Gates donate $10bn

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda have said they will donate $10bn over the next 10 years to develop and deliver new vaccines.

Mr Gates, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said the aim was to see 90% of children in developing countries immunised.
Over the past 10 years, the couple's charity has committed $4.5bn (£2.78bn) to the development of vaccines.
The World Health Organization called the commitment "unprecedented".
Mr Gates said that by increasing immunisation coverage in poorer countries to 90% it should be possible to save the lives of 7.6 million children under five between 2010 and 2019.

Google phase out support for Internet Explorer

Google has begun to phase out support for Internet Explorer 6, the browser identified as the weak link in a "sophisticated and targeted" cyber attack on the search engine.

The firm said from 1 March some of its services, such as Google Docs, would not work "properly" with the browser.
It recommended individuals and firms upgrade "as soon as possible".
Google threatened to withdraw from the Chinese market following the attacks, which it said originated in China.
Hackers used a flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser to target the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

Iraq war made the world a safer place

Tony Blair has said the Iraq war made the world a safer place and he has "no regrets" about removing Saddam Hussein.

In a robust defence of his decision to back war, Mr Blair said Saddam was a "monster and I believe he threatened not just the region but the world."
The former prime minister was barracked by a member of the public as he made his closing statement at the end of a six-hour grilling at the Iraq inquiry.
He said Iraqis were now better off and he would take the same decisions again.

China's anti-piracy role expands

China has agreed to join an international naval operation to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.

China has been focusing on protecting its own shipping in the area, but it will now join the naval forces of the US, Nato and the European Union.
This grouping, the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (Shade), protects a shipping corridor in the western Indian Ocean.
This is the area where pirate attacks are most frequent.
Members of the international naval task force say that although attacks there have increased, fewer have been successful.

S African minister's wife on drug charges

The wife of South Africa's intelligence minister has been arrested on drug-dealing charges.
Sheryl Cwele, the 50-year-old wife of Siyabonga Cwele, appeared in court charged with conspiring to bring cocaine into the country.
Mrs Cwele was charged with procuring a woman to collect drugs in Turkey and of getting another woman to smuggle cocaine from Brazil.
She remains in custody until her bail application is heard in a week.
Mrs Cwele is facing the charges with Frank Nabolis, a Nigerian national arrested in South Africa in December.
She told local media she was innocent.

China warns US

China has expressed its outrage over a proposed US weapons sale to Taiwan, worth $6.4bn , including helicopters and missiles.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said the move would have a "serious negative impact" on co-operation between the US and China.
Ties between China and the US are already strained by rows over trade and internet censorship.
Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province of China.

US Taiwan arms plan announced

Taiwan split from China at the end of the country's civil war in 1949.
Beijing has hundreds of missiles pointed at the island and has threatened in the past to use force to bring it under its control.

Tourist airlift ends with 1,300 flown out

Police in Peru say they have airlifted the last of the tourists stranded near the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu after floods destroyed road and rail links.

Nearly 1,300 travellers were flown out by helicopters on Friday, a local policeman told the Associated Press.
A total of nearly 4,000 tourists and local residents have now left the area following last Sunday's heavy flooding.
The Machu Picchu site, which attracts more than 400,000 visitors a year, will be closed for several weeks.
Officials say it will take months to repair the railway that leads to the World Heritage Site high in the mountains.

Argentina central bank boss resigns

Argentina's central bank chief Martin Redrado has resigned following a bitter public row with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Mr Redrado said he can not protect the independent institution of the bank from the president's efforts to control its dollar reserves.
He had blocked the president's attempt to use $6.6bn (£4bn) in the bank reserves to service Argentina's debt.
The president says the country will benefit from her proposed move.
Mrs Fernandez de Kirchner says it will bolster Argentina's standing in international markets.
Argentina has $13bn of international debt that matures this year, and a hole in its budget of between $2bn and $7bn.

World Cup 'snubbed by foreign fans

. Fifa says it expects less than 450,000 foreign fans- a target the body has hoped to meet with ease.
South Africans have snapped up most of the two million tickets sold so far.
The US makes up the largest contingent of foreign fans wanting tickets - with the UK next on the list.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher, in Johannesburg, says Fifa are clearly disappointed at the number of people planning to travel to the tournament.
Mr Valcke told a news conference: "It is true that the PMAs [local football associations] find it currently difficult to sell the tickets due to limited flights available.
"Therefore we are now working together with the airlines to create extra flights and packages to help the PMAs to sell their tickets."
Mr Valcke also said concerns about security in South Africa seemed to have put off some foreign fans.
He said criticism had been coming mainly from Germany and England.
Our correspondent says Mr Valcke was clearly angered by the criticism and described the comments as insane and completely wrong.

Ghana wins

Ghana are through to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations after they held on to a first-half lead to progress.

