IGIHE

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  • Female-to-Female HIV case Reported in US

    Female-to-Female HIV case Reported in US

    {{US health officials have published details of a rare case of suspected female-to-female HIV infection.}}

    A 46-year-old woman “likely acquired” the virus during a six-month monogamous relationship with a HIV-positive woman in Texas, said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

    She was infected with a strain that had a 98% genetic match to her partner’s.

    The virus can be transmitted when bodily fluids come into contact with cuts, abrasions and mucus membranes.

    “In this case, the discordant couple [one HIV-infected partner and one uninfected partner] routinely had direct sexual contact – without using barrier methods for protection – that involved the exchange of blood through abrasions received during sexual activity,” the CDC said in summary of ta weekly report.

    The originally uninfected partner is said to have had a history of heterosexual relationships but none during the past 10 years.

    She also had none of the other HIV exposure risks, including intravenous drug use.

    Her partner, a 43-year-old woman, had stopped taking antiretroviral drugs in 2010.

    {wirestory}

  • Jamaica Dancehall Star Vybz Kartel Guilty of Murder

    Jamaica Dancehall Star Vybz Kartel Guilty of Murder

    {{Popular Jamaican dancehall and reggae star Vybz Kartel has been found guilty of murder in a high-profile trial.}}

    He and three co-defendants were convicted under tight security of killing an associate, Clive Lizard Williams, in a row over a missing gun.

    Parts of the capital Kingston were cordoned off in advance of the verdict and police patrols were stepped up.

    Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is one of the biggest names in Jamaican dancehall reggae.

    The reporters in Kingston say that Kartel’s bleached skin – covered by tattoos – made him stand out from the crowd – and the “World Boss” as he called himself also often glorified violence in his music.

    The 65-day trial was the longest running criminal hearing in the history of Jamaica’s circuit court system, local media reported.

    Police cordoned off streets around the Supreme Court before Thursday’s session started, seeking to prevent any disruption by fans supporting the entertainer.

    {{Illegal guns}}

    Shortly before the jury started to deliberate in the afternoon, about 200 people briefly broke through barricades at one intersection shouting “Free Kartel!”

    he sentencing date is scheduled for 27 March and Kartel’s lawyers have indicated they will appeal against the verdict.

    When Kartel was arrested in 2011, it was alleged he had been involved in two killings, but one of those cases was thrown out last year after key evidence went missing.

    Prosecutors said that Williams was beaten to death at Kartel’s home in August 2011 after being lured there to account for two missing illegal guns.

    A body has never been found but police testified that they had unearthed a text message from Kartel’s phone saying Williams had been chopped up to “mincemeat” so fine that his remains would never be found.

    Defence lawyer Tom Tavares-Finson told jurors the prosecution’s case against Kartel was “dishonest” and “incompetent”, noting that witness statements and a compact disc with evidence saved on it had gone missing.

    The AP news agency says that in a bizarre twist to the case, a male juror was arrested on Thursday evening on charges of attempting to bribe the jury foreman to free Kartel, who was convicted by a 10-1 majority verdict.

    BBC

  • Saudi MERS Death Toll Rises to 63

    Saudi MERS Death Toll Rises to 63

    {{Saudi health authorities said on Saturday a young man had died from the MERS coronavirus, bringing the death toll from the respiratory disease in the worst-hit country to 63.}}

    The 19-year-old national, who died in Riyadh, had been suffering from chronic illnesses, the health ministry said.

    Four other people began suffering from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome after coming into contact with infected people, the ministry said. Among them were two women, aged 18 and 22.

    That brought the total number of cases in Saudi Arabia to 156 people since the virus first appeared in September 2012.

    Experts are struggling to understand the disease, for which there is no vaccine.

    A study last month said the virus has been “extraordinarily common” in camels for at least 20 years, and may have been passed directly from the animals to humans.

    MERS is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8 273 people, 9% of whom died.

    The World Health Organisation said at the end of February that it has been told of 184 cases of MERS infection worldwide, including 80 deaths.

    – AFP

  • Anti Putin Websites Blocked in Russia

    Anti Putin Websites Blocked in Russia

    {{Moscow has blocked access to four websites run by opponents and critics of President Vladimir Putin.}}

    The blog of opponent Alexei Navalny, two news sites and one run by Garry Kasparov were blocked on the orders of Russia’s prosecutor general’s office.

