As Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain prepare for prominent appearances at the party nominating conventions, both are viewed more favorably than not, even though a substantial slice of the electorate has yet to form a firm opinion.

The issue of free movement of persons and labour remained thorny even as representative of member states of the East Africa Community gathered in Nairobi for the second round of negotiations on the protocol for a common market for the

ORGANISED Labour in the country has taken a swipe at Major and Independent Petroleum marketers for the scarcity and high cost of Kerosene in the country, lamenting that but for the greed for outrageous profit maximization, the Nigerian masses would

THE crisis in the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ondo State may soon be resolved following the intervention of the paramount traditional ruler of Akureland Oba Adepoju Adesina.

Kayunga District authorities have halted the appointment of over 130 newly recruited civil servants pending investigations into allegations that they passed job interviews after bribing some district officials.

Former Taveta MP Basil Criticos has issued notice to close down his sisal firm next month rendering more than 1,000 sisal workers jobless.

The Government is set to make far-reaching changes in the top management of key state corporations.

More than 200,000 unionisable workers in the tea industry are locked up in a salary increment dispute with multi-national tea companies in the country.

The female workers of Mogadishu have stated that they would resume their hygiene workers following a roadside bomb killed more than 20 colleagues in Mogadishu last month.

A RECENT DEBATE IN THE letters pages of this newspaper about whether or not someone who originates from Coast Province should head the Kenya Ports Authority has left me truly dumbfounded.

The spouses of public servants have no justifiable entitlement to money from the public purse.

Ramblers skipper and Brave Warriors' towering defender Michael "Dolam Tower" Pienaar will be lost Namibian football after the lanky defender alongside Orlando Pirates' centre back Steven Goagab, signed two year contracts with South African first division Bethlehem outfit Kara Kicks

Criminal complicity?'

Former employees of Windhoek Municipality are furious with the city fathers, saying municipality officials duped them into accepting transfer to private sub-contractors, who are now dismissing them with as little as N$460 as payout packages after 18 years of employment.

WHILE the skills crisis is very real and very daunting, it is illogical that available skills in SA are not being used, says Lawrence Wordon, MD of Professional Assignments Group (PAG).

Employers who provide housing for their staff will benefit from tax waivers, the government announced on Saturday.

GOLD miner DRDGold aimed to produce 4000oz of gold a year safely and profitably from existing operations by 2011, compared with 308005oz in the year to June, CEO John Sayers said yesterday.

OVER 700 youth, in the Adansi North District of Ashanti, have so far been engaged under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).

COPPER miner Metorex is examining opportunities to diversify in the longer term from its heavy weighting in copper and the Democratic Republic of Congo towards other base metals, including zinc, and other countries, CEO Charles Needham said yesterday.

A section of teachers attending a conference broke into an impromptu celebration on hearing news that they were being considered for scarce skills allowances.