Striker Asamoah Gyan made a darting run to fire in a near-post header to put the Black Stars ahead after 21 minutes.
Solid performances from Ghana keeper Richard Kingson and his defence kept Nigeria from capitalising on some solid second-half pressure.
It will be Ghana's first Nations Cup final appearance since 1992.
The result will put immense pressure on Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu - who was already receiving heavy criticism from Nigerian fans and media for what they regarded as poor performances earlier in the competition.
"My contract is until August," Amodu said in the post-match press conference.
"If I'm still in charge up to the World Cup I will look at our deficiencies in this competition and look at areas of reinforcement.
"I don't think we lost to a better side, we lost to a youthful and enterprising side."
His Nigeria team passed well, but were unable to convert their dominance into goals.

Kenya MPs opt to scrap prime minister position

Kenyan MPs have agreed to scrap the position of prime minister in a draft constitution being drawn up as part of a power-sharing deal.

The role was created following post-election riots in 2007 to allow coalition partners to share power.
But analysts say the hybrid system - with a president and prime minister at the helm - has proved unwieldy.
Instead a parliamentary committee has opted for parliamentary checks on the president and to devolve government.
Following Kenya's general elections in December 2007 there were bloody riots across Kenya between supporters of President Mwai Kibaki and his rival, the current Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The violence left 1,300 people dead and 300,000 homeless.
As part of of a power-sharing deal they signed to end the riots, the pair agreed to come up with a new constitution.
Imperial presidents

Internet giant sales continue to fall

Internet giant Yahoo has posted a $153m (£95m) net profit in the fourth quarter of 2009, but has seen sales continue to fall.

The profit figure compares with a $303m loss in the same period in 2008, but revenue fell 4% to $1.7bn.
Yahoo struggled during the global downturn as advertisers trimmed their budgets. The firm cut more than 2,000 jobs to try to reduce costs.
Shares in Yahoo rose 1% in after-hours trading in New York to $16.17?.
"The fourth quarter marked a strong finish to 2009, which was a transformative year for Yahoo," said chief executive Carol Bartz.
"Our business has positive momentum and we feel good as we head into 2010."
For the whole of 2009, Yahoo made a £598m profit, up 43% on the previous year.

18 people and injured 80 at a government forensics centre

Police say a suicide car bomber has killed at least 18 people and injured 80 at a government forensics centre in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

The attacker apparently tried to drive through a police checkpoint and blast walls protecting the centre in the Kerrada district.
The building was badly damaged by the massive blast, and the rubble is being searched by rescue teams.
On Monday, bomb attacks near well-known hotels in the city killed 36 people.
This is the latest in a series of attacks on official buildings, including those to do with crime and punishment.
The justice ministry was badly damaged in October by a huge truck bomb, and a court complex was hit in December.
There have been fears that attacks will increase as the parliamentary election approaches in March and those predictions seem to be coming true, the BBC's Jim Muir reports from Baghdad.

Sudanese Prime Minister announces his stand

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi has announced he will stand against current leader Omar al-Bashir in a forthcoming presidential election.

Mr Mahdi was elected in Sudan's last multi-party vote in 1986, but was overthrown by Mr Bashir in a 1989 coup.
The BBC's James Copnall, in Khartoum, says Mr Mahdi's presence gives real legitimacy to April's election.
The polls are part of a 2005 peace deal that ended a two-decade civil war between north and south Sudan.
Our correspondent says many of the other major figures in Sudanese politics have opted not to challenge President Bashir.

Sri Lanka's presidential election

Early results in Sri Lanka's first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war put the president in the lead.

According to early counts, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has won over 60% of the popular vote.
Armed troops have gathered around the hotel where his rival for the presidency, General Sarath Fonseka, is staying in central Colombo.
A military spokesman said their presence was a "protective measure".
Udaya Nanayakkara said that some 400 people had gathered near the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel in the capital.

Banks now links customers' account to their e-zwich cards

Seven banks have completed the interoperability process that enables them to link their customers' traditional accounts to their e-zwich cards.

With this successful integration, it will now be possible for bank customers to transfer cash from their accounts onto their e-zwich cards and vice versa.

The seven banks are Cal Bank, Standard Chartered bank, Merchant bank, and Zenith Bank, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), International Commercial Bank and the Trust Bank.

The integration process, which was recently completed, has introduced flexibility in the use of the e-zwich cards, as customers can go to any Point of Sales (POS) device and transfer cash from their bank account onto their e-zwich cards and either use to shop or even transfer money to another cardholder.

The interoperability also known as e-zwich bank2card/Card2bank is expected to greatly enhance the use of e-zwich cards.

"All you need to do is to link your traditional bank account held at the same bank that issued you the card, and you can conveniently load money directly onto your card from your traditional bank account.

"Or push money from your card into your traditional bank account at any e-zwich point of sales terminal or e-zwich ATM where available in the country," the General Manager in charge of Project and Business Development at Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) Archie Hesse said.

Mr Hesse said the remaining banks were working to complete the integration certification so they could also provide their customers with this service.

In another development, various banks have started paying good interest rates on monies kept on the e-zwich cards.

Mr Hesse explained that each e-zwich card has two wallets, one of which is the savings wallet which attracts interest.

Currently UT Bank pays the highest rate of 15 percent, followed by Cal Bank with 12.5 percent. Other banks paying equally handsome rates for the e-zwich cards include First Atlantic Merchant Bank 9.0 percent, Fidelity Bank 8.0 percent and Ecobank 6.5 percent.

