Zimbabwe got a whopping $950 million line of credit from China, a move seen as a major step toward the southern Africa nation’s much-needed recovery. Zimbabwe’s astronomical inflation and overall shaky economy has made its outreach for funds a top priority. During his three-week visit to Europe and the United States, Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met with heads of state in London, Washington, Berlin, Stockholm, Brussels and Paris to appeal for assistance. He called the tour an “overwhelming success,” saying he was able to re-connect Zimbabwe with foreign donors and that the first formal engagement in seven years with the European Union had led to a commitment of 150 million dollars. “While I was away, government through Finance Minister Tendai Biti also secured lines of credit from China totalling 950 million dollars (672 million euros),” said Tsvangirai, who returned to Harare at the weekend from a three-week tour to Europe and the United States. “The EU committed itself to availing us with transitional and humanitarian support to the tune of more than 150 million dollars.” Leaders had expressed reservations about the delays in full implementation of the deal underpinning the unity government with Tsvangirai’s former arch rival President Robert Mugabe, he said. “They asked, why, after almost five months, had fundamental obligations undertaken by the respective political parties not been implemented.”

Zimbabwe Will Get World Bank Money
Again The World Bank has promised to give Zimbabwe $22 million in aid. This is the Bank’s first aid to the country since 2000, when Zimbabwe started falling behind in repayments. The African nation, struggling with the world’s highest inflation rate, high unemployment and other difficulties has been asking the international community for $8.5 billion to help repair its economy, reports the BBC. The nation, though, has to start paying off its current debt if they’d like to see more World Bank money, an official said. “The first task is to see how Zimbabwe can get on with debt reduction,” said a World Bank official. Zimbabwe currently owes the organization and the African Development Bank more than $1 billion. Tendai Biti, Zimbabwe’s finance minister, said that the government would work out a repayment plan with the World Bank.
 

Nigeria’s Military Rescues Hostages
Over the past couple of days, Nigeria’s military says they’ve rescued 18 hostages captured in the nation’s oil-rich Niger Delta region by militants, reports CNN. Nine Filipinos and five Nigerians were released Saturday and four Ukrainians were released Sunday, according to a military spokesman. Fighting between the government and militants from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a group that is calling for the nation’s oil wealth to be distributed equally, has killed as many as 1,000, according to one official. MEND’s activities include damaging the nation’s oil facilities, which has resulted in a reduction of the nation’s oil exports.  The group declared war against the government late last week, following what they believe was a fatal bombing attack on civilians. “Casualties are mostly women, children and the elderly who could not get away quickly into the bush or high see,” the group said. Col. Rabe Abubakar, though, insists that while villages have been destroyed in the wake, civilians are not the target of any attacks by the government. “We are not attacking villages – just (militant) camps,” he said. “We want the international community to know that we are getting rid of criminals and terrorists in our communities so foreigners who come here to work and invest here are safe,” Abubakar said.

Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Injured, Wife Killed
A car crash left the wife of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai dead and the leader himself injured in the ordeal, and as CNN reports, some are left questioning whether the tragedy really was an accident. Tsvangirai sustained head injuries in the crash and went to nearby Botswana for treatment. He and his wife of 31 years, Susan, were traveling between Buhera and the nation’s capital, Harare, when a truck crashed into their vehicle. Members of Tsvangirai’s party, the Movement for Democratic Change, recently announced that they will be holding a rally in honor of Mrs. Tsvangirai Tuesday, saying she was “a mother to all of us. She was a pillar and foundation to our prime minister.” She is set to be buried in Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Tsvangirai “will definitely be back in the country in time for the burial set for Wednesday and the other formalities that go with the funeral. But I cannot give the media his itinerary as that comprises his security,” MDC spokesman, Nelson Chamisa, said. Mrs. Tsvangirai left behind her husband and six children. Tsvangirai, who not too long ago became part of a unity government with controversial longtime President Robert Mugabe, reportedly told party members he believed the truck drove into them deliberately. Members of the MDC reportedly are conducting their own investigation. Former U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, Tom McDonald, told CNN, that he, too, was skeptical about the crash, considering it’s not the first time Mugabe’s political enemies were involved in car accidents in the nation. He pointed out past fatal wrecks involving former Employment Minister Border Gezi in 1999; Defense Minister Moven Mahachi in 2001; and a government official Elliot Manyika in 2008. He also said, though, that traffic accidents are common in the country.
Haiti Gets $5 Million to Rebuild Schools
Last week, the World Bank announced they will be giving Haiti $5 million to rebuild the schools that were damaged by several storms last year, reports Agence France Presse. In 2008, four huge back-to-back storms (Tropical Storm Fay and hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike) devastated a swathe of the Caribbean nation’s infrastructure, including 1,000 elementary schools. The damaged schools led to a shortened school year for about 200,000 students, said the World Bank in a statement. “The project will set the foundation for the revision of school designs, the use of some schools as community shelters in times of crisis, and increased community ownership in the schools to rebuilt,” a World Bank official said. In total, last year’s storms killed 793 people and caused about $500 million in damage.

