The News Review:

- Holiday lights give hope to Sierra Leone
- … given chance to stay in Britain and avoid deportation back…
- Nigeria: P’Harcourt Airport to Resume Operations Friday
- Gambia: Coach Martnez Leaves for Spain

Holiday lights give hope to Sierra Leone
Toronto Star – Dec 19, 2007
A Christmas tree with blinking bulbs is also on display at the offices of the telecommunications company. It is an exceptional sight in the capital city of Freetown, which has been without reliable electricity since the 1980s, thanks to poor governance and civil war. Street hawkers try to sell Christmas lights but few are buying. Since electricity from the National Power Authority is inadequate, anything with a plug requires a privately owned generator.

… given chance to stay in Britain and avoid deportation back…
International Herald Tribune – Dec 19, 2007
The 19-year-old Bangura was ordered deported on Dec. 11 because an asylum and immigration tribunal ruled that he exaggerated the risk to his life if he was to return to Sierra Leone. However, Watford officials on Wednesday met with Home Office minister Liam Byrne, who approved a request to apply for a work permit for the player. “This work permit will be subject to an independent panel because Al doesn't currently qualify for a work permit through conventional channels,” said Claire Ward, the local lawmaker for Watford. A soccer player usually has to play in 75 percent of his country's internationals in the two years preceding the application date to be eligible for a work permit. Bangura has not played for Sierra Leone.

Nigeria: P’Harcourt Airport to Resume Operations Friday
AllAfrica.com – Dec 19, 2007
Inside the terminal building, the floors still looked dirty with splashes of paint while work on airline offices were still ongoing at the time THISDAY visited the place. The experts who did the calliberations were said to have arrived Port Harcourt on Monday but could not land at the airport because of some non functional equipment and had to land at Air force base. They later went to the airport where they brought in a plane from Sierra Leone "ATR42" meant to align the equipment to the frequencies that will enable flights locate their bearing on approach to the airport. Yesterday, the calibration aircraft also aligned the PAPI which improves visibility for incoming aircraft. The equipment was said to have been out of order for long and one of the new things installed in the place. 30 pm, the aircraft with propeller engines had finished its duties and flew out of the airport to Sierra Leone having landed severally.

Gambia: Coach Martnez Leaves for Spain
AllAfrica.com – Dec 19, 2007
The Spaniard is reported to have flown back to his native country for a break shortly after his return from Zone II competition in Guinea Bissau. GA_googleFillSlot(“AllAfrica_Story_Inset”); The Egyptian coach, Tarik Siagy and Coach Lamin Sarr stepped in for the out-of-town coach to prepare the team ahead of the Sierra Leone friendly scheduled for Sunday, December 23, in Banjul. The two west African nations, who are eyeing their first-ever world cup appearances, are using Sunday’s friendly as part of preparations for South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifier competition which is scheduled to commence in May 2008.