{{Songstress Chantelle of the Toklezea fame is now a born again Christian. The artiste who is said to have married her video director boo J Blessings sometime this year decided to choose the Christian path and leave the secular life behind. Her new husband must have had some positive influence on her.}}
Chantelle follows in the footsteps of artistes Size 8, Ray C and Lady Bee who have all chosen to fully accept Christ in their life.
capitalFM
{{Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has underscored the need to impose stiffer penalties like castration for rapists as part of measures to curb the vice.
He said Government would soon deliberate the issue and explore ways of dealing with the crime which he described as rampant. }}
Mugabe was addressing guests on Tuesday during a dinner hosted by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to celebrate the official opening of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament.
“Vanababa tochenjera. We are going to make it very, very tough for you. Vaye movayambira, madzishe, vanobata twana tudiki, kana zvichinzi ndizvo zvinopedza hurwere, kana zvichinzi zvinopa mhanza here, kana upfumi, movaudza vazvikande pasi. No molestation of youngsters, no molestation of women.
“We are going to increase masentences. In the past there was death for rape, zvino vemahuman rights vanoramba hanzi ‘death haa no, it’s inhuman, it dehumanises a person,’ iye ari munhu atoita dehumanise vamwe.
“Kana wauraya munhu zvonzi a-ah, no, punishment of that nature is dehumanising, munhu akauraya mumwe? Ndipo pandinorambawo ipapa. Kungoti chete, if it comes in another way yekuti uyu akaparadza ropa toparadza rimwe here futi, so we have two people dying. An eye for an eye. Not in that way, ndaingoda for marapists kuti tisevenzise Burdizzo and the person remains alive. But that which makes him rape, must go. Kuna varume varikuramba ipapa,” President Mugabe said to rousing applause from the floor.
On mining, he said Government would no longer allow firms to continue exporting raw minerals with no value addition under the pretext that they did not have refinery machines.
“We want to re-organise it (mining sector). Organise it in a manner that we know precisely what we are getting from gold, diamond and platinum and there is value addition along the way. So let the companies not continue to cheat us and say we cannot establish refinery yeplatinum, hatina maproducts akakwana. Hatidi kuramba tichinzwa izvozvo,” he said.
President Mugabe said Econet should also allow broad participation of other stakeholders consistent with what was enunciated when the mobile service providers were set up.
He said Telecel, had to some extent managed to bring in local players like war veterans, women groups, Affirmative Action Group, among others.
“We know that Econet, (Strive) Masiyiwa established it. Fine. But when it was established we also said you have to establish another system for our communities and that is how Telecel was established, apart from what NetOne was going to do,” he said.
{Herald}
{{Former UN Secretary Generals Kofi Annan and Sir Richard Branson have been announced as Counsellors to 1,300 future leaders from over 185 countries attending the One Young World Summit 2013.}}
Other Counsellors for the One Young World Summit 2013 include, Sir Bob Geldof, activist and musician; Ahmed Kathrada, former political advisor to President Mandela; Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, Muhammad Yunus, founder of The Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Kathy Calvin, President and CEO, United Nations Foundation; Antony Jenkins, CEO of Barclays, Francois Pienaar, world-cup winning South Africa rugby union captain and Boris Becker, former tennis World No. 1.
These Counsellors will work with the exceptional young leaders to develop and drive tangible solutions to local, regional and global challenges across fields including political transparency, human rights, global business, health, sustainable development, education, leadership and governance.
Branson will attend the fourth annual summit, taking place in Johannesburg between October 2 – 5, where he will be joined by One Young World Counsellor and B Team co-founder, Jochen Zeitz, the former chief executive of Puma and current Director of Kering and chairman of the board’s Sustainable Development Committee – in an interactive Q&A session with One Young World leaders.
In the session, a group of One Young World Ambassadors will present a New Charter for Business Leadership.
The B Team, launched in June this year, is an independent not-for-profit initiative that has been formed by a group of global business leaders to create a future where the purpose of business is to be a driving force for social, environmental and economic benefit.
Richard Branson, said, “it will be a privilege to stand alongside these exceptional young leaders at the One Young World Summit 2013. “We created the B Team to develop and implement a Plan B for business that puts people and planet alongside profit. I am excited to listen to and learn from the young leaders at One Young World to ensure business becomes a force for good.”
David Jones, One Young World co-founder and Global CEO, Havas, said, “throughout his career Sir Richard Branson has been an amazing role model for responsible business, entrepreneurship and for mobilising business for social and environmental benefit. He started his foundation, Virgin Unite, on the belief the business can and must be a force for good in the world”.
One Young World is a charity that stages an annual Summit, gathering together the brightest young people from around the world.
Now in its fourth year, One Young World has become the premier global forum for young people of leadership calibre.
