A team of African Union election observers have arrived in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, to observe the Southern African country’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for 26 May, the AU said Tuesday. AU Commission Chairperson Jean Ping, said the deployment of an Electoral Observer Mission (EOM) to Lesotho for the parliamentary elections, was made early to give the mission time to observe the pre-election campaigns.

Paris, France - The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, Tuesday extended her condolences to Italians following the loss of human lives caused by the earthquake that shook northern Italy on Sunday, 20 May. In a press statement, Bokova also said that UNESCO was sending a mission to assess damage to World Heritage sites and other cultural heritage in the region.

The Libyan human rights group has condemned Monday's killing of two security agents from the Libyan Ministry of Home affairs. In a statement released in Benghazi (Libya's second largest city), the group said Libyans should rejects all forms of violence with authorities enforcing laws banning violence. It called on all armed personnel to renounce violence and unit under the banner of the Ministry of Defence to build a strong, national army.

Paris, France - The Executive Director of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, a UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development, will join UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova on Friday, 25 May, to review the achievements of UNESCO’s Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education during its first year.

AGRA to help implement new G8 Global partnership initiative on food security - The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has been given a key role in the G8’s next phase of shared commitment to achieve global food security, according to a statement from the Alliance which was received here Tuesday by PANA. The 'Scaling Seeds and Other Technologies Partnership', part of the new initiative focusing on increasing agricultural food production in Africa, will be housed at AGRA and will focus on strengthening Africa’s seed sector.

Some 2,579,000 Libyans, accounting for about 73 per cent of the electorate, have been registered as Libya's first democratic exercise -- elections into the Constituent Assembly -- draws near. PANA, quoting the latest figures from the 'High national electoral commission, reports that of the 3.4 million persons of voting age, a massive 2.5 million showed interest in the exercise in a country of five million people. Analysts say that the massive registration of voters, the first since decades, reveals the keen interest of Libyans in democracy in a country led for over 42 years by a regime that had banned elections.

Tuesday's forex rates for Nigerian Naira - Following are the latest exchange rates for the Nigerian currency, the Naira, against other major foreign currencies, as released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State has called on the Federal Government to ban importation of science and industrial equipment into the country because they could be produced locally. Governor Wada, who said this when the acting Director General of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr Mohammed Sanni Haruna, called on him in Lokoja, cautioned that unless the Federal Government stops importation of science and industrial equipment, millions of dollars would continue to be wasted on machines that could be produced locally by NASENI.

National Health Insurance Scheme - Acting Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Abdulrahman Sambo, has made case for a review of the cost of medical services in the country.

Renault South Africa - Cooked in Africa Films, which specialises in the production of entertainment and original content - mostly reality documentaries - for both TV and new media platforms has negotiated a R2.1 million sponsorship deal with local French vehicle manufacturer, Renault South Africa. Founder and creative director of Cooked in Africa Films, Justin Bonello with Fabien Payzan, marketing vice-president of Renault SAclick to enlarge

Jewellery - Last year Rika Gaoses received a handmade necklace from her husband after he attended the Ongwediva Trade Fair. She looked at the piece and decided to try her hand at making jewellery. At first she based all her creations on this first necklace. Friends started noticing her jewellery and ask to buy pieces from her, and so Ricky Jewellery was born.

Government Institutions Pension Fund - The long-awaited Police investigation into the missing N$600 million of the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) will be concluded within the next four months. The Police are sifting through a number of complex transactions involving prominent Namibians who have directly benefited from more than N$600 million in GIPF loans. The persons who apparently benefited are senior retired politicians, prominent businesspeople, senior legal advisors and Cabinet ministers, The Namibian has learnt from people close to the investigation.

Domestic credit recorded an annual increase of 2.4trn/- in February 2012, compared with 1.9trn/- in the corresponding period a year before, out of which 63.4 per cent was held by private sector a 2.9 per cent up. According to the Central Bank (BoT) monthly economic review for March this year, annual growth of credit to the private sector was 24.3 per cent, slightly higher than 24 per cent recorded in February 2011. "Strong growth was recorded in building and construction as well as trade activities. However, credit to agriculture decreased following repayment by corporate clients," stated the report.

Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tandahimba Newala Cooperative Union (TANECU), seeking to enhance processing of raw cashew nuts, adding value to the cash crop and creating wealth to farmers in Mtwara region. TIB Managing Director Peter Noni, speaking at the signing ceremony at the bank's Head Office in Dar es Salaam, said the signed deal will enhance value addition through construction of a processing plant to be built in Mtwara. Mr Noni said the processing plant will have monthly processing capacity of between 30 and 40 tonnes.

Economy - Over 100,000 investors in the Unit Trust of Tanzania (UTT) are currently getting best returns than anywhere in the money markets. UTT says its collective Investment Funds are offering over three per cent returns on a quarterly basis and a double digit, annually. This is largely for the income funds that provide a consistent inflow of earnings to the investor on a quarterly basis. UTT documents for instance show that one of the Funds, Umoja Fund has an annual growth rate of 16.5 per cent while Wekeza Maisha Fund grows at 13 per cent, Watoto Fund at annual growth rate of 15 per cent and Jikimu Fund at 14 per cent.

Munda Wanga offers bio-diversity training - MUNDA Wanga Environmental Park has embarked on conservation and biodiversity training programmes for schools aimed at empowering pupils with improved environmental conservation methods. Munda Wanga Environmental Park general manager Frederrik Hengeveld said more than 760 children would this year be trained in climate change and environment conservation.

Benghazi, Libya - The results of the first elections in Libya in decades, aimed at establishing a local council in the city of Benghazi and electing the city's representatives in the National Transition Council (NTC), were published Monday evening.

2012 European Champions League final - Still savouring Chelsea's victory in the 2012 European Champions League final on Saturday, father of Nigerian and Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has said his son will soon emerge his team's top scorer.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has appealed for an urgent fund to help thousands of Malian civilians trapped in the conflict areas in the northern part of the country. IOM spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy said in a statement obtained by PANA here that the organization is urgently appealing for US$3.5 million to provide immediate life-saving assistance to internally-displaced Malians, who have fled fighting and insecurity in the north of the country to seek shelter in the capital Bamako, the northern river port city of Mopti and the western city of Kayes.

Cape Town to host 8-nation football tournament - South Africa will host an eight-nation Under-20 football tournament from Thursday until 3 June at the Cape Town Stadium, venue of the 2010 World Cup semi-final, and the Athlone Stadium, organisers have announced. The eight teams taking part have been divided into two groups. Group A has host South Africa, Argentina, Nigeria and Ghana, while Brazil, Cameroon, Kenya and Japan are in Group B.