Kikwete kupangua baraza la mawaziri?

RAIS Jakaya Kikwete huenda akalazimika kufanya mabadiliko katika baraza lake la mawaziri kama hatua ya kusafisha serikali yake na kupata timu atakayoingia nayo katika uchaguzi mkuu ujao mwaka 2010.

Kulazimika kwa Kikwete kufanya mabadiliko hayo kunatokana na matukio ya ufisadi yaliyoikumba mwaka jana na kuwahusisha baadhi ya watendaji wake wakiwamo mawaziri.

Habari zilizopatikana ndani ya serikali zinaeleza kuwa katika kujiandaa na uchaguzi mkuu ujao, Kikwete ameamua kuingia katika uchaguzi ujao akiwa na timu mpya ya watu wasafi ambao hawataipa shida CCM kujinadi kwa wapiga kura.

Katika mwaka wa pili tangu kuingia madarakani, kashfa mbalimbali za ufisadi, wizi na uingiaji mikataba mibovu zimeikumba serikali yake na kumpa wakati mgumu mno kutawala.

Kashfa hizo ni pamoja na mkataba wa Richmond, Wizi wa Fedha za Akaunti ya Madeni ya Nje (EPA), Kashfa ya mikataba ya madini, Kampuni ya kufua umeme ya IPTL, wakala wa mizigo bandarini (TICTS), matumizi mabaya ya madaraka na nyinginezo huku zikihusisha mawaziri na watendaji mbalimbali wa serikali.

Kashfa ya Richmond Februari mwaka jana ilisababisha Waziri Mkuu wa wakati huo, Edward Lowassa pamoja na Mawaziri wengine wawili kujiuzulu katika kile walichoeleza ni kuwajibika baada ya kutajwa kuhusika katika sakata hilo.

Kashfa hizo zilisababisha wananchi kupunguza imani kwa serikali na viongozi wao, huku wakidai kufanyika kwa uchunguzi zaidi na wahusika wa mikataba hiyo mibovu na wizi wa fedha za EPA wachukuliwe hatua za kisheria.

Matukio hayo na lile kubwa la Waziri Mkuu kujiuzulu yaliacha wingu zito jeusi hata kuzua hofu kuhusu mustakabali wa taifa na usalama wake.

Kutokana na matukio hayo, Rais Kikwete alilazimika kulivunja baraza lake la mawaziri na baada ya siku tatu aliunda baraza jipya la mawaziri pamoja na kubadilisha muundo wa baadhi ya wizara na nyingine kuziunganisha huku Mizengo Pinda akiteuliwa kuwa Waziri Mkuu.

Aidha katika kipindi hicho cha mwaka 2008 taifa lilishuhudia kuingia kwa mustakabali uliozusha mjadala wa Zanzibar ni nchi au la ulioliopandisha joto katika Muungano wa Tanganyika na Zanzibar na kuzua hofu ya mpasuko katika muungano huo.

Pamoja na hayo kundi la wana mtandao linalodaiwa kuwa ndilo lililomwingiza madarakani Rais Kikwete lilidaiwa kugawanyika katika makundi mawili, yaani wanamtandao wasafi na wanamtado wanaodaiwa kujihusisha na ufisadi.

Ingawa hatua kadhaa tayari zimeanza kuchukuliwa na serikali ikiwamo kuwafikisha watuhumiwa wa kashfa hizo mahakamani lakini bado kuhusishwa kwa baadhi ya mawaziri walio madarakani, watendaji wa CCM na baadhi ya watendaji wa juu wa serikali na ufisadi, kunaonyesha kuwachosha wananchi, kukichafua chama hicho na kwamba kinahitaji kusafishwa.

"Kikwete sasa amechoka na kuchafuliwa na watendaji wake anataka kuwa na timu safi ya ushindi katika uchaguzi mkuu ujao," alidokeza mwanasiasa mmoja nchini aliyepo karibu na Kikwete.

Pamoja na kuchoshwa na hayo wananchi pia wamekuwa wakitarajia kutimia kwa ahadi ya ‘maisha bora kwa kila mtanzania’ iliyotumika kuinadi serikali ya awamu ya nne, ambayo sasa wananchi wanaiona kama ndoto isiyoweza kutimizwa.

Hali halisi inaonyesha kuwa uchaguzi umekaribia na CCM inataka kuendelea kutawala nchi huku Rais Kikwete aliye madarakani kwa sasa naye kwa tiketi ya chama hicho akiwa na uwezo kikatiba kuwania tena kiti hicho kwa awamu nyingine ya kipindi cha miaka mitano ingawa pia wanachama wengine wa CCM wanaruhusiwa kugombea.

"Ikiwa Kikwete atawania urais kwa mara ya pili uchaguzi mkuu wa mwaka 2010 atalazimika kuzingatia hali halisi na historia iliyoukumba utawala wake katika miaka mitatu ya mwanzo na kuhitaji kujipanga upya," alionya mwanasiasa huyo.

"Ni wazi kuwa historia ya matukio hayo, CCM inaweza kupata hukumu mbaya kutoka kwa wapiga kuanzia uchaguzi wa serikali za mitaa utakaofanyika mwaka huu na hata uchaguzi mkuu wa mwaka 2010 ya kukataliwa na wananchi,"alisema.

Habari zilizopatikana zinaeleza kuwa kutokana na umuhimu wa jambo hilo, Kikwete anaweza kufanya mabadiliko katika baraza lake la mawazri wakati wowote kuanzia sasa ili kuondoa makapi na kupata timu bora na safi ya watendaji itakayombeba yeye na CCM katika uchaguzi mdogo wa serikali za mitaa mwaka huu na uchaguzi mkuu.

BAADA YA WASOMI WA UNIVERSITY YA CHUO KIKUU CHA UDSM KUGOMA, MAMBO SI MAMBO, WATAKIWA KUJISAJILI UPYA. ASILIMIA KUBWA YATEMWA..

CHUO Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam (Udsm), kimeongeza muda wa wanafunzi kutuma upya maombi ya udahili chuoni hapo, hadi Januari 29 mwaka huu.

Kwa mujibu wa uongozi wa chuo hicho uamuzi huo unalenga kutoa nafasi kwa wanafunzi kukamilisha uwasilishaji wa kiwango cha ada wanachostahili, kutoa kwa mwaka wa masomo 2008/09 kabla ya kuruhusiwa kujiunga na masomo katika muhula huu.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jijini Dar es Salaam jana Makamu Mkuu wa chuo hicho, Profesa Rwekaza Mukandala alisema" Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam kimeongeza muda wa wanafunzi kutuma upya maombi ya udahili chuoni hapo, hadi Januari 29 mwaka huu."

Awali, wanafunzi hao walitakiwa wawe wametimiza masharti ya udahili wao tangu Januari 2 mwaka huu.

