Queen Elizabeth celebrating 90th birthday at Windsor Castle

WINDSOR, England -- Fate unexpectedly made her queen. Duty and endurance have made her an institution and an icon.

Queen Elizabeth II turned 90 on Thursday as Britain's oldest and longest-reigning monarch, drawing crowds of well-wishers and floods of tributes to the stamina and service of a woman who can claim to have given her name to the age.

Britain is living, Prime Minister David Cameron said, in the "modern Elizabethan Era."


IN PICTURES


Happy 90! Queen Elizabeth through the years



Photos



Queen Elizabeth II meets well-wishers during a walkabout to celebrate her 90th birthday in Windsor, England, Thursday April 21, 2016. (AP / Alastair Grant)



Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ride in an open-topped Range Rover close to Windsor Castle, as she celebrates her 90th birthday, in Berkshire, England, Thursday, April 21, 2016. (John Stillwell / Pool Photo via AP)

The queen usually spends her birthday privately, with most of the pomp and ceremony reserved for an official birthday that's marked in June. But Thursday's milestone brought an outpouring of public goodwill.

Thousands of fans greeted the queen on a tightly choreographed walkabout near her Windsor Castle home, while elsewhere her government and subjects held gun salutes, fireworks and speeches in Parliament, and televised retrospectives offered scenes from a royal life that has stretched from the Roaring '20s to the Internet age.

"Her Majesty has been steadfast -- a rock of strength for our nation, for our Commonwealth and on many occasions for the whole world," Cameron said as he led tributes in the House of Commons.

He praised the monarch's "unshakable sense of duty," pointing out that she had provided counsel to 12 British prime ministers and met a quarter of all the U.S. presidents since Independence.

Her record is all the more remarkable because she was not born to be queen. When Princess Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, her father was a younger son of king and not expected to reign. His older brother took the throne in 1936 as Edward VIII -- but abdicated the same year to marry his divorced American lover, Wallis Simpson.

Elizabeth's father became King George VI and, at 10, she became heir to the throne. When she was 21 -- almost five years before she became queen -- she promised the people of Britain and the Commonwealth that "my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service."

She kept the promise, and it has struck a chord with people in Britain and around the world.

"She's such an icon and a real role model for the children of today. And I think everybody should respect her for all the years that she's given for her country," said Donna Werner, an American tourist from New Fairfield, Connecticut, who came to greet the queen in Windsor, just west of London.

Thousands lined the streets of the town carrying cakes, cards, balloons and Union Jack flags. The band of the Coldstream Guards played "Happy Birthday" and royal fans snapped cellphone photos as the queen, clad in pale green, greeted local dignitaries, townspeople and tourists.

By her side was 94-year-old Prince Philip, her husband of 69 years, with whom she has four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren

Elsewhere, artillery companies fired gun salutes from sites including Hyde Park and the Tower of London, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out in celebration and the Parliament building was being lit in the red, white and blue of the Union Jack.

There was even a tea party aboard Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean, whose crew stood in formation to spell out "EIIR 90" -- Elizabeth II Regina, her official monogram -- on the flight deck.

In the evening, the queen was lighting the first in a chain of 1,000 commemorative beacons to blaze across Britain and around the world, before attending a private family party at the castle.

The BBC is showing a documentary that includes rare home-movie footage of the queen as a child in the 1930s and a young mother in the 1950s. In the documentary, Prince Charles watches a clip of the moment a man fired blanks while the queen was riding by in 1981, startling her horse. The prince notes that his mother is "made of strong stuff."

The 67-year-old heir to the throne also recorded a tribute to his mother for broadcast on the BBC World Service. He recited a passage from William Shakespeare's "Henry VIII" about the birth of the monarch's predecessor, Queen Elizabeth I:

"She shall be, to the happiness of England,

An aged princess; many days shall see her,

And yet no day without a deed to crown it."

The passage was apt. The first Elizabeth reigned for decades and brought stability to a fractured nation. Elizabeth II has also become a reassuring presence at home and an emblem of Britain abroad-- it's no surprise she appeared at the opening of the 2012 London Olympics alongside another icon, James Bond.

She has weathered tough years when the divorces of three of her children tarnished the monarchy. And she came back from the death of Princess Diana in a 1997 car crash, when the royal family was criticized as being out of touch with the public's grief.

Her popular grandchildren have helped bolster the family fortunes. Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011 was a 21st-century mashup of traditional monarchy and modern celebrity that brought widespread popular celebration. Their two children -- Prince George, who is almost 3, and 11-month-old Princess Charlotte -- are likely the world's most famous toddlers.

The world's media loves bachelor ex-soldier Prince Harry, who, like his brother, has thrown his weight behind numerous charities.

The queen will receive more birthday greetings on Friday, when she hosts U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama for lunch at Windsor Castle.

And there is more (much more) to come.

For four nights next month there will be a musical pageant in Windsor, involving 900 horses and some 1,500 actors, dancers and musicians, celebrating the queen's nine decades.

On June 11 comes the monarch's "official" birthday, traditionally marked by the Trooping the Color military parade. This year there will also be a service at St. Paul's Cathedral and a huge street party in the Mall outside Buckingham Palace for members of charities the queen supports. The government has even given pubs permission to stay open later on June 10 and 11, until 1 a.m. instead of the standard 11 p.m.

Not everyone in Britain has succumbed to royal-mania. The anti-monarchist group Republic published a resolutely undeferential message headed "Happy Birthday Mrs. Windsor."

"A long life is no reason for a long reign," it said.
Read More »

JetBlue Will Pay for Your College

by Susan Dutca

JetBlue is helping higher education dreams take flight by offering to pay their student-employees' entire tuition bill. College tuition reimbursement is a recent trend by employer-sponsored programs, but this company is allowing their employees to soar through college by paying it all up front.
Some other employer-sponsored college degree programs - like the Starbucks College Achievement Plan - offer to reimburse students once they've earned their degree, help cover a portion of courses costs, or other discounts. The JetBlue Scholars program is offering to pay for employees' associate's degrees. Students wishing to earn a bachelor's degree and who have earned at least 15 college credits will have to pay $3,500 for capstone courses on their own or through scholarships. JetBlue is partnering with Thomas Edison State University - an online, public university in New Jersey to offer the aforementioned degrees. Since its debut in August, 400 JetBlue employees have applied for the program and each student receives in-person coaching and mentorship from one of six JetBlue’s success coaches. Roughly 1,000 of its 18,000 employees are anticipated to participate in the program annually.
Students are able to use their job skills, knowledge, and experience and apply them as learning credits. Though it may not feel like the typical college experience, it is particularly convenient for adults, employees, and nontraditional students. To help those who have been out of school for a while, the coaches "apply to Thomas Edison Sate on behalf of the students" and monitor their credit transfers, provide the different degree options, and create a course schedule for the students. The online program runs through three platforms, including StraighterLine, Sophia Learning, and Study.com.
Is it too good to be true? One professor thinks this initiative is just a way to make the headlines and isn't so much about what's in the student's best interest but rather, it "is being set up on terms favorable for the company." Nonetheless, it's likely that more companies will follow in Starbucks' and JetBlue's footsteps. Other large corporations such as Pizza Hut, Anthem Insurance, and Fiat Chrysler have also jumped on this initiative.
You can pay for any college costs with scholarships. Whether you owe $3,500 or $35,000 there are easy to large dollar scholarships to help reduce your overall cost of attending college. Take JetBlue's advice (and ours) and help foot the rest of your bill with scholarships.
And remember, there’s no need to rely on expensive student loan options to pay for your college education. For more information on finding free scholarship money for college, conduct a Scholarships.com free college scholarship search today, then apply and win! It’s that easy!
Read More »