Will Sudan boycott Valentine’s Day?
Love-struck couples won’t be exchanging flowers, cards or candy in Sudan if some Muslim officials have their way. Clerics in the nation are calling for young people to boycott Valentine’s Day, saying it serves as a distraction to Muslims, reports the BBC. “Valentine’s Day comes from Western countries. I call on Muslims not to imitate Christians,” Muslim preacher Sheikh Hassan Hamid said in a statement released to Reuters.  “The money that is spent on Valentine’s Day would be better spent encouraging young people to marry,” he continued. While public displays of affection very rarely happen in the predominantly Muslim nation, the holiday has become more and more popular over the past few years, with more and more shops selling Valentine’s Day cards, reports the news service. And in some parks a few young couples can sometimes be seen sitting together, although a distance apart.

Zimbabwe’s New Prime Minister Meets Political Prisoners
On his first full day as prime minister, former Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai visited the nation’s political prisoners, reports CNN. Many rights activists and supporters of his party, Movement for Democratic Change, remain in prison, accused of trying to oust longtime President Robert Mugabe. While he isn’t sure whether they can be released soon, he’s confident his visit helped to lift their spirits. “Others are in good shape, but others, you know what happens in confinement. But their spirits are very high. …I’m happy that we managed to give them some moral support,” Tsvangirai said.  Tsvangirai was sworn in Wednesday as part of a new unity government with Mugabe. The two were also scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss Cabinet picks. “I’m going to hand over our list to the president for the Cabinet for tomorrow,” he told reporters. The leaders have their work cut out for them as the struggling nation is facing a growing cholera epidemic that has killed close to 4,000 people, and an economic meltdown that has caused teachers, doctors and nurses to go on strike for pay. Tsvangirai asked for them to return to work to get paid in foreign money. “We have to find the money to pay them. …We must find something to alleviate the plight of our people who have been receiving worthless currency,” he said. “If you are going to have a productive workforce, then you must boost the morale of the workers.”

Zimbabwe Leaders Hope to Unify Gov’t
Zimbabwe leaders will meet Tuesday in hopes of finalizing a power-sharing deal that has been in the works since September, reports CNN. After months of talks, Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, agreed to join a unity government with longtime leader Robert Mugabe’s party ZANU-Pf Friday. In the coalition government, Mugabe will retain his title and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai will serve as prime minister. “It remains our fervent hope that the outstanding issues are successfully resolved followed by debate, passing and enactment” of an amendment allowing the unity government to be formed. The amendment is needed for Tsvangirai to be sworn in next week. Some key points of contention, though, are fair division of important cabinet posts, the release of party members currently detained and the constitutional amendment.  The country has seen its share of difficulties during the political violence and uncertainty that plagued 2008. The out-of-control inflation rate has caused the nation to ditch its own currency, and a cholera epidemic has claimed the lives of thousands of people.
 

No Drugs Were on Obama’s Half Bro
Police dropped weed charges against Obama’s half brother.
http://www.bet.com/News/NewsArticleChargesDroppedAgainstObamasRelative.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished

Somali Ship Hijackings Drop
The number of ships hijacked by pirates off Somalia’s coast has plunged during the month of December, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The drop comes after an active year that saw more than 100 ships being attacked by Somali pirates, with 42 of them being successfully hijacked. “There have been many attempted attacks but there were only two vessels which were hijacked in December,” IMB’s director, Capt. Pottengal Mukundan, told the BBC. The drop could be attributed to the fact that several countries sent ships to the waters to help patrol the area. There were two recent attacks, though. On Thursday a pirate attack on an Indian oil tanker was thwarted by the Malaysian navy, who, after seeing the tanker’s SOS signal sent in a helicopter. But on the same day an Egyptian vessel with 28 crew members was hijacked by about 15 pirates and steered towards Somalia’s coast. “The crew are hostages. …There are efforts underway to conduct the necessary talks to free the ship,” said the Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed Rizq.

Activists to remain jailed in Zimbabw
Fourteen Zimbabwe activists, who stand accused of planning to bring down the government and President Robert Mugabe, were ordered by a court to remain jailed pending a Supreme Court hearing, reports CNN. “It is clear that the attorney general has appealed against the high court judgment. For that reason, the accused cannot be released at this stage,” said Judge Mishrod Guvamombe. Nine activists, including the head of the rights group Zimbabwe Peace Project, were recently charged with recruiting citizens to participate in military training to overthrow the government. Seven others were charged with banditry, which, in Zimbabwe, carries the death penalty. Two activists were released.  The majority of those arrested are members of the opposition party Movement of Democratic Change. The party’s leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, had said he’d pull out of the power-sharing deal he signed in September with Mugabe if the accused were not released by the end of the year.

