News Desk (Africa) July 07, 2008

Mugabe crisis infecting Africa – Miliband

The crisis in Zimbabwe is “infecting the whole of southern Africa,” the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, said after visiting refugees. During the visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, he said victims of political repression were fleeing there in their thousands, the BBC reported on Sunday. MORE>>>

South Africa releases Mandela 90th birthday coin

The new five rand coin is South Africa's largest coin, worth about 65 U.S. cents. It shows Mandela in one of his signature patterned shirts and is the latest in a series of events honoring the anti-apartheid activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. MORE>>>

Obama granny’s day out with envoys and top politicians

Initially, many thought that it was a joke when it was announced that Mrs Sarah Onyango Obama, the step-grandmother of US Senator Barack Obama, the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate would grace the event — America’s Independence Day celebrations. MORE>>>

Hepatitis kills 67, infects 4,000, in north Uganda

KAMPALA (Reuters) - An outbreak of highly infectious hepatitis E has killed 67 people in northern Uganda since late last year and made more than 4,000 others ill, a government official said on Monday. MORE>>>