African American Scholarships

African American scholarships are abundant, as are African American grants. A college education isn't confined to a textbook or how much extra credit you can receive for completing side projects or doing research for a professor. A post-secondary education allows students to step outside their comfort zone and to develop new relationships. Much can be learned from someone who is not of your background and culture. This experience can be as valuable as the academic knowledge, career preparation, and training you had in mind when you enrolled. This is one of the reasons why colleges offer financial aid packages designed to fill campuses with students of different cultures, economic backgrounds and life experiences. Like other minority groups, African American students can benefit from this search for diversity. Many scholarships are available for minority students, and there are particular ones for African American students seeking a postsecondary degree.
Read More »

Why Rich Men Marry Kikuyu Women Only-Shocking

After Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore married a Kikuyu lady, several women from other tribes took to social media to pour their frustrations, while others called Wambui Kamiru a “gold digger”. But there are underlying factors that make Kikuyu women attractive to rich men.
They don’t play hard to get when they are sure a man is rich.
Kikuyu women play smart, unlike Kisii, Kamba, Luhya,Luo and Kalenjin women. Instead of playing hard to get, they play smart. Once they spot the opportunity, they make sure they behave-even faking some behaviours that attract rich men-so as to bait the man.These women know what they want, they can go miles pleasing the man until they get what they want.
They know where the rich guys spend their time
Unlike other women who spend their time at Muthurwa market, gikomba,taj mall,Rongai and Kawangware chewing sugarcane..Kikuyu women spend time at Sankara, Villa Rosa Kempinksi and posh areas where the rich guys are found mostly.
While other tribes like Luhya, Kisii, Luo, Maasai and Kamba love Nigerian movies, Kikuyu women know what kind of movies rich men watch. If the man invites such a lady to his house, she will choose and carry the best movies for him, thus attracting the attention of the guy.
Kikuyu women always attend events where CEOs and top leadership are in attendance.They mingle and exchange contacts, when other tribes are attending Gor Mahia match at City Stadium.
Kikuyu men are beautiful and modern
What makes Kikuyu women more attractive to wealth men is their ability to equip themselves with latest fashion trends in the world. They know clothes that are attractive to rich men, and actually spend money buying the same.
You will also agree with me that no tribe in Kenya beats the Kikuyu in terms of beauty. And am sure you are aware beauty acts as a magnet between a thirst man and a willing woman. Even an ugly Kikuyu woman will try hard, even bleach, to ensure she is attractive to a rich guy.
They know how to treat women-before marriage
Before she is married, you won’t know the true character of a Kikuyu woman. She will make sure you know all her strengths, but also make sure she hides her insecurities. The man will end up thinking he is marrying an angel…
She rarely tells her competitors she is dating a rich man.
One stupid things women from other tribes do is revealing to other women the kind of a man she is dating. Kikuyu women don’t make such mistake because she knows the man can leave her for her friends. Who knew Wambui Kamiru was dating bob Collymore?
Read More »

Trump and Clinton win New York primaries


Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, front-runners in the race to be the US presidential candidates for the Republican and Democratic parties, have secured comfortable victories in the crucial New York primary election.

Mrs Clinton, after beating Bernie Sanders, said her victory for the Democratic nomination was in sight.

Mr Trump looked set to take nearly all the 95 Republican delegates at stake.

He said his nearest rival Ted Cruz was “just about mathematically eliminated”.

With more than 98% of the results in, Mr Trump is leading with just over 60% of the vote while Mrs Clinton has just under 58%.

US networks projected that Mr Trump had won in his home state barely seconds after the polls closed at 21:00 EDT (01:00 GMT).

Speaking at Trump Tower in Manhattan, he said: “I have to say to the people that know me the best – the people of New York – when they give us this kind of a vote it’s just incredible.”

He said he was going to get more delegates than “anyone projected even in their wildest imaginations”.

Third-placed John Kasich picked up three delegates in New York.

Donald Trump needed a commanding victory, and he got it. Although the results in the state’s 29 congressional districts – which allocate three convention delegates apiece – have yet to be finalised, it appears likely that Mr Trump will claim the lion’s share of the 95 delegates at play.

Perhaps even more importantly, however, is the new, restrained Donald Trump on the campaign trail in the past few days. Gone are the incendiary tweets bashing his opponents (and their spouses). Instead on Tuesday night the candidate gave a short speech hammering home his economic message, emphasising his delegate and vote lead, and laying the groundwork to argue that he should be the party’s nominee even if he doesn’t win the 1,237 delegates necessary to claim the nomination outright.

Mr Trump recently brought in several experienced political hands to manage his campaign after a turbulent few weeks. If this new demeanour is part of the change they have inspired, Mr Trump could prove to be a more formidable opponent not just at the ballot box in upcoming primaries but in the contest to win over those in the party still deeply suspicious of his candidacy.

“Tomorrow, we go back to work,” Mr Trump said during his victory speech. It was a very un-Trump-like line – and something that should have his opponents very concerned.

Mrs Clinton told supporters her campaign for the nomination was “in the home stretch and victory is in sight”.

“New Yorkers, you’ve always had my back and I’ve always tried to have yours,” she said. “Today together we did it again and I am deeply, deeply grateful.”

It had been a fierce campaign in the state, with Mrs Clinton – a former New York senator – and Mr Sanders – born in Brooklyn – using their local ties to attract voters.

The Democratic campaign has turned increasingly negative, with Mrs Clinton and Mr Sanders trading barbs about their qualifications.

But following the latest result in the race for the Democratic nomination, Mrs Clinton said there was “much more that unites us than divides us”.
Read More »

Kenyan Tribes Whose Women are Good in Bed

There is nothing disappointing to a man when you realize that your woman is boring in bed. Though there are several tribes in Kenya whose women are horrible in bed, there are some 5 tribes that set the record in bed.
 Luo Women
Luo women have cut a niche for themselves. These women are the undisputed queens of bedroom matters. Once you have a Luo woman, even for 30 minutes, you will never desire to have another tribe.
But one disappointing thing about the tribe is that even if you satisfy her today, she will steal cheat tomorrow.
Luo women scream a lot during the act-even the neighbor will notice something is happening.
Kamba Women
We all agree that more than 50 % of Kamba women cheat even in marriage. The main reason why they cheat is that their men are weak in bed.
A Kamba lady has so much fat in her body (tell me if you have ever met a skinny Kamba lady unless she is emaciated) which makes demand a man day in day out. It is rare for a Kamba lady to stay for a week without asking for it.If the husband is not around, she will get it elsewhere.
Kamba women know all the styles and they will always make the man happy, even make him empty his pocket even without being asked for money.
Luhya women
Just like Luo women, Luhya women are very good in bed. You can experiment if you wish.
Taita Women
Taita women are not only beautiful, but also extremely sweet. If she gives you once, you will come begging again.
Read More »

Kenyan Tribes Whose Women are Good in Bed

There is nothing disappointing to a man when you realize that your woman is boring in bed. Though there are several tribes in Kenya whose women are horrible in bed, there are some 5 tribes that set the record in bed.
 Luo Women
Luo women have cut a niche for themselves. These women are the undisputed queens of bedroom matters. Once you have a Luo woman, even for 30 minutes, you will never desire to have another tribe.
But one disappointing thing about the tribe is that even if you satisfy her today, she will steal cheat tomorrow.
Luo women scream a lot during the act-even the neighbor will notice something is happening.
Kamba Women
We all agree that more than 50 % of Kamba women cheat even in marriage. The main reason why they cheat is that their men are weak in bed.
A Kamba lady has so much fat in her body (tell me if you have ever met a skinny Kamba lady unless she is emaciated) which makes demand a man day in day out. It is rare for a Kamba lady to stay for a week without asking for it.If the husband is not around, she will get it elsewhere.
Kamba women know all the styles and they will always make the man happy, even make him empty his pocket even without being asked for money.
Luhya women
Just like Luo women, Luhya women are very good in bed. You can experiment if you wish.
Taita Women
Taita women are not only beautiful, but also extremely sweet. If she gives you once, you will come begging again.
Read More »

