Africa Rising: Sub-Saharan Africa set for 2012 boom

Rising demand for natural resources is a boon for countries such as Sierra Leone, Niger, and Angola. But high consumer prices still pinch Africa's middle class.

If you want to hear some sunny economic forecasts for 2012, it?s best not to go looking in the United States ? where GDP will grow by a lackluster 2 percent ? or the eurozone, where the economy will actually get smaller this year.

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No, if you?re looking for good news you?d be better off turning to the world?s poorest region, sub-Saharan Africa, where the economy is set to grow by nearly 6 percent in 2012.

And that growth won?t be limited to regional powerhouses like Nigeria and South Africa: One third of sub-Saharan Africa?s poorest countries, which have weathered the global economic downturn relatively unscathed, are expected to beat the region?s average growth rate.

Leading the pack is Sierra Leone, a South Carolina-sized West African nation with a population of 6 million. The country?s GDP is set to swell by a mammoth 51.4 percent in 2012, according to the IMF. That?s largely thanks to a single company: the junior mining firm African Minerals, which is mining iron ore in the middle of the country.

African Minerals has already raised $1.4 billion for its Tonkolili iron ore project, which includes a refurbished deep-water port and a 120-mile railway line. That?s very big money in Sierra Leone, where the value of the entire economy was just $1.9 billion in 2010.

Mining investment is also bringing big gains to Niger, a poor West African nation that ranked second from the bottom on the most recent UN Human Development Index. With new uranium mines coming online, Niger is set to become the world?s second-biggest uranium producer by 2014. Thanks to those projects as well as a new oil rig, Niger?s economy will grow by more than 12 percent this year, the IMF predicts.

The other big performers this year will be sub-Saharan Africa?s oil producers, whose export earnings will be buoyed by high global fuel prices. Angola, the region?s second-biggest oil producer after Nigeria, will be among the handful of countries in the region to register double-digit growth in 2012, the IMF predicts, with a forecasted GDP increase of 10.8 percent.

But whether the economic growth in these booming economies will make life any easier for the masses is still an open question.

Of course poverty is still deeply engrained in sub-Saharan Africa, despite the recent growth. In places, that poverty has been exacerbated by jumps in the prices of food, fuel, and other consumer goods. In Ghana, sub-Saharan Africa?s top performer in 2011, the average household still spends more than half of its income on food ? a sure sign that money is still tight for many.

But economic growth across the region has made life easier for many. Sub-Saharan Africa?s middle class has been growing steadily since the 1980s, and it totaled more than 350 million in 2010 ? that?s more people than live in the entire United States.

Boosting trade within the region is key to making the most of that growing consumer wealth, experts say, and officials are expected to make some headway on economic integration this year.

Negotiations toward a ?Grand Free Trade Area of Africa? began in June and will pick back up at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa later this month. Officials say they aim to create a mega free trade zone that would stretch from Egypt to South Africa, covering some two dozen countries and more than half a billion people.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/world/~3/t0c-mlEr2Xk/Africa-Rising-Sub-Saharan-Africa-set-for-2012-boom

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NBA Trade Rumors: Steve Nash Won't Demand Trade, Destined to Retire with Suns

Steve Nash has always been an unselfish leader, choosing to pass the focus and spotlight to someone or something else similar to the way he constantly feeds the ball and praise to teammates.?

The 37-year-old point guard is essentially the captain of the Titanic at this point in his career, opting to sink with the Suns, his team, instead of jumping ship for a life raft in attempt to win a piece of hardware that would legitimize his legacy in the eyes of many.?

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, "Nash is adamant: He will not go to his bosses and ask to be traded."

The bottom line is that Nash will never demand a trade, but instead will retire in the desert with the Phoenix Suns. The reasons are simple, but overwhelming in their support.

Nash became a superstar with the Suns and won back-to-back league MVP honors for Suns' teams that could have easily won the title in their glory days.?Unfortunately for Nash, the saying "nice guys finish last" has never been so true.

In an interview with Stein, Nash said:

It's not my style. Maybe I'm old school, but I feel like that's not my place to give up on my team, give up on my teammates. I signed a contract and made a commitment...I just feel that I owe it to my teammates to stay committed to them. I feel that I owe it to the fans and the organization to fight.

Maybe Nash's career would be different now if he walked out on the Suns, or gave up on them. Maybe he would have a Larry O'Brien Trophy in his bag, or the respect of NBA fans who doubt him because of his inevitable shortcomings.?

Nash has beaten the best, though. He's beaten Kobe Bryant's Lakers, Tim Duncan's Spurs and even Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks, just not when the Suns had to.

That comfortable knowledge no doubt helps Nash rest easier with his decision to remain a forgotten star with the Suns these days.

But still, the low expectations are a godsend for a soon-to-be 38-year-old dealing with a bad back and bruised ribs.?

Nash is averaging 17.7 points per game on 69 percent shooting and dishing out 10 assists per game since the start of January, and the Suns are 2-1 in that short time.

