Yahoo! News Canada - Africa Headlines

CA-BUSINESS Summary

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:25:40 -0400

TSX rises as gold miners lone sore spot TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose on Friday as robust economic data helped drive gains in energy stocks and financial shares, offsetting weakness in gold producers. The materials sector, a major component of the S&P/TSX composite which includes gold miners, was the lone sector to finish in the red of ten main sectors, as the price of gold fell for a seventh straight session. ...

McDowell tames Thongchai to win first World Match Play

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:25:33 -0400

KAVARNA, Bulgaria (Reuters) - Britain's Graeme McDowell came from behind to win his maiden World Match Play Championship with a 2 & 1 victory over Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee on Sunday. Former U.S. Open Champion McDowell, the highest-ranked player in the field, battled back from two holes down after four and one at halfway to secure his eighth European Tour title. "I'm very excited because it's a massive event and it was hugely disappointing to lose the final last year," said McDowell, who was beaten by Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts in 2012. "This was a fantastic week for me. ...

Bradley remains in charge despite late bogey

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:44:09 -0400

(Reuters) - Former champion Keegan Bradley overcame a wobbly start to stay on track for a wire-to-wire victory at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, despite bogeying the par-four 18th for a third day in a row on Saturday. Three ahead of the chasing pack overnight, the 26-year-old American ground out a two-under-par 68 on a fast-running layout in tricky, gusting winds to end the third round with a slender one-shot lead at 13-under 197. ...

Even before first drops flow, Uganda's oil beset by bribery charges, political interference

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:23:00 -0400

KAMPALA, Uganda - Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of a president whose firm control of the sector worries transparency campaigners.

SNC-Lavalin says former executive's illegal actions justify firing

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:10:04 -0400

MONTREAL - SNC-Lavalin says it was justified in firing a former executive last year because it claims he acted illegally to help smuggle the son of Libya dictator Moammar Gadhafi to Mexico.

Nigeria bombs Islamists, U.S. sounds alarm

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:55:16 -0400

By Lanre Ola MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian warplanes struck militant camps in the northeast on Friday in a major push against an Islamist insurgency, drawing a sharp warning from the United States to respect human rights and not harm civilians. Troops used jets and helicopters to bombard targets in their biggest offensive since the Boko Haram group launched a revolt almost four years ago to establish a breakaway Islamic state and one military source said at least 30 militants had been killed. ...

U.N. chief appoints former Dutch minister to head Mali mission

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:40:00 -0400

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday appointed former Dutch development minister Albert Gerard Koenders as U.N. special envoy for Mali and head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the West African country. Ban said Aichatou Mindaoudou Souleymane of Niger would replace Koenders as head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast. Souleymane is currently deputy envoy for the African Union and U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur. Koenders was the Dutch minister for development cooperation between 2007 and 2010 before he took up the Ivory Coast role in 2011. ...

Camps stepping up community service, teens signing up for pay-it-forward travel programs

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:55:36 -0400

NEW YORK, N.Y. - At 14, Tyler Cohen had never been out of the country or travelled without his Long Island family when he found himself in Costa Rica on a monthlong service trip for teens.

World Health Organization says single yellow fever shot enough to guarantee life-long immunity

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:23:53 -0400

GENEVA - The World Health Organization says a yellow fever booster vaccination given 10 years after the initial shot isn't necessary.

Double amputee completes gruelling trek from Edmonton to Calgary

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:44:13 -0400

CALGARY - Sore, but in good spirits, double-amputee Spencer West completed a gruelling 11-day trek from Edmonton to Calgary on Thursday.

Nadal overcomes disastrous 1st set to edge qualifier Gulbis and reach Rome quarterfinals

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:47:42 -0400

ROME - Six-time champion Rafael Nadal overcame one of the worst opening sets of his career to edge Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday and reach the Italian Open quarterfinals.

Actor Gregory Smith tries his hand behind the camera on 'Rookie Blue'

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:50:07 -0400

It's no surprise, really, that Gregory Smith is directing episodes of the series he co-stars in, "Rookie Blue." The Toronto-lensed cop drama returns for a fourth season May 23 on Global and ABC.

