Background Note: Libya (Scoop.co.nz) Geography Location: North Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, southern border with Chad, Niger, and Sudan. Area: 1,759,540 million sq. km. Cities: Tripoli (capital), Benghazi. Terrain: Mostly barren, flat …
Women in Morocco; progress but ‘could do better’ (Middle East Online) Five years after Morocco reform, [...]

FACTBOX-Newmont operations and divestment case – ReutersJAKARTA, April 1 (Reuters) – An international arbitration court has ordered foreign shareholders in the Indonesian unit of Newmont Mining Corp. ( NEM.N ) to sell a 17 percent stake in the unit within 180 days, Kontan newspaper reported on Wednesday
Contract to create Asian submarine cable [...]

China sits unmoved in North Korea uproar (Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News) China is the only low-key voice in the international outcry over North Korea’s planned rocket launch and is likely to stay that way, putting the stability of the reclusive state ahead of any retaliatory sanctions.
Taiwan Dollar Gains on Prospect for [...]

US, Iran launch Afghan drug trade fight (AAP via Yahoo!7 News) The US and Iran found a common cause in the battle against Afghanistan’s rampant drug trade but remained at odds over the presence of foreign troops there.
Pakistani President to attend trilateral summit on Afghanistan in Turkey (People’s Daily) Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari [...]

Mafia controls fuel oil in Lebanon, says speaker at Tabourian lecture (The Daily Star Lebanon) Energy and Water Minister Alan Tabourian gave a lecture at Crown Plaza hotel Tuesday on the electricity crisis in Lebanon. The event was organized by the British universities alumni association in Lebanon. Alumni president Abdel-Malak Sukkariyya charged that a mafia [...]

Angola: Deputy Minister Hopes for New Management Methods Angolan deputy minister of Sports, Albino da Conceição, said Monday in Luanda he hopes that the sports management course that started Monday in the capital contributes for the clubs to adopt new methods of management.
Rwanda: Rebury Genocide Remains in Uganda [...]

South Africa Trade Gap Narrows as Exports Rebound, Imports Drop (Bloomberg) March 31 (Bloomberg) — South Africa’s trade gap narrowed by more than expected last month as exports from the continent’s biggest economy surged and imports declined.
Deco earns Portugal 2-0 win over South Africa (TODAYonline) Portugal’s Bruno Alves celebrates after he scored the first [...]

DEVELOPMENT: More Urgent Measures Needed from IDB MEDELLÍN, Colombia, Mar 31 (IPS) – The financial, environmental and social crises shaking the world today face the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with demands and expectations it cannot meet, because of the limitations seen at its 50th annual meeting, which ended Tuesday [...]

UAE Coach Bathenay s Future in Doubt (Khaleej Times) DUBAI – The UAE Football chief Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi declined to confirm the news regarding the termination of head coach Dominique Bathenay, but he didn t rule out such a possibility after their 2010 World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia, to [...]

Indonesia’s singing serial killer eyes pop stardom (AFP via Yahoo! News) For a man facing the death penalty, alleged serial killer Verry Idham Henyansyah reveals more than a little gallows humour in the title of his upcoming album, “My Last Performance”.
Philippines: Emergency Declared In Philippine Hostage Crisis (Sin Chew Jit Poh) MANILA, PHILIPPINES: The [...]