The other rates are Guaranty Trust 5%, United Bank for Africa (UBA) 5.0 percent, Amalgamated Bank 3.0 percent, Stanbic bank 2.0 percent and Prudential Bank 2.0 percent.

These rates, according to Mr Hesse, are being used by the banks to mobilize deposits in addition to the increasing use of the biometric cards. Mr Hess, therefore, urged people to take advantage of the good interest rates and get an e-zwich card.

He expressed the hope that the payment of attractive interest rates on the card in addition to the completion of the integration of the traditional bank accounts to the e-zwich card would significantly boost the use of the e-zwich card.

There are currently over 340,000 cardholders.

New National Daily Minimum Wage

The new National Daily Minimum Wage is GH¢3.11 and it takes effect from February 1, 2010, the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) announced on Monday.

The 17 per cent increment from GH¢2.65 was arrived at after a fruitful deliberations between labour and employers.

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a meeting in Accra jointly signed by Mr. Stephen Amoanor Kwao, former Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Reverend Dr. Joyce Aryee, Vice President of Ghana Employers' Association and Mr. Kofi Asamoah General Secretary, Ghana Trade Union Congress (GTUC).

It said any establishment, institution or organization whose daily minimum wage was below should be adjusted upward, while with the implication of tax on incomes it was tax exempt and be the tax-free threshold of the 2010 personal income schedule.

"The tax-free threshold has now increased from GH¢240 to GH¢1,008 per annum," it said.

The NTC reiterated its commitment to the improvement of incomes and productivity in both the private and public sectors. 25 Jan. 10

Ghana sends cocoa to Haiti

Known for her generous and peace loving people, Ghana has once again shown another kind gesture by donating 3 million US Dollars and a quantity of relief items, plastics, medications and some cocoa products for the people of Haiti.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, made the presentation on behalf of the Government and people of Ghana at the Ministry of Information to the United Nations (UN) country director, his Excellency Dauda Toure.

Hon. Mumuni said before presenting the items that Ghana sympathizes with the people of Haiti and is ready to help solve problems of all people including those whose lineage is African.

The UN country director thanked the Government and people of Ghana, for not only donating to the Haitians, but also supporting the UN in every aspect of its programmes like peace keeping.

"Ghana has been active in peace keeping activities and sharing burdens of other nations who need military support," Hon. Toure said.

The Deputy Minister of Information, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, reminded all Ghanaians to be committed to our tradition of being supportive and generous. He said Ghana has been committed to humanity and the whole of Africa from the slave trade through the colonial era to the time of independence to apartheid and hurricane Katrina. In support of the victims of the earthquake, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin- North also donated an amount of ten thousand US Dollars. According to the MP of Assin North he was motivated to do this when he saw on the television how Europeans were assisting Haiti, which is a black African state. According to him, there was no African country giving any aid except Senegal who opted to give a land for the Haitians.

Hon. Agyapong made it clear that he was not donating on the basis of political reasons or popularity but was doing this to serve a nation that is really in need. He used the opportunity to thank the Mills' government for heeding to his call for assistance for the Haitians and called on African leaders to always contribute in times of disasters such as this.

Envoys of Tibet's Dalai Lama in new China talks

Talks are to resume between envoys of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and the Chinese government after a break of more than a year.

The relationship has been tense since the last round of discussions about Tibetan demands for more autonomy.
One of the Dalai Lama's representative in Europe, Mr Thubten Samdup, told the BBC that Beijing might have done some rethinking about the Tibetan position.
The Dalai Lama said last year that his people had suffered "hell on earth".
It is more than 14 months since the two sides sat down for talks to solve the Tibetan issue.

Turkey's armed forces has responded

The head of Turkey's armed forces has responded angrily to a newspaper report accusing the military of plotting to overthrow the government.

Gen Ilker Basbug delivered a televised address in which he warned that the military's patience over a stream of allegations had limits.
He insisted coups were a thing of the past, and that power should only change hands through democratic means.
Turkey has experienced three military coups in its recent history.
The armed forces have continued to play a political role behind the scenes.
For the past two years, the Turkish people have been bombarded with sensational revelations about alleged dirty tricks by elements of the military.
Some of the allegations, relating to a sinister "deep state" network known as Ergenekon, have already resulted in the arrest and trials of dozens of people, including retired generals.
But there have been further reports of military plots against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan - backed by some convincing-looking documents - all reported in a two-year-old independent newspaper.

Lebanon's defence minister speaks out

Lebanon's defence minister has said An Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed into the sea off Beirut was probably brought down by bad weather.

But Elias Murr said the cause of the crash could only be established after the flight recorders were recovered.
The Addis Ababa-bound flight plunged into the Mediterranean shortly after take-off from Beirut in a storm.
All 90 people on board the Boeing 737-800 are feared dead. At least 24 bodies have been pulled from the sea.
An air and sea search is continuing in the area.

