis to extend tax breaks to first time home owners

The St. Kitts & Nevis government says it will extend the tax breaks granted to first time home owners as its seeks to boost growth in the construction sector and stimulate the local economy.

“Over the last two and a half years, government has extended the policy which was originally due to come to an end in April of 2012. Since then, this policy to assist poor and middle class families has been further extended on two occasions and ought to have expired in July 2013,” said

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U.S. Black Engineer magazine recognizes NASA's John Hines

John Hines - Chief technologist and manager of the astrobionics group at NASA Ames Research Center. PHOTO/NASA

Nano satellites opened up space exploration to a wider world.

At NASA, John Hines was founding father of the first of its kind GeneSat-1 satellite spacecraft. The 5 kg (11 pound) GeneSat-1 carried bacteria inside miniature laboratories, and the nano satellite was launched in December 2006 as the payload on Air Force Minotaur 1 rocket which delivered the Air Force TacSat 2

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South Africa: Vehicle sales growth slows to four-year low

Africans at Work. PHOTO/Volkswagen South Africa

(Bloomberg Businessweek)- South African vehicle sales growth will probably ease to the slowest pace since a 2009 recession this year because of a weaker economy, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) said.

Sales will rise 4.5 percent to 652,000 this year, slower than the 9 percent expansion in 2012, before accelerating to 7.6 percent next year, the group said in a report today.

Manufacturers are

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Barbados: Central Bank Governor Delisle Worrell - country in strong position to weather economic storm

Bank of Barbados Governor, Delisle Worrell. PHOTO/FP

The Governor of the Bank of Barbados, Delisle Worrell says self confidence will help the island overcome its economic problems, including the foreign exchange imbalance that has emerged in the last three months.

In a paper released titled: "The Strength of Barbadian Institutions and the Resolve of Barbadians Will See Us Through the Crisis", Worrell also indicated that Barbados has strong institutions for decision making and that

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Mali: Interim President Traore meets with Tuareg separatist groups ahead of Sunday's elections

Mali's interim President Dioncounda Traore has met for the first time with members of two northern Tuareg separatist groups, ahead of the presidential and general elections to be held this coming Sunday.

The elections are meant to unify the West African nation after a March 2012 coup created a vacuum and allowed for al Qaeda-linked Islamist allies to seize the country's desert north.

A military offensive earlier this year routed and scattered the Islamist fighters, African Union

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Dominant Serena Williams wins Swedish Open

A jubilant Serena Williams celebrates with champagne after winning the Swedish Open defeating Johanna Larsson in straight sets July 21, 2013. PHOTO/Torsten Laursen/Getty Images

World number one Serena Williams racked up her 51st win of the year on Sunday when she cruised past home player Johanna Larsson in the Swedish Open final.

Williams showed little mercy as she swept to a 6-4, 6-1 victory to take the 53rd WTA title of her career.

Larsson, 24, ranked 76th in the world, had no

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Monday, July 22, 2013

New Challenges to the AGOA Program

As if the task to generate a more effective African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was not arduous enough, a bill (S. 1331) to extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) was, on July 18, 2013, introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). A day earlier, a similar bipartisan bill, (H.R. 2709), had been introduced Rep. David Camp (R-Mich) and Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich), Chairman and Ranking Member

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Yohan Blake to miss out the rest of the season due to injury

Yohan Blake in action during his 200m semi-final at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium. PHOTO/Ben Curtis/AP

Jamaican sprint superstar Yohan Blake is recovering well but will miss the rest of the track season, his manager Cubie Seegobin has disclosed.

Blake has struggled with a stubborn hamstring injury, which he suffered in April and has since pulled out of next month's IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

Blake who is the 100m world champion, earns about US$150,000 in appearance fees

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Barbara Jacques - founder and CEO of Jacq’s Organics recognized for her business success

Barbara Jacques - founder, CEO and Creative Director, Jacq’s Organics. PHOTO/Barbara Jacques

(Black PR Wire) - Leaders are defined as those who know how to take control, manage tasks, and provide effective guidance and direction.

Barbara Jacques, founder, CEO and creative director of Jacq’s Organics, is the epitome of an outstanding leader. She was recently selected by Legacy Magazine as one of “South Florida’s 40 Under 40 Leaders of Today & Tomorrow for 2013.”

She was

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South Africa: Mandela showing 'sustained improvement'

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

AP - The office of the South African president says Nelson Mandela has made a "sustained improvement" although he remains in a critical condition.

The statement said that President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela in hospital on Monday and told the former president of the love and support of all South Africans that was displayed at the leader's 95th birthday celebrations last week.

Mandela, who was jailed for 27 years

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St. Vincent & the Grenadines opposition leader urges St Kitts & Nevis PM Douglas to debate no confidence motion

Under pressure - St. Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas

St. Vincent & the Grenadines Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace is calling on St. Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas to parliament debate the motion of no confidence in his administration without delay.

“You know, there is a creeping thing which is happening in these island -nations now. You had it in Grenada, you have it in St. Kitts & Nevis now and we have it here too,” Eustace said at a protest meeting

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Profile: Robert F. Smith founder, Chairman and CEO Vista Equity Partners

Robert F. Smith founder, Chairman and CEO Vista Equity Partners

Robert F. Smith is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners - a private equity firm focused on software and technology-enabled businesses.

Smith founded the San Fransisco headquartered company in 2000 and under his stewardship, Vista Equity Partners has grown to hold over US$ 7 billion in committed equity capital. Vista Equity Partners currently manages and controls over 14 software companies with over

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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Caribbean Development Bank approves $65 million to LIAT towards modernization

The Antigua & Barbuda-based regional airline, LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport), Friday said the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank is providing US$65 million in loans to the four shareholder governments of the company.

It said the loan, approved on Thursday, to Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, and Dominica will assist with the purchase of aircraft in the context of a fleet modernization project.

