In Tennessee, a nuclear waste processing company has settled a lawsuit accusing it of exposing African American workers to higher radiation levels than white colleagues. The company is ironically called RACE, which stands for Radiological Assistance, Consulting and Engineering. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission brought the suit against RACE. In addition to the excessive radiation exposure, the lawsuit says the company’s white managers assigned African American workers to work near radioactive waste while cordoning off white workers in a separate area. The managers also allegedly manipulated dosimeters that measure radiation exposure to hide their actions. One African American worker was suspended and then fired after complaining his superior had used the N-word and other racist slurs. Twenty-three African American employees will receive a combined $650,000 under the settlement.

The United Nations is renewing its multi-million dollar appeal for Somalia, which it says is facing a peak in its 18 years of humanitarian crisis.  U.N. agencies pledge to continue assistance to millions of needy Somali people despite the attack in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Thursday, which claimed 22 lives.

The United Nations says the latest bloody attack in Mogadishu underlines how urgent it is for the international community to provide humanitarian aid to Somalia.

The United Nations recently appealed for 690 million dollars for humanitarian operations in Somalia throughout 2010.  The U.N. says there was a decline in contributions in 2009, so agencies will have little or no money to carry-over for projects in the New Year.

The U.N. says it is absolutely crucial for nations to provide early funding so people can get the help they so desperately need.

U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman, Elizabeth Byrs, says the United Nations is committed to providing relief to the millions of people in the country, despite the increasing dangers. “Even though the humanitarian space has been reduced, we continue our aid and relief operation.  That is why it is so important to get a commitment from the international community and get the adequate funding to the appeal for 2010,” she said.

Scientists announced last month that a combination of vaccines gave a 31% level of protection in trials among 16,000 heterosexuals aged 18-30.

Doubts had been raised about whether the finding was significant.

But new data published at a conference in Paris indicates that, while small scale, the findings are robust and statistically significant.

However, the scientists say they do not understand what is causing the effect, and it seems to offer less protection to those most at risk.

Despite these drawbacks, Colonel Nelson Michael from the US military HIV research program it is still a small step in the right direction.

He said: “It’s important that people understand that this is a scientific advance, a scientific breakthrough.

“It is not a public health breakthrough; there is not a vaccine that is around the corner.

“We now, after 26 years of trying, believe that we can go down that road with confidence that we will be able to develop a vaccine that is globally effective.”

Doubts raised

Despite their initial joy when the first results from the Thai trial were announced, many scientists were concerned that the protective effect was very small.

Among the 8,000 of so who got the vaccine, 51 became infected with the virus.

Among those who received a placebo, 74 got the infection.

However, the trials sponsors, the US military and the Thai government said the 31.2% protective effect was statistically significant and real.

As more data slowly emerged some scientists began to have doubts about how robust this effect really was.

When those who had not taken all their vaccines were excluded from the trial the numbers lost their statistical power.

Many experts were concerned that the data had not been subject to a rigorous examination by other scientists.

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A report done by Jonathan Paye-Layleh stated that China is often criticized for taking form Africa but giving little back.  Well, Liberia might be a different story where Chinese officials are moving into new territory — Chinese language lessons.

China vs America

As in much of Africa, China is heavily engaged in post-war Liberia, rebuilding roads with funding from the World Bank, managing hotels and restaurants, trading in medicines and other businesses.

CHINA IN AFRICA China is Africa’s second-biggest trading partner, behind US Between 2002 and 2003 two-way trade doubles to $18.5bn By 2008 trade tops $100bn – China exports $51bn, imports $56bn Almost all imports come from oil-rich nations: Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, and Sudan Sources: China Daily, Reuters, Council on Foreign Relations

Chinese mineral firm China Union became the largest investor in Liberia when it signed a $2.6bn deal to go into iron-ore mining earlier this year.

There is even a Chinese-language radio station broadcasting across the country for the increasing number of migrant workers and expatriates.

The growing trade ties explain why the Chinese embassy and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have decided to put on free two-hour classes in the afternoon, five days a week.

Although attendances for the first few classes were sparse because of torrential rain in Monrovia, the students who did turn up were serious about the task.

John Cooper, 57, from Monrovia, says the lessons reflect Liberia’s changing political allegiances.

“Traditionally Liberians are closer to the Americans than we are to the Chinese, but the irony is that the Chinese are more open to us than the Americans are,” he says.

“If the Chinese stay here with us for about 25 years, it will be good for us.”

A middle-aged woman attending the lessons agrees that the classes are important for the country.

“In Liberia we speak only English and instead of learning French, we play with French – it is just too bad for a nation,” she says.

For others, like 40-year-old Tubman Nyennety, the motivation for doing the class is driven by personal ambition.

“We need to learn Chinese because you never tell when you will have the opportunity to travel to China,” he says.

Another student, Musu Woodfor, recalls the difficulties she faced when she fled the civil war to Liberia’s French-speaking neighbours.

“We learn French, so why not Chinese? The language barrier was a problem when we travelled as a result of the war.”

Read more….

Here are parts 3 & 4.

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 2 of Race, class and opportunity.   Why bail out Wall St. but punish Detroit? New administration’s policies -- old pattern.

A very good 4 part series on race, class and opportunity done by the Real News Network.   Part 1 is below.

OK, one thing is for sure, I won’t be visiting Moscow anytime soon.  This is crazy.  I had no clue Moscow was a hot bed for racism.  I had a roommate that was from Russia, he never mentioned this, always said things like Moscow would be a great place to visit.  Sorry Russia, you guys need to get your act together before I visit there.  If I can’t walk the street no chance in hell you’ll see me.

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Many African students in Moscow are afraid to go outside

BBC reported that nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia’s capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study.

Africans working or studying in the city live in constant fear of attack, according to the report by the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy.

A quarter of 200 people surveyed said they had been assaulted more than once. Some 80% had been verbally abused.

But the number of assaults was down from the MPC’s last survey in 2002.

The report’s clear conclusion was that Africans living in Russia exist in a state of virtual siege, says the BBC’s Rupert Wingfield Hayes in Moscow.

Extreme violence

Many of the African respondents said they:

• Avoided using the Moscow metro
• Were also careful to avoid crowded public places
• Did not go out on Russian national holidays or on days when there were football matches

Many of the attacks on Africans were pre-meditated and extremely violent, the report found.

One Nigerian migrant interviewed by the BBC had been repeatedly stabbed in the back and then shot.

Another man said his attacker had attempted to remove his scalp.

Officially there are some 10,000 Africans living in Moscow, but far more are believed to live there illegally – many as economic migrants.

The Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy is an English-speaking interdenominational Christian congregation that has ministered to Moscow’s foreign community since 1962.