UN atomic agency urges Iran to cooperate

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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano REUTERS/Herwig Prammer

DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) – The head of the UN’s atomic watchdog urged Iran Friday to engage constructively with a team of inspectors heading to Tehran, after a damning report on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Davos forum, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano told AFP that the organisation’s previous efforts to verify whether all its activities were for non-military purposes had been hampered by “a lack of cooperation” from Iran which he hoped would change.

“We hope they (Iran) will take a constructive approach. We hope that there will be substantial cooperation.”

A report by the IAEA in November highlighted a range of areas which had raised suspicions that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons, despite its repeated denials.

It detailed 12 suspicious areas such as testing explosives in a steel container at a military base and studies on Shahab-3 ballistic missile warheads.

Amano said it was too early to say definitively that Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapons programme.

But he added: “We have information that indicates that Iran has engaged in activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.”

“We are requesting that Iran clarifies the situation. We proposed to make a mission and they agreed to accept the mission.

“The preparations have gone well but we need to see what actually happens when the mission arrives.”

Officials at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna said the team, led by chief inspector Herman Nackaerts, would be visiting Iran from Sunday to Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters earlier, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said that the onus was on Iran to prove its good intentions.

“There is no other alternative to addressing this crisis than peaceful resolution through dialogue,” Ban said in Davos.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has insisted that Tehran is not dodging negotiations and was ready to sit down with world powers — Britain China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany for talks.

The six world powers are waiting for Tehran to reply to an October letter sent by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton that stresses that discussions should focus on the “key question” of the Iranian nuclear issue.

Previous talks held a year ago in Istanbul ended without progress.

“Iran should comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions. They have to prove themselves, that their nuclear development programme is genuinely for peaceful purposes which they have not done yet,” Ban said.

AFP

Fashion 101 “girl” writes for The Weekend Finder

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Weeks after making a colossal entry into Ghana’s growing fashion industry to rave reviews and approval, Fashion 101 hostess Sandra Ankobiah has moved her trade a notch higher.

The witty host of the 30-minute program on TV3 will from Saturday January 28, 2012, contribute a weekly column on fashion in The Weekend Finder, a spin-off title of The Finder, currently one of Ghana’s biggest and most-read newspapers.

From celebrity style, sustainable fashion, trend reports, highlights on Ghanaian designers, fashion tips and advice, Sandra will have all fashion bases covered as her column Fashion 101 Diary takes readers through weeks of exciting write ups.

“It is an exciting opportunity for me to contribute to The Weekend Finder. It is going to be a wonderful experience.

“Fashion 101 Diary is going to be fun and educative, and I also hope to impact positively on readers with the knowledge we will be sharing every week. It is going to be a wonderful ride”.

Launched few months ago and currently a recognizable publication in Ghana’s media circles, The Finder is gradually becoming a preferred title for most readers.

The weekend edition, which hits the newsstands this Saturday, comes at a time when the parent paper is doing so well.

It is published by Marble Communications, which is owned by former Graphic Communications Group MD, Mohammed Awal.

The Weekend Finder is edited by Benjamin Konadu Arthur, formerly of the Heritage Newspaper.

bY: Obed Boafo

Djokovic outlasts Murray

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Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-7, 6-1, 7-5 to reach the final of the Australian Open on Friday. – PHOTO: AP

Andy Murray’s Australian Open challenge ended in a five-set semi-final defeat to defending champion Novak Djokovic.

World number one Djokovic prevailed 6-3 3-6 6-7 (4/7) 6-1 7-5 in four hours and 50 minutes to set up a title showdown with second-ranked Rafael Nadal on Sunday.

In a repeat of last year’s final, Djokovic once again got the better of his British opponent, although on this occasion he was made to work much harder than his straight-sets success on that occasion.

Murray recovered from the loss of the opener to win the next two sets and, later on in the decider, broke Djokovic to love when the Serb served for the match at 5-3.

But Djokovic had the final say, saving three break points before holding for 6-5 and then closing out the result by breaking world number four Murray in the next.

Djokovic claimed the opening set 6-3 in 47 minutes, an early exchange of breaks followed by the Serb making the decisive move in the sixth game.

Murray tamely fell 0-40 down on his own delivery and Djokovic took full advantage before going on to serve out the set without alarm.

And things looked bleak for Murray after he dropped serve in the opening game of the second set and Djokovic followed up with a hold for 2-0.