LIAT said that the loan agreements "provide for the

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Kenya on the verge of breaking China's dominance on rare earth metals

Kenya is on the cusp of becoming a direct competitor to China as a major producer of rare earth minerals.

Mineral explorer Cortec has announced that it has discovered rare earth deposits and niobium - used to strengthen steel, worth US$ 100 billion in the country's coastal area.

Rare earth elements are used in the manufacture of high tech electronic products such as specialized miniature nuclear batteries; laser repeaters; super conductors and high power magnets for lightweight

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Obama to re-focus on second term agenda - the economy

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

Drawing renewed attention to the economy, President Barack Obama will return this week to an Illinois college where he once spelled out a vision for an expanded and strengthened middle class as a freshman U.S. senator, long before the Great Recession would test his presidency.

The address Wednesday at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, will be the first in a new series of economic speeches that White House aides say Obama intends to deliver

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Friday, July 19, 2013

isupportjamaica.com - Jamaica's first crowd funding platform launched

Jamaica's first crowd funding platform, isupportjamaica.com has been launched the island-nation's leading microfinance company - the Jamaica National Small Business Loans Limited (JNSBL).

The isupportjamaica crowd funding platform was first unveiled to Jamaicans living overseas, who attended the 2013 Jamaica Diaspora Conference, held mid last month at the Montego Bay Convention Center in St. James, Jamaica.

The platform is a project which seeks to provide an easy and creative way for

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Detroit: City manager Kevyn Orr files bankruptcy on behalf of city in Federal Court

Kevyn Orr. PHOTO/Jones Day/AP

Detroit, once the very symbol of American industrial might, became the biggest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy Thursday, its finances ravaged and its neighborhoods hollowed out by a long, slow decline in population and auto manufacturing.

Kevyn Orr, a bankruptcy expert hired by the state of Michigan in March to stop the city's fiscal free-fall made the filing Thursday in federal bankruptcy court.

Orr had hoped to help Detroit avoid bankruptcy, but

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Nigeria: Phone service restored in Boko Haram disturbed area - a sign of improved security

(Reuters) - Nigeria lifted a mobile phone blackout in the Islamist militant disturbed area of Maiduguri on Friday, saying there were signs of improving security after months of blasts and attacks.

Mobile phone signals were disconnected in the remote northeastern town and surrounding states in May in a bid to disrupt the activities of the Islamist Boko Haram sect, whose activities have killed people and disrupted economic activity in the past three years.

The restoration of phone

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Jamaica: Montego Bay Free Zone records growth - expanding to meet new demands

Aerial view of some buildings within the Montego Bay Free Zone. PHOTO/Montego Bay Free Zone Co. Ltd

Employment at the Montego Bay Free Zone in Jamaica has attained over 20 percent growth - a considerable number in the recently concurred financial year.

In a bid to accommodate this growth, Montego Bay Free Zone Co. Ltd - the company that runs the zone intends to create more facilities for businesses that provide Information Technology and Communication services - a move aligned to the

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U.S. Black Chambers hosting annual School of Chamber Management at Georgetown University In Washington, DC., July 16-19

Press Release



The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) is hosting its annual School of Chamber Management (SCM), July 16 – 19, at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center (3800 Reservoir Road, NW), in Washington, D.C . This year’s event will also mark an important milestone – the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tuesday, July 16, promising joint collaboration between the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), Native American Contractors Association

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Nigeria continues to woo investors in its electricity sector

Power pylons in Nigeria

Nigeria's federal government continues to tout opportunities for private investment in its huge electricity sector.

The federal minister of of State for Power, Ms. Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi reiterated this when she received a delegation from India’s highest power generation company - Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

Ms. Kuchi revealed that there were opportunities in all the three chains of electricity adding that there are even more in the renewable like

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Haiti: Despite mounting evidence UN still not willing to take responsibility for Cholera

The United Nations (UN) has refused, again, to countenance the claims of 5,000 cholera-affected Haitians against it.

The Haitians contend that grossly inadequate sanitation at a UN peacekeeping base introduced and spread the disease through the country’s waterways. The great weight of scientific evidence is on their side. The claimants seek millions of dollars in damages, installation of a sanitation network, and an apology.

UN secretary-general, Ban Ki Moon, reiterated that the

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Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will not run for Presidency in 2016

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts. PHOTO/File

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said Tuesday he won't be a candidate for president in 2016, even as speculation about his political future soared after the chairman of the state Democratic party announced he was stepping down to head up Patrick's political action committee (PAC).

John Walsh was named party head in 2007 after helping Patrick win the governor's office a year earlier. Walsh said Tuesday he will resign this fall to

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South Africa: Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

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

(Reuters) - South Africa and the world showered tributes on Nelson Mandela on Thursday as the anti-apartheid leader turned 95 in hospital and his doctors reported he was "steadily improving" from a six-week lung infection.

The country has been on edge since the former president and father of the multi-racial 'Rainbow Nation' established at the end of apartheid in 1994 was admitted to hospital on June 8 with

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Kenyan company Kipochi integrates M-PESA and Bitcoin - may create huge ripples in African Banking industry

Imagine a situation where your uncle in a remote village in Africa suddenly does not have to travel one day to reach a bank, only to find out that a monetary transfer from the diaspora has not yet arrived. A solution - with the Kipochi application, the remittances into Kenya and by extension Africa has a faster and cheaper way to reach even the most remote areas - villages with no banks or Western Union services in an instant.

Kenyan company Kipochi has launched a solution that allows

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NAACP continues to seek for federal charges in the wake of Trayvon Martin's murderer's acquital

African American leaders at an NAACP Protest Rally for Trayvon Martin held early 2012. PHOTO/File


(Reuters) - The not guilty verdict in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin has reshaped a meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) where delegates are calling for federal charges after a trial they say failed to serve justice.