Sri Lanka's presidential election on Tuesday

The final day of campaigning is taking place ahead of Sri Lanka's presidential election on Tuesday.
Although the war in the north of the island is now over, the campaign in other parts of the island has become bitter, violent and personal.
The two main candidates are both closely associated with the government's defeat of the Tamil Tigers last May.
But now President Mahinda Rajapaksa and General Sarath Fonseka have fallen out bitterly.
Groups monitoring the conduct of the campaign say there have been hundreds of violent incidents, resulting in four deaths and many more wounded.
Early on Friday, one of Gen Fonseka's campaign managers had his house firebombed.
He blamed the president, but the government said it was "gravely concerned at this wanton act of violence".
Both candidates have toured the country, including the northern Tamil city of Jaffna from which the rebels once ran their self-declared homeland.
But Saturday will see them both addressing rallies in the capital, and hoping for huge turnouts.

A benefit concert for the victims of the Haiti earthquake

A benefit concert for the victims of the Haiti earthquake, hosted by George Clooney and featuring Jay-Z and Madonna, has been held.

Other acts who participated in the two-hour Hope for Haiti telethon included Bono and Rihanna, who pre-recorded their performances in London on Friday.
The concert has been shown on all major US TV channels, MTV in the UK, and worldwide on YouTube.
An estimated 1.5 million people have been left homeless by the earthquake.
The official death toll from the 7.0-magnitude quake has risen to 110,000.
The benefit concert took place in New York, Los Angeles, London and Haiti.
More than 100 Hollywood and music stars took part.

UK terror threat level is being raised

Home Secretary Alan Johnson has said the UK terror threat level is being raised from "substantial" to "severe".

The new alert level means a terrorist attack is considered "highly likely". It had stood at substantial since July.
It is in response to the perceived increased threat from international terrorism following the failed Detroit airliner bombing on Christmas Day.
Mr Johnson stressed there was no intelligence to suggest a terrorist attack was imminent.
The decision to raise the threat level was made by the UK's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC).

Nigerian cabinet has been ordered by the federal court

The Nigerian cabinet has been ordered by the federal court to decide within 14 days if ill President Umaru Yar'Adua is fit to lead the country.

The president has been in Saudi Arabia for two months, receiving treatment for a heart condition.
The court ruling directed the cabinet to pass a resolution about whether he "is incapable of discharging the functions of his office".
The president's absence has raised concerns about a power vacuum.
The Federal High Court ruled that cabinet should hear testimony from five doctors, one of whom should be the president's personal physician.

The court ruled that if cabinet decides that the president is not fit to carry out his duties, the vice-president would take over,

Barack Obama troubled by alleged cyber-attacks

Officials say US President Barack Obama continues to be "troubled" by alleged cyber-attacks originating in China on the internet search giant Google.

A White House spokesman said Mr Obama wanted "some answers" and agreed those responsible should "face consequences".
The comments came after China denounced US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's criticism of its internet restrictions, saying it was harming relations.
Google has said it will decide shortly whether to end its China operations.
The company currently holds about one-third of the Chinese search market, far behind Chinese rival Baidu,which has more than 60%.

Guantanamo detention plans condemned

The American Civil Liberties Union has criticised a recommendation that 47 Guantanamo Bay inmates should be held indefinitely without trial.
Justice department officials said the men were too dangerous to release, but could not be tried as evidence against them would not stand up in a US court.
ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said their detention would reduce the camp's closure to a "symbolic gesture".
The White House said the president did not have to accept the recommendation.
It came as the deadline President Barack Obama had set himself on his second day in office for closing the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay passed.

MP appeals to residents

A Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East Dr. Ahmed Mustapha, on Thursday appealed to residents of Nima in the Grater Accra Region of Ghana to be law abiding. He said a lot of respectable people were living in the area and would therefore not be fair for people to judge the area by the misconduct of few miscreants who took the law into their own hands. 


Dr. Mustapha made the appeal when he presenting a cheque for GH¢1000 to the Nima Police Command towards development projects. He expressed concern about congestion in the police cells, which exerted pressure on amenities at the premises.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mabel Artheh, Deputy Divisional Commander, who received the cheque, appealed for the expansion of the cells at the Nima Police station. She said the cells which had the capacity to accommodate 35 inmates sometimes keep 100, leading to unpleasant circumstances. ASP Artheh appealed to the government to consider expanding office accommodation for officers o to avoid the use of corridors as improvised offices.

A Rwandan doctor wanted on charges of genocide and war crimes

A Rwandan doctor wanted on charges of genocide and war crimes has been arrested in France, police say.

Sosthene Munyemana, 45, who had been working in a hospital in Bordeaux for eight years, denies the charges.

His arrest on an extradition warrant from Rwanda comes weeks after France and Rwanda restored diplomatic ties.

France had rejected an asylum bid by him in 2008, saying there were "serious reasons" to suspect his involvement in war crimes in 1994, AFP reported.

Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in the 100-day massacre in 1994.

Mr Munyemana was released on bail, but must report to judicial officials until a court date is set.

He had been on the Interpol list of wanted men for a few years.

Sarkozy to visit Rwanda

Nicolas Sarkozy will travel to Rwanda next month to pay the first visit by a French president to Kigali since the 1994 genocide, Rwandan officials say.

