Nigeria military chiefs dismissed Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:45:49 -0000 Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua announces the surprise sacking of the country's top three military chiefs. 'Fraud' halts US refugee scheme Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:29:42 -0000 America suspends a programme to reunite African refugees with family in the US after uncovering evidence of widespread fraud. Deadly bombings hit Algerian town Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:15:51 -0000 Two car bombs kill 12 and injuring 42 in northern Algeria, the second deadly bombing in as many days. Row in Nigeria over Obama money Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:40:19 -0000 A Nigerian group backing Barack Obama says money it raised was not meant for his campaign. Kenya ex-graft czar urges amnesty Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:26:25 -0000 Kenya's ex anti-graft chief John Githongo says those who admit corruption should get amnesty. S Leone on 'ghost teacher' hunt Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:10:39 -0000 Sierra Leone's education minister finds non-existent teachers invented to embezzle money.
World Briefing Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Pakistan: 5 killed in missile strike / Cameroon: 9 prisoners die in escape bid / Sudan: 12 Darfur rebels sentenced to death / Mexico: Effort to save porpoises / India: Protests continue in Kashmir
5 killed in missile strike in tribal area
Algeria car bombings kill 11 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Two blasts rock Bouira, in the eastern Kabylie region, a day after an attack at a police recruitment center in another town killed more than 40.
Two car bombs struck Wednesday near a hotel and a military compound in Algeria, killing at least 11 people and wounding 31 others, the Algerian Interior Ministry said. The blasts came a day after a deadly attack on prospective recruits at a police academy.
Turkey urges Sudan to end Darfur suffering Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Visiting Istanbul, Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir is told that his government should work to end the violence.
Turkey's president said Tuesday that he had urged Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir to act responsibly and end the suffering in the devastated Darfur region.
UN News Centre - Africa
Deadly terrorist attacks will not deter Algerians from path of peace - Ban Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the terrorist attacks which have struck Algeria in the past 24 hours, stressing that violence will not deter the country's people from the path of peace and reconciliation. DR Congo: UN peacekeepers deployed to east after rebel attacks Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 United Nations peacekeepers and soldiers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been jointly deployed in the eastern provinces of Ituri and Orientale to protect civilians after attacks by the rebel group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). UN human rights expert welcomes Somali accord Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 The United Nations Independent Expert on human rights in Somalia has welcomed Monday's signing of a peace agreement between the country's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and an opposition group, calling it "a hopeful sign" in the war-torn nation.
The Economist: Middle East and Africa
Syria: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:49:44 -0000 A recent assassination makes Syrian politics look as mysterious as everTHOSE who speak do not know and those who know do not speak. That classic adage of how information flows in a dictatorship has always fitted Syria rather well. But the fog in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has rarely been thicker than now. Take the mysterious death of a top general, Muhammad Suleiman, at a seaside resort earlier this month. Was he shot by a lone sniper from a passing yacht, as first alleged, or killed at closer range, perhaps even by a masked hit squad? Was he targeted because he had fallen out with Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, or because he had angered Israel by funnelling Iranian and Syrian arms to Hizbullah, the Lebanese Shia guerrilla group with which the Israelis fought a messy war in 2006? Or was he killed in revenge for his role in other assassinations, such as the lorry-bomb killing of the Lebanese leader, Rafik Hariri, in 2005, or, contrarily, in the death of Hizbullah’s elusive tactical mastermind, Imad Mughniyeh, whose car blew up last February inside a compound housing Syrian intelligence operatives? ... Mauritania: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:49:44 -0000 Africa’s reaction to the continent’s latest coup is being carefully watchedAFTER a decent election last year, Mauritania was held up as a fine new democracy for Africa. Alas, no more. The latest military putsch, on August 6th, put failed and successful coups in the last three decades into double figures and prompted a flood of international criticism, including suspension of aid and of membership of the African Union (AU). But will such remonstrations make a jot of difference?The hopeful part of the story goes back to 2005, when soldiers including Colonel Muhammad Ould Abdelaziz overthrew Maaouya Ould Taya, a nasty dictator who had been in power for two decades. For once, the soldiers kept their promise to organise fair elections. But Colonel Abdelaziz stayed close to the centre of power, first by persuading Sidi Muhammad Ould Cheikh Abdallahi to compete in the presidential election of 2007, which he won, and then by serving as the head of his presidential guard. ... Iraq: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:49:44 -0000 The country is awash with oil money but still lacks a proper planIN THE second quarter of the year, an American military auditor recently reported, Iraq’s oil production averaged over 2.4m barrels a day, the highest level since America invaded Iraq in 2003, and a marked improvement on last year’s average of around 2m b/d (see chart). Rising output, along with the high (if now falling) price of oil, should pump up Iraq’s oil revenues to almost $80 billion this year. That, in turn, has allowed the country’s parliament to boost this year’s budget from $48 billion to $70 billion in a supplementary spending bill approved earlier this month. As security improves, the government has a lot more cash to spend than it did a year ago. Will it make the best of it?For one thing, revenue from oil should go up more sharply still. Iraq produced 3m b/d as recently as October 2001, despite the crippling UN-enforced sanctions at the time. Iraq’s oil minister, Hussein al-Shahristani, has spoken of raising output to 6m b/d. In theory, that is possible. Iraq’s proven reserves, of 115 billion barrels, are the world’s third-largest after Saudi Arabia and Iran. Yet Iraq ranks just 13th in terms of production, suggesting there is plenty of scope to pump more. Russia, for example, produced almost 10m b/d last year from reserves of 80 billion barrels. Only 27 of the 80 or so fields that have been discovered in Iraq have ever been tapped. ...
