Barack Obama Officially Elected President

Major news companies are reporting that Barack Obama has defeated John McCain to become the first African American president of the United States. Obama had announced his presidential candidacy two years ago and now he will become the next president of the USA.

Nelson Mandela in London to Celebrate Birthday

Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, is in London for the week to celebrate his 90^th birthday. He is set to attend an outdoor concert that is in his honor in Hyde Park on this coming Friday. The performances will include Queen, Annie Lennox, Leona Lewis, and the Soweto Gospel Choir. Amy Winehouse will also perform if her doctors say that it is okay for her to do so. The proceeds from the concert will go to 46664 charity, which is the AIDS charity named after the number Mandela wore while he was imprisoned by South Africa’s apartheid authorities.

Mandela is also set to meet supporters, which include Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and talkshow host Oprah Winfrey. The concert coincides with the 20^th anniversary of London’s Free Mandela concert. Mandela was released from prison in 1990 after being incarcerated for 27 years and was elected as the first black president in South Africa in 1994.

New Cases of Bird Flu

It is reported that three new cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found on poultry farms in the west African nation of Togo. New cases were found in dead birds on farms in the Lacs, Golfe, and Zio regions east of the capital Lome.

Testing confirmed the presence of the virus in late June in Togo. About 8,000 poultry birds were killed in the area and local poultry markets were closed. They also took more control over poultry imports. Last October, Togo banned the import of live poultry and poultry products from countries affected by the virus.

Since 2003, the virus has killed 191 out of 313 infected people worldwide. The death toll could multiply quickly if the virus mutates and would become easily transmitted between humans.