Nash is what put the Suns back on the NBA map in 2004, so it's only fitting that his jersey will rise to the rafters of the U.S. Airways Center when he retires with Phoenix.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1014470-nba-trade-rumors-steve-nash-wont-demand-trade-destined-to-retire-with-suns

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Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: Final Weekend in New Hampshire

With voters still digesting the results of Tuesday's Iowa Caucus, the remaining GOP candidates face two debates this weekend in New Hampshire in a final rush to next week's primary in the Granite State.

The latest polls still showed a strong lead for Mitt Romney, but also a bump for Rick Santorum, who almost knocked off Romney in Iowa.

There are two debates this weekend, one on Saturday night on ABC, and one on Sunday morning on NBC, giving all the candidates another chance to zing each other on a high profile stage.

Meanwhile, Jon Huntsman won a boost on Thursday night for his campaign, as the Boston Globe newspaper endorsed the former Utah Governor, who has been focused solely on New Hampshire for months.

"He would be the best candidate to seize this moment in GOP history, and the best-prepared to be president," the Globe wrote in its editorial.

Huntsman's people immediately sent word of it by email to supporters, asking for extra contributions to boost his White House bid.

"Clearly with our crowds swelling and this major endorsement of Governor Huntsman our momentum is building," the email read.

Others were also arguing they had momentum, as Rick Santorum saw larger crowds and more money coming in after his strong showing in Iowa; he has a half dozen events scheduled on Friday to take advantage of his new popularity.

Newt Gingrich meanwhile sharpened his attacks on Romney, releasing a new ad that blasted Romney on economic matters - making many wonder what Gingrich might do in this weekend's debates.

Recent polls have shown strong numbers for Ron Paul as well in New Hampshire, as he comes off his third place finish.

Still running in front is Romney, and while few expect him to fail, you never know what to expect out of New Hampshire voters.

Four days to go.

Source: http://www.newstalkradiowhio.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2012/jan/05/final-weekend-new-hampshire/

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FeedSquares for Chrome Is a Fun, Visual Way to Browse Your News Feeds [Chrome Extensions]

Chrome: Most feed readers default to a long list of headlines and articles with a folder-like navigation tree on the left to help you sift through your feeds and unread posts. It works, but FeedSquares is a Chrome extension that connects to Google Reader and uses tiles to display your feeds instead. Highlighted and off-axis tiles indicate new topics, and you can click any tile to see the posts for that feed, and any article to bring up the full text.

Once installed, click any tile to bring up the list of articles from that feed in a horizontal list at the bottom of the screen. When you find an article you'd like to read, click it to bring up the full text, and click anywhere off of it to minimize it again. Folders you've created are displayed as menus at the top of the screen, and clicking one rearranges the tiles so you only see the feeds in that folder.

FeedSquares isn't necessarily faster than other tools: it takes several clicks to get from the base display down to a new article, more than other, traditional feed readers. What it does differently?and well?is give you an easy way to see where there are new and unread articles to read, browse through your feeds without obscuring the feed list, and offering a fun and different way of interacting with your RSS feeds. If the inbox-look is tired to you and you wish there were another way to read the news, FeedSquares is worth a try.

FeedSquares | Chrome Web Store via Addictive Tips

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/gpviugR_I7s/feedsquares-for-chrome-is-a-fun-visual-way-to-browse-your-news-feeds

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Samsung Smart advertising, Facebook property and Apple football: Techie Brekkie

Morning all. It?s Thursday, meaning you?ve nearly made it through the first week back at work. If you?re sat on a dark, cold train and need some enlightenment, how?s about we take you through the tech news you may have missed? You know the drill?

We?ll get the Apple news done first. Firstly, how would you like to have to Pay the fruity company for access to the Premier League? No we didn?t think you would. If that throught angers you, you?ll be able to get one back on them imminently by jailbreaking your iPhone 4S.

On the subject of mobile phones, Samsung?s Bada handsets have finally got themselves a decent game! Huzzah! Samsung?s been busy elsewhere, too. It?s rustled up a software SDK that will allow for the scary future of TV advertising through apps.

While we?re talking apps: there was news that a Facebook property application could very well spell the end for estate agents. More social network fiddling is on its way from Google, as Google+ looks set to start match-making you with complete strangers.

Lastly, a spot of gaming news: Sonic 4: Episode 2 is nearly with us, as is the free (sort of) Microsoft Flight. there are new trailers for both buried under their respective links. Happy days.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricpig/~3/VJURV8tY35w/

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Syrian rebel leader threatens to escalate attacks (Reuters)

BEIRUT (Reuters) ? The commander of Syria's armed rebels has threatened to step up attacks on President Bashar al-Assad's forces, saying he was frustrated with Arab League monitors' lack of progress in ending a government crackdown on protests.

"If we feel they (the monitors) are still not serious in a few days, or at most within a week, we will take a decision which will surprise the regime and the whole world," the head of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Colonel Riad al-Asaad, told Reuters in an interview.