But Murray saved a break point in the next game, an escape that turned his aggression levels up a notch and started a run of four straight games.

Djokovic’s serve was by now badly misfiring, he was broken three times in a row to surrender the second set 6-3 and, as had been the case in his quarter-final win over David Ferrer, appeared to be in some physical discomfort between points.

Djokovic staved off five break points in the opening game of the third set but there was no reprieve when Murray threatened again at 1-1, some hard-hitting from the baseline presenting him with the chance to finish the game with a smash which he converted with ease.

Once again, though, Murray promptly tossed his advantage away. From 15-15, he served a double fault and followed it up with a loose forehand and a long backhand as the set moved back on serve.

Murray had his chances in the next game only for Djokovic to hold for 3-2 and finally display some positive body language with a clenched fist and a loud roar to the crowd. Two routine holds followed before Murray found himself under threat when serving at 3-4.

Djokovic moved out to a 0-30 lead but Murray regained his composure and some wonderful hitting from the back of the court saw him avert danger.

Murray again escaped when serving at 4-5 down, saving the first of three set points with an ace, the second with a crushing forehand winner and the third with a drop shot-clipped backhand combination.

Sensing he had got out of jail, Murray struck for 6-5, bringing up his second break-point chance after some outstanding defence.

But he followed up with a string of errors to allow Djokovic to level for a tie-break, only for Murray to play a solid breaker to win it 7-4 and edge two sets to one ahead.

Djokovic was not going to give up his title without a fight, though, and took the match all the way by dominating the fourth set 6-1 in 25 minutes, Murray’s footwork having gone AWOL.

Murray twice battled to hold at the start of the final set but could not do so for a third time, Djokovic breaking through for a 4-2 lead before a hold for each man left the Serb serving for the match.

He did not manage to win even a point, Murray breaking back to love to reduce his deficit to 5-4 and then holding with ease to leave us all square once again as the match approached the five-hour mark.

Murray had three break points in the 11th game, Djokovic shutting the door on each occasion.

And then Djokovic seized his chance to seal victory with a break in the next game, ensuring Murray’s wait for a maiden grand slam title continues.

Source SkySports

Maize Prices Drop In Kenya’s Main Grain Basket

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KITALE, Kenya, (Xinhua) — Maize prices in Kenya’s Rift Valley, the country’s main grain basket has dropped drastically after the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) suspended purchasing the crop from farmers due to lack of funds.

Middlemen have taken advantage of the suspension by the State grain reserve agency to offer poor price. Local farmers said they are irked by plans by the government to import 67,500 tons of maize in the next six months.

“The government is not realistic. We are stranded to sell our crop for better prices after it failed to allocate more money to NCPB. We feel neglected and vulnerable to middlemen,” protested Barnabas Simiyu, a farmer in Saboti, West of Kitale.

The prices have dropped to 23 U.S. dollars for a 90 kilos bag from the previous 34 dollars with grain dealers buying the crop below 20 dollars.

NCPB wound up its operation after it drained 23 million dollars disbursed from the government towards maize purchase. The board chief executive Dr Gideon Misoi said on Wednesday the agency has stocked 600,000 bags of maize from last year’s harvest.

“We have already purchased 0.6 million bags and we expect more money from the government to add more stocks,” Misoi told Xinhua in Kitale, west of the east African nation.

Private grain millers in Kitale, Moi’s Bridge and Eldoret towns are reluctant to buy the crop to lure price drop.

Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KNEFAP), a farmer’s watchdog accused the government of ignoring the plight of farmers and exposing them to exploitation by middlemen.

“This is a serious mess in the government system. Grain dealers have now taken advantage to exploit farmers. We want the state agency to resume purchasing the maize from farmers,” said organization’s Trans-Nzoia Secretary Tom Nyagechaga.

The organization termed as unfair and uncalled for the government to sanction imports instead of providing local farmers incentives to boast production.

The ministry of agriculture said it plans to import 750,000, 90- kg bags of maize from regional and international markets to bolster suppliers, a move likely to weaken the shilling further. The ministry said the national maize stock as at December 31, 2011 stood at 18.7 million bags from 16.6 million the previous month.

The ministry argues that the surplus is expected to ease pressure on the prices of the main staple food, handling relief to East Africa’s biggest economy where rising food, fuel and electricity prices are posing pressure to consumers.

The county last June withdraw import duty on maize and wheat to accelerate inflow from Kenya’s neighboring countries.

