“Go hang a thousand times” is the message that George Charamba, a spokesman for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe gave the West as he told off their criticisms regarding Zimbabwe’s disputed presidential run-off election. Speaking at an African Union summit in Egypt, Charamba said the West had no basis to speak about the situation amid suggestions of a Kenya-style deal with the opposition and only a "Zimbabwean way" could end the crisis. "We have our own history of evolving dialogue and resolving political impasses the Zimbabwean way. “ While the Western criticisms call the Zimbabwe’s elections anything else but free or fair, President Robert Mugabe said he had won the vote, boycotted by the opposition.
Controversy in Kenya over Hotel saga
Kenyan activists in Nairobi have called for protests following suspicious sale of a luxury hotel at a knockdown price. The sale of Grand Regency hotel has seen Kenya’s Finance Minister Amos Kimunya in the middle of the whole controversy and he is faced with calls to resign. The hotel sale has stuck national outrage and fuelled tensions in an already fragile coalition government, set up in April to end a bloody post-election crisis. The deal, suspected to involve Libyan investors has also added to suspicions of continued large-scale corruption after a series of scandals in East Africa’s biggest economy - which some foreign businesses have cited as a major deterrent to investment.
Pomp and Music Mandela’s 90th birthday
Music stars, movie icon and other celebrity gathered at the 46664 AIDS in Hyde Park London for a charity concert held in honor of the former South African president Nelson Mandela. The concert, which marks his 90th birthday on July 18 is raising funds for Mr Mandela's HIV/Aids charity 46664 which is dedicated to combating Aids in Africa. The 46664 charity was named after the prison number that Mr. Mandela was given during the 27 years he spent behind bars for his stand against South African apartheid. With Up to 46,664 people in attendance, Mr Mandela told the crowd: "Even as we celebrate, let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete - our work is for freedom for all."
No Let-up in Soaring Food Prices
With challenges such as climate change, greater demand for food products in emerging economies, agricultural production used for bio fuels, rapid population and urbanization as well as trans-boundary animal and plant diseases, there seems to be no let up in soaring food prices. In an address made by FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf at the 25th FAO Regional Conference for Africa, he said food insecurity is a political issue – he refered to as a matter of priorities in the face of the most fundamental of human needs.
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