NAACP members were gathering for the annual convention in Orlando, Florida of the African American organization dedicated

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Antigua & Barbuda moving to consolidate position on trade dispute with the U.S

Antigua & Barbuda on Wednesday said it had established a select committee to oversee the implementation process, as the twin-island nation seeks to suspend certain concessions and other obligations with the United States in their ongoing Internet gaming dispute.

The seven-member “World Trade Organization (WTO) Remedies Implementation Committee” (RIC), chaired by Attorney General Justin Simon, is responsible for directing the island-nation’s plan to build the framework necessary to

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Algeria: 11 injured when magnitude 5.1 earthquake strikes

Reuters) - A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit an area south of the Algerian capital, on Wednesday morning, injuring 11 people and causing minor damage to buildings, the national geophysics center said.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the small town of Hammam Melouane in Blida province, about 40km (25 miles) from Algiers, the centre

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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Bounce TV demonstrates expansion - announces renewal agreements, additional stations for network carriage

Press Release



Bounce TV, America's fast-growing and only broadcast television network for African Americans, has announced a sweeping range of renewals and new launches by major station groups representing coverage in 40 markets.

"It's extremely rare in our business that carriage agreements are renewed and extended this early in a network's life-cycle, but that is the case here and it is a resounding vote of confidence in Bounce TV," commented Bounce TV executive vice president of

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Jamaica: Gov't stands by athletes who tested positive for banned substances

Asafa Powell. PHOTO/Getty Images

The Jamaica government says while it “stands by all our athletes” it adheres to the rules governing anti-doping in sports.

The island-nation's Minister with responsibility for Sports, Natalie Neita Headley said that Jamaica, through its Anti-Doping Agency (JADCO) “has consistently had a rigorous program for in and out of competition testing while providing public education for all who participate or wish to participate in sport, including at the

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Africa to implement home grown solutions to tackling climate change

Effects of climate change in Northern Kenya. PHOTO/Sarah Elliott/EPA

African leaders have been urged to consciously promote indigenous locally developed technology usage in order to adapt to climate change's impact on the continent.

A communiqué issued after a five day international conference in Accra, Ghana says African governments should expand climate negotiating teams to include scientists so as to realize a strong continental position in global negotiations.

"African

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to address NAACP amid probe of Trayvon Martin case

(Bloomberg) - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (pictured), resuming an investigation into the fatal shooting of an African American teenager in Florida, will travel to the state today to speak to the group that’s demanding civil-rights charges in the case.

As he speaks at the NAACP’s (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) annual convention today, the public focus for the country’s first African American attorney general has shifted from the probe to a broader

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Monday, July 15, 2013

First Citizens Bank of Trinidad & Tobago hopes to raise $172 million from IPO

The state-owned bank First Citizens Bank (FCB) has launched its initial public offering (IPO) of more than 48 million ordinary shares on Monday in a move the bank said would be one of the largest single IPO offerings in the history of the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE).

The 48, 495,665 ordinary shares are being sold at TT$22 (US$3.43) each and will be withdrawn from sale on August 9.

First Citizens Bank hopes to raise TT$1.1 billion (US$172 million) which will be used to

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Sanoussi Diakité - the inventor tackling food security in Africa

Sanoussi Diakité (pictured), a Senegalese entrepreneur is tackling food security in West Africa.

Diakité has invented a machine that processes cereal in a fraction of the time it usually takes. Fonio is one of the most nutritious cereals in West Africa and needs little water to yield up to three crops annually.

It is drought resistant, grows nearly anywhere and does not need fertilizer, however, it can take up to two hours to husk just 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) of the cereal by hand,

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Jamaica imposes smoking ban in enclosed public places and some outdoor locations

People caught lighting up in bars, restaurants and other enclosed public spaces now face hefty penalties in Jamaica.

The new law also prohibits smoking in outdoor public spots such as bus stops and open-air sports stadiums.

Health Minister Fenton Ferguson says businesses will have six months to post "no smoking" signs and all tobacco products have to include graphic new warnings about the health effects of lighting up.

Police commanders say they will likely issue warnings to

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Ethiopian Airlines expands - acquires 49% of Malawian Air

Ethiopian Airlines - Africa's fastest growing carriers has has acquired 49 percent equity shares in the new Malawian Air, becoming a major strategic partner of the carrier.

The remaining 51 percent of the shares will be owned by the Malawi government and private investors in a public-private partnership.

Both parties signed a shareholder agreement July 11, 2013, where Cornelius Mwalwanda, the Deputy Minister of Finance of the Government of Malawi represented Malawian interestes and

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Obama second term bogged down with politics, local issues and external conflicts

U.S. President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama has little to show so far for a second term stifled by political inertia at home and foreign crises that have defied American might and influence, and now a country deeply divided along racial lines as evidenced by the not-guilty verdict accorded by a nearly all-white jury to George Zimmerman the murderer of an un-armed African American teenager, Trayvon Martin.

Nearly six months after delivering an inaugural address brimming with

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CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013: Haiti 2 - Trinidad & Tobago 0

Jean Maurice scored twice to lead Haiti to a 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in a group-stage match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup Friday night.

The three points from the win temporarily lifted the Haiti to the top of Group B, though Honduras played El Salvador later Friday.

''Although the country has suffered, Haiti plays soccer with joy,'' Haiti coach Israel Blake Cantero said.

Haiti's speed on both wings resulted in repeated runs on goal in the first of two-matches Friday at Sun

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Human rights activists in Nigeria demand for arrest of Sudan President Omar al-Bashir

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

(AP) - Civil rights activists and human rights lawyers Monday demanded that Nigeria arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and deliver him to the International Criminal Court to stand trial for crimes in Darfur.

Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan was urged "to support the demand by the international community for justice for the victims of genocide and war crimes," by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability

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St. Trayvon Martin

To beatify someone - in the Catholic Church sense - is to recognize that they need to go to heaven so that they can intercede to God on the behalf of those who pray their name. After his interlocutor and executioner was acquitted, Trayvon Martin, the 17 year old black kid from Florida was on the lips of many a black person. That George Zimmerman was acquitted was not a surprise. The case was bungled up from Day 1. And in a classic case of 'Justice Delayed is Justice Denied,' the perversion

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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay test positive for banned substances

Asafa Powell. PHOTO/Getty Images

Asafa Powell, has become the second big name sprinter to test positive for a banned substance on Sunday. Powell has never won an individual Olympic or world gold medal, and now he seems destined to go down as the fastest man never to win a major final.

His fall from grace after a brilliant career enjoyed a three-year spell between June 2005 and May 2008 when he was the 100 m world record holder with times of 9.77 sec and 9.74 sec before the emergence

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South Africa: Nelson Mandela could be released from hospital soon

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

Nelson Mandela may be discharged from hospital soon to recuperate at home, a former president of South Africa said.

The prediction about Mandela leaving the hospital was made by Thabo Mbeki as he gave a memorial lecture for the African National Congress Saturday, reported the South African radio news service Eyewitness News.

Mandela has been hospitalized for more than five weeks for a recurring lung infection,

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Rain interrupts ODI match between the West Indies and Pakistan

Rain has interrupted play in the first one day international (ODI) at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday with Pakistan at 23 for four off 9.1 overs after being put in to bat by the West Indies.

West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat in the first ODI. Bravo, who missed the West Indies final match of the tri nation series last week in Trinidad & Tobago because of suspension, returned to lead a West Indies side seeking its first home ODI series triumph

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Trayvon Martin killer - George Zimmerman acquitted of all charges

Trayvon Martin. PHOTO/Martin Family/AP

A six-woman jury found neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman not guilty of murdering unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, in a racially-charged trial that has transfixed the United States.

Zimmerman has skirted justice with an all-white jury of his peers which consisted of all women. The jury included one young woman, several middle-aged women and several retirees. There were no black jurors present on the panel for concluding the verdict. It

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Saturday, July 13, 2013

The Real Value of Obama's Trip to Africa

OBAMA AFRICA

On his 3-nation, 5-day visit to Africa, U.S. President Barack Obama, undoubtedly, re-energized the U.S. – Africa commercial relationship. Unlike past visits by American leaders, Obama neither dwelled on HIV/AIDS, political instability nor the inadequacy of governance. Instead, trade and investment were front and center; economic challenges were addressed through Power Africa, an initiative that is expected to increase access to low cost energy, and via Trade Africa, an upbeat

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Friday, July 12, 2013

Haiti: Martelly administration working to position country as the next hot tourism destination in the Caribbean

As Haiti rises from the ashes and shakes off its difficult past, the Martelly administration is working to position the country as the next hot destination in the Caribbean.

This is by no means a herculean and ambitious task - health scares, crime, hurricanes and the monster earthquake of January 2010 have badly damaged the tourism that was once a mainstay of the Haitian economy.

The Martelly administration, is pinning its hopes on a surge of private investment in hotels and resorts,

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Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner catches fire at Britain's Heathrow airport

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. IMAGE/Boeing

(Reuters) - A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire at Britain's Heathrow airport on Friday in a fresh blow for the U.S. planemaker which earlier this year was forced to ground the new planes for three months because of overheating batteries.

Ethiopian Airlines said on Friday smoke was detected coming from its aircraft with registration number ET-AOP after it had been parked at Britain's Heathrow airport

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Thursday, July 11, 2013

National Black MBA Association, Inc. announces conference dates Sept. 10 -14. Theme: "Courageous Leadership and Owning Your Own Success"

Press Release

The National Black MBA Association, Inc. announced its 35th Annual Conference and Exposition, September 10 — 14, 2013 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Highly regarded as one of the nation’s largest business and professional conferences and expositions, the annual event matches job seekers with opportunities for some of the country’s leading talent, National Black MBA Association members, and Fortune 500 corporations.

With the theme

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Africa economy growing fastest of all continents - African Dev't Bank

Africa's economy is growing faster than any other continent, according to the African Development Bank.

A new report from the African Development Bank said one-third of Africa's countries have gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates of more than 6 percent.

The continent's middle class is growing rapidly - the share of the population living below the poverty line in Africa has fallen from 51 percent in 2005 to 39 percent in 2012.

Africa's collective gross domestic product (GDP)

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Kim Collins of St Kitts & Nevis wins gold at the 100m in Hungary

Kim Collins at the London 2012 Olympics. PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images

Sprinter Kim Collins of St. Kitts & Nevis raced to a comfortable victory in the 100 meters, at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial meet, in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday.

Collins clocked 9.99 seconds to finish ahead of Jamaicans Kemar Bailey Cole (10.07) and Jacques Harvey (10.18).

In an event dominated by Caribbean athletes, Trinidad & Tobago’s Richard Thompson got home in 10.26 seconds to cop fourth spot.

Meantime,

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Skipper Dwayne Bravo accepts partial responsibility for West Indies loss

Dwayne Bravo of West Indies celebrates taking the wicket of Roa Iftikhar Anjum of Pakistan. March 13, 2007 in Kingston, Jamaica. PHOTO/Paul Gilham/Getty Images

West Indies One Day International (ODI) captain Dwayne Bravo has taken partial responsibility for the loss that eventually led to the Caribbean side being knocked out of the Celkon Mobile Cup Tri Series.

The West Indies were on the brink of securing a place in the final after successive wins over Sri Lanka and India on the

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Southern Africa elects retired presidents Chissano and Mbeki to mediate in Malawi Tanzania border dispute

Officials in Malawi and Tanzania have gone on the record and vowed to resolve their border dispute diplomatically.