Akizungumzia kufunguliwa kwa vyuo hivyo Mukandala alisema majina ya wanafunzi waliotimiza masharti yote ya kudahiliwa upya tayari yameingizwa katika tovuti ya chuo hicho na kuwataka wanafunzi kuanza upya udahili kesho.

"Majina ya wanafunzi ambao tayari wametimiza masharti yote ya kudahiliwa upya yamewekwa kwenye tovuti ya chuo na kuanzia Jumatatu (kesho) wanafunzi wanatakiwa waanze udahili upya," alisema Profesa Mukandala.

Alibainisha kuwa kila mwanafunzi atatakiwa kuvaa kitambulisho chake kipya na kwamba hakuna mwanafunzi atakayeruhusiwa kuingia bwenini, darasani au kwenye mihadhara bila kuvaa kitambulisho hicho.

Alisema itakuwa ni uvunjaji wa sheria kwa mtu yeyote kuingia chuoni bila kitambulisho halali au ruhusa maalumu.

Katika hatua nyingine, Profesa Mukandala ametoa ufafanuzi kuhusu taarifa za kufutwa kwa Chama cha Wanafunzi wa chuo hicho (DARUSO) na kueleza usahihi ni kwamba chama hicho hakijafutwa.

Alifafanua kuwa kimsingi kwa kanuni na taratibu za chuo hicho baada ya kusimamishwa masomo, wanafunzi wote walipoteza udahili wao.

Aliongeza kutokana na kutokuwepo wanafunzi halali wa chuo hicho, wote waliokuwa viongozi wa Daruso nao pia walipoteza nyadhifa zao za uongozi.

"Kwa mantiki hiyo, itakuwa kinyume cha sheria kwa mwanafunzi yeyote kufanya chochote kile kwa kisingizio cha kuwa kiongozi wa wanafunzi aliyechaguliwa," alisema Mukandala.

Wakati Mukandala akisisitiza hivyo aliyekuwa Rais wa Daruso, Anthony Machibya amepingana na kauli hiyo na kusema, wao bado ni viongozi halali na wenye mamlaka hivyo uongozi wa chuo hauwezi kuwafuta kwa kuwa hauna mamlaka hayo.

Alisema wao ni wanafunzi halali wa chuo hicho na kuwataka wanafunzi wote waliosimamishwa masomo kurudi chuoni, punde taarifa kufunguliwa chuo zikiwafikia kwani wao pia ni wanafunzi halali wa UDSM.

Kuhusu rufaa za wanafunzi ambazo Waziri wa Elemu na Mafunzo ya Ufundi, Jumanne Maghembe amedai zipelekwe kwake, Machibya alisema waziri huyo anadanganya kwa kuwa tayari anazo rufaa nyingi za wanafunzi mkononi mwake kwa muda mrefu na hajatoa majibu kwa rufaa hata moja.

Machibya pia alishangaa waziri huyo pamoja na Profesa Mukandala kueleza kuwa wanafunzi wengi wametimiza masharti bila kutoa idadi yao kitu ambacho kinaonyesha kutokufanyika vitu kwa umakini.

Alisema kwa takwimu ambazo serikali yake inazo ni kuwa kwa upande wa Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam wanafunzi waliotimiza masharti ni 3,100 kati ya wanafunzi 11,300 kitu ambacho kinaonyesha wengi watabaki nyumbani.

Naye Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Wanafunzi wa Vyuo Vikuu vya Umma (Uvijuta), Silinde David, alisema wanafunzi waliofukuzwa vyuoni walikuwa ni 31,443 na hadi hivi sasa walioweza kulipa ni asilimia 13 ya wanafunzi hao huku asilimia 87 ambayo ni sawa na wanafunzi 27,289 hawajalipa.

Wakatoliki wakataa kanisa la John POMBE Magufuli

KANISA ambalo limejengwa na Waziri wa Uvuvi na Maendeleo ya Mifungo, John Pombe Magufuli jimboni kwake ili litumiwe na waumini wa madhehebu tofauti limezua utata na baadhi ya makanisa, likiwamo Kanisa Katoliki kulikataa kwa sababu za kiimani.

Kanisa hilo kwa mujibu wa bango la uzinduzi, limeingia katika historia ya kuzinduliwa na maaskofu wa makanisa mengi kwa pamoja wakiwamo Alex Malasusa wa KKKT, Boniface Kwangu wa Anglikana, Severin Niwemugizi na Aloysius Balina wa Katoliki, Daniel Nungwana wa AICT na Sylvester Gamanywa wa Pentecoste.

Kanisa hilo lililozinduliwa Septemba 5, mwaka 2008 na limepewa jina la Mtakatifu Joseph ambalo pia ni jina la baba yake mzazi wa Magufuli, Joseph John aliyefariki Septemba 5, mwaka 2007, lipo katika eneo la Mlimani au Mji Mpya jirani kabisa na Makao Makuu ya Wilaya yas Chato na Ofisi za Halmashauri ya Wilaya hiyo mpya.

Utata wa kanisa hilo umekuja kutokana na waumini wa Kanisa Katoliki na wenzao wa AICT kukataa kulitumia kwa sababu mbalimbali ikiwamo ya tofuati za taratibu za kusali licha ya kwamba walikabidhiwa kanisa hilo walitumie kwa pamoja.

Paroko wa Parokia ya Chato, Padri Ladislaus Mwilinde amekiri kanisa lake kukataa kutumia kanisa hilo kwa ibada zake za kawaida.

Alisema wamejitoa miongoni mwa watumiaji wa kanisa hilo kwa sababu wana kigango chao katika eneo jirani na lilipojengwa kanisa hilo.

Vile vile alisema kanisa lake limeamua kutolitumia kanisa hilo kutokana na kuwa na taratibu tofauti za ibada na makanisa mengine, jambo ambalo linakwamisha kuwekwa kwa baadhi ya vifaa vya ibada maalum kwa dhehebu lake katika kanisa hilo.

"Siyo kwamba hatutalitumia kanisa hilo, tutalitumia kwa ajili ya ibada za umoja na madhehebu mengine kama vile kuombea mvua na mambo mengineyo, lakini kwa ibada zetu za kawaida hatutaweza kulitumia kutokana na kanuni zetu za imani na taratibu za kuabudu kuwa tofauti na makanisa mengine," alieleza.

Kwa mujibu wa paroko huyo, wakati kanisa hilo likijengwa hawakuwa wakijua kuwa lilikuwa kwa matumizi hayo, hata lilipokamilika walialikwa kwa ajili ya ibada ya ufunguzi ambayo walishiriki, na kuongozwa na maaskofu wa kanisa lake.