    In a statement, it said the blocks were imposed because of the sites’ role in helping stage recent illegal protests.

    Critics said the blocks were just the latest in a series of moves by Russia’s government to stifle dissent.

    The blocks come as Russia’s central bank reported that hackers had targeted its main website. The site, and that of the Kremlin, were briefly unavailable with authorities saying “technical reasons” were making them hard to reach.

    {{Control order}}

    Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is currently under house arrest for two months – a punishment imposed for violating the terms of a five-year suspended sentence given after he was tried on charges of embezzlement. The terms of his house arrest demand that he does not receive visitors or use the net.

    Anna Veduta, a spokeswoman for Alexei Navalny, said in a tweet that the block was a “political decision taken as part of the cleansing of the media space”.

    The block also extends to the Russian news sites Ej.ru and grani.ru as well as the kasparov.ru website.

    Alexander Ryklin, editor of the Ej.ru website, said the imposition of the block was “monstrous” and a “direct violation of all the principles of freedom of speech”.

    “These sites contain incitement to illegal activity and participation in public events held in violation of the established order,” said a statement from Russia’s state communications monitoring agency Roskomnadzor.

    The imposition of the blocks became possible on 1 February after a law drawn up in late 2013 to police sites involved in illegal protests took effect.

    It is not clear how successful the blocks will be as followers of Mr Navalny have widely published details of how to reach the sites and avoid official censorship.

    Wirestory

  • Missing Plane ‘Deliberately Diverted’

    Missing Plane ‘Deliberately Diverted’

    {{The communications systems of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 were deliberately disabled, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak has said.}}

    According to satellite and radar evidence, he said, the plane then changed course and could have continued flying for a further seven hours.

    He said the “movements are consistent with the deliberate action of someone on the plane”.

    The plane disappeared a week ago with 239 people on board.

    Mr Razak stopped short of saying it was a hijacking, saying only that they were investigating “all possibilities”.

    He said the plane could be anywhere from Kazakhstan to the Indian Ocean.

    The developments have added further uncertainty to the relatives of the 239 people on board the Kuala Lumpur to Beijing flight.

    Some in the Chinese capital said the news had made them more hopeful that their loved ones are alive, but one woman said they were on an emotional rollercoaster and she felt “helpless and frustrated”.

    {{‘New phase’}}

    The flight left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing at 00:40 local time (16:40 GMT) on 8 March and disappeared off air traffic controllers’ screens at about 01:20.

    Mr Razak told a news conference that new satellite evidence shows “with a high degree of certainty” that the one of the aircraft’s communications systems – the Aircraft and Communications Addressing and Reporting System – was disabled just before it had reached the east coast of Malaysia.

    ACARS is a service that allows computers aboard the plane to “talk” to computers on the ground, relaying in-flight information about the health of its systems.

    Shortly afterwards, near the border between Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic control, the plane’s transponder – which emits an identifying signal – was switched off, he said.

    According to a military radar, the aircraft then turned and flew back over Malaysia before heading in a north-west direction.

    A satellite was able to pick up a signal from the plane until 08:11 local time – more than seven hours after it lost radar contact – although it was unable to give a precise location, Mr Razak said.

    He went on to say that based on this new data, investigators “have determined the plane’s last communication with a satellite was in one of two possible corridors”:

  • Rwanda to celebrate the world water day 2014

    Rwanda to celebrate the world water day 2014

    {World Water Day is held annually on 22nd March to highlight the importance of freshwater and sustainable management of freshwater resources. It dates back to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) which recommended that it is an important reminder to the World. The United Nations General Assembly then designated 22nd March 1993 as the first World Water Day.}

    This year, UN-Water has chosen the theme Water and Energy to highlight interlink and interdependence between water and energy. Energy generation and transmission requires utilization of water resources, particularly for hydroelectric and thermal energy sources. Conversely, about 8% of the global energy generation is used for pumping, treating and transporting water to various consumers.

    Rwanda will join the rest of the World to celebrate the World Water Day on 20th March 2014 under the theme “Protect Water to sustain Energy production”. This comes at a time whereby Rwanda has been ranked as one of the top performing countries in Africa in achieving water and sanitation goals as espoused by the Africa Water Vision 2025, the 2008 African Union Sharm-I-Sheikh declaration and the Millenium Development Goals.