The dispute involves the owner ship of Lake Malawi which straddles both countries and the rights of both nations regarding the resources available in the lake.

Malawi announced late last year that it had began oil exploration on the lake - however, Tanzania has revealed that the exploration extends into its half of the lake, and wants the exploration halted until

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Cory Booker poll numbers indicate that he will win Senate seat

Newark Mayor Cory Booker. PHOTO/File

Cory Booker raised US$4.6 million for his U.S. Senate campaign in the past three months—a significant showing of financial strength with the Democratic special election primary just over a month away.

The Newark, N.J., mayor ended June with US$4.5 million in the bank, according to his campaign, giving him a significant amount of cash to spend as he competes in a crowded Democratic primary to replace the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died last

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LIME rolls out 4G HSPA+ network in St. Lucia

LIME (Landline Internet Mobile and Entertainment), the Caribbean business of Cable & Wireless Communications, has launched 4G HSPA+ mobile data services in St. Lucia.

LIME rolled out its HSPA+ mobile data network ahead of its planned commercial launch to enable customers to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Chantal which passed the island on 9 July. Users were able to access instant messaging, storm tracking apps and global positioning satellite services.

LIME had previously

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Didier Drogba foundation to invest $3.8 million in Ivory Coast hospitals

Didier Drogba formerly of Chelsea holds the UEFA Champions League trophy after his team’s final soccer match against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in Munich, May 19, 2012. PHOTO/Dylan Martinez/Reuters

A foundation founded by Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast soccer player, will invest US$3.8 million building hospitals in the west African nation.

The project, the foundation’s biggest since it started in 2007, will lead the construction of at least five health centers for women

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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Tropical storm Chantal passes Dominican Republic, skirts Haiti

Progression of Tropical Storm Chantal. IMAGE/Reuters

Tropical Storm Chantal skirted the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Wednesday, losing force but still posing a flood threat to some of the region's most vulnerable people.

The storm was no longer expected to make landfall on the island of Hispaniola shared by the two nations and Dominican officials suspended a tropical storm warning for that country. But forecasters said Chantal could still bring heavy rain to

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Dangote looking to Invest $15 Billion In Africa By 2018

Aliko Dangote

Aliko Dangote is on track to spend up to $15 billion pursuing investment opportunities on the African continent in the next 4-5 years.

Dangote made the pledge while speaking at the sidelines of the town hall meeting hosted by US President, Barack Obama at the University of Johannesburg, on June 30. According to Dangote, there is no better time to invest in Africa than now. It should be noted that Dangote, recently spoke to a group of entrepreneurs on the advantages of

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Loan changes may impact African American students negatively - Congressional Black Caucus

African American lawmakers on Tuesday urged U.S. President Barack Obama to do something about changes to a college loan program that they say make it tougher for students at historically black schools (HBCUs) to finance their education.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with the president and later said the PLUS loan was the first topic they discussed. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, the chair of the black caucus, said Obama assured them that he would address their concerns for

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South Africa: Mandela 'responding to treatment'

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

(Reuters) - Former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela is responding to treatment but remains in a critical but stable condition after more than a month in hospital, the office of President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday.

"We are encouraged that Madiba is responding to treatment and urge the public to continue providing support and showering him with love, which gives him and the family

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Latest figures reveal that Barbados economy contracted in first half of 2013

The economy of Barbados contracted during the first six months of the year with the main foreign exchange sectors also suffering a decline, according to the latest figures released by the country's central bank - the Bank of Barbados, on Tuesday.

The Bank of Barbados said that the local economy grew by just 0.6 percent and among the priorities for the future will be to reduce spending "in the economy so as to balance the inflows and outflows of foreign exchange and also to revive

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Africa's largest gas power plant, supplied by Wärtsilä, to be inaugurated today

Sasol Gas Engine Power Plant located in Sasolburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

Press release, 10 July 2013 at 9 am EET

The largest power plant running exclusively on gas engines on the African continent, and the first of its kind ever in the Republic of South Africa, is to be inaugurated today. The complete turnkey project package at a demanding altitude of 1,500 metres was supplied by Wärtsilä on a fast-track basis with performance guarantees.

Today, the inauguration of the Sasol

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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Tope Folarin is named 2013 winner of the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing

Author Tope Folarin (pictured), has been named as the winner of the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing for his "utterly compelling" short story Miracle.

Miracle is a tale of faith and deceit in an evangelical Nigerian church in Texas where the congregation has gathered to witness the healing powers of a blind pastor-prophet.

"The story is situated in the Nigerian diaspora, and that heightens what is going on for the people in the church. It begins with 'we' and then moves to the 'I'

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The Bahamas to introduce HPV vaccine into public healthcare system

The Bahamas government says it plans to introduce the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine into the public healthcare system for females who are most at risk for cervical cancer.

Health Minister Dr Perry M. Gomez said discussions are taking place with the American pharmaceutical company Merck.

Public Health officials say the introduction of the vaccine into the public healthcare system will be a “major triumph” as the vaccine is currently only available within the private

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Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council to host business opportunity conference August 12-14

(PRNewswire-USNewswire) - Charlotte, N.C - Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council's annual Business Opportunity Conference (BOC) offers a unique platform to get ahead and lead the race in aligning businesses with proven Best Practices that support supplier diversity through building relationships and increasing economic sustainability.

This year, more than 500 minority business owners, corporate executives and procurement professionals from the world's largest purchasing

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South Africa: Industrial action called off by mineworkers at Amplats mines

Thousands of mineworkers at the world’s top platinum producer Anglo American Platinum in South Africa have returned to work after a brief wildcat strike, the company said Tuesday.

Some 5,600 mineworkers began industrial action started downing tools on Sunday night over the suspension of 19 union leaders at Anglo American Platinum operations in the Rustenburg mining belt in North West province.

