Barka! Ga abubuwan da ya kamata ka sani
NIGERIA/SATELITES: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has announced the successful launch of two observation satellites into orbit. Mr. Jonathan said the two satellites were launched at 7:45 UTC Wednesday from the town of Yasny in western Russia. He said a team of Nigerian engineers and scientists built one satellite, known as Nigeriasat-x, while the other, Nigeriasat-2, was built in collaboration with a British firm.
IVORY COAST/ARMY: Ivory Coast's minister of defense says the government will disarm and demobilize about 10,000 fighters in a bid to improve security. State media Wednesday quoted deputy defense minister Paul Koffi Koffi as saying the process should be completed by the end of the year.
SOMALIA/DROUGHT AID: Music super stars such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Justin Bieber are encouraging their fans to donate money for the famine victims in the Horn of Africa region. They're among a list of more than 150 celebrities supporting a new initiative by the humanitarian group “Save the Children”. This comes as some aid agencies say that, without more funding, it will be difficult to continue providing the help the region needs. Mariama Diallo has more.
OIC/SOMALIA FAMINE: Foreign ministers of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation are meeting in Turkey Wednesday to discuss how to combat the famine in Somalia.
US/SUDAN/WAR CRIMES: The United States is urging Sudan to allow independent investigators into its Southern Kordofan state after the United Nations reported alleged war crimes there.
MALAWI PROTESTS: Security forces are patrolling the streets of Malawi's main cities despite the postponement of anti-goverment rallies by activist groups.
LIBYA/AFRICAN MIGRANTS: Observers in the southeastern Libyan town of Al-Kufrah say 3,000 to 4,000 African migrants are living under horrific conditions in a camp on the southern outskirts of the town. One of the agencies involved in the mission, the International Organization for Migration, says the migrants, mainly from Chad and Sudan, have no basic services, are subject to theft and physical assault and are desperate to leave.
KENYA/HOA/NUTRITION: Malnutrition rates are skyrocketing in certain areas of the Horn of Africa, which is experiencing the worst drought in decades. To treat malnutrition, aid workers can choose from an array of powders, pastes, biscuits and other supplements loaded with micro-nutrients.
UN/HORN OF AFRICA: UN Humanitarian chief Valerie Amos briefs reporters on her return from the Horn of Africa where she visited camps and met those affected by the spreading famine.
ZIMBABWE: A southern African summit in Angola Wednesday will focus on unrest in several member states, including Madagascar and Zimbabwe.
