Airport staff will now carry out extra screening of people from 14 countries, including those the US considers to be state-sponsors of terrorism – Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria.
Yemen and Nigeria – through which the alleged bomber travelled – also face the new restrictions.
via BBC News – France follows Britain and US in shutting Yemen embassy.
Numerous residents have fled the city and al-Shabaab fighters are patrolling the city, broadcaster Radio Garowe reported. The city had previously come under the jurisdiction of the Ahlu Sunnah militia, which supports the government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
But the government has slowly been losing control of the thin strip of land under its jurisdiction to the advancing al-Shabaab fighters.
A government spokesperson on Monday appealed for more international help on the BBC, saying that groups like al-Qaeda are gaining ever more influence in the country.
Several countries, including the United States, have listed al- Shabaab as a terrorist organisation. The group has noted the presence of international fighters in its ranks. Many of its leaders have reportedly visiting al-Qaeda training facilities
via ‘Terror’ group takes Somali city: News24: Africa: News.
Lest Kenyans get immersed in juvenile patriotism, basic facts need be highlighted. The US is the world’s sole political, economic and military superpower and will be so for the next 50 years at the minimum. Kenya’s GDP is about $19 billion, equal to the net worth of Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, whilst US’s is $14 trillion! Our economy is less than 0.1 per cent of US.The IMF and the World Bank, the world’s multi-lateral finance and monetary institutions, are under the control of Washington and London. UN and its organs dance to Washington’s drum-beat. Standing up to Washington is pyrrhic chest-thumping. Zimbabwe was Africa’s bread basket with the best farms and roads in Africa and rich mineral resources.
Long of little interest to outsiders, African land has been rarely associated with financial reward.
But for investors like Susan Payne, the chief executive of Emergent Asset Management, farmland in sub-Saharan Africa is a hot bet.
Population increase, changes in eating habits and demand for bio-fuels are putting farmland at a premium worldwide.
“And African farmland prices are the lowest in the world,” she says.
Her fund is in the process of buying or leasing a total 50,000 hectares, equal to roughly 80,000 football pitches, in several African countries including Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Angola, Swaziland and the Democratic Republic of Congo
via BBC NEWS | Business | Africa investment sparks land grab fear.
By John Njiraini
Cement maker, Athi River Mining (ARM) will build a Sh3.7 billion coal power plant to reduce energy costs.
The 30 MW plant to be ready by December 2011, is expected to save the company Sh450 million in energy costs annually.
ARM chairman Rick Ashley, said the company would utilise 11 MW and sell the remaining 19 MW to the national grid.
“As demand continues to grow, we want to ensure we manufacture cement in a cost effective way. With this plant, we expect to save 25 per cent of our energy needs,” he said.
Industry statistics indicate that cement demand stands at 6.2 million tonnes and is expected to increase to 14 million tonnes by 2014.
via The Standard | Online Edition :: ARM to invest in Sh3.7b coal plant.
July 2009
Global Witness uncovers foreign companies’ links to Congo violence
Global Witness’s new report, ‘Faced with a gun, what can you do?’, details how many mining areas in eastern DRC are controlled by rebels and the national army, who violently exploit civilians to retain access to valuable minerals. It names international companies trading in these minerals.
via Global Witness uncovers foreign companies’ links to Congo violence – media library – global witness.
A picture showing the destruction in the Mau forest.PHOTO/FILE
Politics around settlement in Mau Forest complex and prosecution of post-election violence suspects have conspired to box the most enigmatic Kenyan politician into a corner.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who is perceived as a politician with an indomitable spirit, has walked into a risky political mire from which he will be lucky to come out unscathed.
What transpires over the next few months will inform the future of the Orange Democratic Movement party, which he leads and his baton to the 2012 presidential contest.
On the issue of impunity, the more he pushes for prosecution of the violence suspects, the more he is reminded that youths — particularly those from the Rift Valley — fought because they were bitter over his “stolen victory.”
By calling for the trial of perpetrators of the violence — some of them believed to be senior ODM members — Mr Odinga is accused of “betraying” his supporters.
Events in the Tuesday Cabinet meeting capture Mr Odinga’s dilemma.
DAILY NATION - Mau evictions and trial for chaos suspects tests for Raila.
The technology involves planting the maize in a nursery and then transferring the seedlings to the main field later, like it is done with trees.
A new and revolutionary technology, borrowed from China by Ministry of Agriculture officials is being rolled out in the drier parts of Nyeri District and is said to have the capacity to improve food output.According to Beatrice Theuri, an agribusiness development officer at the ministry’s offices in Nyeri, they learnt of the Maize Transplanting Technology MTT from China when they visited the country last year. Now the technology is being tried out in various parts of the district.
via DAILY NATION - From China with new ways to improve crop yields.
Nominated MP Rachael Shebesh said on Tuesday that the Ministry of Planning had accepted to include disaster risk reduction focusing on climate change in the ambitious plan.
“You know planning is everything. You cannot have a Vision 2030 that doesn’t incorporate the risk factor. What if we don’t have a good crop. What if we have locusts invading our farms, or any other disaster,” Ms Shebesh who is also the Chairperson of an Africa Parliamentarians Group on Climate Change posed.
She said inclusion of the disaster risk reduction strategy would allow Kenya to survive any disaster caused by climate change.
The legislator added that Kenya had been selected as one of the five African countries that would present the continent’s agenda at the high level climate change meeting to be held in Copenhagen in December.
via .: Capital News :..