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review - 'a superb choice, but challenging to fit into how you work'

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review

19/04/2016: Apple has updated its 12in MacBook with a 2016 iteration boasting 12th generation Intel processors and up to 10 hours of battery life.
Available in rose gold as well as the traditional silver, gold and space gray, the new 12in MacBook will measure 13.1mm in thickness, and weigh just 2lbs.
Its 12in Retina display boasts a resolution of 2304 x 1440 pixels, while its trackpad will incorporate Force Touch, which monitors the pressure you place on the trackpad to give you better control over the computer.
Coming in two price ranges, the $1,299 12in MacBook will boast a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor, while the $1,599 version will come with a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor. Storage comes in two sizes - 256GB flash and 512GB flash respectively.
The new MacBook will also ship with 8GB of onboard memory.
08/02/2016: The latest rumours say that Apple will launch revamped 12in MacBooks with the latest Skylake processors from Intel. The new Core m3, m5 and m7 processors are the successors to the original Broadwell-class Core m used in the MacBook reviewed here, so we'd expect Apple to adopt them. MacBooks allegedly equipped with these new Core m processors are rumoured to appear at an Apple launch on March 15th which makes sense as this would be almost a year after this laptop was first announced.
Apple is no stranger to jettisoning what it sees as old and outdated technologies in favour of newer, more efficient ones. From abandoning floppies in favour of USB in the original iMac to jettisoning PCI-Express slots in favour of Thunderbolt 2 in the current Mac Pro, Apple isn’t afraid to leave the past behind – even if its customers are more reticent. Apple has done it again with its latest ultra portable laptop, the 12in MacBook Retina.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: USB-C

Aside from a headset jack, this laptop has just one port –a completely new type of USB port. USB 3.1 Gen 1 has the same speed as USB 3.0 (5Gbit/s, although Gen 2 will raise this to 10Gbit/s), but what it lacks in speed improvements it more than makes up for in increased versatility.
USB 3.1 Gen 1 has a new smaller connector, Type C, which is reversible so it doesn’t matter which way up you plug it in. Plus it’s the same connector at both ends of the cable, so it doesn’t matter which end you plug in either. These sound like small improvements, but we’ve seen plenty of confused users fumbling around with their USB cables. USB 3.1 Gen 1 can also natively handle video output so, with adapters, it can be used to connect monitors, projectors and TVs without impacting on processor performance as with older versions of USB.
Of course, the Type C connector means you’ll need adapters to use existing USB peripherals and displays. If you still rely on Ethernet, you’ll need an adapter for that too. Plus, as there’s only one port, you’ll need a multiport adapter or hub to connect multiple devices simultaneously. Apple’s vision is that you won’t need to do this often, if at all, as you’ll use wireless peripherals and, in the case of storage and storage-hogging software, the cloud.
A standard USB 3.0 Type-A connector (left) compared to a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C connector (right).
It’s a compelling vision, but not practical for everyone. Cloud-related compliance issues aside, even if you’re willing to undertake the expense of deploying wireless peripherals in your office, you’ll have to make sure they’re properly secured. On top of that, you’ll still need a gaggle of adapters for use in the outside world. Sadly, USB Type C isn’t magnetised like the MagSafe charging connectors on other MacBooks, so there’s a greater chance that someone tripping over the charging cable will send the laptop crashing to the ground.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: weight and build

This dramatic reduction in the number and type of ports has allowed Apple to make the 12in MacBook remarkably lighter and slimmer than any other laptop we’ve seen – 12in or otherwise. It’s around the same thickness as three copies of Time magazine stacked on top of each other and weighs just 920g. This makes it almost effortless to tote around. Despite its svelteness, the metal casing is just as rigid and robust as we’ve come to expect from a MacBook. Like the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, the MacBook is available in grey, silver and gold with the latter far less garish than we expected.
Apple MacBook Retina 12in review
However, like most of Apple’s other Macs, serviceability and upgradeability are non-existent. The memory chips are soldered into place, while the proprietary connector on the SSD makes it difficult and costly to replace or upgrade yourself.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: performance and battery life

Despite the MacBook’s slenderness, Apple has squeezed in a huge battery – made possible in part by the Core M processor and its smaller-than-usual motherboard. The battery lasted 14 hours and 26 minutes in our light usage test and six hours and 52 minutes in our more strenuous YouTube playback test. Only the 13in MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro Retina last longer – no Windows ultraportable we’ve seen can match it.
Apple MacBook Retina 12in review
This exceptional battery life is also due, in large part, to the power efficient Broadwell-based Core M processor. The trade-off is performance. While the 1.1GHz dual core 5Y70 is more than fast enough for office tasks, JPEG editing and light HD video work since it can Turbo Boost to 2.6GHz and is paired with 8GB of memory, it’s not ideal for anything more demanding. In our video editing and multitasking benchmarks, it was only around a third the speed of our reference PC with a Core i5 3570K desktop processor.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: keyboard and touchpad

One consequence of the MacBook’s incredibly thin profile is its dramatically redesigned keyboard. As there’s less space for the key switches, the keys have far less travel than almost any laptop keyboard we’ve ever used. We thought we would find this hatefully awkward, but to our surprise we found typing fast, accurate and very comfortable indeed. This is because the keys give plenty of feedback when pressed as well as a satisfying clicky sound. The keyboard still takes getting used to – we found we had to type with less force or risk arm ache, for example – but it’s quick to acclimatise too. The only real annoyance we encountered was the up and down cursor keys, which are smaller than the others and therefore hard to tell apart when touch typing.
MacBook Retina 12in review
The MacBook’s touchpad is large, accurate and responsive. What sets it apart even more from the touchpads on Windows laptops is its Force Touch pressure sensitivity feature, something which it shares with the MacBook Pro Retina laptops. Pressing down harder on the touchpad causes different things to happen, depending on which program you’re using and the context. Doing this in Safari while a word is highlighted will show you a definition for that word, while force clicking on a meeting attendee in Apple’s Calendar app will show you the contact details for that person.
We don’t find any of Apple’s uses for Force Touch to be particularly compelling – most simply replicate what can achieved more easily in a right-click menu. The Force Touch touchpad does have another trick up its sleeve though. It can give you feedback by vibrating gently, which feels like a gentle tapping against your fingers, although the number of programs that currently support this are very limited. One clever third-party app that combines both of these unique touchpad features is Inklet which lets you use the touchpad as a basic graphics tablet.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: Retina screen

We had no complaints about the 12in screen. Although it has a resolution of 2304x1440 pixels, you see the same amount of text as you would on a 1280x800 screen. The extra pixels are instead used to render text very sharply – so much so that they look like print. You can change the resolution to 1440x900 pixels giving you extra working space, but at the expense of making everything illegibly tiny. Regardless, image quality was top-notch with eye-watering brightness as well as good colour accuracy and contrast.

