SmallShop....Africa News

Prime Minister Raila Odinga is recuperating at the Nairobi hospital after undergoing surgery on the left side of his head last night to ease what doctors described as a build up of pressure. Raila reportedly checked himself in the hospital on Monday evening feeling exhausted as well as having a severe headache which prompted the doctors to admit him and conduct the operation at night. According to neurosurgeon doctor Oluoch Olunya who performed the surgery, the exercise had been successful and that the prime minister is now under bed rest and as Chris Thairu reports, there was anxiety at the hospital throughout the day as word spread on the premier's hospitalisation. Related articles by Zemanta Kenyan prime minister has fluids drained from head (seattletimes.nwsource.com) Kenyan prime minister has fluid drained from brain (telegraph.co.uk) Kenyan prime minister hospitalized for fatigue (sfgate.com) Kenya premier Odinga in hospital (news.bbc.co.uk)

A fight broke out in Nigeria's parliament after a group of members were suspended for accusing the speaker of corruption. Related articles by Zemanta Nigerian MPs hurt in parliament (news.bbc.co.uk)

A Congolese band in South Africa feels the backlash of racism as the locals turn on economic migrants arriving for work on the World Cup. Related articles by Zemanta South Africa in World Cup migrant crackdown (africa.smallshop.com) South Africa govt to protect migrants during World Cup (reuters.com)

After a 24 year absence, Algerian football is back on the world scene. Why has it been out for so long? What does football stand for in Algeria? What does the future hold?... Related articles by Zemanta Back Team America to see off Algeria and qualify for the knockout rounds (origin.101greatgoals.com) Algeria prepare for World Cup battle by watching The Battle of Algiers (guardian.co.uk)

Football's biggest event has finally arrived on the African continent. Welcome to this special week in Africa from Durban, one of the hosts cities of the 2010 FIFA world cup. This is where three of the continent's top teams have set camp. In this special edition, we'll meet with the indomitable lions of Cameroon and we'll talk with its football star Samuel Eto'o. Related articles by Zemanta Cameroon 1 Denmark 2: Samuel Eto'o bemoans missed chances after exit (telegraph.co.uk) The mighty Eto'o strikes out (theglobeandmail.com) World Cup post-game: Denmark 2, Cameroon 1 (cbc.ca) Le Guen Says Eto'o Ready to Lead Cameroon (nytimes.com)

South Africa's Catholic faithful were encouraged not to despair for their national football team on Sunday as they prayed for a crucial victory in the 2010 World Cup. Related articles by Zemanta World Cup braces for possible early S.Africa exit (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

At least 160 people have died in Northern Nigeria, and this number is likely to increase as villagers continue to expose themselves to lead poisoning from illegal gold mining. The discovery of a gold deposit triggered a "gold rush" among impoverished farmers who dug up rocks by hand, unaware that the ore contained dangerously high concentrations of lead. Nigerian authorities have asked for assistance from various international agencies, including the World Health Organisation, to help contain the outbreak. Related articles by Zemanta Illegal gold mining leads to scores of deaths in northern Nigeria (cnn.com) Poison wipes out 163 in Zamfara (vanguardngr.com) Lead poisoning from mining kills 163 in Nigeria (reuters.com) Nigeria: 160 die from lead as villages seek gold (seattletimes.nwsource.com) Nigeria Lead-Poisoning Tests Widened (online.wsj.com)

SOWETO, South Africa, 18 June 2010 -- As the most-watched sports event worldwide, the FIFA World Cup 2010 is expected to attract more than a billion television viewers around the world. Across the host country, South Africa, fan parks known as FIFA 'Fan Fests' have set up huge TV screens and stages for live entertainment. An estimated half a million visitors and hundreds of thousands of local South Africans are watching matches in these public spaces. Aside from live TV matches and entertainment, a number of the Fan Fests also feature 'child-friendly spaces' -- places where children can play and get help if they are ever separated from their families, exposed to violence or abused. Related articles by Zemanta FIFA making enemies at World Cup in South Africa (philly.com)