"Unajua ibada zetu zinakuwa na utaratibu wake na wala dini siyo kitu cha kutengeneza bali ni kitu cha kiroho zaidi, ukiwa katika kanisa hilo huwezi kupanga maendeleo yako na kanisa lako, maana hilo ni la watu wengi, lakini pia kunaweza kuzuka ugomvi wa nani amlipe mlinzi au nani afanye usafi, hii siyo hoja isipokuwa kunaweza kuibuka malumbano ya kiimani, kwamba hawa wanatumia msalaba au mambo mengine," alieleza Paroko.

Alisema kutokana na kuwa na kigango chao jirani na eneo hilo na kuwapo mipango ya kujenga jingine wameamua kutolitumia kanisa hilo kwa utaratibu wa ibada zao.

Akizungumza jana na Mwananchi Jumapili, Mchungaji Reuben Mahugi wa Kanisa la Free Pentecost Church of Tanzania (FPCT) ambaye ndiye msimmizi mkuu wa matumizi yake kwa sasa, alisema kanisa hilo limekuwa likitumiwa na makanisa mawili, la kwake na Anglikana baada ya makanisa mengine kujitoa.

Alisema ingawa kanisa hilo limejengwa kwa ajili ya matumizi ya wote, madhehebu mengine yamejitoa kutokana na sababu za kiimani na lile la kutumia na watu wa madhehebu tofauti.

"Kanisa Katoliki walijitoa kutokana na utaratibu wao wa ibada kutofautiana na makanisa mengine, AICT wao walidai hawana maono ya kuhusiana na matumizi ya kanisa hili, hivyo nao kuamua kukaa pembeni," alieleza Mahugi.

Alisema baada ya kukabidhiwa jengo hilo na Waziri Magufuli ambaye pia ni Mbunge wa Chato, walipangiana utaratibu wa kulitumia kwa kufuata muda maalum ili kila kanisa liweze kunufaika, lakini makanisa mengine walijitoa.

Ratiba iliyowekwa awali ilikuwa ni kuanza kutumiwa na wakatoliki kuanzia saa 2:30 hadi 4:00 asubuhi, FPCT kuanzia saa 4:00 hadi saa 7:00 mchana na kisha Anglikana kuanzia saa 9:00 alasiri hadi saa 11:00 jioni.

Baada ya wakatoliki kujitoa ratiba ilibadilishwa na kuanza na Anglikana kuanzia saa 2:30 hadi 4:00 asubuhi kisha Kanisa la FPCT kuanzia saa 4:00 hadi saa 7:00 mchana na baadaye kutumika tena na Anglikana kuanzia saa 9:00 alasiri hadi saa 11:00 jioni.

Baadhi ya waumini wa kanisa la Pentekoste katika eneo hilo walisema kujitoa kwa kwa madhehebu hayo kumeepusha msuguano ambao ulikuwa ukielekea kutokea.

Mmoja wa waumini hao, Zacharia Gabriel alisema kutokana na kuwepo kwa msalaba ndani ya kanisa hilo baadhi ya waumini wa Kipentecoste nao waligoma kuingia katika kanisa hilo hali ambayo imepunguza waumini wanaosalia humo hadi 20 kila Jumapili.

Akizungumzia kanisa hilo, Mwinjilisti Yohana Lucas alisema kuwa amelipokea kwa furaha kanisa hilo kwa ni linasaidia kuhuduamia waumini wa eneo hilo la Mtaa wa Mlimani.

Alisema kuwa kabla ya kuwapo kanisa hilo waumini waliokuwa wakiishi mtaa huo walikuwa wakipata taabu ya kusafiri umbali mrefu kufika Chato mjini ambako walilazimika kulipia nauli ya Sh 500 kwenda kanisani.

"Hapa unaniona naendesha mafundisho ya biblia, haya ni moja ya matunda ya kanisa hili, awali hatukuwa tukifika huku, lakini leo ibada imefika tunasali," alieleza Mwinjilisti huyo.

Mzee wa Kanisa la Anglikan, Elias Kaswahili alisema wao wamefurahi kujengwa kwa kanisa hilo kwa sababu linawasaidia waumini wao kupata sehemu ya kumwabudu Mungu lakini akaonyesha kusitikika kwa wenzao kujitoa.

Juhudi za kumtafuta waziri magufuli zilishindikana baada ya simu yake kuita muda mrefu bila majibu.

Mvutano wazuka kati ya Obama na speaker wa Bunge la marekani kuhusu kodi na kumshitaki rais Bush....

JE! BUSH KUSHTAKIWA?

Pelosi, Obama disagree on tax cuts, Bush investigations

Two days before President-elect Barack Obama is officially sworn in, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made clear she disagrees with the incoming administration on at least two issues.

Obama has indicated he is not interested in repealing President Bush's tax cuts for wealthy Americans before they expire in two years or investigating past actions of the Bush administration.

But speaking on Fox News Sunday, Pelosi said she wants Congress to consider repealing tax cuts on those who make over $250,000 immediately and is pushing for a congressional investigation into whether the Bush administration illegally fired federal prosecutors two years ago.

On taxes, Obama's stimulus plan does not call for repealing president's tax cuts for wealthier individuals, even though the president-elect had said he would during the presidential campaign. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, a top Obama economic advisor, also suggested Sunday that repealing Bush’s tax cuts will not be a priority.

But Pelosi said Sunday she wants the incoming president to stick to his campaign pledge.

"We had campaigned in saying what the Republican Congressional Budget Office told us: Nothing contributed more to the budget deficit than the tax cuts for the wealthiest people in America," Pelosi said in the interview.

A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Pelosi's statement "false," and cited a recent fact check from the St. Petersburg Times disputing the House Speaker's claim tax cuts for the wealthy is the biggest contributor to the budget deficit.

kipanya leo.........

Hatimaye Ole Sendeka atinga kortini

Mbunge wa Simanjiro Christopher Sendeka, akisubiri kusomewa mashtaka ya kushambulia katika Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi, mkoa wa Arusha jana, pembeni ni aliyekuwa Mwenyekiti wa UVCCM wa Arusha Daniel Porokwa

BAADA ya kuripotiwa sana kwamba angefikishwa mahakamani, hatimaye mbunge wa jimbo la Simanjiro mkoani Manyara, Christopher Ole Sendeka jana alipandishwa kizimbani kujibu tuhuma za kumshambulia mwenyekiti wa Umoja wa Vijana wa CCM (UV-CCM) mkoani Arusha, James Ole Milya.

Tangu mapema wiki hii, kumekuwa kukiripotiwa habari kadhaa kuwa Ole Sendeka amepandishwa kizimbani kwa madai ya kufanya kosa hilo, lakini suala lake lilikuwa polisi hadi jana wakati mbunge huyo alipofikishwa kwenye mahakama ya hakimu mkazi mkoa wa Arusha akikabiliwa na shitaka la shambulio la kudhuru mwili.

Sendeka, mmoja wa wabunge machachari, aliwasili mahakamani hapo kwa gari aina ya Land Rover, Defender ya polisi na kupelekwa katika chumba cha mapumziko kabla ya kupandishwa kizimbani.

