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  • Uhuru Criticized Over “Red Carpet” Reception for S.Sudan Rebel

    Uhuru Criticized Over “Red Carpet” Reception for S.Sudan Rebel

    {{A small group of Kenyan MPs critical of president Uhuru Kenyatta have criticised what they said was a “red carpet” reception given to South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar during a six-day visit to the country last week.}}

    The South Sudanese former vice president and armed opposition leader was invited to the State House in Nairobi and was warmly welcomed by President Kenyatta during which the two leaders discussed way forward in the peace process in South Sudan between the rebel group and president Salva Kiir’s government.

    However, five MPs protested on Thursday a week after Machar’s visit, saying the honoured reception given to the rebel leader was an insult to the South Sudanese sitting elected president in the name of President Salva Kiir.

    The protesting legislators included Kibra MP Ken Okoth, Wajir South MP Abdulahi Diriye, Ndhiwa MP Agostinho Neto, Matungulu MP Stephen Mule and Senator Daisy Kanaiza.

    “South Sudan still has a legitimate government headed by His Excellency Salva Kiir, his problems notwithstanding. Kenya should therefore be working with the elected leaders of South Sudan,” Kenyan Daily Nation quoted the MPs as saying.

    The MPs also said any talks held in Kenya should be attended by “both President Kiir and Dr Machar to avoid creating suspicions.”

    “It is bad that a rebel leader in the person of Dr Machar should be given red carpet reception in Nairobi as that might portray Kenya as a partial peace arbiter,” they argued.

  • Museveni Says Ugandan Poverty Has Declined Sharply

    Museveni Says Ugandan Poverty Has Declined Sharply

    {{Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni Thursday Delivered an assessment of the country’s economy, promised a year of action and talked down concerns about the future of the nation raised by the Opposition.}}

    In his State-of-the-Nation address, Mr Museveni said his government will continue to invest heavily in the agricultural sector and revealed how poverty in the country has declined to record levels despite challenges.

    “ Consequently, the proportion of people living below the poverty line has further declined from above 56 per cent in 1992 to 24.5 per cent percent in 2009/10; and now to 19.7 per cent in 2012/13,” he said.

    Adding: “Uganda has, therefore, already surpassed the first Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty by 2015.

    Some parts of the country have got even better performance figures. When the other areas catch up, Uganda will enter the Middle Income status.”

    He promised to tackle persisting economic disparities between the well off and poor with a series of initiatives in the four priority sectors: agriculture, industry, services and ICT, which he said are key to lead to wealth creation and access to employment.

    Highlighting the economic progress, Mr Museveni said the size of the economy currently stands at Shs63.3 trillion ($25.3billion), indicating an increase of 5.7 per cent in the current financial year.

    However, the President also observed that the instability in South Sudan and unfavourable weather conditions had impeded faster economic growth.

    NMG

  • Nazizi Makes Comeback With Track Dedicated to Nairobi

    Nazizi Makes Comeback With Track Dedicated to Nairobi

    {{Nazizi Hirji famously known as Nazizi or the “First Lady” of Kenyan HipHop music has been busy working on her comeback music album Evo-lussion.

    Nazizi who had taken a break from the music scene to focus on her marriage and family is finally back to her “first love” music and she is back with a bang!}}

    Nazizi recently released a new official video for her single 254 which she dedicates to the capital City of 254 Nairobi and speaks of the hoods and legends of Nairobi.

    {{ {Watch video below: } }}

  • Kenya Airways Starts Direct Flights to Abuja

    Kenya Airways Starts Direct Flights to Abuja

    {{Kenya Airways has launched direct flights between Nairobi and Abuja in Nigeria, paving way for closer ties between the two countries.}}

    KQ will be flying four times a week between its hub at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

    The launch comes on the heels of the recent State visit to Nigeria by President Uhuru Kenyatta as the two countries seek to deepen cooperation.

    The direct flights to Abuja will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays every week. On each of these days, Kenya Airways’ flight KQ536 will depart from JKIA at 0750 hours to arrive in Abuja at 1035 hours local time.