Rwanda to buy Uganda’s drugs

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President Kagame examining drugs at Quality Chemicals in Kampala: Photo by Enock Kakande

President Paul Kagame has pledged that his Rwandan Governemnt will soon start buying some of its antiretroviral and anti-malarial drugs from Quality Chemicals in Uganda.

President Kagame made the pledge on his visit to Quality Chemicals factory in Kampala city’s suburb, Luzira, yesterday morning.

Quality Chemical’s chief executive officer, Emmanuel Katongole, in his brief to the press after the inspection of the factory on Friday, said President Kagame’s pledge will start with purchases for the public sector.

“We will also be selling to the private sector, on top of the public sector,” Katongole added. Katongole promised President Kagame drugs which meet the international standards.

“We shall offer you first-world quality of drugs, at third-world prices. Our prices are not the lowest, but are comparable to those recommended by World Health Organisation.” Quality Chemicals has already registered its products in Rwanda, and have a pre-qualification by WHO.

President Kagame also promised to work with Uganda, to locally process anti-malarial drugs’ raw materials- ‘Artemisia annua.’ Artemisia annua is the source of artemisinin, an antimalarial compound recommended by the World Health Organisation. Widely cultivated in China and Asia, Artemisia is a new crop for Africa and is largely limited to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Today, the harvested plants in Uganda are exported for processing in India, after which Quality Chemicals, like other pharmaceutical companies, buys it as a raw material to produce antimalarial drugs.

“With Rwanda opening up its market for our products, it will greatly resonate Quality Chemicals in the rest of Africa and spur more investments in the rest of Africa,” Katongole said.

Katongole added that Quality Chemicals is also considering investing in Rwanda.

Quality Chemical Industries is a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing plant located in Kampala, Uganda.

It exists as an additional contract manufacturing site for CIPLA Ltd, which manufactures and sells combination therapy antiretroviral and antimalarial drugs that have proven to be most effective in combating HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

By Conan Businge, The New Vision

MPs worried with biometric registration date

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The leadership of parliament is preparing to meet the Electoral Commission to negotiate for a convenient date for the biometric registration exercise to ensure that Members of Parliament are not disenfranchised.

The Electoral Commission has hinted the exercise may come off on 20th March 2012. Incidentally, the House will rise on the same day so the MPs fear they may not be able to actively participate in the exercise as well as getting people, especially their supporters, to get registered.

Joy News’ parliamentary correspondent Sammy Darko reports that the MPs are lobbying to either get the House to rise on the 16th of March or convince the EC to delay the exercise for about a week.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the House is set to engage with the electoral body to know the exact date for the registration exercise to enable it take a firm decision.

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Women Caucus in Parliament calls for data on achievers

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A Member of the Gender Committee in parliament, Beatrice Bernice Boateng has called on government to establish a database of all women achievers in the nation who will serve as role models to encourage other young women to aspire for higher offices.

She stated that the data should include women achievers in various professions, including those in politics.

She said the data will assist government with a resource of women to select from in deciding ministerial appointments.

The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South argued that, with such a database, various political parties can identify and expose women who have exhibited the capacity to manage more challenging responsibilities.

Speaking to Adom News in reaction to ‘missing’ women in the list of President Mill’s new appointments, Madam Boateng was not excited about the number of women in ministerial position in the current administration.

She however expressed the hope that that political parties can unearth new female talents.

She debunked suggestions that women have not positioned themselves for higher positions.

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‘Monster mothers’ in court

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iol news pic monster moms baby pic

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

This baby was found in a drain in Khayelitsha. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane

Two of the Cape’s worst mothers appeared in the same court for crimes against their children on Thursday.

Petronella Mosterd, 36, is accused of dumping her newborn in a drain near her Macassar home.

While Babalwa Mkhosana, 28, is charged with child abuse after she allegedly tied her five-year-old son to a bed for hours.

Mkhosana told her family she had to rush to work and that is why she locked the boy and her two-year-old niece in her Sir Lowry’s Pass Village shack last week.

Cops say neighbours heard the children scream and called the police.

Warrant officer November Filander says: “The officers discovered the two children aged two and five years old left alone at home.

“The five year old boy’s leg was tied to the bed while the two-year-old girl managed to cry for assistance.”

The young mom’s family was at court to support her and breathed a sigh of relief when she was released on free bail.

Mkhosana’s family also shielded her from the Daily Voice camera lens.