“All of our workers have returned back to work and the situation is normal,” said

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Obama, Congressional Black Caucus to meet to discuss economy, voting rights, immigration

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at a previous engagement hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. PHOTO/File

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Tuesday with black members of Congress about the economy and other issues.

The White House says Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus will discuss economic issues, immigration, implementation of Obama's health care law and voting rights.

It's the first meeting between Obama and the caucus since the Supreme Court last

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Caribbean region braces for Tropical storm Chantal

Tropical storm Chantal - projected path. IMAGE/U.S. National Hurricane Center

Tropical Storm Chantal churned across the Atlantic on a course toward the Lesser Antilles, including the islands of Martinique and Saint Lucia.

The storm was 72 kilometers (45 miles) north-northwest of Barbados with top winds of 80 kmh (50 mph), moving west-northwest at 42kph (26 mph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory before 8 a.m. EDT.

Chantal is forecast to move through the Lesser

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South Africa: Update - Mandela very much alive grandson says

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

A grandson of Nelson Mandela said Tuesday the ailing former president is very much alive, while the South African government announced he remains in a critical but stable condition.

Ndaba Mandela, whose father Magkatho was Mandela's second son with first wife Evelyn Mase, urged well-wishers to celebrate the life of the anti-apartheid leader ahead of his 95th birthday.

Mandela became South Africa's first

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Monday, July 8, 2013

The age of aid is ending – it is now time for the private sector to lead

By Tony Elumelu



Last week was the first time, in my memory, that a US president came to Africa with investment at the top of his agenda and prioritized meeting with the continent’s business leaders, who are the true drivers of development. President Barack Obama should be congratulated for his vision, and for providing the clearest proof yet that the rules of engagement with Africa are genuinely changing.

The age of aid is ending. The type of aid that will help Africa most, and

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CARICOM to launch on-line climate risk assessment tool

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Center will launch a seminal on-line support tool in St. Lucia on Friday July 12 2013 in keeping with the thrust to promote a culture of risk management across the region.

The new initiative, will promote climate smart development by helping to embed a risk management ethic in decision-making processes across the region.

The development of the risk assessment tool is an extremely important asset in assessing the risk from the impacts of climate

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Act-1 Group founder, Janice Bryant Howroyd is selected as Regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

(PRNewswire) - Torrance, California - The Act-1 Group, Inc., a global leader in the human resources industry, is proud to announce that the company's Chairman, founder and CEO Janice Bryant Howroyd (pictured), has been selected as a regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 award winner.

This prestigious award recognizes outstanding high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal

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South Africa: Industrial action returns to plague industry as mineworkers at Amplats down tools

Some 5,600 mineworkers at the world’s top platinum producer Anglo American Platinum downed tools overnight at the firm’s South African operations, demanding the reinstatement of suspended union leaders, the company said Monday.

Workers at the volatile Rustenburg mining belt in the North West province want the company to reverse the suspension of 19 shop stewards belonging to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), who took part in an illegal sit-in last

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Obama to outline second-term tech plan for 'smarter' government

U.S. President Barack Obama. PHOTO/File

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama will describe on Monday his second-term plan for "smarter government" by using technology and data to deliver services faster and save taxpayers money, the White House said.

Obama will meet privately with his cabinet on Monday morning about the plan and then make public remarks at 11:50 a.m.EDT.

The White House said the plan would build on progress made so far in opening up government data to entrepreneurs

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Sunday, July 7, 2013

St Vincent & the Grenadines report decrease in the number HIV/AIDS cases due to proactive programs

Since the implementation of a comprehensive prevention program in 2004 by health officials in St Vincent & the Grenadines have reported a decrease in the number HIV/AIDS cases.

A recent report, revealed that between 2004 and 2010, the annual number of new HIV-positive cases in St. Vincent & the Grenadines declined by 41 percent, from a baseline of 108 to 64.

During the same period, the annual number of new AIDS cases declined by 38 percent, from 40 cases to 25.

Following the

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Zimbabwe: Political rhetoric heats up as July 31 general election approaches

(AFP) - Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Sunday he was launching his election campaign despite worries that the poll is taking place before all democratic reforms can be

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Friday, July 5, 2013

Business As Usual

By Christopher Duff



A lot of people do not realize that the entire landscape of the business world is shifting.

Most of us only hear about breakthroughs in physical science, but there are some incredible things being discovered in the realm of social science. There is a new movement of businesses that intrinsically motivates their employees rather than extrinsically motivating them only with a paycheck or bonus.

Before there were two types of businesses: the "for profit and not for

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U.S. Rep James Clyburn tasked to lead House efforts to Revise Voting Rights Act

U.S. Rep James Clyburn. PHOTO/File

Congressman James Clyburn (Democrat - South Carolina), has been tasked by House Democrats in the U.S. Congress to lead efforts to revise the Voting Rights Act following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate Section 4 of the same Voting Rights Act.

“I tasked Jim Clyburn of South Carolina to take the lead on this issue to bring together in a bipartisan way the ideas that could meet the criteria, or be a set of criteria that could meet the

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St Kitts & Nevis: Another no confidence motion filed against the Douglas administration

St. Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas

The Opposition in St. Kitts & Nevis has withdrawn a court challenge to the delay in the tabling of the Motion of No Confidence vote in the Douglas administration, and the People's Action Movement (PAM) party leader Shawn Richards has announced that he filed a second Motion of No Confidence in the government on Wednesday.

Six of the eleven elected Members of Parliament eligible to vote on the Motion had filed a case with the Court arguing

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African Union suspends Egypt after Mursi ouster

The African Union suspended Egypt from the continental body on Friday after the ousting of president Mohammed Mursi, in line with its strict rules against unconstitutional changes of government.

The African Union's Peace and Security "council decided to suspend the participation of Egypt in African Union activities until the restitution of constitutional order", said an official statement.