Nobel laureate Coetzee calls on Spain to drop pro-bullfighting legislation

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:56:52 -0400

LONDON - Nobel Literature laureate J.M. Coetzee has called on Spain to abandon plans to protect bullfighting, making a rare public appeal against what he called "an archaic form of entertainment."

David Beckham says he will retire from pro soccer at the end of the season

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:48:32 -0400

LONDON - David Beckham is retiring from soccer, ending a career in which he transcended the sport with forays into fashion and a marriage to a pop star that made him a global celebrity.

Over 20 South African boys die in circumcision rituals: police

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:55:38 -0400

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - More than 20 South African boys have died over the past week during coming of age rituals, police said on Thursday, and they blamed botched circumcisions as the likely cause of death. Northern Mpumalanga province's police department has opened 22 murder cases but no arrests have been made so far, spokesman Colonel Leonard Hlathi said. Every year in South Africa, boys aged 10 to 15 years from several of the country's tribal groups are circumcised in traditional "initiation rituals". The ceremonies usually take place over a number of weeks in remote rural areas. ...

Analysis: UK trade may struggle to stand still after EU exit

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:10:08 -0400

By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - As British Prime Minister David Cameron struggles to accommodate eurosceptics in his own party, trade experts warn that quitting the European Union would force Britain not just to rework trade relations with the EU, but also with the EU's trade partners and probably the World Trade Organization. Moreover, it would struggle to maintain the same level of trading rights it now enjoys, they say, including those that benefit London's financial centre, a major contributor to the national economy and a significant exporter. ...

RCMP probe more SNC officials over alleged bribes

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:11:13 -0400

CBC News has learned from a confidential source that RCMP are investigating a number of senior employees of SNC-Lavalin International Inc. over who knew about and who approved alleged bribes paid through a secret accounting system for projects in Africa and Asia.

Nevsun Resources raising dividend by 40 per cent with next semi-annual payout

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:39:27 -0400

VANCOUVER - Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX:NSU) is increasing its semi-annual cash dividend by 40 per cent, starting with the summer payout.

BlackBerry launches Q5; makes BBM available on iOS, Android devices this summer

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:13:07 -0400

ORLANDO, Fla. - BlackBerry announced an expansion of its popular BlackBerry Messenger service to iPhones and Android devices this summer and a new smartphone aimed at emerging markets as it kicked off its annual technology conference Tuesday.

Alliance Grain Traders reports best quarter since market soured in 2011

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:58:41 -0400

REGINA - Alliance Grain Traders Inc. (TSX:AGT) says it has benefited from an improvement in market conditions that began in late 2012 and continued into the first quarter of this year.

Former Bangladesh minister denies any role in SNC-Lavalin bribes in contract

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:04:36 -0400

MONTREAL - A former Bangladesh government minister hopes an impending trial in Toronto of former SNC-Lavalin executives accused of bribery will help clear suspicions he solicited bribes to favour the engineering company.

John Baird appoints Canada's first ambassador to Somalia in more than 20 years

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:06:03 -0400

OTTAWA - A longtime Canadian diplomat will become the country's first ambassador to Somalia in more than two decades.

Toronto index falls, while New York lifted amid negative economic data

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:00 -0400

TORONTO - The Toronto stock market plunged more than 100 points Wednesday as traders digested a slew of economic data signalling a possible slowdown in both the Canadian and U.S. economies.

Billion-year-old underground water could hold clues to early life on Earth, Mars

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:48:24 -0400

TORONTO - Deep underground within the Canadian Shield, scientists are probing for life — yes, life.

Swiss say terror financing reports jumped in 2012 amid suspected money laundering cases

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:49:26 -0400

GENEVA - Swiss authorities investigated several reports of terrorist financing among a high number of suspected money-laundering cases connected to banks last year, federal police said Tuesday.

UN General Assembly approves nonbinding resolution calling for political transition in Syria

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:13:16 -0400

The U.N. General Assembly approved an Arab-backed resolution Wednesday calling for a political transition in Syria, but more than 70 countries refused to vote "yes" because of its support for the main opposition group and fears the resolution could torpedo a new U.S.-Russia effort to end the escalating conflict.