Described by some as the ‘junior Davos’, One Young World stages an annual summit to gather 1,300 future leaders under the age of 30 from over 185 countries, alongside a distinguished line-up of Counsellors.
These world leaders stand alongside the young delegates to address what they see as the most pressing global issues today, key areas will include:
– Global Business
– Youth Unemployment
– Health
– Human Rights
– Leadership & governance
– Sustainable Development
– Transparency & integrity
One Young World Summit gives delegates the kind of media platform afforded ordinarily only to those who lead countries and corporations.
{{Two of Ghana’s software products have been selected as winners of the 2013 World Summit Awards, a UN-based initiative to promote the world’s best e-contents.}}
Nandi Mobile, a technology start-up, won the e-Business and Commerce category with its Infoline product, which is a mobile and web service that connects consumers and businesses in emerging markets.
Mobile Technology for Community Health in Ghana (MoTeCH), a technology-driven health initiative that is part of service delivery for maternal health at antenatal care won in the e-Health and Environment category with the Mobile-Midwife application and the Nurse application.
Mobile-Midwife targets pregnant women with educational and actionable messages tailored to suit their stages in pregnancy. The Nurse Application can be likened to a simplified paper register to collect clinical information. This enables easy identification of both mothers and infants and saves time collating information to generate monthly reports, alerts and reminders for clients who need care.
The two winners were named among the top five e-Business and Commerce, and e-Health and Environment categories from the about 500 entries received for the competition.
According to the Director-General of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KAC E), Ms Dorothy Gordon, the Ghanaian products were truly outstanding and that their achievements needed to be celebrated.
Other Ghanaian products that made it to the finals include Trokxi in the e-Cuiture and Tourism category, Yougora in e-Inclusion and Empowerment, MyPassco in e-Learning and Education and Leti games for e-Entertainment and Games, the Street Development Project for e-Inclusion and Empowerment, Bedroom Diaries from Viasat 1 for Media and Journalism.
The Business Director of Nandimobile, Mr Edward Amartey-Tagoe, told the Daily Graphic that they felt honoured to be internationally recognised by a UN body such as the WSA and would encourage them to do more.
He said their first product, Gripeline, received international recognition in 2011 and now their second. Infoline had been highlighted as one of the best globally.
The District Director of Health Services at Awutu Senya, Ms Patricia Antwi, said through the MoteCH, nurses were able to file monthly reports with ease, as they recorded clients data onto a mobile phone and monthly report was generated for them.
“Generating reports is time consuming but with MoteCH we are able to generate reports in seconds. It also gives information on all mothers who have defaulted in ante-natal care and husbands of pregnant women are also involved during the entire pregnancy period”, she said.
Also with the MoteCH, health personnel were able to send messages in the local language of the people, she added.
myjoyonline
{{Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, has appeared in court in Zintan, west of the capital Tripoli, on security charges and his trial was adjourned until December, a lawyer said.}}
“Saif al-Islam Gaddafi appeared before the Zintan court that decided to adjourn the trial until December 12 to allow the attendance of other accused in the case,” the lawyer, who was present in court, told media on Thursday.
He was also due at a separate pre-trial hearing in the capital on Thursday on security charges related to the 2011 uprising that toppled his father, but there were doubts whether his ex-rebel captors in Zintan would allow this.
Officials had earlier said that he may join 36 other former regime members in a pre-trial session in Tripoli over charges of murder and crimes allegedly committed during Libya’s 2011 uprising.
Abdel-Qader Radwan, the prosecutor general, said that Saif al-Islam would be facing an “indictment chamber” on Thursday at Tripoli Criminal Court. Abdullah al-Senoussi, Gaddafi’s former spy chief, would also appear, he said.
He said that the hearing would not be open to the public.
“This is an investigation phase, not a court session,” he said.
wirestory
{{A former Afghan senator and district governor has defected to the Taliban in the northern province of Sar-e-Pol, officials have told media.}}
Qazi Abdul Hai served as a senator between 2004 and 2008 and was later made a district governor in Sar-e-Pol.
Correspondents say he is thought to be the highest-ranking civilian official to have joined the Taliban.
The move comes as foreign combat forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 and ahead of elections next year.
Mr Hai is believed to have defected to the Taliban along with two of his bodyguards on Tuesday.
Officials say it is unclear why he decided to join the Taliban and played down the impact of his decision and dismissed his influence.
“His defection does not have any impact on his people in the district, because he was not a very influential person,” Abdul Ghafore Dastyaar, deputy governor of Sar-e-Pol, told media.
He added that Mr Hai had left Afghanistan and was believed to be over the border in Pakistan.
The Taliban welcomed the move, describing it as an achievement that supports their cause and said that it was partly due to their efforts in the area.
