IGIHE

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  • Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe due to be sworn in

    {{Robert Mugabe is due to be sworn in for a seventh term as Zimbabwean president.}}

    Thursday has been declared a public holiday to allow supporters of the 89-year-old to attend the inauguration ceremony in a sports stadium in Harare.

    The ceremony had been delayed by a court petition filed by his main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, over allegations of widespread electoral fraud.

    But the Constitutional Court dismissed the case, declaring Mr Mugabe’s re-election “free, fair and credible”.

    Mr Mugabe won with 61% of the presidential vote against 34% for Mr Tsvangirai on 31 July.

    The elections ended a fragile power-sharing government formed by the two men in 2009 under pressure from regional leaders following elections the year before marred by violence and allegations of rigging.

    Outgoing Prime Minister and opposition leader Mr Tsvangirai said he will not be attending the inauguration ceremony.

    “Expecting Tsvangirai to attend the inauguration is like expecting a victim of robbery to attend a party hosted by the robber,” his spokesman, Luke Tamborinyoka, told media.

    Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) lost two court cases related to fraud claims in last month’s disputed elections. Rulings were issued despite the MDC withdrawing its case saying it would not get a fair hearing.

    The party alleged that more than a million voters were prevented from casting their ballots in polling stations, mostly in the capital and urban areas considered to be MDC strongholds.

    The Zimbabwe Election Support Network, which placed 7,000 observers around the country, has also judged the election flawed.

    But the African Union has said that any irregularities were not enough to overturn the margin of victory.

    MDC officials have indicated they are unwilling to continue their partnership government with President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party.

    Source: BBC

  • NSA Illegally Collected Thousands of Emails, US Admits

    {{A National Security Agency surveillance system illegally gathered up to 56,000 personal emails by Americans annually, declassified court documents show.}}

    Officials revealed that a judge in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ruled the programme illegal in 2011.

    The communications were between people with no links to terror suspects.

    The US government faces mounting criticism over its surveillance operations after the leaks of US whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

    The court, whose rulings are normally kept secret, said the NSA may have violated US law for collecting as many as 56,000 emails on an annual basis between 2008 and 2011.

    But intelligence officials speaking to reporters anonymously say the scooping of emails was unintentional, blaming it on a technological problem.

    The NSA was unable to separate out emails between Americans with no direct connection to terrorism, so the agency was collecting tens of thousands of “wholly domestic communications” every year, the court documents said.

    In the ruling, Judge John Bates criticised the NSA over the breach of privacy, marking it as “the third instance in less than three years in which the government has disclosed a substantial misrepresentation regarding the scope of a major collection programme”.

    The court found that the data gathering violated the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, prohibiting “unreasonable searches and seizures”.

    The court’s opinions, which are usually kept secret, were revealed by the government in response to a Freedom of Information request.

    Government officials said that the court rulings had been declassified to show that eavesdropping programmes at fault had been found and fixed, highlighting its oversight measures.

    The scope of the NSA’s massive surveillance programme, which sweeps up internet traffic and phone records, was exposed in June in leaks to media by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

    Earlier this month, President Barack Obama promised to be more transparent about US spying programmes, with “appropriate reforms” to guarantee greater oversight.

    BBC

  • Arsenal Target Real Madrid Pair

    {{Arsenal are working on deals to sign Real Madrid pair Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria.}}

    The Gunners are prepared to pay £40m for 25-year-old France striker Benzema after missing out on Gonzalo Higuain and Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.

    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to further boost his attacking options with Argentina international Di Maria, 25, who plays on the left wing.

    It is understood Wenger is also chasing a goalkeeper and a defensive player.

    Wenger is a long-term admirer of Benzema, who joined Real from Lyon for £25m in 2009, while Di Maria arrived at the Bernabeu from Benfica a year later.

    Arsenal’s only summer signing to date is the 20-year-old French striker Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer from Auxerre, but it is thought they could spend close to £100m by the close of the transfer window at 23:00 BST on 2 September.

    Speaking after his side’s 3-0 victory at Fenerbahce in their Champions League qualifying play-off first leg, Wenger admitted the pursuit of Suarez was over.

    Arsenal saw two bids rejected for the Uruguay forward as Liverpool insisted he was not for sale.