    As it has been a common practice, Rwanda will also dedicate the whole week to water whereby several initiatives related to water management development as well as energy development will be launched and inaugurated. This week will also be marked by the following activities: engage communities in sustainable ecosystems for water resources protection and energy production, promote trans boundary basins cooperation for national solutions on energy production, launch some projects related to water supply, water conservation and raising awareness of the interlink ages between water and energy.

  • New Sanitary Measures to Spur Fisheries Business

    New Sanitary Measures to Spur Fisheries Business

    {{New measures that will boost fish trade volumes in East Africa have been formulated.}}

    The East African Community (EAC) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures for fish products were developed by experts from regional partner states.

    SPS are World Trade Organisation standards that ensure consumers are supplied with safe foods. Fish and fisheries products are part of this.

    Responding to the new measures, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the productive and social sector Jesca Eriyo said: “this is in line with Treaty for Establishment of the EAC Article 38 and in tandem with the EAC Common Market Protocol 45(3), on cooperation in Agriculture and Food Security.”

    “This calls for an effective mechanism of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, standards and technical regulations within the EAC,”she added.

    {{Preparation}}

    To move forward, experts from all member countries along the value chain are under-going training in Mombasa on how to implement the new measure.

    The training is expected to lead to safe trade and increased competitiveness within the region.

    NMG

  • Uganda to Announce Oil Refinery Investor

    Uganda to Announce Oil Refinery Investor

    {{Uganda will announce the lead investor and operator for its planned oil refinery in July and expects to conduct a licensing round for its vacant petroleum exploration acreage next year, a senior energy official told media on Thursday.}}

    The east African country first discovered crude deposits in the Albertine rift basin along its border with Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006 and reserves are estimated by the government at 3.5 billion barrels.

    The government moved closer to getting the hydrocarbons industry off the ground last month when it signed a memorandum of understanding with three oil firms laying out a blueprint for the commercial development of its oil fields.

    According to the deal, crude produced by the three firms – Britain’s Tullow Oil, France’s Total and China’s CNOOC – will be shared between a thermal power generation plant, a planned refinery and an export pipeline.

    Commercial oil production is expected to begin in 2016 at the earliest.

    In December the energy ministry announced five consortia and one individual firm had been shortlisted to bid for the $2.5 billion refinery. The lead investor – which will also operate the plant – is expected to take up a 60 percent stake, with the remainder going to the Ugandan government.

    The individual company shortlisted is Marubeni Corp, while the five consortia are respectively led by Petrofac, Global Resources, China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau, SK Energy and Vitol.

    Robert Kasande, the energy ministry official overseeing the project, said the government had been holding pre-bidding talks with those shortlisted.

    “They are expected to submit their final proposals in May, then evaluation will follow,” Kasande said. “In July we will announce the winner,” he added.

    Uganda has scaled back its refining ambitions over the past two years. It now plans to start with a refinery with capacity of 30,000 barrels per day (bpd), gradually rising to 60,000 bpd. It had initially wanted a plant that could process 120,000 bpd but oil firms argued that would not be commercially viable.

    About 60 percent of the Albertine graben, which measures about 23,000 square kilometres, remains unlicensed, according to the energy ministry’s petroleum exploration and production department.

    “We also hope next year we should be ready to license another batch of (exploration) blocks,” said Kasande.

    Reuters

  • Kwibuka Flame of Remembrance Travels to Gatsibo District

    Kwibuka Flame of Remembrance Travels to Gatsibo District

    {{Thousands of Gatsibo residents on Thursday travelled to Kiziguro to witness the Kwibuka Flame of Remembrance on its 22nd stop on its nationwide tour of Rwanda.}}

    The flame will return to Kigali on 7 April 2014, the start of the national mourning period and twenty years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

    event is hosted by Mayor Ambroise Ruboneza and will reflect on the events of the 1994 genocide as well as the journey of unity and renewal in Gatsibo and Rwanda since.

    The Flame of Remembrance will be received from Nyagatare District by two 20-year-old students, Laetitia Kayitesirwa and Cyprien Habimana. A children’s choir from Kiramuruzi Primary School will sing ‘Urumuri Rutazima’ (Never Ending Flame) to welcome the flame. The special guest is Hon. Protais Mitali, Minister of Sports and Culture.