    The return flight KQ 537 will depart Abuja at 1135 hours, to land in Nairobi at 1820 hours local time.

    Speaking during the launch of the direct flights to Abuja, Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau reiterated the significance of the move in boosting the bilateral ties by increasing the level of interaction between Kenya and Nigeria.

    “Enhancement of intra-African trade is one of the key objectives of our government and transport is a key element to the success of this goal. President Uhuru Kenyatta, together with the rest of the government, is determined to ensure that relationship between African countries is strengthened,” Kamau said.

    Abuja becomes the second Nigerian city that Kenya Airways flies into. KQ has been operating 10 flights to Lagos, seven of them directly.

    The introduction of the flights to Abuja follows a review of the Bilateral Service Agreements by the Kenyan and Nigerian governments in 2013.

    capitalfm

  • Nigeria’s Second Highest Islamic Traditional Monarch Dies

    Nigeria’s Second Highest Islamic Traditional Monarch Dies

    {{The Emir of Kano, Nigeria’s second-highest Islamic authority and a revered figure in the largely Muslim north, died on Friday.}}

    Ado Abdullahi Bayero, who was on the throne for half a century, died peacefully in his palace at the age of 83, two palace sources told Reuters.

    Though he rarely spoke publicly, he was seen as a critic of Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram, who were suspected to be behind an attack on his convoy in January last year that killed four of his body guards.

    The palace at the time said he had escaped unhurt, although he was flown to London for treatment shortly afterwards.

    Practicing a Wahabist brand of Islam modeled on the Afghan Taliban, Boko Haram are anti-establishment and often attack Islamic clerics, many of whom they regard as corrupt, self serving and insufficiently strict in their interpretation of the Koran.

    They killed the Emir of Gwoza Alhaji Idrissa Timta in an attack on his convoy last Friday.

    The Emirate of Kano was one of the great Islamic empires that dotted the Sahara from medieval times, profiting from caravan routes connecting Africa’s interior with its Mediterranean coast.

    reuters

  • Pakistan Honor Killing Survivor Fears For Her Life

    Pakistan Honor Killing Survivor Fears For Her Life

    {{ A Pakistani woman who survived an attack by relatives who tried to kill her for marrying for love told media on Friday that she feared for her life and appealed for protection.}}

    Saba Maqsood, 18, survived being shot and thrown in a canal by her family on Thursday, weeks after the “honor killing” of another woman in Pakistan drew worldwide condemnation.

    Maqsood angered her family by marrying the man of her choice a few days ago in the Punjabi city of Gujranwala – an act of defiance in a conservative part of Pakistan where women are expected to agree to arranged marriages.

    “Even though police provided me with security, I fear that my family will try to kill me and my husband,” Maqsood, still weak after being shot twice in the cheek and right hand, told media by telephone from her hospital bed.

    “I appeal to the chief minister and authorities to take serious notice of this attack on me and take necessary action for our security.”

    Police said Maqsood was attacked and shot by her father, uncle, brother and aunt, and thrown into the waterway in the city of Hafizabad in Punjab province on Thursday.

    Her relatives quickly fled the scene, but after minutes in the water Maqsood regained consciousness and managed to struggle to the bank, where two passers-by helped her.

    Police have pledged to protect Maqsood.

    “We have moved Saba to a private room in the hospital and deployed female and male police officers for her security,” said regional police officer Ali Akbar.

    “I have contacted her husband Qaiser but he is reluctant to come to the hospital because he is afraid of being attacked.”

    Police have raided Maqsood’s home but all the suspects appear to have vanished, police said.

    reuters

  • Brazil Projects Meeting Argentina in World Cup Final

    Brazil Projects Meeting Argentina in World Cup Final

    {{Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has projected that Argentina will be the most likely opponent if the hosts can make it all the way to the Soccer World Cup final.}}

    Scolari says he and his staff analyzed the tournament’s bracket and predicted the two South American powers will meet in the July 13 final.