Apple MacBook Retina 12in review: conclusions

Apple’s 12in Retina MacBook is a stunning ultra-portable laptop. Its sturdiness, battery life, screen quality and touchpad are rivalled only by Apple’s other laptops. If portability is absolutely paramount, then the MacBook’s light weight and battery life make it a superb choice, but its unique one-port configuration and reliance on wireless peripherals may make it challenging to fit into how you work – at least in the short to medium term. It’s a great buy, but misses out on an Editor’s Choice award.
This review was first published on 26/05/2015 and has since been updated, most recently on 08/02/2016.
Specifications 
Processor: 1.1GHz Intel Core M 5Y70
Graphics processor: Intel HD 5300 integrated
Memory: 8GB
Storage: 256GB SSD
Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0
Ports: 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, 3.5mm headset jack
Screen size: 12in
Screen resolution: 2304x1440 pixels
Operating system: Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Dimensions: 13x280x197mm (HxWxD)
Weight (with charger): 920g (1.1kg)
Warranty: One year
Read More »

African Champions League: Zesco eliminate Stade Malien

Zambia's Zesco United exhausted Mali's Stade Malien 2-1 on Tuesday to complete a 5-2 achievement on accumulated and become the aboriginal aggregation to ability the Champions League accumulation stage. African Champions League trophy
Zesco's Jesse Were denticulate the opener for the hosts afterwards 5 minutes.
Samake Issaka equalised afterwards the breach for visitors Mali, but an 80th-minute close-range accomplishment from Maybin Mwaba fabricated assertive of their progress.
Malien's ache was complete if Issaka was beatific off on 89 minutes.
Read More »

Confirmed: TPDC opened 3 escrow accounts at Stanbic


As Coffer of Tanzania governor Benno Ndulu charcoal tight-lipped on the axial bank's role in authorising the move
THE state-run Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) accepted bygone that it opened three abstracted escrow accounts with Stanbic Coffer Tanzania Limited as a action for accepting ample Chinese loans for the $1.225 billion Mtwara-Dar es Salaam accustomed gas activity project.
One of the escrow accounts currently has a antithesis of $60 actor (over 130 billion/-), while addition annual was opened accurately for the depositing of all approaching revenues accrued from gas sales through the 532-kilometre pipeline.
"The government through the Coffer of Tanzania instructed Stanbic Coffer to accessible three escrow accounts as one of the altitude for accepting loans for the new accustomed gas basement from the Export-Import Coffer of China," TPDC said in a annual in acknowledgment to questions from The Guardian.
"The accounts are controlled by the accoutrement of the escrow accounts administration acceding accordingly alive amid Stanbic Coffer (as the escrow bank), TPDC (as the end user), Exim Coffer (as the lender), and the Ministry of Finance (as the borrower on annual of the Tanzanian government)," the annual added.
The escrow accounts opened by TPDC are the Gas Revenue Annual for the purpose of depositing all revenues accrued from gas sales through the pipeline; the Operational Annual advised to be acclimated for alive the infrastructure; and the Accommodation Claim Account.
"TPDC was authorised to be a attestant to (all three) accounts. Currently the two accounts of gas revenues and operational are still abeyant and are accepted to be alive afterwards acknowledgment of the project's official bartering operational date (COD)," the TPDC annual said.
"The accommodation claim annual is alive and funds deposited therein by the government of Tanzania and TPDC during altered periods of time accept accomplished to the tune of $60 million," it added explained.
According to the petroleum sector’s authoritative agency, the accommodation claim escrow annual was opened for the depositing of accessory funds to awning interests and charge fees for disbursements fabricated by China's Exim Coffer during the activity accomplishing period.
The aforementioned annual was aswell advised for the depositing of funds to be acclimated to accord loans accustomed from the Chinese coffer afterwards the activity handover and afterwards the end of the accommodation adroitness periods.
Stanbic Coffer was best to handle the escrow accounts "following a aggressive behest action as per accretion procedures," the TPDC annual said.
The activity and accompanying gas processing plants were commissioned endure year.
The absolute amount of the activity has afresh been an affair of altercation with some action associates of assembly claiming it was aggrandized by over 100 per cent and at atomic $600 actor was allegedly spent on paying kickbacks to some key government officials.
The timing of the aperture of the escrow accounts in March 2013 coincided with a behemothic $600 actor accommodation to the Tanzanian government abiding by Stanbic Coffer and its ancestor company, Standard Bank.
But until yesterday’s TPDC statement, the key institutions complex accept called to abide decidedly tight-lipped on both transactions. Stanbic Coffer admiral accept not responded to The Guardian's queries on any accessible links amid the escrow accounts and the said loan.
And although the Coffer of Tanzania (BoT) clearly authorised the aperture of the TPDC escrow accounts at Stanbic Bank, BoT governor Prof. Benno Ndulu has aswell flatly banned to admit data on the matter.
"I will not acknowledge to questions on TPDC’s banking matters. Ask TPDC," Ndulu responded curtly if approached by The Guardian to animadversion about the accounts.
Stanbic Coffer is already at the centre of arguable revelations that a $6 actor allurement was allegedly paid to chief Tanzania government admiral in affiliation with plan on the accommodation accord in 2012 and 2013.
The above abettor accepted of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Harry Kitilya, and two ex-Stanbic Coffer admiral are currently adverse austere bribery accuse in a Dar es Salaam cloister over the matter. They accept denied the accuse and their case now awaits a academic audition date.
Read More »

Putin and Poroshenko altercate accessible captive swap


The Kremlin says the fate of a Ukrainian pilot confined in Russia and two Russians approved in Ukraine accept been discussed by both leaders. Poroshenko has ahead mooted a captive swap.
A cloister audition for Russian admiral Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov at Holosiivskyi commune cloister in Kyiv on April 18, 2016 A court hearing for Russian officers Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov at Holosiivskyi district court in Kyiv on April 18, 2016
Moscow said the affair came up in a buzz alarm amid the two leaders Monday, the aforementioned day two Russians were bedevilled to 14 years in bastille for angry in Ukraine's insubordinate east (court audition pictured).
Their jailing follows the confidence of Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, who endure ages was begin accusable in affiliation with the annihilation of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine. She is now on ache strike.
"The affair of Nadezhda Savchenko as able-bodied as the fate of Russian nationals Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev has been affected upon," the Kremlin said afterward the buzz call.
Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko
Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko
The account added that Ukraine's delegate accepted would "soon" be accustomed to appointment Savchenko in prison, due to her declining health. The Kiev government has apprenticed Moscow to acquiesce adopted doctors to appraise her.
Analysts said the chat confused advanced a achievability of a captive swap, which was mooted by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Deal canicule away?
Kyiv already afresh apprenticed Moscow to "immediately" chargeless Savchenko, who accustomed a 22-year sentence, and whose balloon Poroshenko declared as "a farce."
The 34-year-old Savchenko - who has become a civic hero at home - began abnegation all aliment and liquids in beef at her book on April 6.
But her absolution could be complicated by her abnegation to accept any wrongdoing. Russian law says that adopted convicts may alone be beatific home to serve their time already they confess.
Meanwhile, Russia says the two soldiers - Alexandrov and Yerofeyev - had accommodated from alive assignment afore bridge into the war area of their own chargeless will.
Russians Yevgeny Yerofeyev Alexander Alexandrow
Russian nationals Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov
Kyiv insists the duo were confined as associates of an aristocratic Russian aggressive intelligence assemblage if they were captured in the pro-Moscow agitator arena of Luhansk in May 2015.
The trials are the latest in a collision amid Russia and Ukraine afterwards pro-Moscow-backed rebels bedeviled ample areas of eastern Ukraine in April 2014. Russia has denied sending troops to action in the conflict. At atomic 9,100 humans accept been dead back then.

