Tanzanian Presidential Communications – The Arusha Process re-entery to Peace-Talks between Dr. Rick Machar and President Salva M. Kiir – South Sudan (20th January 2015)

Press Release: NAU activists remanded in Luzira prison (21.1.2015)

Another exhibition of misuse of the law to persecute unemployed Ugandans who are peacefully trying to alert the govt about the level of unemployment situation.
Back ground to this story is yesterday NAU members peacefully set off to deliver a letter to the police HQ in accordance to to the legal regime, however they were brutally intercepted and bundled in to police pick up trucks.
Today to our dismay the state charged them with a case of unlawful assembly, the six are namely:

Prince Kahemba Babi
Busigye Phionah
Awangi Bethwell
Buhembo Habib
Serungogi Rashid
We consider this as a flagrant abuse of the law by the Nakawa magistrate to remand the activist for delivering a letter.
Wabulembo Robin also a NAU activist who appeared in Mwanga court was granted a cash bail of 200,000sh. We condemn the habit of granting cash bail to the unemployed youth.

(From the NAU Sources)

Thembo Kash on the Kinshasa protests (19.1.2015)

Press Release – The Somali Forum for Unity and Democracy(SFUD) wlecomes the prime ministers withdrawel of the list of cabinet appointees (17.1.2015)

Joint Press Release on the Official Visit of Prime Minister of Bhutan to India (18.1.2015)

January 18, 2015

At the invitation of the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan made an official visit to India from 10-18 January 2015. The Prime Minister’s itinerary included visits to Ahemadabad, Gujarat from 11-13 January, New Delhi from 14-15 January, Varanasi and Bodhgaya from 16-18 January 2015.

The Prime Minister of Bhutan was accompanied by his spouse Aum Tashi Doma, Hon’ble Foreign Minister Rinzin Dorji, Hon’ble Economic Affairs Minister Norbu Wangchuk and other senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

While in Ahemadabad, the Prime Minister of Bhutan attended the Vibrant GujaratSummit and also visited a number of very successful projects initiated by Prime Minister Shri Modi in Gujarat such as the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT), Solar Park, Kaushal Vardhan Kendra (Skill Development Institute), Sabarmati river front, Garima Park and Kids City. Further, Prime Minister also visited the Buddhist sites in Vadnagar.

On 11th January 2015, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay addressed the inaugural session of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit along with several other visiting dignitaries. The Summit was preceded by a breakfast meeting hosted by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi for the visiting dignitaries. Prime Minister Shri Modi also hosted a lunch for the visiting dignitaries.

On 10th January 2015 afternoon, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay met Prime Minister Shri Modi and had wide-ranging discussions on bilateral relations as well as on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. The two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction with the existing very close ties of friendship and understanding between India and Bhutan and reiterated their resolve to further strengthen their cooperation.

The two Prime Ministers agreed that cooperation in the field of hydropower was mutually beneficial and a win-win situation for both countries. They expressed satisfaction over the progress of the three ongoing HEPs totaling 2940 MW under the inter-governmental model. They reiterated their commitment to the 10,000 MW initiative and in this context to the early implementation of the four JV-model projects, totaling 2120 MW.

The Prime Minister of Bhutan also had a meeting with the Chief Minister of Gujarat Smt. Anandiben Patel. They discussed areas of cooperation between Bhutan and Gujarat including promotion of investments from Gujarat in Bhutan and other business links.

In New Delhi, Prime Minister of Bhutan called on the President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He had meetings with Shri Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance, Shri Manohar Parrikar, Minister of Defence, Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Power, Shri Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor and Smt. Sujatha Singh, Foreign Secretary .

The meetings were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the spirit of mutual trust, cooperation and understanding that characterize the unique and special relations between the two countries.

From 16-18 January, Prime Minister of Bhutan visited the holy sites in Varanasi and Bodhgaya. In Bodhgaya, the Prime Minister of Bhutan was presented a sapling of the Bodhi tree as a gift by the people of India to the people of Bhutan during a very special year when the Bhutanese people are celebrating the 60th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan.

The visit of the Prime Minister of Bhutan to India reinforced the tradition of regular visits at the highest levels, and extensive exchange of views between close friends. It further strengthened the excellent bilateral relations between India and Bhutan.

Bodhgaya
January 18, 2015

Press Statement by FAWU on the Campaign for Privatization-by-a-back Door (16.1.2015)

16 January 2015

The Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) notes with disgust, the suggestions and proposals; made by some representatives of Big Business and Capital, such as Barclays Bank, and by some political parties, such as the Democratic Alliance (DA); for our Government to consider embarking on Privatization of State-owned Enterprises, at the back of ESKOM’s electricity delivery challenges as a justification.