Mbunge Sendeka alikuwa amesindikizwa na watu wa kada mbalimbali waliosababisha umati mkubwa mahakamani hapo, akiwemo mwenyekiti mtendaji wa IPP, Reginald Mengi, mbunge wa jimbo la Vunjo, Aloyce Kimaro pamoja na wananchi mbalimbali na wanachama wa CCM kutoka mkoani Manyara na Arusha.

Akisomamewa hati ya mashitaka mahakamani hapo mbele ya hakimu anayesikiliza kesi hiyo, James Kalayamaha, mbunge huyo anadaiwa kutenda kosa hilo Januari 9 mwaka huu majira ya saa 10:30 wilayani Monduli wakati alipompiga Mallya kibao upande wa shavu la kulia na kumsababishia maumivu mwilini mwake.

Inadaiwa kuwa tukio hilo lilitokea wakati Ole Sendeka pamoja na Mallya wakiwa katika semina ya wazee wa kimila iliyofanyika kwenye ukumbi wa Chuo cha Ualimu Monduli.

Mbunge Sendeka anatetewa na mawakili, Michael Ngalo wa kampuni ya Ngalo and Company yenye ofisi zake jijini Dar es salaam na Arusha akisaidiwa na wakili wa kujitegemea, Neema Mtayangula huku upande wa mashitaka unaongozwa na wakili Hashimu Ngole akisaidiwa na wakili Augustino Kombe.

Akizungumza mahakamani hapo wakili wa upande wa mashitaka, Ngole aliiomba mahakama kuwapa muda wa kukamilisha upelelezi wa keshi hiyo kwa kuwa bado haujakamilika na kuomba mahakama hiyo kuipangia tarehe nyingine ya kutajwa kwa kesi hiyo.

Kwa upande wao mawakili wa upande wa mtuhumiwa walimuomba hakimu kumpatia dhamana mteja wao kwa kuwa ni mtu anayefahamika ambaye hawezi kutoroka na ni mbunge ambaye anatakiwa kufanya shughuli zake za kibunge hadi hapo atakapohitajika.

Hakimu aliikubali hoja hiyo kwa masharti ya kudhaminiwa na watu wawili ambao kila mmoja anatakiwa adhamini kwa Sh500,000 na kuhakikisha mtuhumiwa anafika mahakamani pindi atakapohitajika.

Hakimu alikubali na kusema masharti ya dhamana yako wazi na hivyo wadhamini kujitokeza, akiwemo meneja wa Bonite mkoani Arusha, Mwangole Segule ambae alipingwa kuwa mdhamini kutokana na hati yake kukosa muhuri wa uongozi wa kampuni hiyo.

Baadaye, mfanyabishara wa madini ya Tanzanite, Baraka Kanunga alijitokeza badala yake na kuungana na mfanyabiashara mwenzake Joel Sabore Lesirya ambao wote kwa pamoja walifanikiwa kumdhamini mbunge huyo wa Simanjiro.

Wadhamini hao walitakiwa kuhakikisha Ole Sendeka anatinga mahakamani Februari 10 kwenye kesi hiyo ma iwapo kutakuwa na tatizo watapaswa kutoa taarifa mahakamani hapo.

Akizungumza nje ya mahakama, Sendeka aliwashukuru wote waliofika mahakamani hapo na kuwataka kuliacha suala hilo kwenye vyombo vya sheria ili vifanye kazi yake na kuwatahadharisha dhidi ya maneno machafu na kuwatuhumu watu kuhusu suala hilo pamoja na kuacha kufanya maandamamo wakati wanapotoka mahakamani hapo.

Vita-Gaza- Mgawanyiko miongoni mwa mataifa ya Kiarabu.

Hali ya utulivu imeshuhudiwa alasiri ya leo katika eneo la Gaza huku juhudi za kimataifa zikiendelea katika miji mbali mbali kuutanzua mzozo huo.

Viongozi wa mataifa ya Kiarabu walikutana leo mjini Doha, Qatar, huku mawaziri wa mambo ya nchi za Nje kutoka mataifa ya Kiarabu wakifanya mkutano mwengine nchini Kuwait. Je hizi ni juhudi za kutanzua mzozo wa Gaza au ni kuoneshana misulu miongoni mwa viongozi wa mataifa ya Kiarabu katika eneo la Mashariki ya kati?

Labda mtu anaweza kusema viongozi wa mataifa ya Kiarabu kwanza wanapasa kutatua tofauti zao kabla ya kujitwika jukumu la kuutanzua mzozo wa Gaza.

Tofauti miongoni mwa viongozi wa mataifa ya Kiarabu zilijitokeza wazi hii leo, baada ya ya viongozi wa mataifa hayo kukutana mjini Doha, Qatar, kuendelea na mkutano ulioitishwa wiki iliyopita kuzungumzia suala la Gaza, licha ya mkutano huo kukosa kuidhinishwa na idadi inayohitajika kuitisha kikao cha dharura.

Kwa mujibu wa katiba ya muungano wa mataifa hayo, mkutano huo haukupasa kufanyika kwa vile uliungwa mkono na wanachama 14 pekee badala ya 15 wanaohitajika.

Wakati wa mkutano huo, uliohudhuriwa na mpinzani mkuu wa Israel, ambaye ni Rais wa Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, kiongozi wa chama cha Hamas aliyeko uhamishoni, Khaled Meshaal, alitoa onyo kali kwa Israel kwamba chama chake hakitakubali masharti yanayotolewa na Israel kabla ya kusitishwa mapigano.

Kuweko kwa kiongozi huyo na Rais Ahmedinejad, pasi na kuhudhuriwa na Rais wa Palestina. Mahmud Abbas, kumezua maswali mengi kuliko majibu.

Huku mkutano huo ukiendelea, mkutano mwengine wa mawaziri kutoka mataifa ya Kiarabu ulikuwa ukifanyika nchini Kuwait,ambako wajumbe walikubaliana kwa kauli moja kwamba mashambulizi hayo yanapasa kukomeshwa mara moja na kuanzishwa harakati za kulijenga upya eneo la Gaza.

Mkutano huo pia unaitaka Israel kuondoa vizuizi vyote na kufungua maeneo ya mpakani, huku nao wafuasi wa chama cha Hamas wakitakiwa wakomeshe mashambulizi ya marokreti ndani ya Israel.Katika mapendekezo yao mawaziri hao waliahidi kiasi cha dala milioni 500 kusaidia utawala wa Palestina.

Katibu mkuu wa jumuiya hiyo ya mataifa ya Kiarabu, Amr Musa, anayehudhuria mkutano huo wa Kuawait alikiri kuwepo mgawanyiko mkubwa miongoni mwa mataifa ya Kiarabu.