Read More »

BREAKING NEWS>>>>Hamprey Polepole Is appinted to be a District Commissiner in Musoma

The President of United Republic of Tanzania, Doctor. John Pombe Magufuli Has appointed MR. Hamprey Polepole to be a District commissioner at Musoma district in Mara Region. His appointed was the way to replace Mr. Zolothe Steven. therefore from today 18th April 2016, the appointed Man will be official  district commissioner at specified  Place.


Read More »

Scholarships for African Students


Start Here to Find Scholarships for African Students
A number of scholarships for African students are awarded annually by federal governments, organizations and universities in different parts of the world. Generally, Scholarship award programs are available in large variety for international students, but some of these international scholarships are not open for African students. In such cases while searching for scholarship, applicants may have to comb through several scholarship pages online to find ones that accepts students from Africa. Interestingly, there are a good number of scholarship-awarding programmes for African students available every year and a lot other newly introduced programmes.
african_american_studentsProspective students looking for sources of financial award to further their education need to devote time and effort with the available resources online to find and apply for scholarships. But this does not go without saying that you need to fulfill certain requirements to be eligible. You can find a number of scholarships for African students on scholarship websites that provide free resources on national and international scholarships for African students. With the use of search engines like Google and Yahoo, you can tactically find scholarships that suite your preference.
Some scholarships are made available for all African countries (including other international students in some cases), while a lot other are available for specific countries in developing countries (Africa included). Here are some of the major scholarship programmes that accept Africans yearly which you can take advantage of.
Australian Development Scholarship
The Australia Development Scholarship Awards for Africa is an initiative of the Australian Government aimed to maximize the benefit of the Australian Government’s extensive scholarship programs, and to support enduring ties between Australia and neighboring African Countries. Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) are available for full-time Postgraduate Diploma or Master Degree studies at Australian universities.
Ford Foundation International Fellows Program
The International Fellowships Program (IFP) is a program supported by the Ford Foundation, and coordinated in West Africa by the AAU (Association of African Universities) in collaboration with Pathfinder international in Nigeria. IFP provides fellowships for advanced study to exceptional individuals who will use their education to further development in their own countries and greater social and economic justice worldwide. IFP fellowships are awarded to applicants that lack systematic access to higher education. Some past fellows have returned to their previous work in government, universities, and with NGOs, while others are now working in rural communities.
Fulbright Scholarship
The Fulbright scholarship programme is offered through Educational exchanges that strengthen understanding and communication between the United States and students from over 140 countries, including selected African countries. Students interested in applying can do so through the Fulbright Program Office in their home country.
Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship
The Rotary club offers scholarship to international students each year through the Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial scholarship. African students who are members of the Rotary club foundation are eligible to apply through their local Rotary Club.
OPEC Fund for Scholarship Award
The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) offers Scholarship Award to support postgraduate students from developing countries in pursuit of higher education. OFID aims to help highly motivated, highly driven individuals overcome the cost of advanced professional or graduate training.
And the list goes on, but let’s leave it at these for example purpose.
These are few of the many scholarship programmes for Africa students. There are likewise a large number of not-so popular scholarships for African Students to take advantage of. What you need is diligent research on the internet with the right online resources to find these programmes.
Applying for scholarship
To maximize the possibility of winning scholarships, students should start looking for suitable scholarships early (at least one year before you intend to apply for admission). Most students make the common mistake to start searching for scholarships after they have gained an admission for their undergraduate or postgraduate studies. Starting early will help you to carefully select through scholarships you will be eligible to apply for, and use it to prioritize your choice of country, university or course of study. You’ll also be informed of the possible application period each year (for annual programmes) and then carefully prepare your application. To increase your chances of winning a scholarship, you should follow through the process religiously. Feedbacks from scholarship awarding committee shows that up to 90% of students that apply for scholarship do not follow through the rules and guidelines. This is an advantage for students that put more time and effort into their scholarship application.
Where to find Scholarship for African Students
To get started, you need a place to start from. The list of scholarship programmes above is a good place to start. Start by searching on Google or any other search engine. Use phrases like Scholarship in Australia for International students, Scholarship for developing countries 2012, MBA scholarship for international students 2012 etc. Be sure to use different combination of phrases until you get better search results.
Also get a free copy of The Scholarship Master-Plan, a free guide written and compiled for African students looking for scholarships. The guide provides you with tips on how to find and apply for scholarships, with list of scholarships for African students.
Finally, there is the possibility of scholarship programmes out there that are suitable for your preference as an African Student. You just have to devote time to it. Using the tips and resources mentioned above, you can get started from this point to find the scholarship that is right for you.
Read More »

Set foot in Tanzania and I’ll lock you in Prison, Magufuli warns Hon Duale From Kenya


By Gregory Mponda

Tanzanian ‘Bulldozer’ President Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli has vowed to send to prison Kenyan majority leader in Parliament Aden if he dares set foot on Tanzanian soil.

Magufuli’s curfew comes days after he ordered the detainment of Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Alfred Keter for possession of fake travel documents.

Following the Magufuli fiat on Keter, hon. Duale took it to the media to do what he does best, undermining and disrespecting the Tanzanians authorities.

Speaking today morning from State House Tanzania, President Magufuli reportedly ordered the police to arrest Duale if he dares step in Tanzanian soil.

Here is what Magufuli had to say:

“Kuna punguani mwingine huko Kenya anaitwa Duale anazungumza kama kasuku akitukana watu wa Tanzania. Huyu mtu anafikiria huo upuuzi wake anaweza akatuletea sisi watu wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Watu wa Tanzania? Mkatazeni kabisa na mtu amuelezee kwamba hapa ni Tanzania wala si Kenya. Kelele zake zisizokua na msingi wacha azipige huko Kenya akitukana Mheshimiwa Raila. Hapa tutamfunga kabisa na nataka kumwagiza waziri wa usalama amkamate mnafiki Yule punde tu atakapokanyaga ardhi ya watanzania”

(There is this other crazy one from Kenya called Duale. This one talks like a parrot while insulting Tanzanians. If this fool thinks he can insult Tanzanians and get away with it, someone should tell him we are Tanzanians. Let him make his noise in Kenya as he insults Prime Minister Raila. Here, we shall send him to prison forever. I also want to direct the Minister for security to capture the hypocrite if he sets foot in Tanzanian soil)
Read More »

Ladies Take Note! If Your Man Has These 10 Qualities, Don't Ever Lose Him To Anyone


It may prove difficult to find a great guy in our contemporary world but there are indeed great guys and they have these traits below in them.

Here's a list of 10 universal good-guy qualities that can help get you started.

1. He's kind to everyone

Not just you on your best day but you on your worst. Same goes for the waiter who brought the wrong appetizer, his coworkers, his family (and yours), and pretty much everyone. Someone who is genuinely kind spreads kindness wherever he goes.

2. He's genuinely happy

A happy person is not only a healthy person but also someone who is optimistic and fulfilled. Who wouldn't love a life with someone like that?

3. He loves you

Yeah, I know, duh. But I mean the real you. Not just the way you look or the things you do for him or the fact that you are conveniently 4 inches shorter, also love staying in on Friday nights, and get along with his family.

He must love the unique things about you, like how you're always 30 minutes late to everything, how you put exactly three lemons in all your drinks, the long-winded way you tell a story, or how you always need the toilet paper roll so that the top flap faces down.

4. He takes care of you

5. He makes you smile

When you're with him, and when you think about him.

6. You can be yourself around him

No matter how much you might be into someone, it's never going to be real until you can let down your guard around him.

