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CONAKRY, Guinea (Codewit) — Health officials say a meningitis outbreak has killed at least 40 people in the West African nation of Guinea.
Conde Lansine, a doctor in the eastern city of Siguiri, said Tuesday it is feared that far more people are dying in remote villages and are not included in that toll.
Siguiri, near the country's border with Mali, has been the hardest-hit community, and Lansine said it was believed that hundreds may have died since January.
Eastern Guinea is hit annually with meningitis cases, though doctors say this year has been much deadlier.
Meningitis is an infection of the lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Even when the disease is caught early and treatment is started, up to 10 percent of patients die within two days.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The author of a new report says South Africa is fighting a losing battle against corruption, with graft costing taxpayers nearly 1 billion rand ($111 million) last year.
Lawyer Peter Allwright of law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs says although 88 percent of people tried for financial misconduct are found guilty only 19 percent are dismissed. He says most get off with a written warning and remain in government service and continue stealing.
Allwright says his report, based on figures from the Public Service Commission, covers only national and provincial governments, indicating the amount of money going missing from public coffers is more than that being reported.
He tells the AP that corruption "is rampant, it is out of control" and units fighting it "are essentially losing the battle."
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina will stand for re-election in July, despite earlier assurances that he would not run to help return stability to the Indian Ocean island nation.
A showdown looms between Rajoelina and the wife of former president Marc Ravalomanana who are among the 41 presidential candidates who were approved by the Special Elections Court on Friday. Former President Didier Ratsiraka and two former prime ministers are among other candidates approved.
Rajoelina defended his decision to run for re-election, although regional leaders have urged him and Ravalomanana not to stand for election. Rajoelina said he decided to run because the candidacy of Ravalomanana's wife, Lalao, is the same as Ravalomanana running himself. The island of 20 million people has been in political turmoil since Rajoelina seized power in 2009.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
NAIROBI (Codewit) – Kenyan PresidentUhuru Kenyatta, who faces charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, is expected to visit London at Britain's invitation next week for a conference on Somalia.
It will be his first trip to a Western capital since his election in March. Britain and other countries said before his victory that, if he won, they would only have "essential contacts" with him because of the court case.
"Kenya is a vital partner on Somalia and we judge our contact according to the issue concerned," a spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said.
Kenya was playing a crucial role in stabilizing neighboring Somalia and housing refugees, he added.
A source close to the Kenyan presidency and a diplomat both said Kenyatta was likely to travel to the meeting, which aims to build international support for Somalia, where Kenyan troops have battled Islamist militants.
The move reflected the West's desire to keep Kenya as a stable ally at the expense of other principles, Kenyan rights activist GeorgeMorara said.
"It is a U-turn in the UK and the Western world's approach to the whole issue of impunity," Morara said.
The March election passed off peacefully, a relief to many Kenyans after ethnic violence erupted following the vote five years ago. The charges against Kenyatta's in The Hague relate to allegations he had a role in orchestrating bloodshed last time.
Western states view Kenya as an ally in their battle against Islamist militancy in the region and it has sent about 5,000 troops to Somalia as part of an African force that has driven back al Shabaab Islamist fighters.
The British spokesman said the decision to invite Kenyatta was taken in part because the president had committed to cooperating with the court in The Hague.
Britain's high commissioner (ambassador) to Kenya, Christian Turner, whose remarks about essential contacts had angered Kenyatta's backers in the former British colony, offered the invitation during a meeting with him on Wednesday.
After the election result, Western diplomats had privately indicated that they would take a pragmatic or "flexible" approach in assessing the level of contacts with Kenyatta, 51.
As well as concerns about alienating an ally, Western powers are wary of jeopardizing trade ties with east Africa's biggest economy and worry the diplomatic wrangle could open the way for China and other Asian states to extend their influence.
(Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
April 29, 2013, ISTANBUL – The Oil & Gas Year, in partnership with the Kurdistan Regional Government, Ministry of Natural Resources and sponsored by Genel Energy, WesternZagros and Talisman Energy, conducted its third strategic roundtable for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in Istanbul on April 26, 2013. The event was held under the patronage of Dr. Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Natural Resources of the Kurdistanof the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Entitled “On the Line: Kurdistan’s path from exploration frontier to production hub,” the event brought together executives from leading exploration and production companies and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Government to discuss the state of exploration, development and monetisation of the region’s hydrocarbons resources. The Oil & Gas Year CEO Guillaume Doane and Managing Editor Simon Johns moderated the roundtable.