Mr Hai also appears in a video posted on the Taliban website in which he describes himself as a former mujahideen fighter and says that in his four years in Kabul he saw what he describes as “the corrupt face of the government”.
“In my four years’ time during which I represented my people in the Senate I saw that a lot of cruelty and corruption carried out by the government people towards the Afghan population . Our villages were bombarded and our houses were searched by the invaders,” he says on the video.
{agencies}
French officials joined Mali’s new president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, at centre stage on Thursday as he was sworn in, marking the start of a new era of democracy after months of political chaos in the former French colony.
His inauguration, held at the 55,000-seat March 26 Stadium in Bamako, gathered leaders from a host of African countries. President Idriss Deby of Chad, the Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara and Moroccan King Mohammed VI were among the 26 heads of state invited to welcome Mali’s new leader, elected by a landslide in August 11 elections.
But the ceremony held special significance for French President François Hollande, who launched military action in the country in January, aided by African troops, to oust Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda who occupied northern Mali last year.
Hollande said in his speech that the war on terror had been won in Mali and hailed the country’s return to democracy.
“We have won this war, we have chased out the terrorists; we have secured the north and finally … we have – you have – organised an uncontested election and the winner is now the president of Mali,” Hollande told the crowd.
“If there had not been an intervention, today the terrorists would be here in Bamako,” he said.
France’s latest engagement in Mali, however, was more than just a mission to free the former colony from the clutches of Islamist militants. And in a sense, Thursday’s ceremony marks the beginning, rather than the end, of a new era of French involvement in the country.
france24
{{Brazil’s Supreme Court has narrowly ruled in favour of reopening the country’s biggest corruption trial.}}
The court agreed that 12 of 25 people convicted in a scheme using public funds to pay parties for political support could have appeals heard.
The decision is set to anger many who expected the sentences to be upheld, correspondents say.
But judge Celso de Mello, who broke an earlier deadlock, said justice should not yield to popular pressure.
In a two hour-long statement, Mr Mello argued for the right of appeals on the grounds of human rights and the Brazilian law.
“For them to be exempt and independent, the judges cannot yield to the popular will, to the masses,” he said.
{{‘Brazil in the bin’}}
Last week, five judges voted to deny appeals against last year’s Supreme Court Decision.
Another five voted in favour.
The prospect of the tie-breaking vote of judge Celso de Mello had the nation holding its breath for nearly a week, correspondents say.
But the decision to reopen the Mensalao trial, which took four months to conclude in 2012, is controversial.
“Today we march to [Brazil’s capital] Brasilia to demand our rights, because Celso de Mello has just thrown Brazil in the bin,” a user wrote on Twitter.
wirestory
{{South African police lied about the Marikana shootings last year, in which 34 striking miners were killed, a commission of inquiry has said.}}
Police falsified or withheld documents, and gave false accounts of events, it said.
The police shooting of the miners at the Lonmin-owned platinum mine in August 2012 shocked the nation.
The police said they were acting in self-defence, days after two officers had been hacked to death by protesters.
The commission was appointed by President Jacob Zuma to investigate the deaths of the 34 miners – the most deadly police action since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
At issue right now, is not so much what happened at Marikana last year, as the way the police have presented their version of events to the inquiry, says BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding.
To put it crudely – as with former US President Nixon’s Watergate scandal – it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up, our correspondent says.
The commission’s statement comes just 10 days after gaining access to police computer hard drives and previously unseen police documents.
“We have obtained documents which the SAPS [South African Police Services] previously said were not in existence…
“We have obtained documents which in our opinion demonstrate that the [police] version of the events at Marikana… is in material respects not the truth,” the commission said.
It said the material which had come to light had “serious consequences” for its future work.
The hearing was adjourned until Wednesday, while the commission reviewed the “thousands of pages” of documents, and sought to obtain access to additional hard drives and electronic records.
agencies
{{French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen (PEUP.PA) will continue to collaborate with Japan’s Toyota (7203.T) in the minicar segment in Europe, PSA’s chief executive told a German car magazine.}}
“Yes, the next generation will once again be jointly developed and produced in the Czech Republic,” Philippe Varin said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport.
Speculation among analysts and in the media about whether this and other partnerships would continue had arisen after the financially stretched French carmaker dissolved a components joint venture with BMW (BMWG.DE) and ended an engine cooperation deal.
PSA has been scaling down partnerships with other carmakers since its alliance with General Motors (GM.N).
The Citroen C1, the next generation of which is expected early next year, and Peugeot 107 are built on the same assembly line as Toyota’s Aygo in Kolin, Czech Republic.
As of March of last year, the Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile (TPCA) joint venture had made more than 2 million vehicles, since starting production in February 2005.
The Kolin plant’s capacity is roughly 300,000 vehicles a year.
agencies