Huku Hayo ya kijiri, Rais Mahmud Abbas alikuatana na katibu mkuu wa Umoja wa mataifa mjini Ramallah kuzungumzia mzozo huo wa Mashariki ya Kati unaoingia siku yake ya 21.

Katibu mkuu huyo alikariri msimamo wake wa kuzitaka pande mbili kwenye mzozo huo zikomeshe mashambulizi zaidi ili kutoa nafasi ya juhudi ya kutafuta amani na misaada ya kibinadamu katika eneo hilo la Gaza.

Ban Kii Moo alikutana na rais Abbas baada ya kufanya mashauriano na viongozi wa serikali ya Israel mjini Tel Aviv hapo jana.

Wakati huo huo, mjumbe wa Israel kwenye mpango wa amani unaoongozwa na Misri, Amos Gilad, alirejea nchini mwake huku kukiwa na habari kwamba Israel haikuridhia baadhi ya mapendekezo yaliyomo kwenye mpango huo.

Duru zinaarifu kuwa mjumbe huyo wa Israel alikataa pendekezo la kusitishwa mapigano kwa muda wa mwaka mmoja na sasa linalosubiriwa ni uamuzi wa baraza la usalama la Israel kuhusiana na mwelekeo utakaochukua mpango huo wa amani.

Waziri wa mambo ya nchi za nje wa Israel, Tzipi Livni, pia amesafiri nchini Marekani kufanya mashauriano na Rais George W. Bush kuhusu mpango unaokusudia kuwakomesha Hamas kutumia maeneo ya mpakani kuingiza silaha ndani ya Gaza

Hali kadhalika chama cha Hamas, kwa mara nyingine tena, kimetuma wajumbe wake mjini Cairo kufanya mashauriano zaidi kwenye mpango huo.

Zaidi ya Wapalestina 1,100 wameuliwa na wengine 4,500 kujeruhiwa nao upande wa Israel ukiwapoteza 10 raia watatu tangu vita hivyo vianze disemba 27.

Siasa ya kigeni ya Marekani itageuka chini ya Barack Obama

Mageuzi katika siasa ya kigeni ya Marekani chini ya Barack Obama

Vita katika Iraq na Afghanistan, mivutano baina ya Pakistan na india, mapigano baina ya Israel na Wapalastina, mzozo wa kinyukliya na Iran na uhusiano uliozorota na Russia- orodha ni ndefu ya shughuli za siasa za kigeni ambazo zinaingojea serekali mpya ya Rais Barack Obama huko Marekani. Ni muhali kabisa kwa mithani yote hiyo kukabiliwa na kutanzuliwa kwa wakati mmoja, hasa kutokana na mzozo wa sasa wa kifedha na matatizo yalioko ndani kwenyewe Marekani ambayo pia yatataka yazingatiwe na rais mpya. Hata hivyo, timu ya Barack Obama inayoshughulikia siasa za kigeni zamani imeshaanza kazi, na waziri wa mambo ya kigeni mteulie, Hilary Clinton, alipohojiwa na Baraza la Senate la Bunge la Marekani, alidhihirisha kwamba siasa ya kigeni ya Marekani itaanzisha enzi mpya.

"Marekani haiwezi pekee kuyatanzuwa matatizo makubwa ya dunia, na dunia haiwezi, bila ya Marekani, kuyatanzuwa matatizo hayo."

Badala ya kufuata siasa ya kujiamuliya mambo wenyewe tu na yenye misimamo ya kinadharia, sasa Marekani itafuata siasa ya kutumia mamlaka yake kwa uangalifu.

"Lazima tuendeshe siasa ya kutumia mamlaka kwa uangalifu, kutumia njia zote tulizo nazo, za kibalozi, kiuchumi, kijeshi, kisiasa, kisheria na kitamaduni. Katika hali ya mambo lazima tutumie njia ifaayo au tuchaguwe mchanganyiko mzuri wa njia mbali mbali."

Lakini wachunguzi wa mambo huko Marekani wanasema Barack Obama katika hotuba yake ya mwanzo atakapokamata madaraka ataweka wazi kwa dunia kwamba Marekani itaendesha pia siasa yake ya kigeni kwa vitisho na pia kwa sauti laini. Kwanza kabisa katika mzozo baina ya Israel na Wapalstina, hali katika Ukanda wa Gaza itabidi itulizwe; mapigano yakomeshwe na vyakula na bidhaa nyingine ziweze kuingia katika eneo hilo. Allen Leiswetter wa Taasisi juu ya Mashariki ilioko Washington anasema jambo hilo linawezekana kwa kuwekwa wanajeshi wa kimataifa katika eneo hilo:

"Katika hatua ya pili, mazungumzo ya amani baina ya Israel na Wapalastina lazima yarejewe tena. Kwa pande zote mbili ni muhimu kwamba ziwe na matarajio ya kuwa na amani."

Ni hapo ndipo kutakapokuweko nafasi ya kuutanzuwa mzozo huo, ikiwa si kwa muda mfupi ujao, basi katika miaka au miongo ijayo. Hadi sasa nia ya kisiasa imekosekana katika pande zote mbili. Bwana Allen Keiswetter anasema kwamba kwa mtizamo wa muda mrefu ujao, ni tu Wapalastina wanaoweza kuwapa Wa-Israeli kile wanachokitaka, nacho ni amani, na ni Wa-Israeli tu wanaoweza kuwapa Wapalastina kile wanachotaka, nacho ni aina ya nchi.

Lakini vita baina ya Israel na Wapalastina ni moja tu ya matatizo ya Mashariki ya Kati, ambayo yametanda baina ya Iraq hadi India.

" Nafikiri Iran ndio mtuihani mkubwa kabisa kwetu. Kama vile nilivosema wakati wa kampeni za uchaguzi, Iran inasafirisha ngambo sio tu ugaidi, kwa msaada wa vyama vya Hamas na Hizbullah, lakini inawania kuwa na silaha za kinyukliya. Mkakati wetu lazima ugeuke. Kuwa na mdahalo ni mwanzo mzuri."

Wahakiki wanakubaliana kwamba vita vya Iraq, ambavyo vilitawala katika kampeni za uchaguzi, sasa sio jambo linalowashughulisha sana wananchi, kwa vile utumiaji nguvu umepungua sasa katika nchi hiyo na hali ya usalama imeboreka. Na zaidi ni kwamba sasa kuna mkataba wa kijeshi ambao unataja kwamba majeshi ya Kimarekani yataondoka kutoka nchi hiyo ifikapo mwaka 2011.

Barack Obama ametangaza kwamba atavishughulikia zaidi vita vya Afghanistan, lakini serekaliya nchi hiyo inatuhumiwa kuwa imezongwa na ufisadi na rushwa na imepoteza uhalali wake.

