Tuesday, March 1, 2016

The Turkish Ambassador to Tanzania, H.E Yasemin Eralp, discusses the growth of trade and improvement of economic relations between the two countries. Excerpts…

Turkey reopened its embassy in Dar es Salaam in 2009 after it was closed in the mid-1980s due to financial constraints. The Eurasian country, which in recent years witnessed rapid economic growth, has set its eyes on cooperating with African countries, including Tanzania.

In this interview with The Citizen on Sunday senior reporter Florence Mugarula, the Turkish Ambassador to Tanzania, H.E Yasemin Eralp, discusses the growth of trade and improvement of economic relations between the two countries. Excerpts…

What is the current relations between Turkey and Tanzania?

We are enjoying excellent bilateral relations with Tanzania. Africa is one of the priorities of Turkish foreign policy. Ten years ago the Turkish government adopted a new strategy towards Africa and decided to be more active. We opened many embassies all over the continent. In 2009, we only had 12 embassies and today 39.

Our embassy in Dar es Salaam was first opened in 1981, but due to financial constraints, it was closed down in mid 1980s. Following the new strategy towards Africa, in 2009, Turkey reopened its embassy in Dar es Salaam.

Our bilateral relations are satisfactory and we are trying to improve them. We have good cooperation mechanisms like political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Joint Economic Commission.

Since 2009, we have signed many agreements which create legal basis of our relations. Some other agreements are still on the table and we hope to conclude them soon. We realised several mutual high level visits and we will continue.

Tanzania and Turkey have been cooperating in various areas. What is the status of economic and trade relations between the two countries?

Trade and economic relations are far from reflecting the real potential. I am glad to say that we already have a business community in Tanzania and they are doing well.

Turkish products here are very popular. On the other hand, there is more room to strengthen economic and commercial relations. One of my priorities is to attract more investors from Turkey to Tanzania.

I should say that there is serious interest from Turkey, almost every week I receive some Turkish businessmen from different cities of Turkey and next month I expect a business delegation from Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board.

I recently met Prime Minister Majaliwa, we had a very useful talk and I am very pleased that his approach is very similar to mine.

I also met many members of cabinet and all my Tanzanian counterparts are willing to improve economic relations with Turkey and they would like to see more Turkish investments in Tanzania.

What is the trade volume between Turkey and Tanzania?

Trade volume between the two countries has almost tripled since 2009. In 2009 trade volume stood at $66 million (Sh145.2 billion), today it is around $160 million (Sh352 billion).

I am very glad to see that thanks to the Turkish Airlines daily flights, many Tanzanians are now travelling to Turkey for business purposes. It means we also have unregistered trade. As I told you demand for Turkish products is increasing.

Where do you see trade and business going between Turkey and Tanzania in the coming years?

The situation is promising, we expect a boom in the coming years. Tanzania has natural resources, and we have industry. Tanzania needs serious construction and infrastructure projects and we have many good companies which might be interested in those projects.

I believe that Turkish companies can secure tenders in those areas and thus participate in building up economy and strengthen businesses between the two countries. The most significant is that, there is strong political will from both sides to create new cooperation areas.

We see Tanzania as an equal partner and improving economic relations is for favour of both sides. We want to achieve win-win solutions.

We are also ready to share our experiences with Tanzania. Turkey was not like that 20 years ago. Thanks to our EU membership process, we realised fundamental reforms in democracy, human rights, economy and justice. Those are very helpful to attract more foreign direct investments.

As a diplomat, how do you assess the performance of President John Magufuli’s government?

We are following the policies carried out by the new government. President Magufuli has the support of Tanzanian people. He is also very popular in other African countries. Now we see the optimism in Tanzania and this is very positive.

I do appreciate to see the government’s determination in fighting against corruption and mismanagement. Turkey is true friend of Tanzania and we always had good relations and supported the government. We will continue on that track.

With the current political stalemate in Zanzibar, does the situation affect businesses between Tanzania and Turkey? What do you think should be done to end the problem?

No there is no impact. However, we are concerned about the situation in Zanzibar. We closely have been following the matter since October 25th.

That issue has to be solved by dialogue and compromise according to the principles of democracy and rule of law. We have historical ties with Zanzibaris and we would like to see their wellbeing and prosperity.

Recently, the government restricted Ambassadors and diplomats in the country meeting or organising appointment with politicians without approval from the government, what is your take on that?

I don’t feel myself as if restricted. We, diplomats have to respect the rules of hosting countries. Actually, according to the tradition of diplomacy, the first counterpart of foreign diplomatic missions is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country. Embassies should make all their correspondence through the Ministry. I have been in Dar for five months and have met many officials in and outside of the city.

I always send verbal notes to the ministry and kindly ask their assistance in arranging necessary appointments. So, I will continue to do that. On the other hand, depending on the content of the issue, when it is necessary we used to follow up the matters before the relevant home authorities, we will also continue to do that.

