NKANA Member of Parliament (MP) Mwenya Musenge yesterday told a Kitwe magistrate's court that he never intended to cause confusion between police and ex-miners who were protesting over their withheld terminal benefits by Barclays Bank.

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is today expected in Uganda's capital city, Kampala where he will join other African leaders from 35 nations to attend a landmark African Union (AU) special summit on refugees, returnees and internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on the continent.

SPEAKER of the National Assembly Amussa Mwanamwambwa has directed Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga to explain oil giant, Total's planned sale of its 50 per cent stake in Indeni Oil Refinery back to the Government.

The recent change of the budget cycle to allow government to effectively spend money to develop the country is not good enough unless those in charge of the money are made accountable, say civil society.

Zambia has engaged a Kenyan company, Dalbit Petroleum Limited, to co-import petrol and diesel into the southern African country to ease a fuel shortage that has persisted for close to two weeks.

THE commissioning of the multi-million dollar Chambishi Copper Smelter by President Rupiah Banda yesterday is proof of the resilience of Chinese investment in this country.

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday commissioned the multi-million dollar Chambishi Copper Smelter (CCS), which will process about 150,000 tonnes of copper per year and employ 600 people.

PERHAPS there is yet to be a fuel crisis in Zambia as massive in magnitude and with so far reaching security and political consequences as the one which followed the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965 and the economic blockade that ensued thereafter.

THE Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWASCO) has restored water supply to all police camps in Southern Province after the Government made a part payment of about K149 million towards the outstanding water bills for police amounting to more than K327 million.

VISITING Malawian Members of Parliament (MPs) have called for effective partnership with Zambia for the two countries to exchange ideas on the implementation of the decentralisation policy, which has succeeded in their country.

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has asked President Rupiah Banda to revoke a statutory instrument increasing the retirement age for officers in the defence forces to 60 years from 55.

NATIONAL Union for Technical Education Lecturers and Allied Worker(NUTELAW) has asked the Government to repeal the Technical Education Vocational Training Authority (TEVETA) Act and take over the management of the colleges and technical institutions from the management boards.

LUSAKA Magistrate Kenneth Mulife has issued a bench warrant for a defilement victim for not appearing in court to testify against a Lusaka journalist Francis Maingaila who allegedly defiled her.

SECRETARY to the Treasury, Likolo Ndalamei has said the Government recognises that human population is both an agent and beneficiary of development.

FORMER special assistant to the president for Press and public relations, John Musukuma has died.

GOVERNMENT is negotiating with Total International to buy the company's 50 per cent shares in Indeni Petroleum Refinery, Ministry of Energy and Water Development Permanent Secretary, Peter Mumba has said.

THE MMD leadership on the Copperbelt has suspended Kafulafuta member of Parliament George Mpombo with immediate effect.

THE current fuel shortage should be addressed quickly to avoid jolting the country's economy, Bank of Zambia (BoZ) governor, Caleb Fundanga has said.

FROM the look of things, the distribution of farming inputs to vulnerable but viable farmers is on course this year and very few hitches are anticipated.

GOVERNMENT has requested the Zimbabwean government not to close the Chirundu border at 18:00 hours and also instructed security wings to escort trucks entering from Nakonde to ensure timely delivery of fuel.