Licha ya mizozo ya Mashariki ya Kati, Iran, Iraq na Afghanistan, Barack Obama anarithi mitihani ya siasa za kigeni, kama vile mvutano katika uhusiano na Uchina, Korea Kaskazini au Russia. Lakini rais huyo hawezi kulishughulikia tatizo moja tu.

HALI YA HEWA NI MBAYA ULAYA NA MASHARIKI YA KATI. MAREKANI NI NYUZI 25 CHINI YA SIFURI....

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Bone-chilling cold settled in Thursday from the Midwest to the Northeast Thursday, bringing teeth-chattering misery with temperatures that sank as low as 47 below zero. In some places, the temperature was the lowest it'd been in years, including Chicago, where it was 11 below zero at O'Hare International Airport Thursday morning. It was the coldest daytime temperature in a more than a decade.
In Pollock, S.D., which dropped to a record-setting 47 below zero, Todd Moser, who works at a gas station, said it took about 10 minutes before the gas pumps started working.
"It just hurts to breathe out there," said Moser, adding that he could only stand it for about five minutes. "After a while your face really just starts to hurt and you've just really got to get back in."
The same subzero temperatures and biting winds that chilled the Northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes for most of the week moved into the Northeast Thursday.
Before heading to work as the manager of the bookstore of the University of Maine in Fort Kent, Lucy Beaulieu bundled up in a fur coat, gloves and hat and started her car a half-hour before leaving home to let it warm up.
Her advice for handling the temperature of 32 below zero: "You go to work — and you go home. You don't make any unnecessary stops where you have to get out of your vehicle. You sit on the couch, read a good book, stay inside."
The bitter cold stretched from Montana to Maine and as far south as Georgia, driving people to pile on layers upon layers if they had to go out, and keeping some children home from school. More cold weather was forecast for Friday, when northern Maine was expected to see frosty temperatures between 30 below and 40 below zero.
In northern Maine, a low of 38 below zero was recorded Thursday at Depot Mountain in a sparsely populated area near the border with Canada, and it was 32 below in Fort Kent.
It was cold enough to shut down Vermont's Bolton Valley ski resort and the Big Rock ski area in Mars Hill, Maine. But for many, it was business as usual, although perhaps at a slower pace.
"You pretty much have to grin and bear it. We've been cold before," said Justin Dubois, manager of Quigley's Building Supply in Fort Kent, Maine. "In all honesty, 30 below doesn't seem a lot different from 20 below. They're both very cold."
In Michigan, the temperature in Pellston, in the northern Lower Peninsula, dropped to 25 below zero overnight, while in upstate New York, low temperatures Thursday morning included 2 in Buffalo and 25 below zero in Massena. New York City, where light snow fell overnight, saw lows in the teens.
The extreme cold was especially hard for outdoor workers like Allen Lockrow, who was up before dawn to deliver food and supplies to restaurants around Albany, N.Y.
"You wear a lot of clothes, a T-shirt, four layers of sweat shirts, a fleece and a coat," Lockrow said as he made a delivery. He also wore two pairs of socks under his work boots and ear muffs under his hat.
Weather officials in western New York predicted that Lake Erie will freeze over for the first time in five years within a week.
"It's very early to have this much ice," said Steve McLaughlin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo. "About 80 percent of the lake is frozen now, and we haven't seen it freeze totally since the winter of 2003-2004."
The temperature was 29 degrees below zero in Glenwood, Minn., on Thursday morning, with the wind chill making it a staggering 54 degrees below zero. It was 21 degrees below zero in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the coldest reading there since January 2004.
The town of Clinton, Iowa, was that state's frigid spot overnight at 27 below zero. It hit 15 below zero early Thursday in Des Moines, the coldest there since 1996, said Craig Cogil of the National Weather Service.
Across the region, schools in hundreds of communities were closed or started late because of the bitter cold. Akron, Ohio, was one of the cities were schools were closed all day.
In southwest Ohio, Butler County reopened its former jail as an emergency shelter, with room for about 40 people to have a blanket, meal and shower, said Lt. Nick Fischer of the sheriff's office.
The frigid conditions caused complications for highway managers because road salt doesn't melt ice in subzero temperatures.
"Once we get into minus 10, minus 20, in some cases we have to go to just straight sand, a light dusting of sand, on the highway to get some grit, provide some traction," said Mike Flick a transportation worker in Pamelia, N.Y.
The Indiana State Police banned some large trucks from the Indiana Toll Road because of hazardous weather conditions. On Wednesday, two people died in a 20-vehicle pileup in near-blizzard conditions on the Toll Road, and a third person died in a highway crash in Gary. Two people were killed in a highway crash in eastern Indiana Thursday as snowfall caused travel troubles across the state, WTHR-TV reported. There were also at least three crash fatalities in Ohio.
The cold was pushing southward, where even northern Georgia and Kentucky could see single-digit lows by Friday, with zero possible at Lexington, Ky., the weather service warned. Kentucky hasn't been that cold since December 2004.
Homeless shelters in North Carolina prepared for an influx of clients as temperatures plunge below freezing across the state. In mountain areas, wind chills could fall to minus 10 by early Friday, forecasters said. An advisory warned that Georgia may have an overnight wind chill between zero and 5 below zero.
In Cleveland, where it was snowing and 10 degrees at lunchtime Wednesday, Terry Gill, 23, was bundled up with four layers of clothes. He had a secret for staying warm.
"I just try not to think about it," Gill said while waiting for a bus in a shelter surrounded by piles of snow from nearly 17 inches that have fallen in one week. "I mean, it's cold. That's Cleveland weather."