The first two sessions were titled “On target” and “On the field” and brought together Dr. Ashti Hawrami, minister of natural resources; Donnie MacDonald, president and country manager for Iraq at Chevron; Leo Koot, managing director at The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company; Ervin Kroell, senior vice-president, Middle East and Caspian at OMV; and Richard Herbert, executive vice-president, exploration and development at Talisman Energy to discuss the Kurdistan Region’s unique exploration challenges, including the required infrastructure and oilfield services developments for the region to reach oil output targets.
Sessions three and four, “On the money” and “On the border,” brought together Dr. Ashti Hawrami; Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, chairman of DNO; Mehmet Sepil, president of Genel Energy; Osman Shahenshah, CEO of Afren; Todd Kozel, chairman and CEO of Gulf Keystone; and Baz Karim, chairman of KAR Group to discuss the state of regional investment, geopolitical tensions and regional options for the monetisation of the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas resources. Discussing the issue of export pipelines for the region’s oil production, Minister Hawrami said, “The exports are already on the go, and we’re talking about minimising costs by building pipelines.”
“For anyone interested in investing in Kurdistan oil and gas, this was a premier opportunity to learn from the region’s biggest experts and network with top-level contacts,” said The Oil & Gas Year CEO Guillaume Doane. “By combiningdiscussion panels with live voting sessions, we were able to get on the money, up to the minute assessments of what’s happening in the region.”
Thestrategic roundtable will be published in The Oil & Gas Year Kurdistan Region of Iraq 2013, which is due to be launched in May 2013 at a gala event in Erbil.
The Oil & Gas Year is the flagship title of Wildcat International, publisher of business intelligence resources. The Oil & Gas Year is a series of executive books focussed on individual hydrocarbons territories. The reports are both valuable resources and critical business tools for energy investors, highlighting and promoting key actors and opportunities. The Oil & Gas Year distributes to more than 44,000 readers in 100 countries worldwide.
Contact: Eda Nuho?lu, The Oil & Gas Year, +90 212 251 0640,
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
I saw this picture and all I could think of was, what the hell happened? I wonder how this guy will explain this look to his kids a few years from now…
OK I saw the pics on BBM and the title was "why you shouldn't drink a day before your wedding", but is this about drinking or was he beaten up by a girl he jilted? or was it an unforeseen occurrence?
Guess we will never know…I wish them a Happy Married Life, May God keep you both trouble free.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
At least 20 people were killed and more than 480 houses burnt in Central African Republic’s central north in an attack by militants of Seleka, which seized power on March 24.
Speaking to Ndekeluka, an independent radio in Bangui, the source said the incident happened between Sunday night and Monday morning in the region of Nana-Gribizi, describing the raid as a “punitive operation’’ by elements of the ex-rebel coalition, which toppled Francois Bozize’s regime last month.
Central African Republic’s Communication Minister Christophe Gazam Betty denied that the killing could have been carried out by Seleka members.
He, however, admitted that a few days ago, some houses were burnt in Kaga-Bandoro village.
Although Seleka has put the country under an 18-month transition pending an election, its fighters are linked by many
to insecurity and chaos reported since its takeover, which is still considered a coup by African countries.
Betty acknowledged that it was possible that the members of Seleka, who pushed their leader Michel Djotodia to power, were involved in numerous cases of looting and killing across the country.
He said the authorities have plans to start placing the fighters in camps for control of weapons.
On two occasions last week, clashes between Seleka fighters and militia close to the former regime left at least 20 people dead in Bangui.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Tariff hike of only 1% increases mining costs to R100 million per year, says industry expert – African Utility Week to give practical solutions to solve power challenges facing big business
An electricity tariff rise of only 1% has a devastating impact on the mining industry as it amounts to an increased expenditure of R100 million per year according to the South African Chamber of Mines. It therefore really hurts that since 1 April this year, large power consumers have had to fork out an average monthly 9,6% tariff increase. Energy challenges facing big business is high on the agenda at this year’s African Utility Week which takes place in Cape Town from 14 to 15 May.
African Utility Week According to Nicolette Pombo-Van Zyl, programme manager of the Large Power User programme at African Utility Week: “the proverbial axe is falling on ‘business as usual` as every industry in South Africa, from mining to manufacturing to retail, is cringing at the thought of rising energy tariffs and commencement of a carbon tax on 1 January 2015. On the receiving end of tariff hikes, industry is dealing with three significant elements, namely the cost of electricity, uncertainty around sufficient electricity supply and carbon emission management.”
