The Concoction

The trade union congress this month practically booed the deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, off the stage. Its delegates sang songs describing President Thabo Mbeki as a "dog". So what's gone wrong? At the heart of the problem is that President Mbeki has led his country down a road many are now questioning.

A formal commitment and a tailor-made institution to tackle Africa’s problems would be a valuable step towards preventing future Rwandas and Darfurs.

MIGA, the political risk insurance arm of the World Bank, expects the face amount of loans guaranteed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) mining sector to increase from $20.8 million today to over $500 million in three years. However, underneath the immense economic opportunities lie significant social and human rights concerns.

Under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the main U.S. law for chemical regulation, the EPA has the authority to ban chemicals, but must take on such a great burden for action that they have not banned a chemical since PCBs were banned in 1976. Unlike other regulatory frameworks, U.S. chemicals policy regards chemicals as innocent until proven guilty, permitting widespread contamination of the environment and humans before action is taken. As a result, chemicals like Deca can be on the market for decades before their threat to human health is discovered.

Many countries are controlling malaria with effective alternative approaches. Vietnam reduced malaria deaths by 97% and malaria cases by 59% when they switched in 1991 from trying to eradicate malaria using DDT to a DDT-free malaria control program involving distribution of drugs and mosquito nets along with widespread health education organized with village leaders.[15] A program in the central region of Kenya is focusing on reducing malaria by working with the rice growing community to improve water management, use livestock as bait, introduce biological controls and distribute mosquito nets in affected areas. [16]The World Wildlife Fund has documented success in the Kheda district in India, where non-chemical approaches were demonstrated to be cost-effective. [17] In the Philippines, the successful national program has relied on treated bed nets and spraying of alternative chemicals. [18] What countries fighting malaria need is strong support for effective solutions, not increased reliance on DDT.

Many campaigners, although they have no plans anymore to attend the meetings, still needed to pass Sing to go to Batam. Many were deported upon arrival at Changi airport or detained for hours. They were interrogated. Those from Africa were even handcuffed and escorted in the airport for deportation.(My emphasis)

Felix is top of her school in her favorite subjects of physics and chemistry. Most of her class of 60 are lucky to have one book between two. "At least we all have chairs," she said with a laugh. A Huston-based Spaceweek International Association is sponsoring Felix’s trip to space.

African-American boys have a very high chance of being incarcerated or killed before they reach adulthood. In Baltimore, one of the country's most poverty-stricken cities for inner-city residents, the Baraka School project was founded to break the cycle of violence through an innovative education program that literally removed young boys from low-performing public schools and unstable home environments.

Now I see that I can do stuff. I know I can do it. And I want to do it.... They know in society today that black kids can do things, but everybody's waiting for just one example to prove it and let the whole world know that it can be done. But it was sad to see what it had to take.... They had to send us to Africa.

• African peacekeepers to leave Darfur unless Sudan agrees to U.N. force - AP 09/05/06
• Annan warns Khartoum over Darfur - AFP 09/05/06
• Annan warns Khartoum over Darfur - AFP 09/05/06
• Govt Should Accept International Help On Darfur, Annan Says - UN 09/05/06
• Ethiopia to Open Consulate in Juba - EH 09/05/06
• Floods kill 27, damage 10,000 houses in Sudan, threatening government ministries offices - REUTERS 09/04/06
• Russia criticises "hasty" UN resolution on Darfur - REUTERS 09/04/06
• Sudan says AU must accept deal keeping U.N. force out of Darfur, or leave - AP 09/04/06
• Slovenian envoy convicted of espionage in Sudan leaves prison - AFP 09/04/06
• Sudan asks African monitors to leave Darfur - AFP 09/04/06
• Russia calls for fresh UN-Sudan dialogue over Darfur peacekeepers - AFP 09/04/06
• African monitors confirm renewed fighting in Darfur - AFP 09/04/06
• Darfur rebels say government on offensive, Cabinet asks AU to leave - AP 09/04/06
• Nigerian sends troops to war-torn Darfur - AFP 09/04/06
• South Sudan capital dreams of Nile boom-town status after years of war - AFP 09/04/06
• Sudan's position incomprehensible - Gulf News/ Editorial 09/03/06
• Obama Visits Sudanese Refugees in Chad - AP 09/03/06
• Sudanese president pardons Slovenian 'spy' - AFP 09/02/06
• Darfur rebel group vows to cooperate with UN force - AFP 09/02/06
• US appeals court allows Cole families suit against Sudan to proceed - AP 09/02/06
• Obama meets with Chad president - Chicago Sun-Times 09/01/06
• Nile floods raise spectre of disease in Sudan: - AFP 09/01/06
• Sudan launches new offensive in Darfur - AP 09/01/06
• Egypt warns of deploying UN troops against Sudan's consent - DPA 09/01/06
• Sudan VP vows resistance to UN peacekeepers - AFP 09/01/06
• US warns media over travel to Darfur after journalist arrests - AFP 09/01/06
• Sudanese official rejects UN resolution - AFP 09/01/06
• SUDAN: Army unleashes military offensive in Darfur - IRIN 09/01/06 (Sudan.net

Council President Nana Effah-Apenteng (Ghana), speaking in his national capacity, said that as many as 16 countries were already taking part in the African Union mission, and his country was proud to be one of them. Although the text adopted today was not a magic wand, its adoption was timely and gave the Sudan an opportunity be part of the solution to the Darfur crisis. On the other hand, however, the Government bore the responsibility to protect the victims of war in the Sudan, and for that reason, Ghana had reservations about explicit language in the text regarding the Government’s agreement to the deployment of an international force. (my own emphasis)

The Emergency Plan is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease -- a five-year, $15 billion, multifaceted approach to combating the disease in more than 120 countries around the world.

66% of resources dedicated to prevention of HIV from sexual transmission must be used for activities that promote abstinence before marriage and fidelity. Under the guidelines, at least half of total prevention funding must be spent on sexual transmission initiatives, with the remainder going toward programs that prevent HIV transmission from mother to child or through the blood supply. Many countries last year spent much more than half of their total prevention budgets on sexual transmission programs, meaning that the policy change will increase funding for abstinence programs while "implicitly set[ting] tighter limits on spending for condoms," according to the Sun. (Source: The Keiser Network