IGIHE

Category: People

  • Snowden Wants to Return to US

    Snowden Wants to Return to US

    {{Fugitive self-proclaimed spy Edward Snowden said on Wednesday he wants to return home, as he defended his massive leak of US intelligence secrets, saying abuses of constitutional rights left him no choice.}}

    “If I could go anywhere in the world, that place would be home,” Snowden said almost a year to the day since he revealed a stunning US surveillance dragnet mining data from phones and Internet companies around the world, including Europe.

    “From day one, I said I’m doing this to serve my country. Whether amnesty or clemency is a possibility, that’s for the public to decide,” he told NBC in his first interview with US television since the scandal broke in early June last year.

    And he sought to defend himself against charges led by the US administration that he is a hacker and a traitor who endangered lives by revealing the extent of the NSA spying programme through the British daily The Guardian.

    “The reality is the situation determined that this needed to be told to the public. You know, the Constitution of the United States has been violated on a massive scale,” he said.

    “How can it be said that this harmed the country when all three branches of government have made reforms as a result?” Snowden asked, looking relaxed and calm during the interview in a Moscow hotel.

    But top US officials laughed off the idea of a clemency. Secretary of State John Kerry said the 30-year-old former CIA employee should “man up” and return to face trial.

    Snowden also alleged he was not just a low-level contractor working for the CIA, as the White House has repeatedly insisted.

    {agencies}

  • Author Maya Angelou Dies Aged 86

    Author Maya Angelou Dies Aged 86

    {{One of America’s leading literary voices of the last 50 years, Angelou was best-known for her 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

    It was the first of seven volumes of autobiography that traced her life from a childhood of abuse and oppression in the Deep South in the 1930s.

    The news was confirmed to the BBC by the mayor’s office in her home town of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

    Mayor Allen Joines said he was “very sad of her passing”.

    Her poetry collections included Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie (1971), And Still I Rise (1978), Now Sheba Sings the Song (1987), and I Shall Not Be Moved (1990).

    Her poem On the Pulse of the Morning, written for US President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, sold more than a million copies in the US.}}

  • Snowden Says He Was Trained ‘As a Spy’

    Snowden Says He Was Trained ‘As a Spy’

    {{Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked details of massive U.S. intelligence-gathering programs, said in a U.S. TV interview he “was trained as a spy” and had worked undercover overseas for U.S. government agencies.}}

    In an advance excerpt of his interview in Moscow with “NBC Nightly News” that aired on Tuesday, Snowden rejected comments by critics that he was a low-level analyst.

    “Well, it’s no secret that the U.S. tends to get more and better intelligence out of computers nowadays than they do out of people,” Snowden told NBC news anchor Brian Williams.

    “I was trained as a spy in sort of the traditional sense of the word in that I lived and worked undercover overseas – pretending to work in a job that I’m not – and even being assigned a name that was not mine.”

    Describing himself as a “technical expert,” Snowden said: “I don’t work with people. I don’t recruit agents. What I do is I put systems to work for the United States. And I’ve done that at all levels from – from the bottom on the ground all the way to the top.”

    He said he worked undercover overseas for both the CIA and NSA and lectured at the Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy “where I developed sources and methods for keeping our information and people secure in the most hostile and dangerous environments around the world.”

    “So when they (critics) say I’m a low-level systems administrator, that I don’t know what I’m talking about, I’d say it’s somewhat misleading,” Snowden added.

    Snowden, who fled to Hong Kong and then Moscow last year, is believed to have taken 1.7 million computerized documents. The leaked documents revealed massive programs run by the NSA that gathered information on emails, phone calls and Internet use by hundreds of millions of Americans.

    He was charged last year in the United States with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified intelligence to an unauthorized person.

    agencies

  • Becoming a Mother ‘Makes Women Better at Their Jobs’

    Becoming a Mother ‘Makes Women Better at Their Jobs’

    {{It is a finding that will come as no surprise to mothers who are used to doing ten things at once while looking after their children.}}

    Because a study says becoming a mother makes women better at their job.

    The research indicates that raising a child improves the essential workplace skills of female workers.

    Nearly two thirds of working mums (62 per cent) say they become better at multi-tasking after having children.

    Nearly half (46 per cent) feel their time management improves, and around a quarter (27 per cent) become more organised.

    The research, carried out for Microsoft, asked 2,000 women and 500 employers how their performance had changed due to becoming a mother.