The Arab League said on Monday its monitors were helping to stem bloodshed, 10 months into a popular uprising against Syria's ruling family, and asked for more time to do their job.

But since the team's arrival last week, security forces have killed more than 132 people, according to a Reuters tally. Other activist groups say 390 have been killed.

Eighteen security force personnel were killed in the southern town of Deraa as dozens of deserting soldiers returned fire on police who shot at them as they fled their posts, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Security forces also opened fire and killed two people at a protest in the central city of Hama, the same day that activists met monitors and said the team seemed powerless to help them.

The monitors are checking whether Syria is implementing an Arab League peace plan by pulling troops from flashpoint cities and releasing thousands detained in the revolt, one of a series of Arab uprisings that have toppled four leaders in a year.

MAJOR ESCALATION?

Asaad, whose FSA is an umbrella group of armed factions, said he was waiting for the League's report on its first week before deciding whether to make a "transformative shift" that he said would mark a major escalation against the security forces.

"Since they (the monitors) entered, we had many more martyrs," he said, speaking by telephone from his safe haven in southern Turkey. "Is it in the Syrian people's interest to allow the massacre to continue?"

A committee of Arab ministers will discuss the monitors' preliminary report on Saturday, Arab League sources said.

The League mission has already been plagued by controversy. Protesters have complained about its small size and were appalled when the head of the mission suggested he was reassured by first impressions of Homs, one of the main centers of unrest.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Tuesday it was crucial that monitors were able to act independently. Protesters have complained that security forces regularly accompany monitors, making them difficult to approach.

"Do they truly have genuinely free access to information? We are waiting for the report they will produce in the coming days for more clarity," Juppe told the French news channel i>tele.

The U.S. State Department noted that violence against the protesters had not stopped, and said it was concerned by reports that soldiers were donning police uniform to mask their actions.

"In some cases the regime is actually putting out its own false reports that monitors are on the way, demonstrators come into the streets, and then they fire on them," spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"The Syrian regime has not lived up to the full spectrum of commitments that it made to the Arab League when it accepted its proposal some nine weeks ago."

MONITORS "AFRAID"

Activists who met the monitors in Hama on Tuesday said they doubted whether the monitors had freedom of movement.

Mohammed Abul-Khair told Reuters he was among activists who had met monitors without security escorts present, handing them details of detainees and suspected detention centers. The monitors said they had found it hard to meet activists until now, but appeared sympathetic, he said.

Others said the team seemed unprepared or unwilling. They said the monitors had set up an office in a government-controlled area hard for activists to reach, and complained that many observers did not bring cameras or notepads on visits.

"I don't think they are sympathetic, I think they are afraid," said activist Abu Faisal, also present at the meeting. "We wanted to take them to one of the narrow alleys where there had been a lot of shelling. They wouldn't go past the buildings where there were snipers.

"People here are getting shot. They are here to get the facts but they are cowards and too afraid to do it," he said.

Juppe said he believed in the Arab League's determination, but the United Nations could not stand idly by as more people died. He said Russia continued to block decisive U.N. action.

"The (U.N.) Security Council cannot remain silent," he said. "The savage repression is totally clear, the regime has no real future and that's why it's up to the international community to speak out."

More than 5,000 people have been killed in Assad's crackdown on the protests, according to a United Nations estimate.

Armed rebellion has begun to overshadow what began as peaceful protest as rebels fight back. Damascus says it is battling foreign-backed "terrorists" who have killed at least 2,000 members of the security forces.

Rebel leader Asaad last week ordered a stop to attacks on security forces during the monitors' visit, but reports of assaults have continued to come in, highlighting concerns that the FSA does not fully control all armed rebels.

Nuland underscored Washington's repeated warning that an escalation of violence would only exacerbate the problem.

"That's exactly what the regime wants ... to make Syria more violent and have an excuse to retaliate itself," she said.

HUNGER STRIKE

Political detainees at Damascus's central prison started a hunger strike in protest over observers who met jailed felons during a visit, but not political prisoners, their relatives told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The people the monitors met had nothing to do with recent events, so these (political) prisoners went on strike and are demanding monitors visit them," said Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Observatory.

The government bars most foreign journalists from Syria, making it difficult to verify witness accounts.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said on Monday that Syria's military had now withdrawn from residential areas to the outskirts of the cities, but that gunfire continued and snipers were still a threat.

He asked Syrians to "give the monitoring mission a chance to prove its presence on the ground."

Elaraby said the monitors had succeeded in getting food supplies into Homs, one of the centers of the violence, and had secured the release of 3,484 prisoners. Before the mission began, the rights group Avaaz said 37,000 were in detention.

(Additional reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman and Mariam Karouny in Beirut; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120104/wl_nm/us_syria

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Apple hires Adobe exec Todd Teresi to oversee iAd program

Adam Satariano from Bloomberg tweeted that Apple has hired away Todd Teresi from Adobe to lead their iAd program.

Apple has hired Adobe’s Todd Teresi to head iAd. Story coming…. ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/vkXEfpQeEwE/story01.htm

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