After a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the World Cup, South Africa's national football team is hoping to make the country proud when it takes on Uruguay on Youth Day. After Wednesday's match in Pretoria, South Africa will face France on June 22 in Bloemfontein. Youth Day celebrates the June 16, 1976, Soweto Uprising, when black students rose up against the educational policies of the former apartheid government and were fired on. How many demonstrators were killed in the protest is still unclear, but estimates range from 200 to 600 people. From the scene of that pivotal bloody protest, Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull sent this report Related articles by Zemanta The image that changed the course of South Africa's history (cnn.com) World Cup 2010: South Africa inspired by chance to make history (guardian.co.uk)

FOOTBALL - Sorcery: South Africa's secret weapon Related articles by Zemanta S Africa to deport Argentina fans (news.bbc.co.uk) South Africa v Uruguay: Carlos Alberto Parreira wary of Diego Forlan threat (telegraph.co.uk)

Police in Kenya are expected to soon reveal what caused two explosions at a political rally in the capital, Nairobi. At least six people were killed and more than 100 others wounded during the incident on Sunday. The back-to-back explosions went off at a rally held to protest against a referendum on a new draft constitution. Al Jazeera's Zeina Awad reports from the capital. Related articles by Zemanta Explosion kills 3, wounds 75 at Kenya rally (ctv.ca) Three dead in Nairobi rally blast (independent.co.uk)

Egypt's chief prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the death of Khaled Saeed, a young man allegedly killed by police in the coastal city of Alexandria. Activists and family members say the 28-year-old was tortured to death for possessing video material implicating members of the police in a drug deal. The allegations were followed by protests in Alexandria and the Egyptian capital of Cairo where authorities responded with force. Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh reports on how police brutality has once again put the country's emergency law under attack. Related articles by Zemanta Egypt cafe owner describes police beating death (seattletimes.nwsource.com) Family says Egypt police brutally killed their son (seattletimes.nwsource.com) Egyptians beaten while protesting police brutality (ctv.ca)

Fans Celebrate Ghana Win Over Serbia Related articles by Zemanta Group D Leader Ghana 1 - Serbia 0 (manolith.com) To Delight of Crowd, Ghana Defeats Serbia on Penalty Kick (nytimes.com)

Residents of Sabasaba in Murang'a South are yet to come to terms with a tragic cat fight between co-wives which led to the death of one of them. It's reported one of the women overpowered her co wife and killed her following a land dispute. An irate mob then turned on the woman, beating her up senseless before she was saved by the police. Sheila Sendeyo has the detail

A new confrontation has emerged between the state and the clergy in Egypt . The country does not recognise a civil marriage , where a person's marital status depends on the laws of their religion. But the high court has ruled that Coptic Christians can re-marry following divorce, something their church forbids. The decision has sparked outrage in the Coptic community, as Al Jazeera 's Rawya Rageh reports

As the horrifying tale of how Phillip Onyancha killed nineteen victims continues to unfold, his family watches in utter shock. Ktn caught up with the confessed serial killer 's wife in Kisii today, where she revealed that even after four years of marriage she would never have suspected her soft-spoken husband of such despicable acts Related articles by Zemanta Hunt for 'killer cult' in Kenya (news.bbc.co.uk)

Football is historically popular with black South Africans , with whites preferring cricket and rugby. Back in 1995 when South Africa won the Rugby Union World Cup on home soil, the nation was briefly united in victory. Fifteen years on, can the football World Cup achieve something more lasting? Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports on the start of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa as the country still battles to fulfil Nelson Mandela 's dream of racial equality . Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports. Related articles by Zemanta Is the World Cup Bad for South Africa? (blogs.hbr.org) Tutu Says WCup to Outstrip Famed Rugby Win (nytimes.com) Alethea Gold Uses World Cup To Help South African Children (huffingtonpost.com)

All eyes are on South Africa as it prepares to host the 2010 World Cup and the country wants to show that it is ready for the football event. The government is set to deploy additional 40,000policemen to help bring security to one of the most dangerous countries in the world. But as Haru Mutasa reports from Johannesburg , some think this World Cup could be marred by an increasing level of violence. Related articles by Zemanta South Africa in World Cup migrant crackdown (africa.smallshop.com) South Africa's poor feel swept away.... (africa.smallshop.com) World Cup fever sweeping across South Africa (cbc.ca) South Africans celebrate before World Cup opener (seattletimes.nwsource.com) World Cup 2010: Journalist robbed at gunpoint in South Africa hotel (guardian.co.uk)

