Maternal, infant deaths set to rise
Maternal and infant deaths in Liberia and Sierra Leone are set to rise above their current alarming rates as fear of Ebola keeps pregnant women away from hospitals and makes already-scarce health workers reluctant to deliver babies. “At the beginning of the outbreak, health service staff were the ones getting Ebola – many of them […]
Sweden gives more funds to Ebola fight
Sweden on Tuesday allocated an additional SEK 105 million (about $14.6m) in humanitarian support to efforts aimed at stopping the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Following a decision by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the funds will primarily be given to UN bodies (UNICEF, WHO and WFP) in their joint efforts to fight the epidemic. […]
Liberia’s Justice Minister resigns
Liberian Justice Minister Cllr. Christiana Tah said she felt a big relief, dumping a big weight off her shoulders Monday as she announced her long-anticipated exit from the government of President Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf. The exit came as a blow to the Liberian government currently in the middle of a major health epidemic which has so far […]
JSE launches new range of African currency futures
South Africa’s Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) today launched the first currency futures which track the exchange rate between the South African Rand and select African currencies. The JSE listed three new currency futures contracts which track the exchange rate between the South African Rand and the Zambian Kwacha, Kenyan Shilling and Nigerian Naira. Currency futures allow investors […]
Ambassador Allen presents credentials to UNESCO
Liberia’s Ambassador to France Dr. C. William Allen has presented his credentials to the director general of UNESCO accrediting him as Liberia’s ambassador and permanent delegate to that body. Director General Irina Bokova welcomed Dr. Allen to UNESCO and expressed her concern about the dire Ebola situation Liberia is confronting. Mrs Bokova committed herself to the […]
Löfven elected Sweden’s new prime minister
Stefan Löfven, the leader of the Social Democrats, was elected Sweden’s prime minister this afternoon in the Swedish Parliament, with support of his coalition partner, the Green Party. The four parties of the Alliance: the conservative Moderates, the Christian Democrats, the Liberals and the Center party, who had formed the previous center-right government, abstained from […]
Hard times for UK asylum seekers
Last month, a quiet announcement from UK Home Secretary Theresa May dashed the hopes of thousands of asylum seekers in the UK. A court ruling in April had criticized the very low level of support it gives to those seeking asylum and had given her four months to show how she had calculated that it […]
Intra-Africa trade key to boosting African economies
While international trade agreements such as AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) and the recently announced Economic Partnership Agreement between European Union and Southern Africa are positive for the continent and should be encouraged, more emphasis needs to be placed on trade partnerships between African countries to drive seamless intra-Africa trade. This is according to […]
Liberian police officers quarantine ends
About 90 Liberian police officers along with their families have been released from a quarantine put on them after an outbreak of Ebola in the barracks in which they reside in the capital, Monrovia. Among those quarantine for one month in the Police Barracks were high ranking police officers. The wife of one of their officers have earlier […]
Leaders urge Egypt to free Al Jazeera journalists
World leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) have highlighted the importance of press freedom and called on Egypt to release the three jailed Al Jazeera staff. The wrongful imprisonment of Baher Mohamed, Peter Greste and Mohammed Fahmy was raised by US President Obama in his first meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah […]