More optimistic about jobs Although some industry insiders have warned that the tariff increase could lead to 250 000 job losses, Dick Kruger, techno-economic adviser to the South African Chamber of Mines, is more optimistic. “Eskom previously indicated a 35% increase. Although 9,6% is high, we are nonetheless thankful that it is less than the 16% that Eskom eventually applied for. This increase will definitely not go unnoticed in an industry which has seen prices doubling over the last three years. However, at this stage we do not foresee any job losses or mine closures directly as a result of the increase. We have known since August 2012 that increases were on the way and mines could figure this into their short and medium plans.” This means that mining companies had to seriously look at their operations and make adjustments such as the introduction of variable speed drive motors that have been known to cut energy use. Says Dick Kruger: “some mines have already looked at replacing electric motors with variable speed drive motors and replacing compressed air drills with extremely expensive electric rock drills.” According to Kruger, gold mines will be hit hardest: “about 60% of the total cost of the electricity consumption at gold mines goes towards creating an environment that one can work in. Large amounts of money are spent on ventilation, pumping and refrigeration. Only 40% of the expense goes towards production purposes.” Power cuts of 2008 Some pockets of the South African economy are still trying to recover from the devastating effects of the first few months of 2008 when power cuts were a daily occurrence. This coincided with the global economic crash and thousands of jobs were lost across all economic sectors. At the time Eskom gave an undertaking to large power users that it would do everything possible to avoid power cuts to big business.
“Eskom has made good on this undertaking. But there are other problems. In March (2013) the mines in Carletonville stood still for three days when transformers burned down and miners could not be sent underground. It also happens frequently that the power supply is not running on full strength which leads to work grinding to a halt. Although the mines do not generate income during these situations, the expenses do not decrease. Workers still need to be paid and the mines have to foot the bill for the ordinary daily running costs,” says Kruger.
“The mining industry has signed the Voluntary Energy Efficiency Accord committing itself to pursue a reduction in power use of 15% by 2015. Mines have already saved a lot of energy, but savings can only be done up to a certain point before production is compromised.”
Anglo American In a brief response about how Anglo American is dealing with unstable power supply and tariff hikes, the mining giant’s spokesperson Hulisani Rasivhaga said: “Anglo American is monitoring many aspects of Eskom's performance on a regular basis and is aware of Eskom's limitations. Anglo American and all its business units, is supporting Eskom by shedding load as and when required and as mutually agreed.”
The South African Chamber of Mines’ Dick Kruger emphasises the need for more power generating plants: “When the new Medupi power station in Limpopo and the Kusile station in Mpumalanga have been completed, we will be able to breathe again. At least for a while.”
African Utility Week’s programme for Large Power Users includes:
Free CPD accredited Technical Workshop programme on the exhibition floor: Cogeneration / power plants – new product development in turbine technology Julio Cesar Bianchini, Commercial Manager – TGM Turbinas, ZEST WEG Group, South Africa
Large energy savings through Compressed Air Management / Monitoring / Leak Detection and auditing Devon Fisher, Audit Manager, Artic Driers International, South Africa
Solar Rooftop projects for LPUs Claire Lockey, Marketing and Communications, SolarWorld Africa, South Africa
Sustainable energy solutions for businesses Wayne Fortuin, IDM Implementation Manager, Eskom, South Africa
Renewable energy solutions for IPP’s, Mining, Industrial and Corporate companies Reutech, South Africa
Conference programme for Large Power Users:
Mining perspective on sustainable energy efficiency performance to secure our future Coenraad Pretorius, Energy Engineer, Anglo American, South Africa Making Energy Saving a Reality – from the Western Cape’s largest electricity consumer that saved R90 million in one year Reinet van Zyl, Business Improvement Manager, ArcelorMittal, South Africa The human element – changing the workforce mind-set Pieter Pretorius, Senior Marketing Manager, 49M Initiative, South Africa Energy Management Standards and Systems – ISO 50001 Alfred Hartzenburg, Senior Project Manager: Industrial Energy Efficiency Project, National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA), South Africa Managing tariffs: a discussion on the Price Impact Assessment project Shaun Nel, Project Director & Advisor, Energy Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa, South Africa Carbon and energy reduction initiatives at Woolworths Justin Smith, Head of Sustainability, Woolworths, South Africa The exhibition and the technical workshops are free to attend if visitors pre-register on the event website.
The dates for African Utility Week are: Exhibition & Conference: 14-15 May 2013 Pre-conference Workshops: 13 May 2013 Site Visits: 16 May 2013 Location: CTICC, Cape Town Website: www.african-utility-week.com
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
(Reuters) – A man from Ivory Coast doused himself with fuel and set himself on fire at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Thursday after showing officials a deportation order, police said.
