Emmanuel Muwamba – President Bingu wa Mutharika has fired two senior party members-Vice President Joyce Banda and former minister Khumbo Kachali from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Banda and Kachali were first and second party deputy president presidents respectively. Mutharika who is also president of the party fired the two at a meeting of DPP National Governing Council (NGC) on Saturday. The meeting lasted about four hours. The party asked Banda and Kachali to defend themselves “briefly”. A statement signed by the party’s secretary general Bintony Kutsaira says the party resolved to dismiss the two because they failed to... Continue Reading
By Femi Peters – Agricultural experts and policy makers from Ghana, Mali, Congo Brazzaville and The Gambia meet in The Gambia for a sub-regional workshop on gender mainstreaming in agriculture. Top on the agenda of discussion were the various ways targeted at reducing poverty and food insecurity in West and Central Africa through increased agriculture-led economic growth. The participants also looked into the prospects of improving on aspects of the agricultural research systems. Hon. Kalifa Kambi, deputy minister of Agriculture, during his opening speech said: “The 1995 Commonwealth plan of Action on Gender and Development sets forth a number of... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent – Ensa Badjie, former Inspector-General of Police, yesterday narrated what he said was his ordeal at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and after his arrest. The former chief of police told the court that he was seriously beaten and abused during the process of obtaining his cautionary statement. Badjie, who is facing a 51-count indictment, was testifying in the voire dire trial (trial within a trial) to ascertain the voluntariness of obtaining his cautionary statement, which was an issue in main trial before Justice Emmanuel Amadi at the High Court in Banjul, involving him and two military... Continue Reading
Germany, UK and France Pushing to Undermine India’s Pro Public-Health Law Brussels/London 10 December 2010 – As leaders from India and the European Union meet for a summit in Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – together with AIDS groups protesting in Africa, Asia and Europe – demand the EU stop pursuing measures that undermine India’s role as producer of affordable life-saving generic medicines. More than 80% of the AIDS medicines used to treat more than five million people across the developing world come from producers in India. “A decade ago, people wouldn’t even bother getting tested for AIDS because they... Continue Reading
By Novell Zwange – Doha, QATAR – The luxurious airliner, Qatar Airways today announced an expansion of its East African network with 12 additional flights across two capital cities – Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam. The daily Doha – Nairobi flights have increased to 12-flights-a-week. From January 3, an additional two flights will take capacity up to double daily. The expansion comes after five successful years of operations to Kenya’s capital city. The Tanzanian capital, Dar Es Salaam, currently served daily, will receive an additional four flights a week from January 2. An additional flight from February 14 will take... Continue Reading