The pan-African bloc met on Friday at AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital to discuss the

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Thursday, July 4, 2013

Arnold W. Donald becomes CEO of troubled Carnival Corp.

Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise company, last week announced that Arnold W. Donald (pictured), will become the company's new Chief Executive Officer.

Donald replaces Micky Arison, the son of company founder Ted Arison.

The news came on the same day that Carnival Corp., announced second quarter profits of US$41 million, due largely to lower fuel and administrative costs. However, despite deep discounting, passenger traffic remains low, particularly on the flagship Carnival

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Akinwumi Adesina, the man behind the reviving and mordernizing of Nigeria's agriculture and breaking the "oil curse"

Akinwumi Adesina - Nigeria's minister for Agriculture. PHOTO/Getty Images

When President Goodluck Jonathan was elected two years ago, he pledged reforms that would transform the lives of tens of millions of farmers who make a meager living despite occupying some of Africa's most fertile land.

Oil remains the main source of foreign currency and state revenues, but agriculture is by far the biggest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP), making up 40 percent of Africa's second

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Reducing fiscal deficit major challenge facing Barbados economy - Prime Minister Stuart

Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

The major challenge facing the Barbados economy is to reduce the fiscal deficit in order to determine a policy that finds the right balance between fiscal consolidation and economic expansion.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, last week, told a one-day National Consultation on the Economy that Barbados is experiencing its most severe economic challenges since World War II and that it had managed to stave off the worst effects of the economic and

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Tiger Woods World Challenge tournament scheduled for Dec.5-8

Tiger Woods with the Players Championship Trophy, May 12 2013. PHOTO/Getty Images

The World Challenge that Tiger Woods has hosted every holiday season since 1999 means so much to him that he spent what was believed to be about US$4 million of his own money to help cover operating costs in a year it did not have a full title sponsor.

The future of the event is no longer in doubt. The World Challenge is back on the schedule this year.

''There wasn't a doubt whether we could stage it.

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Jamaica Stock Exchange launches short IPO

The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) is looking to raise J$107.8 million (US$1,070,001.24) to retire debt and offer new services, according to its prospectus for an initial public offering (IPO) of its ordinary shares

The public would own over 19 percent of the company in a fully subscribed offer, translating to 27.4 million public shares at J$2.85 (US$0.028) per unit.

Additionally 3.8 million staff reserved shares are on offer at J$2.55 (US$0.025), while a final tranche of 7.01 million

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Egypt: Chief Justice Adly Mansour sworn in as interim president

Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour speaks after being sworn in at the constitutional court in Cairo, Thursday, July 4, 2013. IMAGE/Egypt State Television

Egypt's chief justice Adly Mansour was sworn in as the country's interim president on Thursday, a day after the military intervened and ousted Mohamed Mursi following days of massive protests.

"I swear to preserve the system of the republic, and respect the constitution and law, and guard the people's interests," Mansour said

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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Trinidad & Tobago assumes chairmanship of CARICOM

The oil-rich twin-island nation of Trinidad & Tobago has assumed the chairmanship of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) from Haiti, following the expiration of the latter’s six-month rotating term.

Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is now the Chairperson of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, and will be presiding over the 34th meeting of Heads of Government which commences on Wednesday July 3 in Port of Spain.

CARICOM heads of government including

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Egypt: Military intervenes, removes President Mursi - calls early vote

Immediate past Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi

Egypt’s military has ousted the country’s Islamist president, replacing him with the chief justice of the Supreme constitutional Court, calling for early presidential election and suspending the Islamist-backed constitution.

Army chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, said a government of technocrats will be appointed to run the country during a transition period he did not specify.

An

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Syngenta gets foot into Africa - acquires seed companies in Zambia

(PRNewswire) - Syngenta announced today that it will acquire MRI Seed Zambia Ltd and MRI Agro Ltd ("MRI"), a leading developer, producer and distributor of white corn seed in Zambia. The white corn market has high growth potential and the crop is critical to Africa's future food security.

Syngenta Chief Operating Officer, John Atkin, said: "This acquisition reflects our commitment to sustainable development in Africa, which is clearly emerging as the continent with the greatest growth

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George Keith Martin becomes the first African American rector of the University of Virginia

George Keith Martin. PHOTO/University of Virginia

The University of Virginia (U.Va) has named its first African American rector.

George Keith Martin, an alumnus of the university, and Richmond attorney began his two-year term earlier this week.

He succeeds Helen E. Dragas, who concludes her term as rector having served as the first woman in that role in U.Va. history.

“This University has important work ahead, including the implementation of a new strategic plan, a new

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LIAT implements security surcharge - increases costs of tickets

Regional airline, LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport), which is in the process of acquiring a fleet of new aircraft, Wednesday said it was increasing the cost of its tickets to include a security surcharge.

According to a press release, LIAT has implemented a security surcharge on tickets in response to rising security demands and spiraling security costs.

The new security surcharge of US$1.25 per one way trip applies to all passengers, including children and infants, on all LIAT

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Kenya strikes more oil

A worker at the Petroleum Refinery plant in Mombasa, Kenya. PHOTO/Daily Nation

Africa-focused oil company Tullow Oil has made a new oil discovery in Kenya's Lokichar basin in the Rift Valley and doubled oil production estimates for two other prospects.

Tullow Oil hailed a very successful first half 2013 exploration program in Kenya on Wednesday, reporting strong flow rates, and also announced confirmation of a new oil discovery. The is a very real possibility that the estimated 250

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Anthony Foxx sworn in as US Transportation Secretary

Then mayor of Charlotte NC., Anthony Foxx, addresses the Democratic National Convention, Sept. 4, 2012. PHOTO/J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The Transportation Department says former Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx has been sworn in as President Barack Obama's new transportation secretary.