Africa & Middle East - International Herald Tribune
Exiting Iraq, Petraeus says gains are fragile By DEXTER FILKINS Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:31:00 -0000 For all the signs of fatigue, General David Petraeus is preparing to leave Iraq a remarkably safer place than it was when he arrived. Iraqi figures back U.S. view on low spending for reconstruction By Campbell Robertson and James Glanz Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:16:01 -0000 Iraq's lagging spending on its own reconstruction has been the subject of widespread criticism as oil prices, the country's main source of revenue, have skyrocketed. Draft is set to keep U.S. forces on Iraqi soil By STEPHEN FARRELL AND THOM SHANKER Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:31:00 -0000 The difficulty in reaching a long-awaited security agreement to govern the presence of American troops in Iraq reflects its importance to Iraq and the U.S. UN readies a 'grand deal' over Kirkuk By Stephen Farrell Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:16:07 -0000 The United Nations said it would present a list of proposals to resolve the conflict over the oil-rich city and other disputed regions in northern Iraq. Car bombs rock streets of Algeria for 2nd day, killing 11 By STEVEN ERLANGER Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:31:00 -0000 Two car bombs killed at least 11 people and wounded 31 others a day after a suicide bombing killed 43 people, according to the Algerian Interior Ministry. Iran executes 20-year-old who murdered at age 15 By NAZILA FATHI Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:31:00 -0000 Human rights groups condemned the execution of Reza Hejazi, arguing that he was a minor at the time of the murder and therefore fit the category of a juvenile offender.
al-Bab - Egypt - Offers extensive links to resources about Egypt including the media and news, travel, maps, politics and government, people, economy and environment.
All About Egypt - Brief overview of Egypt covering geography, fauna and flora, history from the pharaohs to the present.
Meta Description: [ All about Egypt, Ancient Egypt, staring from Pharaohs time to now. ]
ArabNet - Egypt - Offers an overview with information about the country's history, geography, business, culture, government, transport and tourism.
Asfory - Links to Egyptian web sites and internet services.
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BBC News - Country Profile: Egypt - Provides overview, key facts and events, timelines and leader profiles along with current news.
Meta Description: [ Key facts, figures and dates ]
CIA - The World Factbook: Egypt - Features map and brief descriptions of the geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues.
EgyCalendar - Monthly listing of events, including festivals, conferences, seminars and public occasions. Also includes directories of useful resources.
EgyptSearch - Directory of links to Internet resources.
Meta Description: [ Egypt's Search Engine, Culture, Tourism, Governarates, business and environment ]
EgyptSearch Directory - Links to Egyptian oriented web sites.
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EgyptSites.com - A categorized directory of web-sites related to Egypt.
Meta Description: [ Egypt at EgyptSites.com - A comprehensive Egyptian Directory, with categorized links to Egyptian sites, news, updates, resources and more. ]
Hejlah - The Country and People of Egypt - Provides general information from a Columbia University source along with a directory of categorised web links.
Meta Description: [ The Country & People of Egypt. One page of comprehensive and categorised listing of sites in and about Egypt. ]
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Meta Description: [ Statistics on Egypt. 3856 facts and figures, stats and information on Egyptian economy, crime, people, government, health and education. 21 maps and 85 flags ]
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The Egyptian Directory - Guide and links to Egyptian web sites. Business, culture, educational, governmental, sports, travel.
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Meta Description: [ afrika.no - The Index on Africa and Africa News Update. Features news on and links to all countries in Africa. With sections on Culture, Development, Economy, Education, Environment, Health, Human Rights, News and Politics. By the Norwegian Council for Africa. ]
UK Foreign Office - Country Profiles: Egypt - Overview of country's geography, history, politics, economy, international relations, travel and current affairs.
Meta Description: [ Country Profiles have been prepared by FCO desk officers and aim to provide a general overview of the country concerned. ]
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Meta Description: [ Egypt ]
US Library of Congress - Portals to the World: Egypt - Annotated directory of selected online resources.
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Wikipedia - Egypt - Hyperlinked encyclopedia article covers the history, government and politics, geography, economy, demographics, language and culture of the North African country.
YellowPages.com.eg - Searchable database of businesses in Egypt.
Meta Description: [ Egypt Yellow Pages Ltd is the official publisher of the Yellow Pages Directories, CD ROM, and Website in Egypt. Search over 80,000 business listings in Cairo, Alexandria, Delta, Red Sea and the rest of Egypt. ]
Tokyo too offer TV screens on trains. The directory system appear advance with the internationalized and detailed guides...