    “Absolutely no chance of that,” said Wenger of Suarez arriving at Emirates Stadium.

    The Gunners have also had a £10m offer for Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye turned down, but Wenger suggested the final 12 days of the transfer window would be busy.

    {agencies}

  • Mubarak Faces House Arrest After Release

    {{Egypt’s Interim Prime Minister’s office has said former President Hosni Mubarak will be placed under house arrest, following a court ruling stating he could be released from prison pending further investigation into corruption charges against him.}}

    The former president, who was toppled in a 2011 uprising, has been told he can prepare for future court appearances from home.

    Citing a security source, the state news agency said Mubarak would “likely” be transported to one of the state’s vital installations or one of two military hospitals where he will be guarded under heavy security.

    Mubarak was not immediately released after the Wednesday ruling, because he can be held for up to 48 hours pending a possible appeal.

    But prosecutors said later that they would not appeal, so the ruling removes the final legal barrier preventing the 85-year-old former president from leaving prison. His lawyer, Farid al-Deeb, said that he expected his client to be released as early as Thursday.

    aljazeera

  • Police Seize More Narcotics, Dealers Arrested

    {{Police seized 30 kilogrammes of cannabis in Gasabo district on August 19, when seized thirty kilograms of cannabis and arrested three people in connection with the illegal act.}}

    The drugs contained in two sacks were recovered in a Kigali-bound commuter taxi from Kirehe, when police stopped and searched it, following a tip-off from someone who was versed with the illegal plan.

    Those arrested include a driver and his conductor, who allegedly tried to help a 15-year old boy to transport the drugs to Kigali.

    The trio is currently detained at Rusororo Police station.

    Senior Superintendent (SSP) Urbain Mwiseneza, the Central Police Spokesperson, who confirmed the seizure and the subsequent arrest, said there is “big turn up” of members of the public giving information on people involved in illegal activities.

    “Many drug dealers, especially suppliers have been arrested and their narcotics confiscated, all based on information given to us by the public.

    We have no doubt that this great job the public is doing will leave no stone unturned; it will put drug dealers in a fix and easier for us to apprehend them,” he said.

    Drug dealing is punishable by article 594 of the penal code which stipulates that any person, who unlawfully, makes, transforms, imports, or sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances within the country, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of five hundred thousand to five million.

    source:{RNP}

  • SAP offers Support to Africa’s Mining Industry

    {{SAP has offered its range of industry-specific technologies to the African mining industry in an attempt to help the sector counter the complex challenges it has been facing in the recent years.}}

    The German firm expressed its willingness to support the African mining sector at the SAP Africa Mining Forum in Johannesburg. The forum’s objectives aim at bringing together metals and mining companies from South Africa and Russia to facilitate brain storming and sharing of expertise.

    SAP said in a statement that the company’s integrated software can enable a digital mining enterprise vision, which refers to a mining organisation that has the capability to orchestrate information systems on-premise and on-demand with ease and confidence.

    SAP added that the outcome to increase flexibility, scalability, improve security as well as interoperability of data across multiple devices. It said, “This culminates in greater operational efficiency and productivity and the ability to react in real-time to geological conditions.”

    The company noted that its digital mining enterprise software can offer a vast range of pertinent solutions, including the SAP ERP application, the SAP for mining solution, SAP’s flagship SAP HANA platform and the SAP operations management for mining application.

    SAP’s analytics tools can offer help to mining companies across the globe by identifying trends and patterns in areas such as operations and profitability, which can significantly help improve business decisions and contribute towards profitability.

    SAP Africa head of energy and natural resources sales in South Africa and acting head of innovation, Chris Willcocks said, “The SAP Best Practices for Mining package incorporates years of experience in the mining industry from across the globe. Mining companies can have SAP in place within a short period with minimal disruption to their daily operations.

    “The SAP ERP application and the SAP for Mining solutions portfolio significantly increases organisational efficiency, provides visibility across all business functions, improves strategic planning, operations control, and decision making.”

    {Africanreview}

  • China Development Bank Injects $2.4bn in African Infrastructure

    {{China Development Bank (CDB) has invested at least US$2.4bn in African infrastructure and commercial projects.}}

    The projects will be estimated to bring at least a further US$10bn of Chinese investments into Africa.