Chama cha ukombozi wa Palestina (PLO) kimepinga ziara ya Rais Uhuru Kenyatta wa Kenya katika Jerusalem ya mashariki na sehemu ya makazi ya Israel katika ukingo wa magharibi wa Mto Jordan.
Kamati ya utendaji ya PLO imesema makubaliano ya kimataifa yanataja ardhi ya Palestina iliyotawaliwa na Israel mwaka 1967 ni ardhi ya nchi ya Palestina na siyo vinginevyo

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The Bank of Tanzania (BOT), has recently announced that Tanzania is the first country in the world the achieve full interoperability after mobile operator Tigo, reached an agreement with Tanzania to allow mobile money transfers between the respective mobile networks. The announcement was done by BOT’s Governor, Prof. Benno Ndulu, whom in a recent meeting with the World Bank (WB) to discuss financial inclusion in the country, explained that Vodacom has joined an interoperability agreement signed in 2014 between Limited (Zantel) that allow its mobile money users to transfer money to other users from other mobile operators. The full interoperability achieved in Tanzania is consequence of WB International Finance Corporation Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT) and BOT efforts to advice and support Tigo and Airtel to reach a tariff agreement in accordance with the electronic wallet interoperability rules in September, 2014, and between Tigo and Zantel in December, 2014. This is an important milestone and first of its kind in the world in line with Vodacom’s commitment to create cashless society with flexible payment options and with fully participation in Tanzania’s formal financial system by spreading financial inclusion, explained Vodacom’s Managing Director Ian Ferrao. The partnership between Vodacom and Tigo is a sign of all mobile network operators’ commitment to further spread financial inclusion in Tanzania by boosting innovation and bringing fast and convenient financial services to all socio-economic levels, Airtel’s Managing Director Sunil Colaso added. According to BOT’s Financial Stability Report released in December, 2015, payment systems operated by mobile phone recorded high rates of growth in volume and value, positioning Tanzania at the top of the world in terms of registered users. Tanzania’s registered users of mobile payment services increased to 41,380,791 as of December, 2014, from 31,830,289 in December, 2013, marking a growth of 30% and reaching a ratio of 84% of adults using mobile phones for money transactions that surpasses Kenya’s rate at 68% according to the WB. This is why the BOT has recently set a new financial inclusion target for Tanzania of 80% of adult population using a financial access point by 2017, after the country exceeded the target of 50% by 2016 under the National Financial Inclusion Framework (NFIF 2014/2017) with 55% financial inclusion in 2014. The full mobile money interoperability complements cross-border agreements reached by Tigo Tanzania in 2014 to allow its mobile money platform to transfer money with customers of the same network in Rwanda and Vodacom’s agreement with Safaricom Kenya in 2015 to allow transactions between their users.

Police in Dar es Salaam yesterday gunned down four armed gangsters. They were among robbers who raided Access Bank’s Mbagala branch and made away with an unspecified amount of money.

Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Simon Sirro said police also recovered three firearms.

A man who beheaded a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba has won the right to eventually live on his own.
A Criminal Code Review Board has approved a plan that would allow Vince Li to at some point move out of the group home where he now lives.
Li — who has changed his name to Will Baker — killed Tim McLean during a bus trip along the TransCanada Highway near Portage la Prairie in July 2008.
He was found to be not criminally responsible for the murder due to a mental illness — schizophrenia.

The board reviews Baker’s file annually and has ruled that he could move out on his own following an updated assessment report that would include conditions for living in the community.

Baker was originally kept in a secure wing at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, but the board has granted him increasing freedoms almost every year.

The request for more freedom came from Baker’s medical team, which said he has been a model patient and understands the need to continue to take anti-psychotic medication.

Even living on his own, he would be subject to several conditions that would include daily monitoring, regular check-ins with mental health professionals and random drug tests.

Baker sat next to the 22-year-old McLean on the bus after the young man smiled at him and asked how he was doing.

Baker said he heard the voice of God telling him to kill the young carnival worker or “die immediately.” Baker repeatedly stabbed McLean who unsuccessfully fought for his life.

As passengers fled the bus, Baker continued stabbing and mutilating the body before he was arrested.

He won the right to leave the hospital and live in a group home last year.

Supporters say Baker and other people deemed not criminally responsible for their actions deserve the right to rehabilitation and freedom. But opponents, including some politicians and McLean’s mother, have opposed the board granting Baker increasing freedom.“The Crown has the ability to view Will Baker … as a designated high-risk not criminally responsible person, but they have chosen not to,” Conservative MP James Bezan wrote in a statement this week.

“They have blatantly ignored the rights of the victim’s family, and compromised the public safety of our community in (their) decision.

Putin's favourite presidential candidate appeals to the same demographic. In the words of another Trump admirer John Pilger, Trump "is speaking straight to ordinary Americans, not through the usual media/liberal filter. He is making sense to a lot of people. They like his absence of hypocrisy."

'The Ku Klux Klan just turned up to support Donald Trump in Nevada'

‪#‎USA, 26-02-2016: 'Donald Trump has attracted a following from white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan, who appeared in long cloaks and head-coverings at the Nevada caucus.

One map that shows how hate groups in the US are on the rise

Mr Trump is already facing resurfaced allegations of sexual assault ahead of Super Tuesday on 1 March, he has been considering suing rival Ted Cruz for “lying” to Iowa voters in a mailer, and has fanned flames of racism with his talk of banning Muslims from the US and building a wall along the US border to keep out Mexicans.