    And it seems employers agree, with more than half (57 per cent) saying mothers make better team players than women who do not have children.

    Nearly a third (29 per cent) see their employee’s team work improve after they give birth, while 35 per cent say their multi-tasking skills get better.

    One in three (34 per cent) also appreciate their colleagues and clients more when they become a mother, according to their bosses.

    The study also shows technology is playing a huge part helping mothers juggle their homelife with their work.

    More than a third (37 per cent) of working mums use technology to work from home when they cannot get into the office.

    The advancements in social media and new gadgets appear to help mothers every day.

    New technology allows a third (29 per cent) to cram an extra 60 minutes in their busy daily schedule.

    And 23 per cent say they even manage to pack in an extra two hours.

    As a result, a quarter of mums (25 per cent) claim they are twice as productive as their husband or boyfriend.

    Skincare business owner and mother-of-five Liz Earle said women have an important role in the workplace.

    The 51-year-old said: ‘The research findings are indicative of changes I have seen in business over the last decade.

    ‘Mothers work wonders both in the house and home as they become an increasingly important resource to all those around them.

    ‘I think businesses are becoming more accommodating for mothers.

    ‘New technologies are saving time and making our lives easier in all sorts of ways, from keeping in touch with colleagues and friends to finding out where the closest baby-changing room is.’

    Celine Naude from Microsoft said: ‘I couldn’t agree more with the research findings. My friends, family members and colleagues that are mums never cease to amaze me with their ability to achieve the unachievable on a daily basis.

    ‘As a mum-to-be I’m inspired by these women and proud to be part of the Office 365 campaign which is all about celebrating those who work wonders.’

  • President Mugabe Flies to Singapore For Check-Up

    President Mugabe Flies to Singapore For Check-Up

    {{Zimbabwe’s 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe is in Singapore for “another routine eye check-up”, his spokesman said on Thursday, playing down concerns about the health of the veteran African leader who has no obvious successor.}}

    Mugabe had a cataract operation in Singapore on the eve of his 90th birthday in February, officials said, and his visits to the southeastern Asian state have become more frequent over the last couple of years amid fears for his health.

    Spokesman George Charamba said Mugabe – who denies he has prostate cancer or any other serious illness – would be away for a week and would undergo a “routine eye check-up following a recent procedure on the same”.

    When he addressed an independence anniversary rally on April 18, a squinting Mugabe struggled to read his speech and his eyes appeared swollen when he removed his spectacles.

    His health is a concern for Zimbabweans who fear instability if Mugabe dies in office without resolving a succession battle raging in his ZANU-PF party, which has ruled the southern African country since independence from Britain in 1980.

    Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa are seen as the front-runners, but Mugabe, Africa’s oldest president, recently confirmed that the contest was open to other ZANU-PF leaders as well.

  • Twin Girls Born Holding Hands

    Twin Girls Born Holding Hands

    {{After a complicated pregnancy, a US mother has delivered her twin girls, who entered the world clutching each other’s hands.

    Jenna, right, weighted 4 pounds 2 ounces and was 17 inches long and her twin sister Jillian, who weighed 3 pounds 13 ounces and was 17 and 1/2 inches long were photographed in the delivery suite, at the Akron Children’s hospital in Ohio, holding onto one another.

    “I can’t believe they were holding hands. That’s amazing,” said mother Sarah Thistlethwaite, aged 32.

    “They’re already best friends.”}}

  • Meet Umuhoza the Carpenter Building Her Future

    Meet Umuhoza the Carpenter Building Her Future

    {{At the age of 25 years, Sandrine Umuhoza is living her dreams and building her future.

    Sandrine is the co-owner of Greatest Carpentry Company since 2012, she and her colleagues work in Kicukiro IPRC, where they make beautiful furniture such as sofa sets, tables, beds, dining tables sets, pool tables and much more. }}

    Ritha Bumwe, a Ni Nyampinga journalist caught up with her yesterday and asked her how she begun.

    After completing her studies on carpentry, Sandrine started her company with a friend, Irenée Gumyushime.

    They were given a workshop space at Kicukiro IPRC and now make Rwf 2,000,000 in sales and growing.

    Sandrine encourages fellow Rwandan girls to get out of their comfort zones and start working hard to realize their dreams, create jobs for themselves, and build their county and economy.

