Nigeria Plane Crash: Over 150 People Killed

A passenger plane that  crashed into a building in a densely populated neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria is reported to have   killed  all 153 people on board.

The Boeing MD-83 of Dana Air came down near Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday. Pilots had radioed to air traffic control reporting engine trouble, a military official said.

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency told local press  that they are unsure of the number of people that were injured or killed. It is feared that all 153 people on board the aircraft died.

The plane came down in a densely populated neighborhood, smashing into homes and businesses, according to Nigeria local Press. Thousands of people were reportedly drawn to the crash, many to help any survivors out of the smoke and burning debris."The fear is that since it happened in a residential area, there may have been many people killed," said Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency.

The Dana Air plane was reportedly flying from Abuja, the nation's capital, to Lagos when the accident occurred. The head of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority said he doubted there would be any survivors in the crash.

At the time the aircraft went down, the weather was overcast but there were no storms. Authorities are investigating.

Malawi President Joyce Banda Vows to arrest Bashir

 Malawi president Joyce Banda has vowed to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir  if he dares to attend the Africa Union heads of state summit next month in the capital  Lilongwe.

International donors  have since commended Banda for making what they term as a bold decision, but some commentators wonder why Malawi is being forced to ban Al-Bashir when other countries have been hosting him. 

Other countries such as Zambia and South Africa already made their positions clear that if he dares to visit their respective countries he will be arrested.

Al-Bashir’s visit in October last year for the COMESA summit also caused an uproar between the Malawi government and western donors, considering the fact that he is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide charges in Darfur. 

The development led to the withdrawal of aid and suspension of budgetary support to Malawi, while other developmental partners advised the ICC to punish Malawi. The US government also suspended the 58 billion kwacha-Millenium Challenge Corporation energy grant to Malawi.

The late former president Bingu wa Mutharika defied calls not to allow Bashir  in Malawi dispite being a member of the ICC. Mutharika’s justification was that Malawi is a sovereign state and should not be told what to do.

Recently President Banda wrote the AU commission to consider inviting a representative of Sudan instead of Al-Bashir, fearing that his visit would again sour the current relationship with donors.

Banda  made her position clear after meeting the UK secretary of State Andrew Mitchell who was in Malawi on a three day official to re-launch the development and diplomatic partnership which went sour during the Mutharika administration. 

Passenger plane crashes in Lagos

A  passenger plane has crashed into a two-story building in the Nigerian city of Lagos. Officials have said there are many casualties, but  no exact numbers are available.

­ Emergency services have been dispatched to the location. The head of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority said the Dana Air flight was heading from Lagos to the capital Abuja.

According to unconfirmed reports, at least 153 people were on board the airplane.

The similar incident happened in neighboring Ghana on 2nd June 2012   where a cargo plane crash landed in Ghana capital hitting a bus full of passengers.

Mubarak has heart attack upon arriving at prison

The head of the Egyptian prison service confirmed that former President Hosni Mubarak has had a severe heart attack upon arriving at the Tora prison.

Mubarak, who was sentenced to life in prison for his part in the killing of protesters last year, was being treated by the medical crew that accompanied him on his way to the detention facility.

It is not known whether Mubarak will be referred to the hospital or not   

Mubarak Gets Life Sentence for Protest Deaths

An Egyptian court has sentenced former President Hosni Mubarak to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters during last year's uprising.

The 84-year-old Mubarak  is the first former leader to be tried in person since the start of the Arab Spring in early 2011.

However  Mubarak suffered a "health crisis" as he was being transferred to prison, Egyptian state TV reported.

Apart from Mubarak  one of the culprits  is former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly  who also got a life sentence, but the acquittal of four aides sparked fury.

Mubarak and his two sons were also acquitted on separate charges of corruption.
Shouting and scuffles erupted in court after the verdict was read out.

News and Views across Africa: UN Congratuates Lesotho for holding peaceful elect...

News and Views across Africa: UN Congratuates Lesotho for holding peaceful elect...: United National Secretary general  Ban Ki-moon has  commended  the people of Lesotho for conducting peaceful elections recently for the Afr...

UN Congratuates Lesotho for holding peaceful elections

United National Secretary general  Ban Ki-moon has  commended  the people of Lesotho for conducting peaceful elections recently for the African country's National Assembly. his spokesperson said overnight.

“The Secretary-General acknowledges that this is an important step for Lesotho in the consolidation of peace following the two-year mediation process that concluded in 2011,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

 He further said that Moon  encourages all political parties to move forward in the democratic process peacefully and in accordance with the constitution.

According to media reports, in the parliamentary elections held on 26 May, the Democratic Congress party won 41 of 80 seats, while the All Basotho Convention, the main opposition, secured 26 seats.

  Moon's spokesperson added that the Secretary-General welcomes the professional work of the Independent Electoral Commission as well as the international and local electoral observer missions.

 A team of Commonwealth observers to the 26 May 2012 Parliamentary elections in Lesotho have also  said that the polls in the Southern Africa nation have so far been peaceful and credible.

 In an interim statement issued at a press conference by the Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former Malawi President Dr Bakili Muluzi, recently  in the Lesotho capital Maseru, the Group said that "it is the view of the Commonwealth Observer Group that this election was conducted in a credible, transparent and professional manner."

 "Despite the various shortcomings we have highlighted, they did not materially affect the conduct of the elections," Dr Muluzi said.

In April 2011, a two-year mediation process to peacefully resolve grievances stemming from disputed earlier polls in Lesotho successfully came to an end. The dispute followed the February 2007 general elections – the fifth elections to be held in the small African nation since it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 – regarding the allocation of the seats in the Parliament based on proportional representation.