Cholera Outbreak In Sierra Leone Hits Emergency Levels

Many dead as Cholera levels surge in Sierra Leone.

An outbreak of cholera in Sierra Leone has infected more than 10,000 people and killed at least 176, authorities said as they appealed for international assistance.

Underscoring the severity of the situation in the West African country, President Ernest Bai Koroma declared the outbreak an "emergency issue" on Thursday. Minister of Health and Sanitation Zainab Hawa Bangura told The Associated Press that Koroma has set up a task force to prepare a budget that will be needed to stem the outbreak.

"All of this is the aftermath of the 11 years rebel war when we had a huge rural-to-urban migration and a huge population clustered in the urban area where adequate provision has not been made for water and sanitation. This is what we have been witnessing today, " she said.

She said that in the capital, Freetown, there have been about 100 deaths during the past month, especially in congested areas where there is the problem of water and sanitation.

"It is important to request help from the international community in order to spread the mobilization of resources," she said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said there has been a spike in reported cholera cases since mid-July and the onset of the rainy season. Over the past 5 weeks, 6,000 cases alone have been confirmed and many other cases might not been officially reported.

"This current outbreak of cholera has the potential to be devastating and is proving very difficult to control," said Amanda McClelland, IFRC Emergency Health Coordinator. "We are particularly concerned by the rising numbers in Freetown which suffers from overcrowding, poor sanitation and lack of safe water access — all factors which contribute to this deadly disease."

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine, contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food or liquids, that can cause acute diarrhea and vomiting and can kill within hours. Neighboring Guinea, parts of Mali and Niger have also been affected by the outbreak, the Red Cross said.


Via Global News

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Dies

Ethiopia's Deceased Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's long-time ruler who held tight control over this East African country but was a major U.S counter-terrorism ally, died of an undisclosed illness after not being seen in public for weeks, Ethiopian state television said Tuesday. He was 57.

Meles died Monday just before midnight after contracting an infection, state TV announced Tuesday. Hailemariam Desalegn, who was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs in 2010, is now in charge of the Cabinet, state TV said.

Meles hadn't been seen in public for about two months. In mid-July, after Meles did not attend a meeting of heads of state of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, speculation increased that his health problems were serious.

Ethiopian officials gave no details and said the prime minister was in "very good" health and would return to office soon, but international officials said quietly it was unlikely he would recover.

State TV on Tuesday showed pictures of Meles as classical music played in the background.

Born on May 8, 1955, Meles became president in 1991 and prime minister in 1995, a position that is both the head of the federal government and armed forces.

The U.S. has long viewed Meles as a strong security partner and has given hundreds of millions of dollars in aid over the years. U.S. military drones that patrol East Africa — especially over Somalia — are stationed in Ethiopia.

Though a U.S. ally, Ethiopia has long been criticized by human rights groups for the government's strict control. Dissent is met with a strict government response.

During Meles' election win in 2005, when it appeared the opposition was likely to make gains, Meles tightened security across the country, and on the night of the election he declared a state of emergency, outlawing any public gathering as his ruling party claimed a majority win. Opposition members accused Meles of rigging the election, and demonstrations broke out. Security forces moved in, killing hundreds of people and jailing thousands.

In 2010 Meles won another five years in office while receiving a reported 99 per cent of the vote. Meles is the longtime chairman of the Tigray People's Liberation Front and has always identified strongly with his party.

"I cannot separate my achievements from what can be considered as the achievements of the ruling party. Whatever achievement there might have been, it does not exist independent of that party," Meles once said when asked what he thought would be his legacy.

Meles grew up in the northern town of Adwa, where his father had 13 siblings from multiple women. He moved to the capital, Addis Ababa, on a scholarship after completing an eight-year elementary education in just five.

State TV said funeral arrangements would be announced soon.

Via Global News

Egypt's President Accused Of News Censorship

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi slammed for censorship.

Egypt’s president has come under fire for censoring news outlets over charges of 'fueling sedition.' The ruling Muslim Brotherhood party’s move to stifle critics has sparked fears they are adopting the repressive tactics they pledged to abolish.
State prosecutors filed lawsuits against two journalists this week, and an entire issue of opposition newspaper al-Doustour was pulled by state censors.

Air France Flight Beg Passengers For Gas Money At Landing In Damascus

A plane of French company Air France.