Mr Trump has “refused” to condemn those who believe Christian white people are a superior race, and has “encouraged” the hatred, according to Occupy Democrats.

"This, America, is what the Republican Party has come to. It is absolutely appalling to see that the front-runner of one of our nation’s two major political parties has been spouting such absurdly discriminatory rhetoric that his supporters feel bold enough to show up to caucus dressed as members of the Ku Klux Klan," wrote Colin Taylor.

Friday, February 26, 2016

ITB is the world’s leading travel trade show with 10,000 exhibitors from 185 countries.

Advertisement By The Citizen Reporter; @TheCitizenTz

Dar es Salaam. Over 100 representatives from the tourism industry in Tanzania will participate in the international tourism exhibition (ITB) slated for Berlin, Germany, beginning March 9.

A press statement issued by the German Embassy in Dar es Salaam said yesterday said the 170 representatives from Tanzania include hotels and tour operators.

ITB is the world’s leading travel trade show with 10,000 exhibitors from 185 countries.

The statement stated the representatives were seen-off yesterday by the German Ambassador to Tanzania, Egon Kochanke, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Prof Jumanne Maghembe and the Hyatt Kilimanjaro Hotel General Manager, Karl Marshall.

Amb.Kochanke wished success to the Tanzanian business people:

“TITB is not only a fair to penetrate the German market, it’s the platform for access to the European market at large. More German tourists coming to Tanzania will foster bilateral relations as well.”

10 Oscar-nominated films which prove the maxim that real life can sometimes be strangeR or at least more entertaining than fiction

Advertisement By Frankie Taggart

From biopics and historical epics to spy stories and harrowing tales of abduction and abuse, this year’s list of Oscar nominees features a bevy of films based on true stories.

Some stick faithfully to history, but many play fast and lose with the facts -- and others are almost entirely fictionalized. Here are 10 Oscar-nominated films which prove the maxim that real life can sometimes be stranger -- or at least more entertaining -- than fiction:

‘The Revenant’ -

Famous as much for the brutal filming conditions and Leonardo DiCaprio’s liver-eating antics as its glittering array of pre-Oscar honours, “The Revenant” tells the story of real-life 19th century frontiersman Hugh Glass.

Left for dead after a bear attack and grieving his murdered son, he embarks on an epic quest for survival, fuelled by a blood-thirsty desire for revenge.

The film is up for 12 Oscars, including best actor for DiCaprio, best picture and best director for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Glass was left to die by his companions in real life, but there’s no record that he had a son, and he seems to have been motivated by the desire to get his rifle back and demand an apology, rather than revenge.

‘Bridge of Spies’

Steven Spielberg’s espionage thriller is nominated for best picture and five other statuettes, including best supporting actor for Mark Rylance.

Set in the Cold War, it tells the story of the 1962 prisoner exchange of American spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers and graduate student Frederic Pryor for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.

The Washington-based Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum wrote a blog post listing five myths propagated by the film, including that Powers was tortured.

“I didn’t expect a documentary, but as someone who is a stickler for historical accuracy and someone especially familiar with this story, the movie was a disappointment,” wrote Layne Karafantis, a museum curator.

‘The Big Short’ - Adam McKay’s “The Big Short” is based on Michael Lewis’s non-fiction 2010 book of the same name on the 2008 global financial meltdown.

Boasting an all-star cast including Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, it is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture and best director.

Described by The New York Times as a “true crime story and a madcap comedy, a heist movie and a scalding polemic,” the film tells the story of Michael Burry, a hedge fund manager who bet against the subprime mortgage market at the heart of the crisis.

‘Room’ - “Room,” up for four Oscars including the best actress prize for Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, was adapted from Emma Donoghue’s novel of the same name, shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

The film tells the story of Joy “Ma” Newsome, a young woman and her escape after 10 years in captivity, as told through the eyes of her five-year-old son Jack.

While entirely fictional, the story was inspired by the case of Austria’s Josef Fritzl, who locked his daughter, Elisabeth, in a basement for 24 years, raped her repeatedly and fathered her seven children.

‘Spotlight’

“Spotlight” depicts the painstaking investigation by The Boston Globe newspaper on how the Catholic Church hushed up the activities of nearly 90 pedophile priests in the northeastern US city in the early 2000s.

Nominated for six Oscars and a slew of other prizes, the film is based on a series of stories by the real Spotlight team, who earned the Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

Journalists Walter Robinson and Mike Rezendes, part of the investigative team, told AFP last month the child abuse scandals plaguing the Catholic Church are only the tip of the iceberg.

‘Trumbo’

“Trumbo” tells the story of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who in 1947 was blacklisted along with other artists for refusing to testify before Congress about alleged Communist propaganda in Hollywood films.

Bryan Cranston -- of “Breaking Bad” fame -- is up for an Oscar for his portrayal of Trumbo, but some critics have attacked the film for being historically misleading.

Godfrey Cheshire, of the “Roger Ebert’s Journal” website, described the biopic as “another of those simplistic, made-to-order films about the Hollywood blacklist in which the blacklisted movie folks are all innocent, in every conceivable way.”