Foxx was sworn in during a private ceremony with his wife and two children Tuesday at the department's headquarters. The department says he's spending his first day focusing on transportation safety and

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Usain Bolt: Planning on dominating the field in 2016 Rio Games

Usain Bolt. PHOTO/Joe Klamar/AFP

Paris - Older and wiser, Usain Bolt is out to dominate his rivals on the track at least until the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The six-time Olympic champion, who is competing at the Areva meeting in Paris on Saturday, looks to be back in shape after his form and motivation were questioned following a defeat by American sprinter Justin Gatlin at the Golden Gala on June 6.

Bolt has recovered since then by winning the 200 meters at the Bislett

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Guinea: Legislative elections to be held Sept. 29

Guinea's opposition and ruling parties reached an agreement to hold the country's long-delayed legislative elections in September, the opposition said Wednesday.

Aboubacar Sylla, a spokesman for a coalition of opposition parties, said the opposition had agreed to several issues that had earlier been sticking points, including the use of a South African-based vendor - Waymark, to create the voter IDs.

Earlier the opposition had claimed that the vendor was in cahoots with the ruling

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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Archibald McDonald confirmed as the new Principal of University of the West Indies (Mona Campus)

Archibald McDonald

The University of the West Indies (UWI) has announced that Professor Archibald McDonald has been selected to succeed Professor Gordon Shirley as Principal of the UWI, Mona Campus.

McDonald will assume the Office of the Principal on September 1 this year. He has been the Deputy Principal of the same campus for the past year.

Prof. McDonald is a surgeon and has practiced in Trauma and Emergency Medicine, and is the Chair of the Jamaican Research and Education

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Black Girls Code strong contender to win Microsoft Azure Developers Competition

Breanna Collins was one of 14 girls who built a video game at the Black Girls Code session in the fall of 2011. PHOTO/Black Girls Code

Black Girls Code, a San Francisco-based startup that aims to redress the on-going lack of participation of minority women in tech careers, is in the running to win a US$50,000 grant from Microsoft’s Azure developer community.

Black Girls Code is currently in the lead of the international public vote competition, with technology education nonprofits

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Nigeria's Mo Abudu launches Africa-wide entertainment Television network

Mo Abudu. PHOTO/File

A woman who could be considered Africa's Oprah Winfrey is launching an entertainment network that will be beamed into nearly every country on the continent with programs showcasing its burgeoning middle class.

Mosunmola "Mo" Abudu wants EbonyLife TV to inspire Africans and the rest of the world, and change how viewers perceive the continent. The network's programming tackles women's daily life subjects - everything from sex tips to skin bleaching.

"Not every

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South Africa: Mandela and De Klerk, 2 past presidents suffering medically

FW de Klerk welcomes Nelson Mandela to his 70th birthday celebrations, March 18 2006. PHOTO/Mike Hutchings/ Reuters

Two former South African presidents bound together in the country's struggle to exit apartheid are both suffering ill health.

Nelson Mandela on Tuesday spent his 25th day in the hospital, while officials announced that that F.W. de Klerk will be fitted with a pacemaker. De Klerk is the last leader of South Africa's apartheid era. He and Mandela shared the 1993 Nobel

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Haiti: Genomes of cholera bacteria confirm epidemic originated from single source - UN peace keepers

The strain of cholera that has sickened thousands in Haiti came from a single source and was not repeatedly introduced to the island-nation over the past three years as some have thought, according to a new study published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

The results of this latest study are consistent with earlier findings that indicate Vibrio cholerae bacteria were introduced to Haiti by United nations soldiers between July and October

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Pan African bank, Ecobank, seeking to hire Investment Bank head to tap into massive growth

(Bloomberg) - Ecobank Transnational Inc. is seeking a new investment banking chief as Africa’s most geographically diverse lender hires people across the continent to tap growth.

Ecobank’s corporate and investment bank arm has almost 600 staff in 33 African countries plus Paris and London, Albert Essien, the Lome, Togo-based bank’s deputy group chief executive officer, said in a June 28 interview in Johannesburg.

“We’ve been building the team and we’re now a commercial

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William H. Gray III, a pioneering African American congressman dies at 71

Former U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III. PHOTO/AP

Former U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III, who rose to influential positions in Congress and was the first African American to become majority whip, died Monday at 71.

Gray passed away suddenly Monday while in London with one of his sons to attend the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Gray graduated from Franklin & Marshall College and Drew Theological Seminary in Jersey City, New Jersey, before being elected

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Monday, July 1, 2013

Paradigm shift empasizing trade instead of aid - as Obama proposes a new approach to US - Africa relations.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete stand for the national anthem at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 1, 2013. PHOTO/AP

Basking in an exuberant welcome from streets teeming with well-wishers, U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday declared a new era in U.S. relations with Africa based on partnership as opposed to charitable aid.

Obama's visit to Tanzania, the last stop on a weeklong tour of the continent, offers him a unique opportunity to

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Tri-Nation ODI series: West Indies defeat India by one wicket

Shikhar Dhawan of India (l) with Kieron Pollard of the West Indies during the Tri-Nation series ODI match between India and the West Indies, June 30 2013. PHOTO/Reuters

Opener Johnson Charles slammed 97 but it was left to West Indies last wicket pair of fast-bowlers Kemar Roach and Tino Best to scramble a thrilling one-wicket victory over India in the second game of the Tri-Nation one day international (ODI) series at Sabina Park on Sunday.

Chasing 230 off 50 overs, after India posted

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Ethiopian Airlines report record profit despite difficulties with the 787 Dreamliner

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. IMAGE/Boeing

The chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines says that his company has pocketed a record profit despite the temporary grounding of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters Monday that his company is expecting a record profit with 20 to 25 percent growth in revenue and number of passengers.

He said Ethiopian Airlines would have been even more profitable, if it had not been for the grounding of its four

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