Rwanda's foreign ministry made the announcement after the new French ambassador presented his credentials.

The states severed ties in 2006 after a French judge said President Paul Kagame helped spark the genocide, while Rwanda accused France of arming Hutu militias.

In just 100 days, some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered.

Security in the central city of Jos

The army has taken over responsibility for security in the central city of Jos, Nigeria's Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan has said.

At least 65 Christians and 200 Muslims are believed to have died in religious rioting in Jos in recent days.

Mr Jonathan said the situation in Jos under control and those responsible would be brought to justice.

A BBC reporter in the region says the easing of a 24-hour curfew has allowed religious leaders to organise burials.

The vice-president made the annoucement in his first national broadcast since a court ruling last week court ruling empowering him to perform executive duties while President Umaru Yar'Adua is out of the country for health reasons.

A Red Cross official in Jos told the BBC he had seen scores of bodies on the streets, but that the army was now in control.

He said some of the 17,000 displaced people were returning home, but others had decided to flee the city itself.

Los Angeles area remain evacuated under threat

An estimated 800 homes in the Los Angeles area remain evacuated under threat of mudslides as storms cause renewed transport chaos and power cuts.

Flash flood warnings have been put in place with hills saturated, Los Angeles County officials said.

Torrential rains and waves as high as 25ft (7.6m) have eroded beaches and flooded low-lying roads.

A run of four storms has been the worst in southern California since 2005, officials say, causing two deaths.

Authorities went door-to-door ahead of Thursday's storm urging residents to leave the area as a precaution.

The stability of hillsides north of Los Angeles remains a concern, as the ground was stripped bare of vegetation by wildfires last summer.

There were warning to those who refused to leave that landslides could be serious and rescuers would struggle to make much progress.

Jyoti Basu lay to rest

The funeral ceremony for India's veteran communist leader Jyoti Basu has began in the eastern city of Calcutta.

Mr Basu's body has been taken in a convoy from the Peace Haven mortuary to the headquarters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM).

Mr Basu died at the age of 95 on Sunday after a long illness. Tributes have been pouring in from around the world.

He was chief minister of West Bengal state from 1977 to 2000 and led the CPM party.

Mr Basu was credited with restoring stability to the state, and bringing in land reforms.

In 1996 he was offered the post of prime minister in a national left-of-centre coalition, but his party chose to support the government from outside the coalition.

Mr Basu described his party's decision not to join the coalition as a "historic blunder."

Adequate remuneration for community fire volunteers- Jones Tommy Smart

 The coodinator for Nkoranza South District of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP),
 Jones Tommy Smart has called for adequate remuneration for community fire volunteers to motivate them to protect the environment. 
He said if government provided monthly allowances for the volunteers, they would be motivated enough to carry out their activities effectively and to the satisfaction of society. Mr Smart made the call when he interacted with the President of the Environmentally Concerned Citizens Association of Ghana, Mr

Joseph Yaw Aidoo at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region. He cited Zoom Lion Company as an example and said the workers put off their best and remained committed to the discharge of their

duties because they receive adequate remuneration. Mr Smart, therefore, advised district assemblies to arrange special incentive packages for the volunteers indicating that the provision of

items such as Wellington boots, cutlasses and uniforms would encourage them to render dedicated services. The NYEP Coordinator commended fire volunteers for their selfless services and appealed to assembly members and traditional

authorities to support them. Mr Aidoo noted that bushfires are man-made disasters that could be avoided if people handled fire with care. He said protecting the environment is a shared responsibility and urged Ghanaians to be wary of how they handled naked fires.

Three Britons and a Colombian freed

 Local police say three Britons and a Colombian kidnapped last week in Nigeria's Delta region have been freed.

Gunmen snatched the group, who were working for oil giant Shell, near the city of Port Harcourt last Tuesday, killing a Nigerian guard.

A police spokeswoman told the AFP news agency all four were "looking okay" but did not say if a ransom had been paid.

The oil-producing region is notorious for kidnappings by militants, who demand a greater share of its wealth.

But the Delta has been relatively calm since most major militant groups agreed to lay down their arms last year after the government offered an amnesty.

But the BBC's Caroline Duffield in Lagos says that with President Umaru Yar'Adua in a hospital in Saudi Arabia, no-one has been steering the amnesty process.

Many militants say the government has not fulfilled its promises. Our correspondent says there are signs that the hard-won lull in violence is now under strain.

Malignant malaria in humans has been identified in gorillas

The parasite which causes malignant malaria in humans has been identified in gorillas for the first time.

Researchers analysed faeces from wild gorillas in Cameroon and blood samples from a captive animal from Gabon.

The study says increasing contact between humans and primates due to logging and deforestation raises the risk of transmission of new pathogens.

The research findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

New genetic sampling techniques allowed scientists from France, Cameroon, Gabon and the US to examine evidence of malaria parasites in the faecal matter of wild gorillas and chimpanzees in Cameroon.

"Sampling malaria parasites from apes in the wild has until now been very difficult", said Dr Francisco Ayala from the University of California, Irvine.

The team also took blood samples from wild born, pet animals in Gabon.