The incident occurred in a customs police office in Terminal 3 of the airport, Italy's largest. Police said the man had poured a canister of fuel over himself and ignited it with a lighter. The man was taken to hospital in serious condition while a policeman who put out the flames sustained a burn to his arm.
The smoke caused alarm among travellers and a small part of the airport was briefly closed off. No other injuries or disruption were reported. (Reporting by Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Funke Aboyade who was in Cape Town for the Commonwealth Law Conference, reports on a challenge thrown to the Commonwealth’s lawyers, judges and academics by Plenary Keynote Speaker, Navi Pillay…
Justice Navanethem Pillay, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights since 2008, gave the Keynote Address at the first plenary session of last week’s Commonwealth Law Conference in Cape Town.
Justice Pillay who was the first woman to start her own law practice in Kwa Zulu Natal in 1967 did not hold any punches in her views about corruption in the Judiciary.
‘As many of you know, in many countries the independence of the Judiciary has been compromised. The Judiciary is no longer seen as fair and transparent but as dishonest and biased and the population loses faith in the courts and the rule of law’ she said. In a first class presentation, she also spoke about the nature of human rights and how we should think of them conceptually and in practice.
Her presentation also discussed the relationship between the rule of law and human rights and how this affects the administration of justice at the national level, as well as how international human rights standards have been invoked before national courts on a number of different subjects, ‘with the hope that this may inspire you to draw on international human rights provisions and their interpretation when you are practicing before your national courts’.
‘Human rights are to be applied on the basis of non-discrimination and equality’, she said.
Tellingly, she went on, ‘This can be an important stumbling block if a country is multi-ethnic in character and some ethnic groups are consistently marginalised and do not have their human rights fully respected. Marginalisation and discrimination can also take place on the grounds of gender, religion, language or national origin. Poverty in particular can be an important source of marginalisation, dividing society into “haves”, and “have nots”. Poverty can particularly affect access to the courts, unless there is a culture of human rights education in which all people are educated about their rights and learn how to ensure their rights are respected, including how to get legal aid’.
It was great food for thought as well as a message that resonated with delegates, particularly those from the developing or emerging nations of the Commonwealth, including Nigeria.
Ms Pillay slammed development models by States that ‘appear to accept violations of civil and political rights as the so-called “price to pay” for rapid economic development’, pointing out that these models had been adopted by some of the States that had ultimately experienced the Arab Spring.
‘The focus on economic growth alone often ignored whether the gains of economic growth were distributed evenly, accentuating social tensions and misery’, she said.
Arguing that the rule of law does not mean simply that the laws governing society should be passed by democratically elected parliament and interpreted by independent and impartial courts, she drew examples from South Africa Apartheid past, as well as the segregation policy in the United States in the 1950 and Australia’s former Immigration policy that restricted the immigration of non-whites. Hitler’s Nazi Germany was also a prime example of her thesis.
Ms Pillay ended her presentation with a powerful and most thought provoking conclusion by urging the Commonwealth’s lawyers ‘to think afresh about the possibility of invoking a wide variety of international human rights provisions and their interpretation, before your domestic courts.
‘In some cases you may wish to directly invoke a provision of an international human rights treaty. In other cases reference to international human rights standards may serve for you in interpreting provisions in your national constitutions, given that the constitutions of a considerable number of Commonwealth countries contain a bill of rights or a chapter on human rights. Some courts, she said, have already relied on such arguments.
‘For example, the Indian Supreme Court in 1995 interpreted the right to life to include the “right to health, medical aid to protect the health and vigour of a worker while in service or post-retirement”. In addition to relying on provisions of the Indian Constitution, the Court cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the United Nations’.
‘The Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2000 applied the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in a case involving the right to adequate housing. Although the South African Constitution contains a right to housing, the Court also made reference to article 2 of the Covenant in its decision, as well as to General Comment No. 3 adopted by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Some courts, she said, have also accepted arguments for environmental protection based on the right to the right to life or the right to health.
‘In Bangladesh, for example, a court found that the right to life “encompasses within its ambit, the protection and preservation of environmental and, ecological balance free from pollution of air and water.” In a case in Argentina concerning environmental harm to fisheries and wildlife in a lagoon, the court concluded that, “The right to live in a healthy and balanced environment is a fundamental attribute of people.”
It will be recalled of course, that the vexed and unresolved issue of environmental pollution, especially in the Niger Delta of Nigeria which gave rise to armed militancy in the region, paved the way to negotiations by the Federal Government which then resulted in the Amnesty programme.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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