7. He's the only one you fantasize about

8. He spends like you

A guy who's on board to make your fantasy tour-de-France vacation a reality? Fantastic. A guy who then complains about every dollar you want to spend on said trip? No bien.

If springing for the good rosé and staying in a schmance hotel is your idea of fun, you need a guy that gets it. Money is the root of a lot of relationship issues, so being on the same page about spending is crucial.

9. He doesn't put up with your crap

Whether it's yelling instead of talking, being passive-aggressive when you're upset, or some sort of family/work issue you're taking out on him. He knows your patterns and not only talks to you about them kindly but offers support when and where you need it.

Someone who can see you to your very core, accepts your flaws, and only wants to help you be a better person? That's love.

10. He puts you first

When it comes down to it, you are the No. 1 most important person in his life, and there are no questions about that.

If his friends want to do a guy's weekend in Vegas, he says no because he's got a good thing going with you, doesn't want to get into trouble, and knows it will mean missing that concert you really want to go to. And if his mom hates the wallpaper you chose for your first apartment together, you'll never find out, because he tells her if you're happy, he's happy, and that's the end of it.
Read More »

ZANTEL LAUNCHES FIRST 4G LTE NETWORK IN ZANZIBAR


ZANZIBAR’S Second Vice- President, Ambassador Seif Ali Idd has launched the first 4G LTE network in Zanzibar to enable the people of Zanzibar embrace the latest technology.
Speaking at the event in Zanzibar yesterday, Ambassador Idd said 4G network would allow the people of Zanzibar to learn, earn, and compete in the global marketplace on a level pitch.
“As shareholders of Zantel, the government of Zanzibar is proud of the advancement Zantel has made over the years, and by bringing this fast internet connectivity to Zanzibar, they present an opportunity for development and advancement to the people of Zanzibar,” he said.
The 4G technology will improve customer experience and speed up all the internet activities such as accessing Skype, video conference facilities, YouTube, and all social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp. Zantel Chief Executive Officer, Mr Benoit Janin said Zantel was taking the lead in innovation by making the world more accessible to the citizens of Zanzibar.
‘Zantel has developed a reputation for breaking new ground in Zanzibar’s mobile landscape and we have always remained at the forefront of innovation.
Today’s launch of 4G LTE is a key milestone for Zantel Family’. “Zantel will continue its commitment to invest in new technologies as we aim to meet the needs of our customers and bring to people the fastest, easiest and most affordable mobile internet services,” he said.
Alongside the launch of 4G LTE, Mr Janin also announced the expansion of Zantel’s network coverage across the Mainland, ensuring the widest and most reliable coverage.
Zantel network will indeed cover 80 per cent of the population in Tanzania in the coming weeks.
Read More »

Clothes That Transmit Digital Data Soon

 Clothes That Transmit Digital Data Soon
Imagine shirts that act as antennas for smartphones or tablets, workout clothes that monitor fitness level or even a flexible fabric cap that senses activity in the brain!

All this will soon be possible as the researchers working on wearable electronics have been able to embroider circuits into fabric with super precision -- a key step toward the design of clothes that gather, store or transmit digital information.

"A revolution is happening in the textile industry. We believe that functional textiles are an enabling technology for communications and sensing and one day, even for medical applications like imaging and health monitoring," said lead researcher John Volakis from Ohio State University.

The milestone achieved by the Ohio researchers has the potential to allow integration of electronic components such as sensors and computer memory devices into clothing with 0.1 mm precision.

With further development, the technology could also lead to sports equipment that monitor athletes' performance or a bandage that tells doctors how well the tissue beneath it is healing.

Volakis' team created the functional textiles, also called "e-textiles," on a typical tabletop sewing machine.

Like other modern sewing machines, it embroiders thread into fabric automatically based on a pattern loaded via a computer file.

The researchers substituted the thread with fine silver metal wires that, once embroidered, feel the same as traditional thread to the touch.

"For the first time, we've achieved the accuracy of printed metal circuit boards, so our new goal is to take advantage of the precision to incorporate receivers and other electronic components," added Volakis in a paper published in the journal IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

The shape of the embroidery determines the frequency of operation of the antenna or circuit.

"Shape determines function. And you never really know what shape you will need from one application to the next. So we wanted to have a technology that could embroider any shape for any application," noted Asimina Kiourti, co-author of the study.

She also incorporated some techniques common to microelectronics manufacturing to add parts to embroidered antennas and circuits.
source: http://www.lifehacker.co.in
(Image Credits: Flickr)
Read More »

Conflict of interest: Police drop 37bn/- corruption probe



THE Tanzania Police has disqualified itself from an investigation into allegations of impropriety in a controversial contract worth around 37 billion/.


The former Inspector General of Police, Said Mwema

The contract was signed with a Dar es Salaam-based private company, Lugumi Enterprises Limited, for the supply of fingerprint scanners, citing conflict of interest.
The police force said since it was a party to the contract, it could not investigate itself.
The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in the Tanzania Police Force, Diwani Athumani, told The Guardian yesterday that the investigation into the contract has been handed over to the government's anti-graft watchdog, the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB).
“We are following the matter closely. Investigations will be done by PCCB because we want members of the public to have confidence in the credibility of the final findings,” he noted.
The contract was sealed in 2011 during the tenure of the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), Said Mwema.
When contacted by The Guardian yesterday, Mwema declined to comment on the allegations of corruption in the deal.
Mwema, who currently serves as chairman of the board of directors of Exim Bank Tanzania, previously worked as the head of the international criminal police organization (Interpol) regional office in Nairobi.
There has been a protracted tug-of-war between the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the police force over the investigation.
The Bunge watchdog committee this week issued a new three-day ultimatum to the police force to present the contract with Lugumi Enterprises Ltd by tomorrow for parliamentary scrutiny.
But the incumbent IGP, Ernest Mangu, said the police force was not answerable to parliament and hence would not honour the deadline.
The IGP insisted that the police could only submit the contract to the home affairs minister if he instructed it to do so.
According to the PAC, the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) said in its government audit report for fiscal year 2013/14 that there were serious shortcomings in the implementation of the contract between the police and the private firm.
The scanners were reportedly supposed to be installed in over 100 district police stations across the country, but the PAC said the contract was implemented by just 10 per cent despite already being paid for by about 99 per cent.
Representatives of Lugumi Enterprises, which has been awarded several multi-million shilling contracts by various government ministries and state-run agencies over the past few years, were yesterday not immediately available for comment.
The fingerprint technology was expected to significantly improve police efficiency in carrying out criminal investigations and positively identifying suspects.
There was also conflicting reports on whether or not the police had finally decided to submit the contract to another parliamentary watchdog team, the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security committee chaired by Adadi Rajabu.
When contacted by The Guardian for comment, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Projest Rwegasira, dismissed reports that his ministry had submitted the contract for the supply of fingerprints to the police to the parliamentary Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security committee.
“I have special directives from the Public Accounts Committee. So far I have not submitted the contract to any authority,” he said, without explaining.
A TANGLED WEB
While the police force has dropped the investigation citing conflict of interest, all the key players in the ongoing investigation have tangled relationships between them linking them to the police.
The current IGP, Mangu, and other senior officials of the police force all previously worked under Mwema when he served as the country's police chief
The current PCCB director-general, Valentino Mlowola, previously served in the police as a regional police commander (RPC) and chief of police intelligence when Mwema was the IGP.
Similarly, the current chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security committee, Adadi Rajabu, is a former Director of Criminal Investigations in the police force, who also reported to Mwema.
This means that is the allegations against the police force over the procurement contract are formally presented to the PCCB and the parliamentary Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security committee, both Mlowola and Adadi respectively would be asked to possibly investigate allegations against their former boss, ex-IGP Mwema.
Parliamentary sources say other high-profile individuals could also be implicated in the deal if the investigations unravel "hidden" faces behind the contract.
According to official records from the government's procurement watchdog, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), Lugumi Enterprises, is registered as a service providers to the government for various procurement service.
The company is registered by the government as a supplier of a wide range of services, including office stationery, fumigation services, maintenance of office equipment, provider of firefighting equipment and office consumables and accessories.
PPRA documents show that the firm has over the years been awarded several other contracts by government institutions, such as a contract worth 846.5 million with the Ministry of Home Affairs for the supply of "security goods." The contract was signed on 7 June 2010.
In September 2014, the same company was awarded another contract by the state-run Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) valued at over 140m/- for the supply of stationery.
The Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA), another government body, signed a contract with Lugumi in December 2014 worth over 20m/- for the supply of diaries, seasonal greeting cards and calendars.
Read More »