AP Exclusive: Dick Pound's WADA report cites major failings in global drug-testing

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:02:31 -0400

LONDON - Dick Pound has written a report for the World Anti-Doping Agency assessing the current state of drug-testing. It doesn't paint a pretty picture.

U.N. condemns Assad forces, but unease grows about rebels

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:35:52 -0400

By Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces and praised the opposition on Wednesday, but a decline in support for the resolution suggested growing unease about extremism among Syria's fractious rebels. While the non-binding text has no legal force, resolutions of the 193-nation assembly can carry significant moral and political weight. ...

Loss of RCMP firearm labs will hurt police, critics say

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:44:15 -0400

Critics fear that police could lose timely access to a key technology used to investigate shootings as Ottawa shutters several regional forensic laboratories.

Nigerian troops on new offensive against Islamists

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:30:29 -0400

By Ibrahim Mshelizza and Emma Ande MAIDUGURI/YOLA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria launched a military campaign on Wednesday to flush Islamist militants out of their bases in remote border areas, after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the northeast. Nigerian troops deployed in large numbers, part of a plan to rout an insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist group that has seized control of parts of the region. ...

SNC-Lavalin International used secret code for 'bribery' payments

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:16:02 -0400

A division of Canadian engineering giant SNC-Lavalin has for years used a secret internal accounting code that former employees say was for bribes on projects across Africa and Asia, a joint investigation by CBC News and the Globe and Mail has found.

Former Dutch minister Koenders to be named UN Mali envoy-diplomats

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:33:42 -0400

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Former Dutch development minister Albert Gerard Koenders will be named U.N. special envoy for Mali and head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the West African country, where Islamist militants hijacked a revolt by Tuareg rebels, diplomats said on Wednesday. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has written to the U.N. Security Council to notify the 15 members of his intention to appoint Koenders, who is currently head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast, council diplomats said. ...

BlackBerry unveils new phone, expands BBM to rival devices

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:39:07 -0400

BlackBerry chief executive officer Thorsten Heins has unveiled a new smartphone for the developing world and says the company will soon offer its BBM messaging service on iPhones and Android-powered devices.

CA-TECH Summary

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:16:17 -0400

Nokia unveils new metal-body Lumia smartphone LONDON/HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia unveiled a lighter, metal model in its Lumia smartphone range, as it tries to catch the eye of buyers to close the huge market lead of rivals Samsung and Apple Inc in the lucrative handset market. The Lumia 925 is the latest in Nokia's range using Microsoft's Windows Phone software and will be sold for 469 euros ($610) before taxes and subsidies through carriers such as Vodafone and China Mobile. ...

South Africa: online video shows guide at game reserve charging on foot at elephant

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:24:26 -0400

JOHANNESBURG - A safari guide rushed on foot toward an elephant at a South African game park while fellow guides whooped and laughed at the foolhardy stunt, which cost the ranger his job when a video of the incident was posted online.

US appeals court weighs conviction of Somali man called biggest US piracy catch

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:19:36 -0400

RICHMOND, Va. - A federal appeals court is weighing the conviction of a Somali man called the biggest U.S. catch in the international war on piracy in waters off Africa.

Thieves in South Africa escape with stadium cash after Justin Bieber concert

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:11:29 -0400

JOHANNESBURG - South African police say thieves stole several hundred thousand dollars from a safe at a Johannesburg stadium where Justin Bieber and Jon Bon Jovi performed over the weekend.

Selena Gomez & Justin Bieber Show Moms Love For Mother's Day; Selena Says She's Single, Again

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:40:23 -0400

The "Are they? Aren't they?" saga continues for Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Two weeks removed from their cuddly black and white photo, Selena Gomez says she currently has "no strings attached."

Aeroplan operator Aimia increases dividend amid higher Q1 revenue but lower EPS

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:35:34 -0400

MONTREAL - Aimia Inc. (TSX: AIM) is increasing its quarterly dividend by a penny per share even though the operator of the Aeroplan loyalty rewards program also reports an 8.3 per cent decrease in its net earnings per share in the first quarter.

Montreal Science Centre adds 3-D Imax film to exhibition on sharks

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:36:40 -0400

MONTREAL - The Montreal Science Centre's temporary shark exhibit, which opened last month and runs throughout the summer, will soon have a big-screen supplement.