‘Steve Jobs’ - The biopic of Apple’s visionary boss, for which Kate Winslet has a best supporting actress nomination, has been hit by numerous claims of inaccuracy.

Pixar and Disney Animation Studios president Edwin Catmull told the Hollywood Reporter that Jobs would “be appalled” by the film, arguing that he was much kinder than the character portrayed by nominee Michael Fassbender.

‘The Danish Girl’ - “The Danish Girl” -- up for four Oscars including best actor for last year’s winner Eddie Redmayne -- was loosely inspired by the lives of 1920s painters Lili Elbe, one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery, and her wife Gerda Wegener.

The film has been marketed as a “true story,” despite containing many of the deliberate historical inaccuracies of the 2000 novel of the same name on which it is based.

Some characters and scenes are entirely fictional, and the film distorts the timeline of many of the real-life events in the main characters’ lives.

‘Joy’- Comedy drama “Joy” stars Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, a real-life divorced mother-of-three who became a millionaire after inventing the self-wringing Miracle Mop.

Mangano is reported to have given director David O. Russell permission to take many liberties with the facts, including giving her a fictional half-sister and two children, rather than three, and making her ex-husband a Venezuelan singer.

‘Straight Outta Compton’ -

After the biographical drama about Los Angeles-based gangsta rap pioneers NWA was released, MC Ren took to Twitter to complain that his significance in the group had been greatly diminished. The film has also been accused of omitting a number of women who played significant parts in NWA’s success and criticized for whitewashing Dr Dre’s history of physically abusing women. Dre issued a statement in response apologizing to “the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives.” (AFP)

Ubalozi wa Marekani jijini Dar es Salaam unawakaribisha wanachama wapya wa timu ya mbwa maalumu wa ukaguzi (Canine Detection Team Tanzania) ‪#‎CanineDetectTZ Katika kipindi cha kiangazi cha mwaka jana maafisa wa polisi wa Kitanzania wanne walikwenda nchini Marekani kwa ajili ya mafunzo maalum katika Chuo cha Idara ya Forodha na Ulinzi wa Mipaka ya Marekani jijini El Paso huko Texas. Katika mafunzo hayo maafisa hao pamoja na mbwa wao walipewa mafunzo ya kubaini bidhaa zitokanazo na wanyama pori zinazovushwa kimagendo na madawa ya kulevya. Maafisa hao na mbwa wao waliungana tena jijini Dar es Salaam wiki iliyopita kwa ajili ya mafunzo kwa vitendo katika eneo lao la kazi. Fuatilia ukurasa wetu wa Facebook katika wiki zijazo ili kufahamu Zaidi kuhusu mbwa hao na programu hii mpya!

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Bank African Development (AfDB) has recently approved a USD 16.5 million loan to finance the third phase of the Tanzania Institute Support Project for Good Governance (ISPGG III), which seeks to help the government achieve growth inclusive and macroeconomic stability through more effective management of public funds (PFM) and conductive business environment.
loan, with an interest rate of 0.00%, a maturity period of 50 years and a grace period of 10 years, is part of a $ 140 million loan that is to be disbursed in equal installments of $ 35 million per year, which began in the 2014/2015 period and finishes in 2016/2017.
As it happened for the second phase of development in the period 2015/2016, which was focused on the need to consolidate the goals achieved in the first phase in terms of public procurement, the third phase will focus on capacity building, improve accountability, transparency and integrity in PFM.
ISPGG III also support capacity building for the development and reform PFM in Tanzania, when it will complement other industry reform programs under the supervision of other development partners that are being currently conducted in the power and industry PFM, explained AfDB Director of Governance, Economy Department of Management and Finance, Mr. Jacob Mukete.
According to the AfDB, ISPGG III as phase I and II did not, contribute to significant improvements in PFM and emphasize procurement, anti-corruption and external review that will be compatible with new global challenges lay in the management of the public sector.
Results of the first two phases can be seen in Dar es Salaam port management which recorded a significant improvement in governance since its punctuation incidence of corruption and rent seeking activities improved to 62.05% from 2.53 in 2014 to 4.10 in 2015 against deterioration by 12.33% 2.92 to 2.56 in the same period in the port of Mombasa, according to the Shippers Council of East Africa (SCEA).
European Union (EU) mission to Tanzania, through the European External Action Service (EEAS), also recently set aside EUR 626 million fund for the development of projects in governance and development in the country towards 2020.
German Embassy in Dar es Salaam also now collaborating with the fight against corruption awarding Tanzania and USD 175 million fund that will partially awarded cash and labor to increase good governance and other sectors such as water, health and renewable energy in the next three years.

