The head of the United Nations has sent a team to West Africa to assess and suggest how best to deal with piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. A spokesperson says U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon dispatched the team to Benin at the request of President Boni Yayi. The team will also visit Nigeria, Gabon […]
UN Team Reviewing Piracy Threat in the Gulf of Guinea
Posted November 11th, 2011 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
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Rare ‘Sun-Drop’ Diamond to Sell for Up to $15 Million
Posted November 9th, 2011 at 2:50 pm (UTC-5)
A rare yellow diamond discovered in South Africa is expected to fetch up to $15 million when it goes to auction next week. Officials with Sotheby’s auction house say the pear-shaped diamond is believed to be the world’s largest vivid yellow diamond. The so-called Sun-Drop Diamond is just over 110 carats, or roughly the size […]
Report: Africa is World’s Fastest Growing Mobile Phone Market
Posted November 9th, 2011 at 10:55 am (UTC-5)
A global industry group says Africa is the fastest growing mobile phone market in the world. In a report released Wednesday, the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association said the continent is also the world’s second largest mobile market by connections, after Asia. The GSMA said Africa outpaced all other mobile phone markets in a three-month period […]
Pirates Sieze Oil Tanker off Nigeria
Posted November 3rd, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria, in the Gulf of Guinea. Initial reports on the hijacking are sketchy, but agree the tanker, the MT Halifax, was seized in waters near Port Harcourt, Nigeria. It was not immediately clear how many crew members are on board. The Malta-flagged tanker is managed […]
WWF: Record Rhino Poaching in South Africa
Posted November 3rd, 2011 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
An international wildlife group says rhino poaching in South Africa has hit an all-time high. The World Wildlife Fund on Thursday quoted government figures showing that 341 rhinos have been lost to poaching so far this year, compared with 333 during all of 2010. South Africa National Parks predicts the number of rhinos poached in […]
US Senator Preparing African Trade Strategy to Counter Rising Chinese Influence
Posted November 2nd, 2011 at 3:00 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is working on a wide-ranging trade strategy for Africa that aims to counter China’s rising economic influence on the continent. The legislation by Durbin, the Senate’s second ranking Democrat, would work to increase American exports to Africa by at least 200 percent in the next 10 years. Durbin appeared with other […]
UN Urging More Anti-Piracy Action Off African Coasts
Posted November 1st, 2011 at 2:05 am (UTC-5)
A senior U.N. official says that despite unprecedented efforts to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, countries must do more to address the problem. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Tayé-Brook Zerihoun told the Security Council Monday that efforts to stem pirate attacks “remain insufficient” as Somali pirates extend their operations farther into the Indian […]
South Africans March Against Unemployment, Poverty
Posted October 27th, 2011 at 7:50 am (UTC-5)
At least 2,000 South Africans are taking part Thursday in a demonstration in Johannesburg to demand the government do more to address joblessness and poverty. The demonstration was organized by the controversial youth leader of the governing African National Congress, Julius Malema, who is known for his calls to nationalize the country’s mines and redistribute […]
Obama Reinstates Economic Benefits Act for Guinea, Ivory Coast, Niger
Posted October 26th, 2011 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has reinstated benefits for Guinea, Ivory Coast and Niger under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. All three countries lost eligibility because of what U.S. officials call undemocratic changes of government. But the State Department says all three have recently completed free and fair presidential elections — a key factor in […]
Mandela Museum Workers on Strike
Posted October 26th, 2011 at 11:15 am (UTC-5)
Workers on South Africa’s Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed for decades, have gone on strike demanding a 50 percent wage increase. The workers also want the island, a top tourist attraction, to close for a week during the Christmas season so they can spend more time with their families. Robben Island Museum chief […]
