The announcement came after opposition leader Raila Odinga accused Mr Kibaki of electoral fraud and called for a full re-assessment of the results.

Opposition protesters began riots in the capital Nairobi, just minutes after the announcement.

The count was badly delayed, sparking violence in which at least 10 people are reported to have been killed.

A new European Union force and UN mission set to deploy in Chad are mandated to protect aid groups assisting hundreds of thousands of people, amid violence by armed bandits, militias, rebels, soldiers and some foreign fighters. But humanitarian officials in Chad are concerned that if the mission does not remain distinct and separate from relief efforts it risks undermining them.

“Understanding the distinction between the terms ‘neutrality’ and ‘impartiality’ is particularly crucial in this type of conflict,” the head of the International Committee for the Red Cross in Chad, Thomas Merkelbach, told IRIN. Aid officials are airing their concerns in meetings with military advance teams.

Kenya's main opposition party has declared victory in the country's presidential election, despite continued delays in announcing official returns.

Musalia Mudavadi of the Orange Democratic Movement says Raila Odinga is Kenya's president-elect based on the party's own vote tally. Mudavadi is Mr. Odinga's vice-presidential running mate.

Partial official results released Saturday show Mr. Odinga with 3.7 million votes, compared to 3.4 million for incumbent President Mwai Kibaki.

BY JARVIS MARCUS

This article is somewhat akin to the October 2007 article. A lot of people get into Real Estate Investing (“REI”) to increase their wealth. The focus of this article is on residential REI both rehabbing property for resale and also rehabbing and using the property as a rental property.

One way to become financially independent is through REI. As immigrants a lot of us form non-profit organizations, so that we can help our families back in our respective country.

Funds promote mixed-use, efficiency and livability

Senior housing in Forest Lake, redevelopment at University and Dale in St. Paul and improvements to West Broadway in North Minneapolis are among the projects approved for Livable Communities funding by the Metropolitan Council. The Council on Dec. 12 approved nearly $6 million in funding for seven projects in five cities, including Forest Lake, Minneapolis, Rosemount, Roseville and St. Paul. The grants help fund elements of projects that promote mixed-use and demonstrate land uses that connect housing, jobs and services, including transit.

Trans-continental partnership gives “Bair Hugger”

Today,  the Service League of Hennepin County Medical Center will officially thank Arizant Healthcare for their donation of a “Bair Hugger” patient blanket warmer that will be delivered to a hospital in Liepaja, Latvia.  A group of Hennepin County Medical Center physicians and staff have traveled to the Baltic region several times to do mission work that includes clinical care, surgery and physician education. 

By Sara Chute

Does it seem like you or you child are getting a lot of vaccinations? Vaccines are a very important part of protecting your children and yourself from some pretty serious diseases. Anyone who has seen a person die from a disease that could be prevented by a vaccine knows how important they are. Both children and adults need certain vaccines. In this issue vaccines given to children will be discussed. Next issue will include vaccines given to teens and adults.

- As it has been approved many times before, this new report shows immigrants contribute more both federal & State while consuming less on social services-Here are some of the excerpts of that report -
 Most studies claiming to calculate the net “costs” of immigration to the U.S. economy suffer from one or more fatal flaws: They rely upon single-year “snapshots” of the immigrant population that fail to account for the fact that the income levels and tax contributions of immigrants increase over time and from generation to generation;

By Staff Writer

Barb Davis White hasrecently announced that she will seek the Republican nomination to run for the US Congress seat presently occupied by Keith Ellison (D) in the Minnesota 5th. District. Born and raised in North Minneapolis, White has close and diverse ties to Minneapolis and the 5th District.

White has a lengthy resume of social justice and religious work. She was formerly the pastor of Light Foundational Ministries of South Minneapolis,  a congregation of mainly African-Americans, has traveled to the Congo to minister to over 1,000 rape victims, founded a ministry in Loring Park offering free meals to homeless individuals affected by HIV. 

By Edmund Sanders

NAIROBI, KENYA —Citizens here may soon do something rarely done in Africa: vote out a president.

With the election set Thursday, challenger Raila Odinga has a narrow lead over President Mwai Kibaki, several opinion polls show.

That's uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa, land of the Big Man, where leaders seldom are unseated -- even if it means using their power to pull strings.

In Nigeria, the presidential vote this year was marred by allegations of widespread rigging. In Ethiopia, nearly 200 people were killed during postelection riots in 2005. Uganda's president changed the constitution so he could run for a third term.

The African Union has stressed that the grave situation in Somalia represents one of the most serious challenges facing the continent.

The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) stressed that the situation in Somalia represents one of the most serious peace and security challenges facing the continent.

It noted that both Somalis and the international community as a whole have not been able to seize the window of opportunity that arose in December last year when Ethiopian-backed Somali forces recaptured the capital Mogadishu from militants, to decisively address the conflict in Somalia.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority says a decision on whether to prosecute newly elected African National Congress party president Jacob Zuma is imminent. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from Johannesburg the announcement came as Zuma was preparing to deliver his first speech as ANC leader.

Last year the National Prosecuting Authority was ordered by the courts to withdraw corruption charges against Jacob Zuma because it had sought too many postponements. It was told to return only when prosecutors were ready to proceed to trial.

MINNEAPOLIS - Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to settle lawsuits relating to its Marquis line of implanted cardiac defibrillators that were the subject of a field action announced February 11, 2005.

Under terms of the settlement, Medtronic has agreed to settle 2,682 cases for $95.6 million plus $18.5 million in attorneys’ fees.

The board of directors of League of Women Voters of Minnesota announced that Keesha Gaskins is the new executive director of the League and the League of Women Voters of Minnesota Education Fund.  She begins work Monday.
 
Gaskins is the former executive director of the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus.  She is an attorney with experience representing corporations in products liability, contractual matters, and employment law.  She has been a litigation attorney with Bowman and Brooke, L.L.P., Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak, & Pikala, P.A. and Peterson, Fishman, Livgard & Capistrant, P.A.
 

By Bashe Said

The 6th and Totally Unique HEAD SCARF SOCIETY-Tea Lit Encounter will take place at the end of this month. One of the organizers, Rose McGee said they were are bringing together and want to invite all women to join this special event where guests will enjoy a diverse sampling of foods from across the world made by Midtown Global Market vendors. Three varieties of tea will be served and door prizes will be awarded.

Rose McGee, who is one of the founders told the African News Journal when asked how the idea came to play that she always admired the concept of Red Hats Society, but wanted something a more inclusive, more diverse and came up with the idea of head scarves.