Total Uganda, part of France-based oil and gas exploration and production multinational Total, has recently announced that despite falling oil prices it maintains its plans to export Ugandan petrol to international markets through Tanga’s port in Tanzania’s coastal region. This position has been also confirmed by Total’s partners in Uganda, the British Tullow Oil Plc and the Chinese CNOOC that proposed their host country to turn to Tanzania to export its oil reserves after Kenya raised some security concerns in September, 2015. The route through Tanzania is in line with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni’s petition of transporting the oil to the coast through a low-tariff pipeline which passes by safer areas and guarantees reliability of operations, explained Total’s CEO and Chairman, Mr. Patrick Pouyanne. Total is committed to produce and transport the oil through Tanzania as soon as possible despite current low prices since the business is still profitable due to low-cost resources that make it competitive in the international markets, Mr. Pouyanne added. According to Total, the route through Tanga offers the best option due to its lowest unit cost since the other route through Lamu in Kenya’s coastal region, represents a higher investment due to the roads and water infrastructures that need to be constructed to pave the land for the pipeline. In addition, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Uganda and Tanzania in October, 2015, is more competitive than that one signed between Uganda and Kenya in August, 2015, since the latter engages the source country with the development of a pipeline for a longer distance. Moreover, the MoU signed with Tanzania is a flexible one that lets both countries to modify key terms in order to enhance it and achieve the lowest transportation costs for the oil according to Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development. Tanga port currently counts with two storage tanks for petroleum products with the capacity to store up to 1,000 metric tonnes (MT) either for import of export purpouses.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Cincinnati Police have just fatally shot an unarmed man.
Police say they shot killed Paul Gaston, 37, after he “failed to comply” with their commands, and the police saw an airsoft BB-gun that the man had on his person.
Ohio is an “Open Carry” state. That means that the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio State Constitution recognizes the right to carry a firearm – even without a license – if that firearm is clearly observable.
Watch the video below…
Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said that the officers fired nine shots at Gaston because they believed his BB-gun was real. This was much the same justification that Beavercreek, Ohio police gave for shooting John Crawford in a Walmart pet food aisle, and the justification the Cleveland police gave for shooting 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
Police say that officers opened fire after Gaston refused to lie flat on the ground and raised up. Isaac described the pistol as “a very realistic-looking firearm,” but that completely misses the point that even if it was real, people in Ohio are legally allowed to carry real firearms.
In fact, prosecutors in Ohio have sent police memos to remind them that they have absolutely no legal right to even demand identification from someone they see who is armed.
“Based on what we’ve been able to determine, our officers responded appropriately and according to their training,” Isaac said, ignoring Ohio law.
“They initially gave him commands to go to his knees which he initially complied,” Isaac said. “They also gave him additional commands to lie flat on the ground. The individual begins to go to the ground, then continues to rise up and retrieves a firearm from his waistband.”

An African American woman was recently punched and tackled to the ground by two Caucasian police officers who didn’t like her filming them arresting her husband (see below for video).
The two Jacksonville, Florida policemen then stole the woman”s phone which had the recording of the incident, according to local NewsJax4.
Kelli Wilson recalls that she had gone to a local convenience store solely for the purpose of recording her husband being arrested, and to take their car.
But no sooner than she got there, officers began to demand her name, and ordered her – illegally – to put her phone away.
“I was beaten, and then falsely arrested, my phone was stolen, my car was taken. It was a traumatic experience. It was definitely an experience you never think you would be going through,” Wilson recalled.
The police thought they were in the clear. They confiscated her phone, but the video of her arrest was captured by the store’s surveillance cameras.
Those cameras recorded footage that clearly showed the unarmed Wilson having her phone grabbed by the officers. Immediately after they initiated force, one of the officers began punching her, while the other held her arms.
One of the officers demanded she stop filming, but Wilson asked him why she was being told to stop doing something that was completely legal.
“He asked for it, he demanded it again, and I gave him the same, ‘Why do you want my phone? What do you need my phone for?’ He told me he would punch me in my face,” Wilson recalled. “I eventually got punched and beaten and the sergeant that was on the scene joined in the beating.”
The police report claims that Wilson “repeatedly refused to identify herself”.
It also claims she was arrested for “interfering” with the arrest.
The video shows that is a lie.
The report also lies and claims that officers “believed she was reaching for a weapon.”
She is still technically in trouble, and has to go to court, but her lawyers say they think that the surveillance video will prove that she did nothing wrong.
“She was lucky for that video, because without it, I don’t think a judge or jury would believe her against three police officers,” attorney, Dexter Van Davis said.

The top three candidates in the 2015 examination are from schools in Dar es Salaam Region

The countrywide pass rate of the results, which were issued in the Division Grading System—unlike the previous ones that were graded according to GPA—generally dropped to 67.53 per cent from the 68.33 per cent last year, Necta’s chief executive secretary Dr Charles Msonde told reporters while announcing the results yesterday.