We wish to reject such suggestions and proposals with contempt they deserve and regard those as nothing but blackmailing program to the Government to privatize those critical assets to the highest or even lowest bidder from the ranks of private sector.

We call on our Government to employ a professionally-based yet development-mandate program to get ESKOM and, certainly several more of the State-owned Enterprises (SOEs), back into shape for a continued role as an enabler and catalyst for economic development and delivery of basic needs to the people.

Therefore, FAWU will not accept any attempt, even an inch of such a move, to privatise those SOEs and doing so will be regarded as a sell-out policy offensive against the clarion call of a radical phase of the transition and to the agenda of a radical socio-economic transformation in eradicating poverty, substantially reducing inequalities and creating full employment with decent jobs.

If anything, FAWU will mobilize for a, or be part of any, rolling mass action that is likely to unfold from the working class formations and communities.

The R86 billion could easily be achieved through a re-introduction of a progressive taxation system and the increased taxes to the rich than through sale of shares in companies owned by the State.

We hope our government will ignore such calls and, instead, embark on fiscal expansionism by raising taxes for the rich individuals and to the corporates so as to mobilise resources needed to support SOEs, to roll-out both social and economic infrastructure and to deliver basic services to and/or meet basic needs of the people.

For more information feel free to contact the FAWU General Secretary, Katishi Masemola at 082 467 2509

Issued by
KATISHI MASEMOLA
FAWU General Secretary

– See more at: http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=9915#sthash.5fyskRXf.dpuf

WHO Press release: Ebola in West Africa: 12 months on (15.1.2015)

Note for the media
15 January 2015

One year after the first Ebola cases started to surface in Guinea, WHO is publishing this series of 14 papers that take an in-depth look at West Africa’s first epidemic of Ebola virus disease.

The papers explore reasons why the disease evaded detection for several months and the factors, many specific to West Africa, that fuelled its subsequent spread.

The most extensive papers trace events in each of the 3 most severely affected countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. These countries shared many common challenges, shaped by geography, culture, and poverty, but each also faced, addressed and sometimes solved some unique problems.

Key events are set out chronologically, starting with the child who is believed to be the index case of this epidemic through to the Director-General’s commitment to steadfastly support affected countries until they reach zero cases.

The report also looks back at WHO’s response over the past 12 months, including the 9 August declaration of an international health emergency. It documents the many challenges faced by countries and the international community in dealing with the largest, longest, most severe, and most complex Ebola outbreak in history.

Throughout the report, the contributions of national governments and their many partners weave in, as does the great human misery caused by a terrible and terrifying disease.

Other papers provide insight into:

• how the fast-track development of Ebola vaccines, treatments and rapid diagnostic tests is progressing, with no compromise of safety and efficacy standards;
• how Senegal, Nigeria and likely Mali managed to contain imported cases and bring their own outbreaks under control;
• the state of worldwide vigilance and preparedness, especially in countries targeted by WHO as being at greatest risk of an imported case.

The report also looks ahead. Based on what was learned during the previous year, what critical strategies and interventions will give countries and their partners the best chance of bringing the outbreaks under control?

• Read about Ebola in West Africa: 12 months on

WHO media contacts:

Gregory Hartl
Communications Officer
Telephone: +41 22 791 4458
Mobile: +41 79 203 6715
Email: hartlg@who.int

Tarik Jasarevic
Communications Officer
Telephone: +41 22 791 50 99
Mobile: +41 79 367 62 14
E-mail: jasarevict@who.int

Press Release 2015-009: NATO Secretary General statement on closer cooperation with Serbia

Issued on 16 Jan. 2015.

I welcome the Individual Partnership Action Plan agreed between NATO and the Republic of Serbia. This important step will allow us to further strengthen dialogue, understanding and cooperation between us.

The Republic of Serbia has been a valued member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme since 2006.  NATO fully respects the Republic of Serbia’s policy of military neutrality and works closely with many countries on such a basis.

The new agreement concluded on 15 January will allow us to enhance our cooperation on issues of common interest and to our mutual benefit.  For instance, in working together to promote stability and security, in addressing the security challenges that we face today, and through NATO’s provision of defence and security sector reform expertise.

Press Statement: First Cabinet Meeting Held on 15th January 2015 (Kenya)

MDC-T Press statement on the Opening of the 2015 Judicial Year (12.01.2015)