Her relatives hid her under a jacket and escorted her into a vehicle before whisking her away from Somerset West Magistrates’ Court.

Happy that they had evaded our lensman, a relative shouted: “We fooled you!”

Earlier this week, Mkhosana’s friend Nosimo Gwarubana slammed the arrested mom.

“Her children could have burnt in the shack while she was out working,” she says.

“Babalwa has many friends and I don’t understand why she didn’t take the children to them.”

Mkhosana is set to appear in the Somerset West Magistrates’ Court in March.

Meanwhile, Mosterd’s case will be heard next month in the regional court.

She was charged with attempted murder after cops found her baby girl in a drain last October.

Community members say the woman gave birth to her fourth child and simply threw it away.

“She said she couldn’t take care of her children,” says one of her neighbours.

“But she keeps having children, why does she open her legs if she cannot afford having kids?”

Residents who saw her dumping the baby alerted cops who arrived in time to save the child who has now been named Miracle.

“She didn’t try hard to hide the evil deed because it was in the morning when people were already awake,” says a witness.

She was released on bail in November last year. – Daily Voice

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‘Monster mothers’ in court

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Samba in fresh attack on Blackburn owners

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Christopher Samba joined Blackburn from Hertha Berlin in 2007

Blackburn defender Christopher Samba launched a fresh attack on the Indian owners of Premier League strugglers Blackburn on Friday as he renewed his attempts to leave the club.

Samba, who requested a transfer earlier this month and has been linked with moves to Tottenham and QPR, said Blackburn’s owners Venky’s “don’t understand” football and had broken pledges to improve the squad.

“I signed a new deal last January because Venky’s told me they had big plans. Names like Ronaldinho were mentioned and they promised there was going to be a lot of investment in the team. It hasn’t happened,” Samba told The Sun.

“They don’t understand football in this country and they don’t realise how much I’ve given to Blackburn and that they have broken promises they have made.

“I stayed because I believed them but they weren’t honest with me and now I know I made the wrong decision.

“I share the frustration of the fans who must have believed the owners too.”

The Congo international centre-half said Blackburn had deterred potential suitors by slapping a £15 million price tag on him.

“I’m not a £15million player,” he said. “Blackburn only signed me for £400,000 from Hertha Berlin and if they get £7million now then that’s very good business.

“I’ve got nothing against the manager (Steve Kean). It’s not like he’s been given £100million to spend, he’s trying to do the best he can with what he has.

“This is between me and the owners. It’s personal.”

©2011 AFP

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Platini renews call for 2022 World Cup in winter

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UEFA supremo Michel Platini defended his decision to support Qatar at the controversial World Cup ballot

European football chief Michel Platini has renewed his calls for the 2022 World Cup to be staged in the middle of the European winter to avoid the searing summer heat of Qatar.

UEFA supremo Platini, widely regarded as the heir apparent to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, indicated in an interview with The Daily Telegraph he plans to push for the tournament to be moved from its traditional slot in June and July.

Any move to reschedule the World Cup is likely to meet with strong resistance from top leagues across Europe, which have estimated it will bring scheduling problems for three years leading into the tournament.

Platini remains adamant that the tournament in Qatar can be slotted into a mid-winter date with a minimum of disruption.

“The World Cup is the most important moment for the game every four years, but where does it say we always have to play in June? I don?t see the problem of playing in December,” Platini told The Telegraph.

“What is the problem for the Premier League to finish at the end of May instead of the beginning, and recuperate the time in December? We have to put the World Cup and the fans first.”

Platini also defended his decision to support Qatar at the controversial World Cup ballot in December 2010, insisting there was no contradiction between his vote for the Gulf state and his desire to move the date.

He also denied his support for Qatar had been influenced by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

“The vote and the summer are two different things,” argued Platini. “I voted for a region that never received the World Cup, that was my philosophy, not because Sarkozy had lunch with me.

“I have enough personality to decide what is good for football, not for the president of France or the prime minister of Great Britain, who also wanted my vote.

“But I thought, after South Africa 2010, where it was zero degrees at 5pm and there was no life for the fans, how can we ask the fans and players to go to this country when it is 50 or 60 degrees in July? I think the best time to play is winter.”

Meanwhile Platini revealed he does not plan to attend France’s Euro 2012 clash with England in Ukraine in June.

“People will say I am there to talk to the referee,” he said.

©2011 AFP

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