Dar es Salaam. The Top Three students in the country—all from city-based schools—yesterday expressed a mix of disbelief and joy upon receiving their Form 4 National Examination results.
This comes after the resuts were announced by the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) yesterday in the city.
Butogwa Shija, a 17-year-old girl, from Canosa Girls Secondary School in Dar es Salaam got the the highest scores among the 240,996 candidates who sat for their O-Levels in November last year.
The countrywide pass rate of the results, which were issued in the Division Grading System—unlike the previous ones that were graded according to GPA—generally dropped to 67.53 per cent from the 68.33 per cent last year, Necta’s chief executive secretary Dr Charles Msonde told reporters while announcing the results yesterday.
Speaking to The Citizen at her home in Kigunguni, the top student, Butogwa, attributed her success to her commitment to school work and prayers.
“I’m still in shock and at the same time overjoyed with the results. God has answered my prayers,” said an excited Butogwa. She also expressed appreciation for the support offered by her parents.
Another student, Congcong Wang, 16, a Chinese national who did her O-Level studies at Feza Girls Secondary School in Konondoni District, emerged the first runner-up.
To her, emerging the second in the whole nation came as a big surprise. “I had never imagined that I attain this top position. I have always worked hard but this outcome is far beyond my expectation,” said Wang.
Wang is from Changchun City in Jilin Province in China. She had already enrolled for the Cambridge High School Certificate at Feza International in Dar es Salaam by the results came out.
The only boy in the top three winners group was Innocent Nyakabunda, 20, who completed his O-Level studies at Feza Boys Secondary School.
To him, this performance was expected. He emerged the top student in the whole country in his Primary School Leaving national exams five years ago and he was expecting to clinch the same position in national Form 4.
“I really think I should have got better results than I did. I really worked hard but this also comes as a blessing from God,” he told The Citizen in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
Innocent’s dream is to become an oil and gas engineer. He has selected Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics(PCM) in his high school selection forms and applied for a place in Ilboru. “I love geography but I choose PCM combination so that I can become an engineer in oil and gas in future,’’ he said.

Miss Australia was just disfig

ured by police after officers threw a flash bang grenade into her bed, while she was sleeping.
The model girlfriend of an alleged biker gang member, was targeted in what police are calling a “drug raid”.
As a result of her association with the accused, she was severely injured by police and now may lose her eye.
Felicia Djamirze, 28, had been sleeping inside her home, just north of Brisbane, with boyfriend Dean O’Donnell, 35, last week.
Djamirze was a former Miss Australia International and Miss Tourism Queen Australia. But now she has been left with third-degree burns after the police grenade blew up in her face.
Djamirze says that she is at risk of losing sight in her right eye and has already had two surgeries to repair what she is calling her “melted” hand.
The incident took place during an early morning raid last week. Police say they were looking for the drug ice, meth oil and steroids, according to an official Queensland Police statement.
The model and first-year law student found herself charged with drug trafficking now.
Her boyfriend has been charged for drugs and weapons, which are essentially completely illegal in Australia.
Djamirze is denying the charges against her. Her lawyer Chris Ford said that police did not help her when she was injured, and paramedics did not show up for 40 minutes.

Ford told the Daily Mail, “the police treated this like a military operation which was entirely unnecessary. There was a high level of both physical and electronic surveillance. The police must have known my client was sleeping in a confined area when they tossed the stun grenade into her bedroom.”
Ford told The Courier Mail “police rode in like cowboys [and] nearly killed my client.”
Djamirze is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as recovering from the horrifying attack.
Djamirze is a motivational speaker, in addition to being crowed Miss International Australia in 2013 and Miss Tourism Queen Australia in 2011.
Now, she says that she has devoted herself to raising funds for burns and trauma patients.

A young dolphin has died after beachgoers took it from the sea to pose for photographs with it.

Huge crowds gathered around the small animal on the beach resort at Santa Teresita in Argentina after one man picked it up.

But it appears it quickly overheated and died while out of the water.

It was still being passed around by the beachgoers after its death and was later left discarded in the sand.

The baby dolphin lying dead on the beach

The dolphin was left on the sand after it died

The dolphin was from the La Plata - also known as the Franciscana - variety, found off the coasts of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
It is considered a "vulnerable" species because there are only about 30,000 left in the world.
The Argentine Wildlife Foundation later issued a reminder to the public of the mammal's extreme vulnerability, hoping it will prevent such a sad event again.

Tourists take selfies with baby dolphin on Argentina beach

A large crowd gathered around the dolphin

"The Franciscana, like other species, cannot remain for much time outside of the water, it has thick fatty skin which gives it heat and means that taking it out of the water rapidly causes it to dehydrate and die," it said in a statement.
"This occasion serves to inform the public about the urgent necessity to return these dolphins to the sea as soon as possible if they find them on the shore.
"It is fundamental that people help to rescue these animals, because every Franciscana counts now."

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Bonyeza kupata matokeo yote
NECTA

A 37-year-old Tanzanian man shocked Singu villagers when he tied his 23-year-old wife to a tree and beat her up for her inability to conceive.
Nyango Hakimu, who has since disappeared, is being sought by authorities after committing the cold-hearted act on his wife, Jeni Marwa, on February 6th.

Jeni Marwa’s kinsmen claim that Mr Hakimu has in the past taken her back to her parents – eight times –saying he does not want her for a wife PHOTO/COURTESY

Tanzanian media reported that Mr. Hakimu tied Jeni’s legs and hands to a tree and callously caned her saying: “You (Jeni) bring no benefit whatsoever in the marriage.”

When the woman saw she had taken in so much, she screamed; consequently attracting attention of the neighbours who rushed to the scene. Nyango ran away when he saw the neighbours baying for his blood.

They found Jeni’s feet bleeding profusely after Mr Hakimu stabbed her.