Israel yalisambaratisha jengo la Umoja wa Mataifa huko gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israel shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, engulfing the compound and a warehouse in fire and destroying thousands of pounds of food and humanitarian supplies intended for Palestinian refugees.
Another Israeli bombardment on Thursday killed the Hamas security chief.
U.N. workers and Palestinian firefighters, some wearing bulletproof jackets, struggled to douse the flames and pull bags of food from the debris after the Israeli attack, which was another blow to efforts to ease the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Dense smoke billowed from the compound.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is in the region to end the devastating offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers, demanded a "full explanation" and said the Israeli defense minister told him there had been a "grave mistake."
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who met with Ban later Thursday, said the military fired artillery shells at the U.N. compound after Hamas militants opened fire from the location. Three people were wounded.
"It is absolutely true that we were attacked from that place, but the consequences are very sad and we apologize for it," he said. "I don't think it should have happened and I'm very sorry."
The U.N. Security Council requested a briefing on the attack.
Interior Minister Said Siam was killed in an Israeli airstrike that flattened a home in Gaza City. Israel and Hamas both confirmed the death of Siam, who oversaw thousands of security agents and was considered to be among the militant group's top five leaders in Gaza.
Even as a top Israeli envoy went to Egypt to discuss a cease-fire proposal, the military pushed farther into Gaza in an apparent effort to step up pressure on Hamas. Ground forces thrust deep into a crowded neighborhood for the first time, sending terrified residents fleeing for cover. Shells also struck a hospital, five high-rise apartment buildings and a building housing media outlets in Gaza City, injuring several journalists.
Bullets also entered another building housing The Associated Press offices, entering a room where two staffers were working but wounding no one. The Foreign Press Association, representing journalists covering Israel and the Palestinian territories, demanded a halt to attacks on press buildings.
The army had collected the locations of media organizations at the outset of fighting to avoid such attacks.
In Washington, the Bush administration was racing in its final days to negotiate a last-minute deal on American support for Egyptian-led truce mediation efforts under which the U.S. would provide technical support and expertise to prevent Hamas from re-arming, said U.S. and Israeli diplomats.
It was not immediately clear if members of President-elect Barack Obama's or Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton transition teams were being advised of the talks, which could lead to a prominent and ongoing U.S. role in the truce.
The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.
Israel launched its war on Dec. 27 in an effort to stop militant rocket fire from Gaza that has terrorized hundreds of thousands of Israelis. Some 1,100 Palestinians have been killed, roughly half of them civilians, according to U.N. and Palestinian medical officials. Gaza health official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain said at least 70 people were killed or died of wounds throughout Gaza on Thursday.
Thirteen Israelis also have been killed since the campaign began. Israel says it will press ahead until Hamas halts the rocket fire and stops smuggling weapons into Gaza from neighboring Egypt.
Israeli police said 20 rockets hit southern Israel on Thursday, injuring 10 people. Five of the wounded were in a car that was struck in the city of Beersheba.
The U.N. compound struck Thursday houses the U.N. Works and Relief Agency, which distributes food aid to hundreds of thousands of destitute Gazans in the tiny seaside territory of 1.4 million people.
"I conveyed my strong protest and outrage to the defense minister and foreign minister and demanded a full explanation," said Ban, who arrived in Israel on Thursday morning from Egypt.
It had only that morning become a makeshift shelter for 700 Gaza City residents seeking sanctuary from relentless Israeli shelling, U.N. officials in Gaza said.
John Ging, director of UNRWA operations in Gaza, said the attack at the compound caused a "massive explosion" that wounded three people.
A senior Israeli military officer said troops opened fire after militants inside the compound shot anti-tank weapons and machine guns. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal army announcement later in the day.
Ging, who was in the compound at the time, dismissed the Israeli account as "nonsense."
Israeli shells first hit the courtyard filled with refugees, then struck garages and the U.N.'s main warehouse, sending thousands of tons of food aid up in flames, Ging said. Later, fuel supplies went up in flames, sending a thick black plume of smoke into the air.
U.N. officials said the shells that hit the compound contained white phosphorus, which is believed to have been responsible for burns suffered by some Palestinian civilians during the war.
"It's a total disaster for us," Ging said, adding that the U.N. had warned the Israeli military that the compound was in peril from shelling that had begun overnight. U.N. officials say they have provided Israel with GPS coordinates of all U.N. installations in Gaza to prevent such attacks.
The refugees were moved to a school away from the immediate fighting, he said.
Separately, Israel shells landed next to a U.N. school in another Gaza City neighborhood, wounding 14 people who had sought sanctuary there, medics and firefighters said.
An Israeli attack near a U.N. school in northern Gaza earlier this month killed nearly 40 people. At the time, Israel said militants had fired on army positions from the beginning.

china yaipiku Ujerumani kiuchumi

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China has become the world's third-largest economy, surpassing Germany and closing rapidly on Japan, according to government and World Bank figures.

Commuters drive along a road in downtown Beijing, China, on Thursday.

The Chinese government revised its growth figures for 2007 from 11.9 percent to 13 percent this week, bringing its estimated gross domestic product to $3.4 trillion -- about 3 percent larger than Germany's $3.3 trillion for the same year, based on World Bank estimates. Beijing is expected to release its 2008 GDP figures next week.

Although the world's top economies, the United States and Japan, are in recession, the most pessimistic estimates for China's growth in upcoming years runs about 5 percent. That could allow China's GDP to overtake Japan's, currently $4.3 trillion, within a few years.

The U.S. economy, the world's largest, was about $13.8 trillion in 2007.

The World Bank's estimate of China's economic growth is about 7.5 percent. But China has seen a sharp decline in exports in November and December as other major economies struggle, and the bank's analysts say rates below 6 percent could worsen the rest of the world's slump. Watch how China was able to overtake Germany »

And Michael Santoro, author of the 2008 book "China 2020," said China will have other problems to overcome if it is to maintain its rapid expansion.

"It's no longer sufficient for China to become a manufacturer of sneakers or toys and the like," Santoro said. "Now they're looking to become players in the area of pharmaceuticals and foods and other high value-added products, where safety and quality are important characteristics for improving in the global economy."

China recently announced a $600 billion economic stimulus package, and its State Council on Wednesday laid out a new plan to boost its steel and auto industries -- including about $1.5 billion to develop alternative-fuel vehicles

Bolivia and Venezuela zakatisha uhusiano wa kibalozi na Israel kutokana na mashambulio ya Gaza

Bolivia and Venezuela have become the first countries in the world to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the conflict in Gaza.

President Evo Morales made the announcement in a speech to diplomats in the government palace in La Paz. He referred to the Israeli offensive in Gaza as a “genocide”.

Morales is a close ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who expelled Israel’s ambassador to his country on January the 6th, in protest over Gaza.

Caracas accused Israel of what it said were “flagrant violations of international law” and of using “state-sponsored terrorism” against the Palestinians.

Israel maintains the offensive is aimed at ending cross-border rocket attacks by militants in Gaza.

Kigogo wa Richmond aburuzwa kortini

ASA ni dhahiri kwamba, serikali ya Rais Jakaya Kikwete haina mzaha katika kushughulikia tuhuma za ufisadi baada ya kumfikisha mahakamani mfanyabiashara, Naeem Adam Gire kujibu shtaka la kughushi na kutoa taarifa za uongo kuhusu uwezo wa Kampuni ya Richmond.

Tayari serikali imeshawafikisha mahakamani watuhumiwa 21 kwenye sakata la wizi wa jumla ya Sh133 bilioni, mawaziri wawili wa zamani na katibu mkuu wa wizara kwa makosa ya kutumia vibaya ofisi; na jana ilikuwa zamu ya kashfa iliyoitikisa nchi mwaka jana kuhusu utoaji wa zabuni ya ufuaji umeme wa dharura kwa Richmond.

Kashfa hiyo, iliyoingia hadi ndani ya Bunge la Muungano, ilisababisha aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu, Edward Lowassa kujiuzulu baada ya kuhusishwa na sakata hilo. Baadaye mawaziri wawili wa serikali ya awamu ya nne, Nazir Karamagi na Ibrahim Msabaha, nao waliachia ngazi.