  • Obama’s Aunt Buried, Family Denies Rift

    Obama’s Aunt Buried, Family Denies Rift

    {{Saidi Obama, a brother to the late Zeituni said the family was astonished by reports that the larger Obama family is in disarray and says that they are united.}}

    “Lately there have been reports saying that there is a rift in the larger Obama family. I can say now that there is no rift in the family because we are united and that was a very big lie that we are fighting,” he said.

    Faisal Mboya, the first born of Zeituni says their father abandoned them when they were young and had got no moral authority to block the burial.

    “There are some basic questions that need to be answered because we are all grown up and unfortunately our father abandoned us when we were very young. Right now the person that made us who we are today is our late mother,” he stated.

    Zeituni is survived by three sons and a daughter. Her mother Mama Sarah Obama paid her last respects but did not accompany the body to the graveside in accordance with Islamic tradition.

    Zeituni died in a Boston rehabilitation centre after several years of sickness. She previously survived a legal battle against deportation from the US.

  • Journalist Wins Press Freedom Award

    Journalist Wins Press Freedom Award

    {{Mohamed Fahmy, one of the four Al Jazeera journalists in prison in Egypt, has received a Press Freedom Award for his contribution to the industry, in advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.}}

    The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom has named him as its 16th recipient.

    Fahmy and his two colleagues will have a trial hearing on Saturday.

    Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have now been in jail for 125 days.

    They are falsely accused of providing a platform to Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, now declared a terrorist organisation.

    Abdullah Elshamy, an Al Jazeera Arabic journalist, has been in jail without trial since last August and is on hunger strike in protest amidst growing concerns for his health.

    Al Jazeera has obtained a hand-written letter from Fahmy that was smuggled out of the Tora prison. In it, he thanked all those who have campaigned for his release.

    To mark World Press Freedom Day, the three journalists have sent open letters expressing their gratitude for the continuous support by all calling for their release.

    “When the journalist becomes the story rather than reporting it, you ask yourself why this happened and who is responsible for detaining you in the terrorism wing of Egypt’s most notorious prison,” Fahmy said.

    “To silence me and my colleagues on the pretext that we are a threat to national security and members of a terrorist organisation is a sheer insult to the intelligence of Egyptian people and the democracy promoted in the newly ratified constitution,” he added.

    In his letter, Greste said the world should acknowledge the need to defend media freedoms.

    “We must also acknowledge that on this day and for the past few months, press freedom is being vigorously defended, and in a way that would have been unimaginable before our arrest. We have seen countless protests around the world, an extraordinary online campaign, petitions, news conferences and appeals that together have been unprecedented in the struggle to protect press freedom.” Greste said.

    Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief, raised his concerns about the detention of journalists during a meeting with Nabil Fahmy, the Egyptian foreign minister, on Thursday.

  • Major Mistakes Holding You Back at Work

    Major Mistakes Holding You Back at Work

    While everyone makes mistakes in the workplace, it’s important to know and understand which mistakes could have long-lasting effects on your career. Take a look at the top 4.

    1. You’re put off after one mistake. The only way to grow in your career is to accept new challenges and bigger responsibilities.

    However, with new tasks you also run the risk of making mistakes. And if you’ve always been a star employee you might not be used to making mistakes and persevering until you get better.

    Don’t put yourself down about not understanding something – it’s ok. A sure-fire way to hold yourself back in your career is to shut down once you’ve made a mistake. With enough practice you’ll get better at your new tasks and you’ll soon become an incredible employee again.

    2. You don’t handle feedback or criticism well. Some people are really not good at accepting criticism at work. What you have to realise is that constructive criticism will only help your career in future.

    If you were previously not used to getting told that your work could be better, and how you could better it, you might become defensive and come across as immature and unprofessional.

    Getting constructive criticism is not an attack on you; the person giving the criticism might have more experience in the field and give you advice that will only help you get back to being a top employee. Be careful not to push helpful advice away.

    3. You’re not polite. No matter how great your work is, if you’re not polite to your colleagues, you won’t get very far. A good manager won’t allow for such behaviour in the workplace and you’ll soon get a reputation of being ‘hard to work with’ – no one likes to hire someone like that.

    4. You’re uncertain of what your boss expects of you. Make sure you regularly refer to your Key Performance Areas that your boss has discussed with you.

    No matter how great you are at organising functions, for example, if it’s not what your boss needs you to be good at, you’ll never accelerate your career. If you don’t have a KPA, set up a meeting with your manager and discuss what is needed of you.

    Check your performance plan regularly to ensure you’re doing what is required of you, and then tackle additional tasks.

    {careers24}