Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 4 December 2008 — Page 17

The Muncie Times • December 4, 208 • Page 17

AFRICAN BRIEFS

continued from page 17 ing party was declared to have won state elections in Plateau State, of which Jos is the capital city. That set off protests by the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party, a predominantly Muslim party. Nigeria's 140 million people are split almost equally between Muslims and Christians and the two communities generally live peacefully side-by-side. Ghanaian model wins Face of Africa prize (GIN)--This year’s prized Face of Africa Award goes to stunning 23-year-old Kate Tachie-Menson, a stunning Ghanaian beauty.

The competition was held Nov. 29 in Sun City, South Africa. The first Face of Africa winner and now global model icon and businesswoman, Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi, announced the award of a modeling contract, valued at $50,000, with Oluchi’s OModel Africa agency. U.S. appeal court clears Chevron in Nigerian case (GIN)--A U.S. court has cleared oil giant Chevron of complicity in a deadly hostage incident in Nigeria, ending a 10-year struggle by Nigerian survivors of the event. Chevron was sued by

Larry Bowoto and other members of Concerned Ilaje Citizens, who testified that soldiers and police shot unarmed residents of the Daje community when they staged a nonviolent sit-in at Chevron's offshore platform. They claimed Chevron was liable for damages because it paid, fed and housed Nigerian troops flown in by helicopter to end the May 1998 occupation and that the U.S. oil company was negligent in calling the soldiers while negotiations were ongoing. "The fact that Bowoto v. Chevron made it this far in the process is a victory in and of itself, because it means that we have demonstrated that there is a

clear pathway in the U.S. court system for holding corporations accountable to the rule of law," said Laura Livoti, founder of Justice in Nigeria Now, on the federal court ruling this "We are gratified by the decision of the jurors in this case who listened to weeks of testimony and arrived at a just and fair verdict," Chevron said Monday, after the decision in a San Francisco federal court. An appeal is planned. Global Information Network distributes news and feature articles on Africa and the developing world to mainstream, alternative, ethnic and

minority-owned outlets in the United States and Canada. Our goal is to increase the perspectives available to readers in North America and to bring into their view information about global issues that are overlooked or under-reported by mainstream media. For more information, contact: Lisa Vives Executive Director Global Information Network 146 West 29th Street Suite 7E New York, NY 10001 www.globalinfo.org 212-244-3123 (voice) 212-244-3522 (fax)