An awkward emergency landing in Syria was bad enough, but the crew of Air France Flight 562 was forced to beg passengers for money to buy more fuel.
The plane, heading from Paris to the Lebanese capital with 185 people on board, was diverted over tensions near the Beirut International Airport. Low on fuel, the flight made an emergency landing in Damascus.
Sanctions against Syria increased the cost of the refueling, an Air France spokesperson said. The asked passengers for cash only as a "precautionary measure" because of the "very unusual circumstances," they said.

South Africans Protest 'Apartheid'-like Violence

Strikers near the South African Marikana platinum mine. Image credit  Reuters, RT/Siphiwe Sibeko

Thousands of protesters gathered at the South African Marikana platinum mine to demand justice after police shot and killed 34 miners. Many demonstrators said the shootings recalled violence from the country's Apartheid era.
The protesters demanded an explanation for why police fired automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns at striking miners on Thursday. Relatives of those killed also complained that police and the mine's management failed to produce a notarized list of those killed.

Ramadan Ends.

Indian Muslims offer prayers on the last Friday of Ramadan during a rain shower at the Kharudin Mosque in Amritsar on Friday, August 17. A three-day festival begins after the sighting of a new crescent moon. During Ramadan, devout Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk.Image credit CNN

Mubarak! Ramadan officially ends today!

Syrian And Jordanian Forces Clash In Border Area.

Syria and Palestine forces clash in border.

Fighting broke out between Jordanian and Syrian forces in a border region between the two countries overnight, but a Jordanian source said on Saturday no one on Jordan's side appeared to have been killed.

A Syrian opposition activist who witnessed the fighting said armoured vehicles were involved in the clash in the Tel Shihab-Turra area, about 80 km (50 miles) north of the Jordanian capital Amman, that occurred after Syrian refugees tried to cross into Jordan.

"The Syrian side fired across the border and fighting ensued. Initial reports indicate that there has been no one killed from the Jordanian side," said the Jordanian source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Jordanian troops have fired near the border in the past to stop Syrians from shooting at fleeing refugees.

Western nations and regional powers fear the Syrian conflict could spill into neighbouring countries. The 17-month uprising has turned into a civil war with a sectarian angle that has the West lining up with Sunni Muslim nations behind the mainly Sunni rebels and against President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the Alawite minority sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.

Syria's long border with Jordan has been an escape route for opponents of Assad, including Prime Minister Riad Hijab who defected this week.

In Syria's largest city and commercial hub Aleppo, rebels fighting Assad's forces said they would hit back after losing ground under heavy bombardment. Residents in the city of 2.5 million have been fleeing in cars crammed with belongings.

The rebels have been pushed back from the Salaheddine district, which controls the approach to the city. They surged into both Aleppo and the capital Damascus last month in their boldest offensive of the uprising.

Assad's forces have repelled the rebels from Damascus, but are having a harder time dislodging them from Aleppo.

"I have about 60 men positioned strategically at the front line and we are preparing a new attack today," said Abu Jamil, a rebel commander near Salaheddine. Sniper fire had prevented his men from retrieving a comrade's body for two days, he said.

Reuters journalists saw residents stream from Aleppo on Friday, seizing on a calm spell to pack vehicles with mattresses, fridges and toys. At least two air force planes and a drone flew overhead. Random shooting echoed from Salaheddine.

Some Salaheddine residents slipped back into the shattered neighbourhood to try to salvage possessions, despite army snipers. Two civilians were hit by gunfire in nearby streets.

One man with an apparent gunshot wound was dragged off the street by rebels and treated by medics before being taken to a field clinic. A second man was wounded in the back and arm. Blood soaked through the sleeve of his yellow jacket and his face was contorted in pain as rescuers put him in a vehicle.

In an apparent effort to project an air of normalcy, state television screened footage dated August 10 of a calm Aleppo, including images of its ancient citadel - a U.N. World Heritage site - and cars flowing freely around a traffic circle.

In Damascus, residents reported shelling of the southeastern district of Shebaa and said nine tanks could be seen on the road heading out to the airport.

Assad is trying to crush the revolt against his family's 42-year rule in the pivotal Arab country. His mostly Sunni foes are backed by Sunni-led states like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

NEW U.S. SANCTIONS

The United States imposed another round of sanctions on Friday that targeted Syria's state-run oil company Sytrol for trading with Iran, and the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah for aiding the Syrian government.