HAMUKUNGU, Uganda , 8 June 2010 -- As this fishing village comes to life in the early morning, a young girl wades into Lake George and fills a bright yellow plastic container with water. It's a common sight in Kasese district : men, women and children filling water containers in rivers and lakes, despite the very real threat of cholera . Last year, cholera infected more than 500 people in this area and killed about a dozen. While programmes encouraging the use of bottled or boiled drinking water have been initiated in many districts, experts say that deeply ingrained attitudes about cholera need to change before the situation can improve. "I think the one issue that we're not addressing is the behaviour change," said UNICEF Water and Environmental Sanitation Specialist Paul Semakula. "We're not looking at what [people] think about cholera. Their perspective is 'cholera is not dangerous.' After all, you get treated in two or three days and yo...

SENEGAL - France : France announced Tuesday it would shut down its military base in former colony Senegal and pull out all but 300 of its 1,200 troops there, a move Dakar had lobbied for to mark the 50th anniversary of its independence. Related articles by Zemanta Senegal retakes 1st military base from France (seattletimes.nwsource.com) French troops in Senegal pullout (news.bbc.co.uk) Senegal 'takes back French bases' (news.bbc.co.uk)

With a throw of her 'bones' and a conversation with the ancestors, traditional healer Winnie Mantsimbi says she knows South Africa won't win football's World Cup.

SOUTH AFRICA - With the World Cup just a week away, the construction of South Africa's stadiums, airports and roads has nearly come to a close. Yet while millions of soccer fans are just gearing up for the games, nearly 400,000 of South Africa's workers are finding themselves newly unemployed.

The streets of the historic South African township of Soweto burst into colour and music for a World Cup parade. .

Muslims say Obama has not only failed to honour his promises, but in certain respects has continued the policies of George W. Bush. They point to his increasingly stern language against Iran over its nuclear programme, the White House's refusal to join the broader global condemnation of Israel's attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, and the intensified drone attacks in Pakistan as some of the reasons. His supporters argue Obama has succeeded in reaching out to the Muslim world but must be given more time to carry out his policies.

One year after his speech in Cairo promising to repair ties with Islamic nations, has Barack Obama kept his word? The U.S. President pledged to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world "one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect." Trying to distance himself from his predecessor George W. Bush, Obama said it was time to end the mutual mistrust and suspicion. He said the U.S. had made mistakes in Iraq and renewed Washington's calls for a two-state solution in the Middle East saying: "America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.".....

Egypt has built an underground metal wall to stop the smuggling of weapons and goods through tunnels into Gaza. It is an ongoing construction project, but it appears to have failed. The tunnels are still operating -- and that is because smugglers have found a way to break through the barriers. Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from Rafah, on the border between Gaza and Egypt.

Presidential campaigning is underway in Guinea for June 27th elections that are meant to return the country to constitutional order after 18 months of military rule. VOA's West Africa correspondent Scott Stearns has more.

It was supposed to extend the rule of law to the corners of the world most lacking it. But as ICC delegates meet in Uganda to review the court's progress, it stands accused of focusing exclusively on African countries, and of exacerbating exisiting conflicts in its refusal to drop charges in exchage for peace deals. Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reports from Nairobi, Kenya, where some believe the eight-year-old court is picking on the continent.

The World Cup football tournament kicks off in one week, and host South Africa is busy putting on the finishing touches. But not everyone is looking forward to the tournament. Authorites in cities including Cape Town are being accused of clearing the poor from the streets - to create a good impression for visiting fans. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa has more.

South Africa's public education system shows signs of serious decline. Reports of dismal graduation rates, bad teachers and crumbling buildings are commonplace. Martin Phillips reports for VOA from Grahamstown that in Eastern Cape Province, one of the poorest regions in the country, the public education system is in chaos.

In this video clip, Ebrahim Fakir of the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa, speaks with Polity's Amy Witherden, about violent protests and political intimidation. Related articles by Zemanta South Africa in World Cup migrant crackdown (africa.smallshop.com)

This togolese minister has just eneded a hunger strike. He was protesting against what he sees as France's lingering presence in Africa and the complicity of African heads of state.

It can hold 95,000 fans and neighbours Soweto, the flashpoint township during South Africa's long struggle against Apartheid. Johannesburg's Soccer City is now open for business.