How to save yourself from Android malware


The growth of Android usage has pulled in hackers who are finding new ways to attack the widening user pool
Diksha Gupta, TechGig.com
According to a recent report from Trend Micro, Android malware has doubled from 2014 to 2015. 
Needless to say, mobile devices continued being hotbeds for cybercriminals looking to exploit security flaws. If not controlled, Android malware can reach an all-new level and impact other smart technologies as well. 
As per the findings of various researches and surveys, it is projected that by 2017, almost one third of the world will own mobile devices, of which Android phones will take the lion's share. 
However, this growth comes with associated threats. The growth of Android usage has managed to garner a lot of attention of hackers who are now honing their hacking skills and finding new ways to attack into the vast and widening pool of potential victims. 
TechGig.com spoke to Nilesh Jain, country manager-India and SAARC, Trend Micro, about the increasing threats on Android and how to avoid them.
Listing the most popular threats, Nilesh shares, "Of all the threats, mobile malware is the top most, which is thriving and constantly evolving. With 97 per cent of malware threat occurring on Android devices, premium-rate SMS fraud is main type of malware affecting people worldwide. Threats piggybacked on the robust Android growth and vulnerability, spamming and phishing have now shifted away from emails to social media. Another vulnerability identified is Android debugger. Debuggered vulnerability can be utilised to expose a device's memory content. Furthermore, Android Installer hijacking vulnerability gives hackers the ability to replace legitimate apps with malicious versions in order to steal information from the user."
The report released by the company stated that the mobile malware growth will be seen most in China. In addition, mobile payment methods will be attacked globally. Most of the malicious mobile apps are being developed and used in China. After China, India is the second most affected nation with Android malware. India has one of the biggest smartphone user bases, which makes it an easy target for mobile hackers. Furthermore, China, India and Indonesia are three most severely afflicted countries. The cause of this can also be attributed to the fact that people in these countries have started using mobile payments, which attracts online criminals to conduct their businesses on mobile phones. 
Precautions you can take...
Sharing the simplest possible tricks that users can follow to save from themselves from Android malware, Nilesh said, "The increasing number of attacks on Android can also be blamed on the lack of knowledge among the users apart from the shrewdness of the hackers. If the users today consider a few basic security procedures or hacks and stay a little more alert, Android malware attacks can be controlled. The foremost of them is to avoid installing apps from unknown sources. It is advisable to download apps from reputable app stores like Google Play etc. Thirdly, every Android phone has a security feature that allows the users to lock apps outside Google Play. Activating this feature warns the users about any app trying to install which is not in Google Play."
Are anti-viruses useful?
The answer is a yes and a no. Anti-viruses, if not of good quality, can be of less use. Experts have clarified on several occasions that Apple iTunes and Google Play are not immune to hosting malicious apps on their stores. So users should consider installing a mobile security app on their devices as it can protect users from bad apps that sometimes get through. 
Nilesh says, "The threat to these users today are phishing sites which may be delivered via emails, which have a malicious link embedded within the email or found on browsed sites. These phishing sites request information from the user via the webpage (ex. Login credentials, CC numbers, etc.) and if a user fills them out, the data is sent to the hacker. These phishing pages don't care what browser the user is accessing. So the best protection is a mobile security app that includes web reputation which can block access to these malicious sites. These anti-viruses can help secure a mobile device better as cybercriminals come up with more complex ways to attack mobile devices; more so because no coding is required to bind Android apps with malicious programmes."
He also emphasised that although the number of breach through Android device is on the rise, the phenomenon is still at a nascent stage. Therefore not many people are paying attention to the importance of securing their mobile devices. 
Nilesh said, "Despite the fact that more than half of the total mobile using population store their personal details and other sensitive information online through their mobile devices, very few take basic precautions like using passwords, installing security software or backing up the mobile devices. As mentioned earlier, anti-viruses for mobile phones are available in the market but very few have it or are aware of it. It seems like the mobile security awareness is on decline, but the number of people using mobile devices is growing."
As they say, it's better to be safe than sorry. So, investing in a good anti-virus is not such a bad idea in this bad world of malware. 
diksha.gupta@timesgroup.com
Read More »

Facebook now has a 360 degree camera too





Facebook's F8 developer conference is going on right now, and that means we're seeing plenty of new features and products being announced.


The latest sees the company rolling out their own 360 degree camera - which isn't a massive surprise from the owners of Oculus Rift. The product is called Surround 360 and features a total of 17 cameras - 14 arrayed in a circle around the body, a fish eye camera on top and two fish eye lenses on the bottom. It's said to offer total coverage, so you won't get that bizarre void where the tripod or operator is and costs around $30,000.


The most important element of the new camera is that it is capable of stiching together the footage in real time, with no complicated software needed. That's going to be a big advantage when this technology really takes off, provided you have the money to get involved in the first place. While Facebook has the design they've decided to make it totally open source, which means they'll be giving all the specs away for free on Github for talented folks to do with as they please, potentially creating new versions of the camera and helping to spread 360 degree video.


Surround 360 shoots up to 8K video and is highly durable and portable and early reports of the footage suggests its one of the better options out there - and it doesn't hurt that it creates video which will export directly to Facebook's feed. The design will be made available in summer 2016.
Read More »

Facebook Launches Video Rights Manager To Combat 'Freebooting' And Copyright Issues: Here's The Deal


Facebook Video Rights Manager
Facebook is cracking down on 'Freebooting' practices, and it rolled out Video Rights Manager to protect copyrighted materials. The Rights Manager will offer flexibility to content creators who want to keep exclusivity on their clips.
(Photo : Facebook)
Facebook officially rolled out Rights Manager, its proprietary variant of YouTube's Content ID.
The service acts as an admin tool for Pages, which allows content creators to upload video clips that they want to have exclusivity on. Facebook does the heavy lifting by monitoring how many copies of these videos were posted on its pages and it notifies the copyright owners of the clips.
With the help of Rights Manager, Facebook reports those who share copyrighted content for personal gain and notifies the original publisher.
The tool emerged as a necessity, following the plague of stolen videos that pop up on the social network.
A number of business-oriented pages use YouTube videos, TV clips or content from other pages to increase fan engagement, but fail to indicate the source where the material was taken from.
This practice is dubbed "freebooting" and it causes understandable irritation to video makers and marketers alike.
Even though Rights Manager is not open for public use yet, owners of video content can already apply to join the program.
There is a consistent flexibility packed in the Rights Manager. Depending on the number of times a video was copied, or what Page used it without consent, or the number of views it received, owners can take different actions. A publisher may choose to whitelist certain Pages that have permission to utilize its videos.
A monitoring option for Live Video exists, making sure that people do not rebroadcast pay-per-view content, such as a boxing match, for example. The rebroadcasting is possible on rival services, such as Twitter's Periscope, which angered a part of the industry.
Two control options exist for Rights Manager: the dashboard is useful for smaller entities, while a specially designed API gives big media companies' extensive control over their content.
A major difference between Facebook's service and Content ID from YouTube is that the latter allows content owners to leave freebooted videos up while earning money off of them. The social media company already has a system in place where ad revenue is divided between the video content owner and Facebook. Of course, this implies that the video has ads embedded, which is not always the case with video clips.
Facebook marketed itself as rather soft on content rights. Some speculate that this is the reason why the rights to stream NFL football games went to Twitter instead of Zuckerberg's venture.
source: http://www.techtimes.com 
Read More »

UNAIDS Special Representatives Mette-Marit speaks about hope amidst Aids scourge (Audio)




In order to ensure people living with AIDS are not stigmatized by those around them, the society has been urged to change its attitudes and be helpful to them.

UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway speaking to the press in Dar es salaam yesterday said having Aids does not mean the end of the world.

She said she was so much impressed with the way PASADA is doing its functions to create hope among of the people who are infected; with assurance of productive life equipping them with necessities and education.

She said it is very moving to see young people with infection having hoped to live with.

Mette-Marrit said that people living with HIV/ AIDS need love and protection like other people and the fight against the disease is not a matter of individuals.

She said there is a huge progress in fighting the diseases and its stigma than years back when she and her husband started a foundation to deal with epidemic.
Read More »

Kenya: A country worth a visit

IT was 5 minutes before nine am, the weather here in Dar es Salaam was a bit cool with no signs of rains to come. I was sipping my drink very lazily waiting for a call to board KQ for Nairobi.
I was not the only one waiting to board the plane at Julius Nyerere International participating in one of the major media tourism campaigns, “KTB Media Familiarization Tour”.
Looking good in my attire and very familiar with Dar hot weather, I was worried my casual wear wasn’t fit enough for Nairobi. So I took my smart phone and did some researches: I realized that I could manage with what I had!
 The trip to Nairobi involved about six media people from Tanzania and it was organized by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB).
Zainul Mzige
On board KQ.
As per KTB planning, media personnel from Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya were going to join us in an unforgettable tour.
From Tanzania it was 7 of us but unfortunately we had to leave behind a colleague whose permit wasn’t ready. So, in the convoy, together with myself (representing Modewjiblog) there were representatives from The Guardian  and The Citizen, together with Babbie Kabae, famous Clouds TV presenter and his photographer.
Kenyans bana! They know what they are doing; you can sense it from the beginning. The communication, the arrangement, the boarding, the arrival: you name it!
Where the hell KQ did got those beautiful Flight Attendants can’t figure out!! You can start feeling relaxed immediately as you approach the doors of the plane, in fact I can say with confidence that those Flight Attendants are ministers of hospitality. Wearing a lovingly smile upon their faces, they will definitely guarantee you a safe journey. By the way, aren’t they supposed to cheer you up all the way from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi? Well they did it! Thanks to the crew for their outstanding services.
KQ TV
Inside KQ; Nice to see in-seat IFE & USB power port on an Embraer.
After great flight instruction, I leaned on my seat, and took some selfie asking my fellow Tanzanians to pray for me. Two minutes after 9 am we left Bongo for Nairobi.
During the flight we were offered different refreshment and Music and movie lovers could enjoy the luxuries of Kenyan Airways.
After refreshment I decided to enjoy the digital aspects of the plane, by switching on the movies: what an excellent choice of in-flight channels.
After flying in the sky for about an hour and enjoying every bit of services brought by the most experienced Flight Attendants, the pilot asked us to fasten our belts as we were about to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
We landed safely and proceeded to Immigration where we were assisted by Officers who wore smiles all the time and said “Welcome to Kenya”.
After clearing our Immigration procedures we went outside of the airport to meet our host. There was no problem in identifying him as he positioned himself in a very straight forward manner, bearing a card showing he is from KTB, so we went straight to him.
KTB Media familiarization tour
‘Selfie’ with my colleagues from print media outside the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
“Hi guys, my name is Eric Omenda from the Kenya Tourism Board, may I know you guys?” He said, after greetings. We identified ourselves. While checking, he found out that one of the guests was not there yet. He excused himself and went to enquire, being told that her plane would have arrived 30 minutes later. The other guest was coming from Malindi .
The host asked us to wait for the other guest and we agreed as we thought it would have been better to go all together.
As we wait for the lady, we engaged in different talks and our driver David spoke a lot in praise of President John Magufuli.
He said he admired the gentleman in his move to control corruption and create a sense of responsibility among civil servants. He said his moves have attracted many people and he is increasingly being popular with comedians who use his voice and actions to entertain people.
While we were talking Eric, our host, arrived with the other guest, a lady who looked very cool.
KTB Media familiarization tour
Our Host Mr. Eric Omenda (R), Kenyan Tourism Board‘s (KTB,  public relations officer chatting with Dickson Ng’hily who was representing Tanzania leading news paper, The Guardian.
She introduced herself as British blogger going by the name Charlotte Beauvoisin who writes about environmental conservation and Tourism. She made me laugh when she introduced her blog with a brand name www.diaryofamuzungu.com, considering she is a European!
 After introductions, we began the journey to the city with a Land Cruiser vehicle from Animal World Safaris Company.
On our way to down town, Charlotte, after finding out that we were coming from Tanzania started to make questions about our country, our tourism attractions and national parks. She wanted to know about many things including Bagamoyo and the spice island of Zanzibar.
She said she has never been to Tanzania and for the last seven years she has been living in Uganda writing for different media on tourism and travelling in Uganda.
KTB Media familiarization tour
Taking a selfie with my fellow blogger from Uganda, Charlotte Beauvoisin, at the back is Dickson Ng’hily.
While dreaming to visit Tanzania, she writes for her blog and @AfricaGeo and Telegraph Expat journals; she is so famous in Uganda for advancing Uganda’s tourism that she was awarded the trophy for “Best Tourism Winner Digital Media, Tourism Excellence Awards 2015, Uganda” in recognition of her work. This made me think about my country and its strategy in creating awareness.
As we head to Nairobi, capital city of Kenya and East Africa’s most populous city (4 million of habitants), founded in 1899 as a railway stop en route to Mombasa and then transformed into a major business hub and headquarter to many Aid agencies, our host asked as to find a place for a quick snack before we proceed to our hotels.
20160405_130800
Tamambo Bar and Restaurant which is located at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden where we had our lunch.
It was almost lunch time and we stopped at “Tamambo Karen Blixen COFFEE GARDEN Restaurant and Bar”.
What a place! The place was very breezy, and had very tasty food  I can’t compare with any other place   I have eaten in my many different adventures in Africa.
Looking at the customer care, they have left us very far behind: in fact we (Tanzanians) need to run while they walk and if, they start to run again, we will never catch them.
As we ate I let my ears wonder into what the  world is saying around me and I didn’t wait long before I heard a Muzungu praising the food and getting welcomed again at evening to enjoy the barbecue  offered in a Restaurant known as Carnivore ‘A Beast of a Feast ‘.
Zainul Mzige at Carnivore – A Beast of a Feast!
I was here!
I will definitely miss the place because on the same evening we went for Nyamachoma and it was not only delicious but entertaining as well.
There were different meats including rabbit, turkey, Mamba, sheep, and many others The way they roast them can only be done at Carnivore (you can find them at www.carnivore.co.ke)
After lunch we headed for the city centre, where KTB have booked our hotel.
Read More »