The News Review:

- Senegal digging up the sands to spur new growth
- Hip-hop artists say music benefits the community
- Sun-powered desert race: The world solar challenge
- Bin Laden calls for jihad on Darfur force
- Iron ore talks could double the price
- Fazlur Rahman: Microlending making a dent in poverty
- Lucky Dube’s Funeral Takes Place In South Africa

Senegal digging up the sands to spur new growth
Tehran Times – Oct 29, 2007
Traditionally not renowned for minerals the west African country has in recent weeks signed key mining contracts chief among them one with the world’s top steel maker Arcelor Mittal. Africa’s westernmost nation has some proven reserves of gold iron zircon and phosphates but until now only phosphate has been actively tapped on a large scale industrial level. But several projects have recently been set into motion including the extraction of iron gold and zircon a mineral used in jewelry production. “”Senegal is a mining country in the making”" said Mining and Industry minister Madicke Niange who plans to develop a “”coordinated exploration and exploitation of several potentials in the underground.

Hip-hop artists say music benefits the community
GW Hatchet – GW Hatchet (subscription) – Oct 29, 2007
“Right now we don’t have a lot of this kind of music. He added “You can watch a movie like “Blood Diamond” and before you buy (a diamond) you’re gonna think twice ? thus art can be used for change. Panelist Moussa Sall a hip-hop artist from Senegal spoke out against the atrocities that the government committed against the people in her country. Sall and other Senegalese rappers performed at concerts where they addressed the lack of food distribution within the country disappearance of funds from the treasury and an abundance of unpaid Senegalese teachers. “(The Senegalese rappers) decided that we were going to involve ourselves more politically. Azbac another musical talent in Senegal later told the audience that he tries to let his audiences know that that people in his country have inferior living conditions. “In the concerts we let (the audience) know that people don’t got health insurance (and) people don’t got food” he said… Sall and other Senegalese rappers performed at concerts where they addressed the lack of food distribution within the country disappearance of funds from the treasury and an abundance of unpaid Senegalese teachers. “(The Senegalese rappers) decided that we were going to involve ourselves more politically. Azbac another musical talent in Senegal later told the audience that he tries to let his audiences know that that people in his country have inferior living conditions. “In the concerts we let (the audience) know that people don’t got health insurance (and) people don’t got food” he said. “We give you the information so if you go to vote (then) you don’t vote for this person. The Senegalese rappers said their efforts in 2000 aided in keeping former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf from remaining in office. Christina Anderson chair of the United Nations Association said the event was a success.

Sun-powered desert race: The world solar challenge
Tehran Times – Oct 29, 2007
held every three years — went biennial (every two years) in 1999. The average speed has shot up to 103 kph (64 mph) — in the 2005 race the winning car achieved a top speed of 147 kph (91 mph) — while the competition has expanded to incorporate several different classes of vehicle: the Challenge and Adventure Classes for exclusively solar cars and the Greenfleet Technology Class for other types of environmentally friendly low-emission vehicles. This year’s race which left Darwin on ctober 21 features teams from 18 countries including entrants from as far afield as Venezuela Senegal Malaysia and Japan. There are 47 cars in all 37 of them solar-powered — 20 in the Challenge Class (maximum 6 square meters of solar panels) and 17 in the Adventure Class (eight square meters of panels) — and 10 Greenfleet Competitors. “”It’s not so much about how fast you can go”" explains Selwood “”But rather how far you can go on limited energy. “”Unlike traditional motor racing the focus is on the cars themselves rather than the people who actually drive them.

Bin Laden calls for jihad on Darfur force
Telegraph.co.uk – Oct 29, 2007
“It makes little sense. Don’t forget lots of the soldiers are going to be Muslims too” said one European diplomat. Egypt Senegal Mali and Burkina Faso which each have large Islamic populations have all signed up to send troops or staff to the new mission. But there have been reports that foreign terror cells were looking to establish training camps amid the chaos of Darfur which has an entirely Muslim population. Western intelligence agencies are paying ever closer attention to the wider region of east Africa. They are anxious to prevent extremist elements from flourishing in lawless countries like Somalia and exporting terror to their neighbours and beyond the continent. More than 300000 people have died in the Darfur region since the Sudanese government moved to crush a rebellion in its western province which started in February 2003.

Iron ore talks could double the price
The Australian – Oct 29, 2007
"With each new discovery we get closer to making a decision on restarting production" writes Hanson. Bendigo’s shares rose 16 per cent on Friday. There may have been disappointments for Woodside Petroleum in Mauritania’s waters but further south off Senegal First Australian Resources remains very bullish in its quarterly. It is in partnership with Hunt il of the US looking for a world-class discovery. FAR will know more by the end of the year when completion of seismic interpretation is expected. Speaking of seismic Dynasty Metals Australia has finished its survey at the Irwin coal seam gas project 65km inland from Geraldton. The project one of the first to get a CSG exploration licence in Western Australia is close to existing pipelines in the Northern Perth Basin.

Fazlur Rahman: Microlending making a dent in poverty
Dallas Morning News – Oct 29, 2007
Yunus and others have inspired young torchbearers to make the world a better place. For example Will Radke an Austin College senior with the help of the Austin College community has launched a microloan entity Global utreach Change. G Change helps West African villagers through Tostan a Senegal-based community empowerment organization. Microfinance is not a panacea for all the social ills but it surely gives the impoverished a start for a better life. Fazlur Rahman is an oncologist and an education advocate from San Angelo Texas. He is also a trustee of Austin College and a member of its Leadership Award Advisory Committee. His e-mail address is frahman@wtmedical.

Lucky Dube’s Funeral Takes Place In South Africa
Gigwise – Oct 29, 2007
The highly influential and loved star was buried at his farm in Newcastle in the KwaZulu-Natal province in a private ceremony for his family and close friends. A huge public ceremony was held shortly before the burial with numerous eminent musicians religious figures and friends from around the globe attending. Peter Gabriel was amongst those who sent out message of condolence to Dube calling the reggae star as “extraordinary talent. ” Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade also sent the family a personal message.