DNA evidence of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malignant malaria in humans, was found in faecal samples from two gorilla subspecies, the highly endangered cross-river gorilla and the western lowland gorilla.

No fight for Ray Narh in Ghana

Ray Narh will not come down to Ghana for the purported March 6 boxing showdown put together by Box Office Promotions, The Scribes can reveal. The 1998 Commonwealth gold medallist says the promoters of the Ghana fight have not done enough to convince him to come down for the fight. “Those guys in Ghana are not my promoters and there’s no way my promoters in America will let me come and fight in Ghana. They should stop telling Ghanaians cheap lies,” Ray Narh stated in a correspondence from his base in the US.

Narh, known as The Emperor, was initially billed to fight Ugandan Maliki Kinyogoli in Accra for the vacant WBC / Pan African Lightweight title last December 26. But the former NABC (North American Boxing Commission) Lightweight champion says the deal for that fight was not even finalized before other problems necessitated its cancellation.

“I have not talked to them and maybe another fighter called Ray Narh will be fighting, not me. They are not my promoters to start with and they cannot pay me minimum of what I get here (US). They keep saying that there is no money in Ghana,” The Emperor, 23-1 (20Kos) also now resident in Pennsylvania in the US added.

The boxer who has not fought in Ghana since defeating Alex Brew way back on Boxing Day 2003, has however not ruled out the possibility of fighting in the country again. Certain conditions however have to be met for Ray Narh to make the comeback possible because he makes a living from fighting. “It will be nice to fight in Ghana again but not when things are not put right and there's no big money involved for me and my promoters. They have plans for me and I’m sticking to those plans,” The Emperor has said.

Ghana Commercial Bank Limited adjudged the bank of the year in 2009

Ghana Commercial Bank Limited (GCB) has been adjudged the bank of the year in 2009 at the global Bankers Awards dubbed: "Investment Banking Awards 2009," held in London, United Kingdom (UK).

GCB emerged the best bank in Ghana in the Country Awards category. A statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the GCB in Accra on Monday said the event was organised by the Banker Magazine of Financial Times (FT) Group of the UK and this was the fifth time it had won the award.

It said the organisers pointed out that, GCB posted impressive results in 2007 and 2008.

The statement said, the organisers found out that GCB launched some progressive and innovative products in 2008 including a special account for high net worth clients (Royal Banking), internet banking (Commernet Plus) and MasterCard.

"The bank improved its payments technology with the launch of SmartPay," it added. The organisers noted that the bank maintained a strong growth in all aspects of the balance sheet. Net profit grew by 14 per cent in 2008, assets continued to grow in 2008 and hit the GH¢1.6 billion (71,000 dollars) mark, up 43 per cent on 2007, while maintaining a low non-performing loan ratio of just two per cent.

The statement said the organisers lauded the GCB for opening 11 branches in 2008 and installing 50 more ATMs, adding that "this bricks and mortar approach to banking in Ghana has had a positive impact on deposits, which grew by 24 per cent in 2008". It said Mr. Sam Reynolds-Boison, Head, Credit Risk and Financial Planning of Ghana international Bank on behalf of Mr. Lawrence Adu-Mante, Managing Director of GCB received a certificate and a Bracken Award for the bank.

Commenting on the award, Mr. Adu-Mante said in future the bank would place more emphasis on customer needs, using electronic, mobile phone technology and the internet. "New business investments will be required to finance this customer promise, which will involve IT (Information Technology), delivery channel structure and refreshing culture," he added.

Senegal's president offer free land

Senegal's president says he will offer free land and "repatriation" to people affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

President Abdoulaye Wade said Haitians were sons and daughters of Africa since Haiti was founded by slaves, including some thought to be from Senegal.

"The president is offering voluntary repatriation to any Haitian that wants to return to their origin," said Mr Wade's spokesman, Mamadou Bemba Ndiaye.

Tuesday's earthquake killed tens of thousands and left many more homeless.

Burkina Faso meets Ghana today

Burkina Faso just need a draw to make it to the round of eight while neighboring Ghana must fight for a win after a disappointing 3-1 encounter against giant Ivory Coast.

Kick-off: Tuesday, 19 January, 17:00 CET, Cidadela, Luanda.

Both teams are playing their last game in the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Angola. Burkina Faso need just a point to progress to the next stage but stuttering Ghana must win at all cost to keep their Nations Cup hopes alive.

The Stallions have a point after holding pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast in their opening game. That disappointing results pushed the Elephants to stamp the Black Stars of Ghana in a humiliating 3-1 fixture.

The four-time African champions entered the tournament with a limping leg already as most of their senior players are suffering various forms of injuries and fell on their World Cup U-20 winning youngsters to fill in the spaces. Their game against Ivory Coast could rightly be dubbed a game between today’s generation and the future generation.

Coach Paulo Duarte charges are a disciplined side looking at their performance against the World Cup 2010 bound in the three-team Group B after Togo withdrew from the competition following a terror attack on their team bus to Angola. The Stallions were well composed and kept their eyes on their opponents to prevent any slip against the star-studded side.