Good Samaritans took Jeni to report the incident at Kiabakari Police Post where she was given police medical examination form (P3) and she was later treated at the Mwanza Buriga clinic.

Jeni has returned to her parents’ home as she awaits legal intervention into the matter.

Her kinsmen claim that Mr Hakimu has in the past taken her back to her parents – eight times –saying he does not want her for a wife.

However, Jeni’s parents often persuaded her to return to her matrimonial home because they don’t have the dowry (five cows) to refund Mr Hakimu.

“I have never experienced happiness since I got married. My husband beats me whenever he wishes because I cannot conceive,” Jeni told Uwazi newspaper.

Kiabakari Police boss confirmed the incident saying authorities are waiting for Jeni to return the P3 form so that they can institute legal proceedings against Mr Hakimu.

Beached sperm whales transported to Yangkou Port
The two sperm whales that were found stranded on a beach in Rudong in east China’s Jiangsu Province on Monday were transported to the nearby Yangkou Port on Wednesday.
The authorities there will be investigating the cause of the death of the two whales.
According to a CCTV report, the whales, each around 15-meters-long and weighing over 40 tons, had been dead before they floated to the shore in Rudong.
The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale on earth, and is primarily found in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. In 2012, it was included in the endangered species list by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Beautiful and curvaceous singer Avril is one of the most popular female celebrities in the Kenyan music industry and showbiz.
Avril has a mellow voice that gets everyone who hears her songs and more so, she is a beauty to behold, and men cannot get over her curvy, sexy body.
The Nikimuona singer is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, now fiance, Muga, who is a wealthy South African businessman based in Kenya.
Though they have been engaged since December 2013, the lovely couple has not walked down the aisle, eliciting a lot of speculation on whether she will get married anytime soon.

AVRIL AND HER FIANCE

Some even speculated that she is no longer with her boo, but she came out to clear the air, revealing that they are taking their sweet time planning their wedding because they come from different communities and cultures.

ersity in Kakamega, and one thing was noticeable, the love of her life was absent.

But as it turns out, Avril’s man was in Namibia hanging out with former BBA winner, the beautiful and sexy Dillish Mathews during his business trip, and it looks like they were having a very pretty good time there.
Avril’s fiance even shared some photos with the stunning lass on his social media on Valentine’s Day and the day before and it’s clear that he was having was having a lot fun.

He even posted another one while they were in the car together on Feb 14, but later took it down. Now the big question is, is his relationship with Avril still stable or is it rocky? Are they even still dating?

HAMILTON, Ohio (FOX 26) - An Ohio man cut off his penis on Valentine's Day, according to a police report.

It happened in Hamilton, just north of Cincinnati.

The 69-year-old man also cut his abdomen open with scissors in what police are calling a suicide attempt.

Police arrived at the home at about 1:15 a.m. on Sunday.

They say the man was still holding the scissors when they got there.

Police disarmed him and rushed him to a hospital. His condition is unknown

The government has said it will take strong action to Halotel company if it fails to implement the terms of the agreement to supply mobile services and the Internet in government offices in every district across the country. The statement issued by the Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Prof. Makame Mbarawa district, especially when speaking to executives of industry Works, Transport and Communications Region Simiyu and insist on providing integration due to the company. "Our agreement between the Government and Halotel are connecting offices to the Internet, including three schools in each district, Hospitals Court and police offices to facilitate communications strategy implemented in rural areas ", said Prof. Mbarawa. Minister Prof. Mbarawa explained that by 2017 every area in the country will have a communication service network and enabling all citizens to benefit from these services. At some point Prof. Barawa reviewed Construction Road Lamadi-Bariadi KM 71.8 and Bariadi-Maswa KM 49.7 and congratulate the contractors who build these roads for the good work they are doing. "I congratulate you for the good work you do, make sure your work inauwiana and value for money and assure local staff are given priority in zoziweza and given work contracts are eligible for the work they do ", he highlighted Prof. Mbarawa. In addition, Minister Prof. Barawa has instructed the contractor ejenga road Maswa-Mwigumbi KM 50.3 guarantee, houses for the contractor are being built for the quality to be used for a long time. "I charge thee Manager TANROADS, make sure these houses after the road project completed you shall entrust them to the police so they can use them for housing and offices ", said Prof. Mbarawa. For its part Simiyu Regional Commissioner Mr. Eraston Mbwilo has asked Minister Prof. Barawa focusing construction of offices and staff houses in the region. In the next step, Maswa District Commissioner Ms. Rosemary Kirigini had asked Minister Prof. Barawa enable Agent in Real Estate (TBA) to complete the construction project of the Office of the District Commissioner is set now for five years to kuipunguzia District adha using scrap building is not safe, especially during the rains. Minister Prof. Mbarawa also reviewed the airport lies Shinyanga Region office of the Authority of Meteorology (TMA) playground there and insist that the government is in the process of improving the airport to be modernized in order to attract more airlines to use the same compound. Minister Prof. Barawa is on a visit to inspect construction projects in the sectors of roads, houses, airports and national Axon communication in the Lake Zone regions where he visited Busega District, Bariadi and Maswa Simiyu region.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) yesterday denied reports that its website had been attacked by a group of international hackers known as Anonymous and data stolen.

