Aid Groups Pull Personnel From Northern Mali

Aid groups pull personnel from northern Mali

Reuters
November 18, 2009

Several humanitarian organisations including French group Action contre la faim (ACF) have pulled their expat employees from northern Mali for security reasons, sources said Wednesday

BAMAKO - Several humanitarian organisations including French group Action contre la faim (ACF) have pulled their expat employees from northern Mali for security reasons, sources said Wednesday.

“We just learned that some expats have narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping by armed Islamic militants in one of Mali’s neighbours. Therefore we are taking security measures and are pulling back to the south of Mali,” a source close to the ACF bureau in Gao, northern Mali, told AFP.

“Several European employees who are in Gao have been called back to Bamako as a security precaution,” Amadou Senou, a regional official confirmed.

The Gao region some thousand kilometres to the north east of Bamako in the Sahel region which has been the scene of trafficking and smuggling of all kinds by organized crime groups.

Tuareg rebels and Islamic militants — who claim to belong to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) — roam freely between Mali and its neighbouring countries.

Several foreign nationals have also been kidnapped or detained in Mali and Niger in the last year in operations claimed by AQMI.

Potential Israeli settler violence threatens 250,000 Palestinians - UN report

Nearly 250,000 Palestinians in 83 communities on the West Bank are at risk of heightened violence in so-called “price tag” revenge attacks that Israeli settlers may launch against a large-scale attempt by Israel to evacuate outposts it considers illegal, a United Nations report warned today.

Following Iraqi presidential veto, Ban hopes elections can be held promptly

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced the hope today that Iraq would move forward on holding national elections slated for January after the Presidency Council’s decision to veto the electoral law.

International inquiry into deadly Guinea crackdown begins work - UN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today with the members of the International Commission of Inquiry set up to probe September’s violent crackdown on unarmed demonstrators in Guinea, ahead of the team’s visit to the country next week.

Angola Prepares Glitzy Show For Nations Cup Draw

Angola prepare glitzy show for Nations Cup draw

by Louise Redvers Louise Redvers
Tue Nov 17, 8:43 pm ET

LUANDA (AFP) – Pop stars, politicians and a president are among those expected to attend the African Nations Cup draw being staged by tournament host Angola here on Friday.

The event, featuring Congolese artist Papa Wemba and other Angolan singers, is being held at a shiny new glass-and-steel convention centre in the purpose-built southern suburb of Talatona.

African Football Confedation (CAF) president Issa Hayatou and members of his executive committee can also expect a rare public appearance from President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, ruler of this oil-rich country for 30 years.

Representatives from the 16 qualifiers for the January 10-31 tournament will also be present to witness a split into four groups from which the winners and runners-up advance to the quarter-finals.

Portuguese Manuel Jose, coach of the host nation, said he did not mind who the Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes) come up against in the first round.

“I don?t have any preference,” he told reporters after a training session ahead of a friendly against Ghana on Wednesday. “I would be lying if I said I didn?t want easier teams, but it?s dangerous to think that way.”

The charismatic former coach of Egyptian club giants Al-Ahly took over Angola in June after they failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and suffered a string of friendly defeats.

“When we know the teams in our group, we will be analysing them as much as possible,” said Jose.

“It?s not going to be easy because they will play little now, but we will be sending our scouts to any games they do play and we will be watching videos and DVDs to know their strategies better.”

The draw is generating less discussion among Angolans than an on-going spat between Jose and star Manucho Goncalves.

Real Valladolid striker Manucho was dropped from the squad for friendlies against Congo and Ghana after arriving late for training in Portugal.

Jose publicly blasted the former Manchester United player, saying he needed to learn respect.

Manucho did apologise through the Angolan state media, claiming he was delayed by visa problems, but Jose said this was not good enough and the Angolan sports minister has joined the discussion.

Speaking at a football conference in the capital, Goncalves Muandumba said Angola needed Manucho in the team and that the player should have apologised directly to Jose, not through a media statement.

The 15 teams who have qualified to play in Angola are Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, defending champions Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia.

The 32-fixture tournament will be played at four new Chinese-built stadiums in Luanda, Benguela, Cabinda and Lubango.

Anti-piracy efforts must deal with its root causes, says UN envoy for Somalia

Piracy off Somalia’s coast is a symptom of wider problems ashore, and any strategy to tackle it must also deal with its root causes and strengthen regional capacity, the United Nations envoy to the country warned today.

UN, partners launch $13 million appeal for flood victims in El Salvador

The United Nations and its partners launched a $13 million Flash Appeal for El Salvador today to provide immediate aid for six months to 75,000 victims of Hurricane Ida, covering food, shelter, water and sanitation, education, agriculture and early recovery.

Tree-planting photos win UN environmental contest in Africa

Photos of Kenyans planting trees and Moroccan women turning plastic bags into handbags today won a United Nations-backed eco-themed contest focused on Africa, which profiles ordinary people working to preserve the environment and reduce the effects of climate change in their communities.

Today on New Scientist: 18 November 2009

Today’s stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: how to build a 1000 mph car, four ways to feed the world, and the new 3D Mandelbulb

Killer bees: nasty sting, not so smart

A new study has compared the wits of Africanized killer honey bees with those of a more docile European breed, reports Ewen Callaway