Their defence is robust with a goalkeeper who knows when to step up to intimidate his goal hungry opponents. At least their opening game is enough to send their message across that they are not in Angola as spectators but to leave a footprint in the history books of the Nations Cup.

The Milovan Rajevac men would need to put on the hearts of men as they lack the strength and experience to push deep into their opponents’ half. With the exception of some few such as Udinese midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah and Rahim Ayew the rest do not seem to be goal thirsty.

They need to keep an eagle eye on World Cup qualifying round top scorer Moumouni Dagano since he would want to make a name for himself with a weakened Ghana side that rely solely on danger man but injured Michael Essien.

Haitian children had adoptions pending before last Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

US says it will temporarily allow orphaned Haitian children into the US, following last week's earthquake.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the move would allow children eligible for adoption in the US "to receive the care they need".

Other nations said they were speeding up the process to allow Haitian children to join adoptive families.

Dutch adoption agencies sent a plane to pick up some 100 Haitian children who are being adopted by Dutch families.

A number of Haitian children had adoptions pending before last Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

But there are fears that in many cases vital paperwork will have been lost because orphanages were among the many buildings wrecked or damaged by the quake.

Children's advocacy groups have warned against starting new adoption processes in the midst of an emergency.

Impending earthquake woke the whole of Ghana up at dawn

Rumour of an impending earthquake that reverberated across the country woke the whole of Ghana up at dawn Monday January 18, 2010.

While no one seems to know the source of the rumour, friends, families and neighbours made phone calls, sent text messages and knocked on doors to send warnings for people to wake up and leave their rooms.

One of my neghbours called and simply said, “they say there will be an earthquake and everyone should get out of their rooms and sit outside,” without giving further details and there was no time to ask questions as he moved to alert other neighbours who were fast asleep.

But Geologist and earthquake expert Prof. E. Otchere-Amamoo formerly of the University of Ghana Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services told ghanabusinessnews.com on the phone that “the information could not be true.”

He said “it is difficult to predict the precise occurrence of an earthquake,” adding, “unlike an eclipse which is easier to predict because it is the movement of the earth in relation to other planets, earthquakes are movements of the earth happening 500km or 700km deep down the belly of the earth.”

He also said if indeed there was going to be an earthquake, it would have happened within the period that people were rudely woken from their sleep. While most Ghanaians are still wondering where the rumour started from, most citizens would have to catch on some sleep on a Monday morning.

Two lawyers accused of forgery and defrauding

The trial of two lawyers who have been accused of forgery and defrauding by false pretence has been scheduled to start on January 27, 2010.

The date was fixed after the Accra Circuit Court gave reasons for refusing an application to stay proceedings in the matter.

The lawyers, Joseph Kwame Owusu Asamani and Ekow Amua-Sekyi, are alleged to have forged a High Court judgement to deprive the complainant, Mr Samuel Etroo, who was once a client of Amua-Sekyi, of his mining concession. .

Counsel for the two had filed an application for stay of proceedings in the trial on the grounds that cases between parties in the case were pending in different high courts and for that reason it would be prudent for the court to stay proceedings until those matters were determined .

However, the court, presided over by Mrs Justice Adwoa Bartels, dismissed the application on the grounds that parties in the cited cases were different from the parties in her court.

Giving reasons for her decision, the trial judge stated that she had carefully studied the Criminal Procedure Code and other authorities and nowhere was it stated that criminal actions must be stayed for civil actions to proceed.

She said what the applicants sought the court to do was alien to the country's criminal jurisprudence.

16 Somali MPs and other government officials in a raid

Kenyan police have arrested 16 Somali MPs and other government officials in a raid on suspected illegal migrants in the capital, Nairobi, officials say.

About 300 people were picked up in the raid in the Eastleigh district, home to a large ethnic Somali population.

Prominent Kenyan Muslim leader Al-Amin Kimathi has also been arrested.

The raid follows violent clashes on Friday between police and groups protesting at plans to deport a controversial Muslim cleric.

Kenyan Internal Security Minister George Saitoti has accused Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab of links to the clashes, which left at least five people dead.

But an al-Shabab spokesman told the BBC this was not true.

Taliban militants launched attack

Suspected Taliban militants have launched an attack in the Afghan capital Kabul, setting off explosions and sparking a gun battle.

The fighting erupted near the Serena Hotel and presidential palace, although Afghan President Hamid Karzai says security has now been restored.

The Taliban said 20 fighters were involved. At least 11 people have been killed and dozens hurt, officials say.

This is the latest in a series of increasingly brazen attacks on Kabul.

A statement on a Taliban website said the raid had specifically targeted government buildings and the hotel.

Ghana's inflation rate fell

Inflation rate fell to 15.97 per cent in December, a sixth consecutive decline and the lowest in 2009. The rate dropped from 16.92 per cent in November, Dr Grace Bediako, Government Statistician told journalists on Friday.
   
The increasing inflation rate at the latter parts of 2008 continued in 2009, until it peaked in June 2009 (20.74 per cent) but thereafter declined till it recorded the lowest rate for the year in December.
   
“The non-food component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket had greater influence on inflation than the food component throughout the year,” Dr Bediako said.
    