ICT website Softpedia reported on Monday that the hackers had accessed and dumped on the web particulars of thousands of TTCL employees, including real names, email addresses, telephone numbers, their departments and job titles.

“The data seems to have been stolen from the company’s website because other than employee details, the hackers also dumped data for users that had an account on the site, information that included usernames and passwords,” says the Softpedia report.

However, TTCL Public Relations Manager Nicodemus Mushi told The Citizen yesterday that they had not traced any breach of their systems and had not seen any leaked files online.

“We learnt of the hacking claims on Monday night and our technicians immediately probed the matter, but as we are speaking now, we have not detected any signs of an attack. We’re sure that all our files are safe and secure,” Mr Mushi said in a telephone interview.

He also clarified that TTCL had only 1,557 workers across the country and not the tens of thousands whose details had reportedly been stolen. The reports suggested that up to 64,000 people had their details obtained from the TTCL website.

Had their website been hacked, Mr Mushi said, they would have experienced troubles in operating it and would also have seen the leaked documents dumped online, but neither had happened.

“Our systems are secure. As far as the telecoms sector is concerned, we have the best minds in the country and they are a step ahead of local and international hackers.”

But Anonymous are currently one of the world’s most powerful and elusive “hacktivists”

In a successful hacking operation late last year, codenamed #OpParis following the terror attacks in Paris, they managed to take down more than 20,000 Twitter accounts affiliated to the Islamic State (IS) militant group or its sympathizers.

Late last month, they launched #OpAfrica campaign, and, according a press release seen online by The Citizen, they said “the focus of the operation is a disassembly of corporations and governments that enable and perpetuate corruption on the African continent”.

These include organisations linked with child abuse/labour as well as internet censorship within the continent and globally.

“We are fighting alongside other operations such as #OpNigeria and #AnonymousSA to help free the continent from the plague of exploitation that has been occurring for centuries,” they said.

The hackers went on to issue what they called the “first target list”, which includes the governments of Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, South African, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan.

Prior to the alleged TTCL hacking, the group was reported to have launched a cyber attack on Broadband Systems Corporation, a Rwandan IT firm that provides high-quality video conferencing software for the Rwandan government.

Hackers gained access to the company’s email accounts, along with its ticketing system, from where they dumped the database’s content that contained details such as employees’ names, email addresses, hashed passwords and phone numbers.

Uganda’s Ministry of Finance has also reportedly been attacked, with the hackers said to have breached the ministry’s database and dumped online the details of 220 government employees, including their real names, emails, phone numbers, usernames and passwords.

However, there is already resentment over #OpAfrica, with Softpedia reporting that many have argued that the group “is not actually helping since it is not doing anything except hack government agencies and state-owned companies that have weak security measures and then dump data of innocent people online, exposing them to various types of dangers”

Former government ICT coordinator August Kowero told The Citizen that while the security implications of the systems of a corporation like TTCL being hacked were serious, it was not an easy thing to do even by international hackers.

“I don’t see TTCL being particularly prone to cyber attacks. They are using fixed networks...you can’t breach their systems, unless you cut the cables manually. Almost all government data is stored this way for protection,” he said.

Mr Kowero, who is now a consultant, said advances in technology and availability of high quality anti-hacking software means that corporations such as TTCL are well protected against online threats.”

Donald Trump is right sometimes...African leaders should wake up and stop thinking about their stomach an legacy only...Africa should plan n work hard for the better future of our grand children.....talking is cheap,we should plan and take action on our longterm goals and strategies to better future......
‪#‎globalization should enlight the continet to fight for the better future of our continet
‪#‎let us be free from economic enslavement
"
Look at African countries such as Kenya, for instance. Those people steal from their own government and go to invest the money in foreign countries.”
“From the government to the opposition, they only qualify to be used as a case study whenever bad examples are required. How do you trust even those who have run away to hide here in the United States, hiding behind education?”
“I hear they abuse me in their blogs but I don’t care because even the Internet they are using is ours and we can decide to switch it off from this side. These are people who import everything, including matchsticks.”
“In my opinion, most of these African countries ought to be recolonised again for another 100 years because they know nothing about leadership and self-governance.”

Friday, February 12, 2016

Illegal immigration countries China, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo leading by a large number of illegal immigrants in the country yet they have arrested nearly 162 illegal immigrants and fifteen Tanzanians who help immigrants to stay in the country.

An immigration officer Dar es Saalamu speaking to ITV said following the operation to catch illegal immigrants in Dar es Salaam successful arrest illegal immigrants hundred and sixty-two from countries China Ethiopia and DRC living in the country illegally and yet they have been deployed to the court and immediately after the end of their case will be returned to countries they came.

In addition the officer has revealed also be resistant fifteen were arrested in the same operation for various offenses, including finding them illegal immigrants fake documents to live in the country illegally where he has also called for citizens to completely stop this behavior because it is illegal and strict measures will be taken by anyone who is found to help illegal immigrants living in the country.

The operation to catch illegal immigrants in the region of Dar as Salaam started early on 24 December last year and that the exercise will continue in the Kinondoni municipality weeks after completion in Ilala municipality especially Kariakoo area.