South African teens are getting high off HIV drugs. Teens in South Africa are reportedly buying medication used to treat HIV and AIDS and smoking it to get high. Patients and healthcare workers are selling them the meds, reports the BBC. “I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked at first, these were school boys in their uniforms,” documentary maker, Tooli Nhlapo, told the BBC. “They take a pill and grind it, until it is a powder. Some also mix it with painkillers and others mix it with marijuana. They showed me how they roll it and smoke it,” said the filmmaker. AIDS patients have been caught smoking their medication instead of using it as prescribed, which doctors say will not help treat the virus. The anti-retroviral medication acts as a hallucinogen and has the effect of relaxing those who smoke it. “When you look at them, just a few seconds after taking it, they are in another world,” Nhlapo said. Healthy people who smoke the drugs could be putting themselves in danger, according Dr. Kas Kasongo. “People who are healthy that are taking this medication are exposing themselves to potential side-effects of these drugs,” he said. He also said patients are also putting their health at risk by not taking the drugs as they are supposed to. “We don’t have more than 20 anti-retroviral drugs on the market and, remember, they have to be used in a cocktail of at least three or four,” he said. “Therefore, abusing a particular drug, whichever it is, is a concern because it can give rise to resistance to drugs within that same group.” 

Zimbabwe president says cholera outbreak is over. Despite what international health organizations are saying, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe believes that the outbreak in cholera in his nation is over, reports Reuters. “I am happy we are being assisted by others, and we have arrested cholera,” Mugabe said in a speech Thursday where he also accused the West of trying to invade Zimbabwe. “Now that there is no cholera, there is no case for war.” The water-borne illness, which is normally easily treated and prevented, has killed almost 800 people in the nation, and a United Nations agency says that number is on the rise.  The death toll rose to 783 and 16,403 Zimbabwean are believed to have cholera, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “The figures speak for themselves. We hope that the joint efforts of the United Nations and government will contribute to halting the epidemic,” said a spokeswoman for the group in response to Mugabe’s words. And U.S. agency, USAID, also insists the outbreak is ongoing and that they are sending an additional $6.2 million in aid. “This is a cholera outbreak that is ongoing and urgent. This is clearly a humanitarian crisis,” an official from the group told reporters. The nation’s opposition movement, Movement for Democratic Change, whose leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is in deadlocked talks to form a unity government with Mugabe, also denounced his claim. “We remain on the side of the people, while Zanu-Pf [Mugabe's party] remains on the side of terror,” and MDC statement said. French officials also accuse the Zimbabwe president of not letting in aid workers to slow the disease’s spread. “Contrary to what Mugabe says, the cholera epidemic is not under control. … France strongly regrets this decision and calls on Zimbabwe’s authorities to allow aid to reach the population,” a spokesman said. The disease could spread to 60,000 people if it’s not treated, says the U.N.

Condoleezza Rice says Zimbabwe’s president must go. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is urging South Africa to increase its pressure on a neighboring countries leader to step down. Calling it “well past time” for Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe to leave office, Rice urged involvement. Mugabe’s rule has left much of the nation divided and in ruin. Rice’s criticism is not her first verbal lashing of the president, who she previously called a disgrace to African people.

 Zimbabwe opposition leader threatens to quit. Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he would resign from the nation’s unity government if President Robert Mugabe won’t give up his party’s power over important ministries, reports CNN.  After two disputed elections, the two leaders signed a power-sharing deal in September, agreeing to split power within the government between the two parties. But Tsvangirai says Mugabe’s party, Zanu-Pf, was given control over the defense, justice, home and foreign affairs ministries, while his party, the Movement for Democratic Change, was given control over less important ministries. “An idiot wouldn’t accept that. That is not power sharing, it is power grabbing” Tsvangirai, who was appointed prime minister under the plan, told a crowd of thousands of supporters. “Robert Mugabe, stop that because if you don’t, we have no right to be part of such an arrangement,” he said. If Zanu-Pf is in control of the of the nation’s army, then MDC should be in control of the nation’s police force, Tsvangirai argues. Ousted South African President Thabo Mbeki is due to return to the nation Monday to mediate talks between the two leaders. Mugabe spokesman George Charamba defended the way power was divided and accused MDC of having outside influence. “The fact that rival political parties in Europe and America are all comfortable in partnering with the MDC here means the MDC is politically colorless except the color that comes from outside,” Charamba told a local paper.

T.D. Jakes excites thousands of South Africans. Popular U.S. preacher TD Jakes electrified a crowd of over 100,000 South Africans during his Mega Fest event this weekend, reports the Times. The Mega Fest, which has brought out hundreds of thousands of people since its inception in 2004, occurred outside of the U.S. for the first time. Many in the diverse crowd (which included thousands of Americans) were crying and falling out during Jakes’ sermon; one woman even said she had been healed and got out of her wheelchair. Jakes’ talked about a theme popular in this year’s election in the U.S.: change. “A change is coming,” he said. “Everyone is talking about change. Barack Obama is talking about change. Now John McCain is talking about change. The change is coming, but it is not coming from government, it is not coming from the White House, it is coming from the church house,” he said. A health fair, called MegaCare, also provided over 500 health checks and HIV tests during the festival.