Food prices increased an annual 11.84 per cent in December compared to 12.4 per cent in November while non-food inflation further slowed to 18.82 per cent from 20 per cent, Dr Bediako said.

Below are the inflation rates for the year 2009:

January:        19.86%
February:     20.34%
March:         20.50%
April :          20.56%
May:            20.06%
June:            20.74%
July:             20.50%
August:        19.65%
September:  18.37%
October:      18.04%
November:   16.9%

An Iran Air-owned Airbus carrying 149 passengers has glided off the runway in Stockholm, sliding out into the snow.

A Swedish airport official says an Iran Air-owned Airbus carrying 149 passengers has glided off the runway in Stockholm, sliding out into the snow.

Arlanda airport spokesman Anders Bredfall says the plane is intact and there are no reports of any injuries. He says airport staff are evacuating the passengers.

The Airbus 300-600 was about to take off for Tehran when it glided 130 yards off the runway into the snow. The cause of the accident is not immediately clear.

Saturday's incident in Stockholm prompted officials to close one of the airport's three runways but it was not expected to cause any major delays to other flights.

The world's cheapest car is being readied for sale in the U.S

The world's cheapest car is being readied for sale in the U.S., but by the time India's Tata Nano is retrofitted to meet emissions and safety standards, it won't be that cheap.

Tata Technologies Ltd., the global engineering arm of the Tata group conglomerate, brought the tiny car to Detroit as a publicity stunt for the engineering group.

Tata officials, while maintaining that they couldn't speak for Tata Motors, maker of the $2,500 Nano, said they were involved with the Nano from concept until it launched last July in Mumbai.

They wouldn't say when the Nano might arrive in the U.S. or how much it might cost here, although Ratan Tata, chairman of the group of Tata companies, has said it should be ready for U.S. distribution in about three years.

Tata Motors already has made a European version of the four-seat car that will cost about $8,000 when it debuts in 2011, and a Tata Technologies official said privately that the U.S. version is expected to have a comparable price. The official did not want to be identified because the price has not been made public.

Warren Harris, Tata Technologies president, would only say that the price would be more than the roughly $2,500 charged in India.

Ghana to bring home the world cup

It's not the prediction England fans in the county wanted - but Fabio Capello's men will not be bringing home the World Cup this summer.

In fact - if Ipswich medium Sue Knock's information from the psychic world proves true - an African side will lift the trophy for the first time.

She is predicting Ghana - the team of Essien, Muntari and Appiah - could take home the coveted cup.

“England and Germany will both make very good starts but then fade, while Italy and France will do well. Ghana - the name which comes to me most strongly - will win it,” said Miss Knock.

According to Miss Knock, a psychic for 30 years, the world is facing a very unsettled year with 2010 likely to bring more bad news than good.

Ipswich though could be set to buck the trend and enjoy a positive 12 months - while the town could become a real honey pot for tourists.

The world questioning South Africa's ability to stage the World Cup.

The horrifying attack on Togo's football team in Angola has sparked a flurry of alarmist stories in newspapers around the world questioning South Africa's ability to stage the World Cup.

Officials organising the South Africa tournament have moved quickly to dismiss those claims.

In a radio interview Irvin Khoza, chairman of the 2010 local organising committee, stressed the distance between his country and Angola.

"The challenge posed by the attack is the misconception that Africa is a country, not a continent," he told SA FM.

"People in the world are thinking of Africa as one country... we don't share the same border with Angola... it's not even close to South Africa," he said.

It is more than 1,500 miles (2,500 km) from Luanda to Pretoria - with Namibia or Botswana sitting in between the two nations.

Kodak sues Apple

Camera maker Kodak has said it will sue Apple and Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of the iPhone and Blackberry, over technology used in their handsets.

Kodak has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

It alleges the iPhone and Blackberry use technology for previewing pictures that infringe Kodak patents.

It has also filed two separate suits against Apple that claim infringements of patents relating to digital cameras and certain computer processes.

Kodak has asked the ITC to bar both firms from shipping the phones and has asked for undisclosed monetary damages.

RIM and Apple declined to comment.

Afghan parliament has rejected 10 of 17 new cabinet nominees

The Afghan parliament has rejected 10 of 17 new cabinet nominees suggested by President Hamid Karzai.

The vote comes two weeks after MPs turned down most of Mr Karzai's first choices, dealing him a serious blow.

Two key posts were approved - Mr Karzai's former security adviser Zalmay Rasul as foreign minister and Habibullah Ghalib as justice minister.

However, MPs backed only one of the three women nominees, Amina Afzali, as work and social affairs minister.

The two women put forward for the posts of public health and women's affairs were rejected.

The BBC's Mark Dummett, in Kabul, says Mr Karzai had hoped to have his new cabinet in place before a crucial donor conference in London on 28 January, but that now appears impossible.

However despite the setback, the president now has 14 of 24 ministers confirmed including the most powerful ones in charge of foreign, defence and interior ministries, our correspondent adds.

It is not yet clear when the president will propose names to fill the vacant positions and when Parliament will vote for these candidates.