    The bank’s president Zheng Zhijie revealed this saying that the China-Africa Development Fund has already financed mineral resources, machinery manufacturing, power generation, agricultural and infrastructure projects in more than 30 African countries.

    The fund, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDB and an Africa-dedicated facility, was set up in 2007.

    With stronger bilateral ties, Kenya has become an important partner in East Africa for China, Zheng said.

    Zheng revealed that CDB’s outstanding loans to Africa have already totalled US$18.9bn, of which US$250mn have been for infrastructure projects, the financial sector and small businesses in Kenya.

    He claimed that the bank’s funds have immensely helped spread the use of digital television in Kenya.

    {africanreview}

  • Man Found with head Chopped off in Nairobi

    {{Kenya Police are investigating the killing of a 45-year-old man whose body was found on the roadside in Katani area, Utawala area.}}

    The body of Godfrey Mageto was discovered with his head chopped off a day after he failed to arrive home. His wife Modesta Nyachoti said police are yet to explain to them what transpired.

    “We are still waiting for police to tell us what happened. We are also shocked because the killers did not steal anything from him,” she said.

    Police said no arrest has been made so far and a hunt on the killers is ongoing.

    {Standardmedia}

  • Zanzibar President makes cabinet reshuffle

    {{The President of Zanzibar, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, on Monday made a cabinet reshuffle that saw a rearrangement of various portfolios and the formation of four new ones.}}

    The most notable change was the formation of an independent Finance ministry, removing it from the President’s Office.

    A statement issued by the secretary of the Revolutionary Council and the Chief Secretary of the Zanzibar government, Mr Abdulhamid Yahya Mzee, named the new ministries and their ministers (in brackets) as including the President’s Office Regional Authorities and Special Departments (Mr Haji Omar Kheir) and President’s Office Labour and Public Service (Mr Haroun Ali Suleiman).

    The others are the ministry of Finance (Mr Omar Yussuf Mzee) and the ministry of Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children (Ms Zainab Omar Mohamed).

    The Finance ministry was formerly under the President’s Office, while the Labour and Public Service docket, which used to be an independent ministry has now been placed under the President’s Office.

    “The President has invoked Article 53 of the Zanzibar Constitution. In spite the re-arrangements, the number of ministries is still 16,” the statement noted.

    Good Governance was under the Public Service ministry, but it has now been shifted to the President’s Office. Likewise, the Planning department has been separated from the ministry of Finance and Economy.

    The reshuffle also included moving around permanent secretaries and their deputies.

    The permanent secretaries with their ministries in brackets include Mr Joseph Abdalla Meza (President’s Office Regional Authorities and Special Departments), Ms Fatma Gharib Bilal (Labour and Public Service), Mr Khamis Mussa Omar (Finance) and Ms Asha Ali Abdulla (Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children).

    Source:{NMG}

  • S.Africa arrests 6 Suspects in Global Child Porn ring

    {{South African police conducting a nationwide sweep arrested six men suspected of producing and distributing child pornography as part of a global crime ring, a spokesman said Wednesday.}}

    “We’ve arrested six people from five different provinces in South Africa,” said police spokesman Solomon Makgale.

    A primary school headmaster and two teachers count among the suspects, aged between 43 and 63, arrested last Thursday as part of an investigation following a tip-off from Interpol.

    The country’s most senior investigators seized 672 DVDs, 22 memory sticks, eight laptops, 39 external hard drives, and 25 books in raids on 15 properties.

    “The initial charge was possession, but we suspect that they’re involved in manufacturing, import and export as well as mass-distribution,” Makgale told media.

    “The indications are there. They had cameras. They had these external hard drives,” he added.

    “One of the people we arrested is involved in the export-import business.”

    The images show children “suffering extreme forms of violence”, South Africa’s The Times reported.

    Investigators say the group has links with Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Western Europe and Australasia.

    Meanwhile, the prestigious private school based in the northeastern city Nelspruit immediately dismissed the principal.

    “The agreement follows his arrest for allegedly being in possession of child pornography,” the school is quoted as saying in The Times.

    Interpol contacted national authorities after discovering the addresses of hundreds of alleged paedophiles across the globe on seized computers, according to the newspaper.

    Source: {AFP}