    Pastor William Ndongozi, who is a survivor of the genocide, will give a testimony and Jean Bosco Kadunguli will deliver a message of unity. A poem titled ‘Dusangiye isano’ will be read by Justin Nzabahimana. Father Laurent Rutinduka will give a history of Kiziguro in Gatsibo.

    Gatsibo District is made up of former Murambi, Gituza, Ngarama, Muhura and Giti communes. It is an area in which massacres were carried out as early as 1990 in preparation for the genocide in 1994.

    Many Tutsi were also killed in the pogroms of 1963-1964. During the 1994 genocide, Murambi commune was one of the worst affected areas and killings began immediately after the death of President Habyarimana.

    Jean-Baptiste Gatete led the massacres in Murambi where he served as mayor from 1987 to 1993. He imprisoned Tutsi, especially teachers, businessmen, nurses and those considered to have positions of responsibility in the community.

    He accused them of being accomplices of the Rwandan Patriotic Army. Most of these Tutsi were taken to Byumba military camp and killed. Furthermore, government officials had registered all Tutsi in Murambi before the genocide started.

    Under pressure from the international community and opposition politicians who were concerned by the killings in Murambi, the Habyarimana regime replaced Gatete with a staff member in his office. But little changed and the killing of Tutsi continued.

    Jean Baptiste Gatete remained highly influential in Murambi and on the morning of 7 April 1994, called a meeting to discuss how to quickly carry out the final plan to kill Tutsi. Many Tutsi fled to the Kiziguro Catholic Parish and while some were killed on their way to the parish, around 3,700 arrived there alive.

    On 11 April 1994, Gatete went to Gabiro military camp and brought back two buses of soldiers to kill the Tutsi who had taken refuge at the parish. Before these soldiers arrived, militia stationed at the parish day and night prevented Tutsi from escaping.

    The militia launched several attacks on the church but were repelled until reinforcements arrived. When the soldiers arrived, Gatete ordered them to take all Tutsi men out of the parish and to undress them so that Tutsi could be easily identified among the large number of militia there. T

    he soldiers and militia started killing the Tutsi and forced survivors to take the bodies to a mass grave located 200 meters away. A group of militia was stationed there to kill the person who had carried the body to the mass grave.

    Both victims were then thrown in. After killing all the men at the parish, the militia killed the women and children and dumped them into the mass grave.

    Because the killing had been taking place in Gatsibo since 1990, it took only one week for all Tutsi in the area to be exterminated. The Rwandan Patriotic Army arrived in Kiziguro on 14 April 1994 and rescued 12 people from the mass grave.

    The Kiziguro genocide memorial holds more 14,000 victims including the 3,700 who were killed and thrown into the mass grave at the parish.

  • RDF Peacekeepers in Foreign Missions celebrate Women’s Day

    RDF Peacekeepers in Foreign Missions celebrate Women’s Day

    {{Rwanda peacekeepers under Rwanbatt41 joined Darfur women to celebrate international women’s day. The celebration started with march from El-Fasher Midwife School to the Ministry of Social Affairs where the colorful event was held on 12th March 2014. }}

    The day was supposed to be held on 8th March 2014 but was postponed due to other programmes by the Darfur Authority.

    The same event was separately celebrated in Bangui on 10th March 2014 where Gen Martin Tumenta, Force Commander for the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) was the guest of honor.

    He lauded women’s efforts in MISCA operations. Rwanda female peacekeepers under Rwamechbatt1 attended the event.

    In Darfur celebrations, the guest of honor was Dr. Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs. She urged the participants to join effort in empowering gender equality as they strive to eliminate poverty for sustainable development.

    “All of us benefit when women and girls – sisters, friends and colleagues can reach their full potential”, said Dr. Aisha

    Thereafter, Rwanbatt41 female peacekeepers with the Rwanda Military contingent proceeded to the Rwanbatt41 Headquarters Super Camp where they planted trees as a symbol of peace in Darfur.

    Among the high profile dignitaries present were H.E. Osman Mohamed XausieWari (Federal Governor) of Northern Darfur, UNAMID Deputy Joint Special Representative for the UN, Ambassador Joseph Mutaboba, UNAMID Force Chief of Staff, Brig Gen Norbert Kalimba, Rwanda Military contingent commander Col SK Baguma and many others.

    MOD