Repeated rounds of U.S. and European sanctions, announced every few months, have had a negligible impact on the war. Russia and China have blocked U.N. Security Council action that would have allowed tighter, global sanctions against Damascus.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Turkey on Saturday, where she will discuss Syria with Turkish officials. Turkey, a NATO member and regional military power, has emerged as one of the main opponents of Assad.

U.S. officials are particularly interested in Turkey's analysis of the political forces emerging in Syria, hoping that together they can puzzle out the complex patchwork of rebel groups jockeying for position.

Iran, Syria's closest foreign ally, called for "serious and inclusive" talks between Assad's government and the opposition at a meeting of countries sympathetic to Assad in Tehran on Thursday.

"There will be no winner in Syria," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a message to the conference. "Now, we face the grim possibility of long-term civil war destroying Syria's rich tapestry of interwoven communities.

Diplomats said veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi could be named next week to replace the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, who quit in frustration after his peacemaking efforts proved futile.

Brahimi said U.N. Security Council states and regional powers needed to work together to bring peace.

Assad's offensive to reassert control over Aleppo follows a successful drive to expel rebels from parts of Damascus that they seized after a bomb in the capital killed four of his senior aides on July 18.

His grip on the country has been eroded and his authority was further shaken by his prime minister's defection this week, but his forces have also consistently demonstrated their overwhelming firepower advantage against lightly-armed rebels.

Egypt media say 6 Sinai "Terrorists" Captured After Attack On Border Guards.

Egyptian border guard looks on as Palestinian  travelers cross the border. 

The Egyptian army has captured six people it regards as "terrorists" in Sinai after an attack on a police station earlier this week that killed 16 border guards near the border with Israel, a military source told state media on Friday.

Egypt sent hundreds of troops and armoured vehicles into North Sinai on Thursday to tackle militants operating near the border in an offensive commanders said had killed up to 20 people they deemed terrorists.

The action, which Cairo says is its biggest military operation in the desert region since its 1973 war with Israel, is seen as crucial to maintaining stable relations between the former foes who signed a peace treaty in 1979.

Israel fears Islamist militants based in the increasingly lawless region could link up with Palestinian jihadis in the neighbouring Gaza Strip to launch attacks on the Jewish state - potentially jeopardising the peace accord.

The military source told state television that six militants had been captured in the border settlement of Sheikh Zuwaid, where on Wednesday Egyptian warplanes fired rockets at suspected militant hideouts.

Separately, an army official told the al-Ahram state newspaper that preparations were underway to raid the mountainous Jebel El Halal region in Central Sinai in order to purge it of "terrorist" elements.

A Reuters witness said several army tanks were heading towards al-Arish on Friday, the main administrative centre in North Sinai. In the past two days, the witness had only seen armoured vehicles mounted with machine guns in the region.

More army reinforcements, including troops and tanks, had been sent to Arish on Friday, the state newspaper al-Ahram said.

A security source in North Sinai told Reuters that seven and not six men had been detained, but that figure could not be immediately corroborated.

He said the detained men had been previously arrested after bombings in resorts along Sinai's southern Red Sea coast between 2004-2006 that killed or wounded hundreds of foreign tourists. They had been jailed for months, he said, but were freed without charges.

However, some Sinai residents have been sceptical about the army's reported crackdown, saying they had seen no sign of anyone being killed in what they described as a "haphazard" operation.

Disorder has been spreading in North Sinai, a region with many guns that is bristling with resentment over neglect by Cairo, since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February last year in a popular uprising. Mubarak's government had worked closely with Israel to secure the border region.

Newly elected Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, who took office in June, has promised to restore stability.

He arrived in al-Arish on Friday to assess the security situation, the state news agency said. It was Mursi's second visit this week to the border area following the attack.

He was accompanied by Defence Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and Sami Enan, the chief-of-staff of the armed forces, state television said.

Mursi has brushed aside accusations that his background in the Muslim Brotherhood, and ideological affinity with the Islamist Hamas rulers in Gaza, might lead him to take a softer line on militants bent on the destruction of Israel.

DISMISSALS

Mursi sacked the country's intelligence chief on Wednesday and announced other changes in the security apparatus.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in al-Arish on Friday to denounce the attack on the police station and show support for the army. They demanded that the Camp David accord be modified to allow the Egyptian army full control of the peninsula.

They also called for Egypt's al-Azhar institution, the highest authority in Sunni Islam, to help spread moderate understanding of the religion.

"We hope the army's campaign will achieve its goals," said 43-year-old Mohamed Ahmed. "We haven't felt safe for over two years now and we hear about people with weapons in the mountains. We hope the campaign reaches and eradicates them."