    While Argentina is one of the chief threats to Brazil winning the tournament, Scolari wants them to do well, as a final between them would match “great players” and two teams with “a lot of quality” against each other.

    The rivals cannot meet at the World Cup until at least until the semi-finals. If both teams finish first in their groups, they can only face each other in the final at the Maracana Stadium.

    {{Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari}}

  • Vodafone Reveals Direct Government Wiretaps

    Vodafone Reveals Direct Government Wiretaps

    {{Vodafone has said that a small number of governments have direct access to communications flowing over its networks.}}

    Most countries Vodafone operates in need a warrant to intercept communications, the firm said.

    However, in some countries police have a direct link to customer’s phone calls and web communications.

    Surveillance by governments has been in the public eye since revelations by US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

    Vodafone said it values customer privacy, but it must comply with laws “designed to protect national security and public safety”.

    In most of the 29 countries where Vodafone has major operations, including the UK, law enforcement and intelligence agencies must have a warrant to listen to phone calls or look at text messages, emails or web chats.

    The firm said it could not specify the countries that have a direct line into its networks, because those countries have laws prohibiting disclosure of surveillance methods.

    In six out of the 29 countries, governments have a permanent link to monitor communications.

    In its first-ever transparency report, Vodafone said that in a small number of countries, it “will not receive any form of demand for lawful interception access, as the relevant agencies and authorities already have permanent access to customer communications via their own direct link”.

    Human rights campaign organisation Liberty called the government powers “terrifying”.

    Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said: “For governments to access phone calls at the flick of a switch is unprecedented and terrifying.

    “The defeated Snoopers’ Charter tried to take us down this path, but Snowden revealed the internet was already treated as fair game. Bluster that all is well is wearing pretty thin – our analogue laws need a digital overhaul.”

    wirestory

  • Putin Meets Ukraine’s New Leader

    Putin Meets Ukraine’s New Leader

    {{Russian President Vladimir Putin has met Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko for the first time since his election, at a D-Day event in France.}}

    French officials said the two leaders, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, agreed to discuss a ceasefire.

    The meeting came as fighting continued in east Ukraine, with government forces reportedly launching a tank attack near the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk.

    Mr Putin denies involvement despite Russians fighting with the rebels.

    The Ukrainian authorities have announced an “active phase” of what they call an anti-terrorist operation in and around Sloviansk, which was seized by pro-Russian militants several weeks ago.

    Reporters near the town on Thursday, say it was clear Ukrainian forces had encircled it and moved in a lot of weaponry.

    Separately, Ukrainian media reported that one member of the security forces had been killed and several wounded in a mortar attack outside the city.

    {{Mrs Merkel, Mr Poroshenko and Mr Putin are said to have chatted for 15 minutes}}

    agencies

  • California Man Returns $125K Dropped From Car

    California Man Returns $125K Dropped From Car

    {{A California man who found a bag containing $125,000 (£74,564) said he returned the cash to the armoured truck company that accidentally dropped it because it was the “right thing to do.”}}

    Joe Cornell, 52, told the Fresno Bee newspaper he saw the bag of cash fall out of the back of a Brinks armoured cash transport car as it drove over railroad tracks in downtown Fresno on Thursday afternoon.

    Cornell, who was working in the lot of a Salvation Army location as part of a substance abuse rehabilitation program, told the newspaper he recovered the bag and found it stuffed with hundred dollar bills.

    “I started crying and shaking,” Cornell said. “Everything was going through my mind, the good devil/bad devil thing,” he said.

    Cornell made up his mind to alert his boss at the Salvation Army and the pair called Fresno law enforcement authorities who helped facilitate the bag’s return to Brinks.

    The Virginia-based company could not be reached for comment Friday, but a spokesman told the Fresno Bee it had thanked Cornell for his honesty with a $5,000 reward and another $5,000 donation to the Salvation Army.

    For Cornell, deciding to give back the cash became a simple decision.

    “They’re going to back-track,” he said of Brinks officials when they realized the money was lost. “There are cameras everywhere now. You’d be doing federal time. And it’s the right thing to do.”