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas government in Gaza, pledged support on Thursday for Egypt's investigations into the attack, but urged it to reopen a vital border crossing closed since then.

Hamas has ruled out suggestions that Palestinian gunmen took part in the Sinai killings and has criticised Cairo for imposing "collective punishment" on the impoverished Mediterranean coastal enclave by sealing the border.

The Rafah crossing normally sees some 800 people a day leave for Egypt and beyond, and is the only window on the world for the vast majority of Gazans.

However, Egypt opened the Rafah border on Friday to allow the return of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia and those stranded on their way back to Gaza, the state news agency said, citing a high-ranking official.

The Hamas interior ministry said 1,500 Palestinians returned via the Rafah crossing on Friday and that it would also be open tomorrow, though only for those who wanted to return to Gaza.

Egypt has moved to seal myriad smuggling tunnels connecting Sinai and the Gaza Strip since Sunday's attack. The Egyptian state newspaper al-Ahram said on Friday some 150 tunnels had been destroyed. There are believed to be about 1,000 such tunnels.

"We want this crossing to remain open for goods and for people. When this happens there will be no need for tunnels," senior Hamas official Ahmer Bahar told worshippers at a Gaza mosque on Friday.

"Tunnels were an exceptional measure ... When we have a free trade corridor, this issue will come to an end," he said.

Tunnellers on the Egyptian side said Egyptian forces were not closing tunnels that were previously known to them and used to bring food and construction materials to Gaza.

Israel has welcomed Egypt's offensive while continuing to express worries about the deteriorating situation in Sinai, home to anti-Israel militants, disgruntled Bedouin tribes, gun-runners, drug smugglers and al Qaeda sympathisers.

Israel says Palestinian jihadi groups have been crossing from Gaza into Egypt and exploiting the security vacuum there by teaming up with local militants with the aim of attacking Israel's long border which runs south to the Red Sea.

Tourism in Sinai, especially along its Red Sea coast, has risen in the past decade, but security was tightened after the deadly bombings in 2004-2006 carried out by Islamist militants from the north who infiltrated across its wild mountainous interior.

U.N. Reports Fighting In Darfur. 25,000 Flee Affected Areas.

Refuges fleeing camps in Darfur as militia and government forces clash

In a report by CNN, 25,000 people living in a refugee camp in Sudan's Darfur region have fled amid fighting between armed militia groups and Sudanese government forces, U.N. officials said Friday.
Many of the refugees have sought shelter in nearby Kutum town or the Zariba area, the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said, but lack water, food and sanitation.
The U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA said reports indicated that the entire population of the Kassab camp had "fled because of the fighting."
The camp in North Darfur housed those who had already been displaced from their homes during nine years of conflict in the region.

President John Atta Mills Funeral To Be Held In Ghana Today.

Ghanaians have been flocking to Accra to mourn. Image Credit BBC.

The funeral of Ghanaian President John Atta Mills, who died suddenly in July, is to be held in the capital Accra.

Thousands of Ghanaians are expected to attend, as well as some 18 African heads of state and visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Mills, who had long suffered from throat cancer, died only five months before he was set to seek re-election.

The BBC's Vera Kwakofi in Accra says his death united Ghanaians in grief, and many are still in shock.

She says his death was seen as a test for the country's young democracy.

Mills, who started a four-year term in January 2009, was succeeded by Vice-President John Dramani Mahama.

Ghana has won international plaudits for the swift manner in which it handled the transition.

Mills is to be buried in a bird sanctuary next to the seat of government, the 17th-century Fort Christiansborg, also known as Osu Castle, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.

Tens of thousands of Ghanaians have been streaming into Accra in the past two days to pay their last respects to Mills as he lay in state.

Some mourners queued for hours, many of them wailing with grief, in lines up to 10km (6 miles) long outside the State House in Accra.

Hillary Clinton arrived from Nigeria to attend the funeral on Thursday, on the last stop of her 11-day seven-nation tour of Africa.

She is also due to hold talks with President Mahama.

Seen as a bastion of democracy in an often turbulent region, Ghana was chosen by President Barack Obama for his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president in 2009.

Mills was a senior political figure for many years.

Between 1997-2001 he served as vice-president to former military ruler Jerry Rawlings, but distanced himself from his former boss.

He came to power after narrowly winning against a candidate from the then governing New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, in polls in December 2008.