Jana, Gire alipandishwa kizimbani majira ya saa 9:00 alasiri kujibu tuhuma za kueleza uongo kuwa Richmond ina uwezo wa kuzalisha megawati 100 za umeme nchini.

Mbele ya Hakimu Mkazi wa Kisutu, Wariyalwande Lema, Gire alisomewa mashtaka yake na wakili wa serikali, Boniface Stanslaus ambaye alidai kuwa Machi 13 mwaka 2006 jijini Dar es Salaam, mshtakiwa alighushi nyaraka akionyesha kwamba, Mohamed Gire, ambaye ni mwenyekiti wa Richmond Development Company LLC ya Texas nchini Marekani, alisaini kumruhusu Naeem Adam Gire kufanya shughuli za kampuni hiyo hapa nchini.

Katika shtaka la pili, wakili huyo alidai kuwa Machi 20 mwaka 2006 katika eneo la Ubungo Umeme, mshtakiwa alitoa hati za uongo zilizoonyesha kwamba, Mohamed Gire amezisaini kumuidhinisha kufanya shughuli za kampuni hiyo nchini.

Katika shtaka la tatu mshtakiwa huyo anadaiwa kutoa taarifa za uongo kwa wajumbe wa Bodi ya Zabuni ya Shirika la Umeme Tanzania (Tanesco), kwamba Kampuni ya Richmond ina uwezo wa kuzalisha megawati 100 za umeme nchini.

Inadaiwa kuwa, mshtakiwa huyo alitoa taarifa hizo ili wajumbe wa bodi hiyo waipendekeze Kampuni ya Richmond kufanya kazi hiyo.

Wakili huyo alidai kuwa, katika shtaka la nne mwezi Juni mwaka 2006, mshtakiwa alitoa taarifa za uongo kwa wajumbe wa Timu ya Majadiliano ya Serikali kwamba, Richmond ina uwezo wa kuzalisha megawati 100 za umeme ili wajumbe hao waweze kuipendekeza.

Kwa mujibu wa wakili huyo, mshtakiwa huyo anadaiwa katika shtaka la tano kuwa mwezi Juni mwaka 2006, alitoa nyaraka za kughushi akionyesha kwamba Mohamed Gire amezisaini kumuidhinisha mshtakiwa kufanya shughuli za kampuni hiyo Tanzania.

Hata hivyo, upande wa mashtaka ulidai kuwa upelelezi wa kesi hiyo bado haujakamilika. Wakili anayemtetea mshtakiwa huyo, Kato Zake aliiomba mahakama kutoa masharti nafuu ya dhamana kwa kuwa makosa anayotuhumiwa yanaruhusu kupata dhamana.

"Tunaomba masharti nafuu ya dhamana kwa sababu mshtakiwa wakati wote amekuwa akitoa ushirikiano katika upelelezi na afya yake sio nzuri," alisema Zake. Wakili huyo pia alidai mshtakiwa huyo alikuwa anafuatilia hati yake ya kusafiria kwa ajili ya kwenda kwenye matibabu na kwamba ameshatoa baadhi ya hati zake za nyumba kwa Jeshi la Polisi.

Baada ya kusikiliza hoja zote, Hakimu Lema aliahirisha kesi hiyo hadi leo atakapotoa uamuzi wa dhamana. Akiongea na wahariri mwishoni mwa mwaka jana, Waziri Mkuu Mizengo Pinda aliwatoa hofu wananchi akisema kuwa, tuhuma nyingi za ufisadi zinashughulikiwa na kwamba katika uchunguzi huo mambo mengi mapya yamebainika.

Kufikishwa mahakamani kwa Gire kunathibitisha kauli hiyo ya Pinda na sasa mambo mengi mapya yanasubiriwa katika kashfa hiyo iliyowekwa hadharani na Kamati Teule ya Bunge iliyoongozwa mbunge wa Kyela, Harrison Mwakyembe.

Kashfa hiyo ilitokana na tatizo kubwa la umeme lililoibuka miaka miwili iliyopita, mara baada ya serikali ya awamu ya nne kuingia madarakani. Ukosefu huo wa umeme ulitokana na ukame mkubwa ulioikumba nchi kiasi cha kusababisha serikali kutafuta umeme mbadala badala ya ule unaotengenezwa katika mabwawa ya maji ambayo kwa wakati huo mengi yalikuwa hayana maji ya kutosha.

Kesi ya Gire ni mwendelezo wa harakati za serikali kushughulikia tuhuma za ufisadi. Katika robo ya mwisho ya mwaka jana, serikali iliwapandisha kizimbani watu wanaotuhumiwa kujichotea jumla ya Sh133 bilioni kutoka Akaunti ya Malipo ya Madeni ya Nje (EPA) katika kipindi cha mwaka 2005/06.

Watu 21 wameshapandishwa kizimbani, akiwemo mfanyabiashara maarufu, Jeetu Patel. Pia waziri wa zamani wa Fedha na Uchumi, Basil Mramba na waziri wa zamani wa Nishati na Madini, Daniel Yona wamepandishwa kizimbani kwa tuhuma za kutumia vibaya ofisi zao na kuisababishia serikali hasara ya zaidi ya Sh11 bilioni.

Katika kesi hiyo ameunganishwa Katibu Mkuu wa zamani wa Wizara ya Fedha na Uchumi, Gray Mgonja kwa makosa kama hayo.

sijui hali yetu itakuwaje tarehe 21/01/2009

(CNN) -- As President George W. Bush prepares for his last week in office, he and First Lady Laura Bush spent time Tuesday talking with CNN's Larry King.

President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush discuss their legacy in the White House.

In a wide-ranging interview, the First Family reflects on the past eight years of the presidency, including 9/11 and the war on terror.

They also discussed what awaits President-elect Barack Obama and his family when he takes office on January 20. The following is an edited version of the interview.

Larry King: Are you going to miss it, Laura?

Laura Bush: I am going to miss it. I'm going to miss this beautiful house and all the people that work here. We're going to miss the people especially.

King: Are you anxious to go, Mr. President?

George Bush: I don't know if it's the right word. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to feel like on January 21. I've been, you know, I've had security briefings -- intelligence briefings nearly every morning for the last eight years. I'll wake up and not have a briefing and realize the responsibility is not on my shoulders anymore.

King: Are there ambivalent feelings?

George Bush: No. I don't think you can be ambivalent. I've been looking forward to the inauguration of Barack Obama. I'll have a front row seat in what is an historic moment for the country.

King: Do you like him?

George Bush: Yes, I do like him, and you'd like him, too.

King: But he was so critical of you. Do you take that personally or you don't?

Laura Bush: I did.

King: Were you angry at it?

Laura Bush: Yes, sort of. George didn't even really know about it because he didn't watch it that much, I don't think.

George Bush: When you make big decisions and tough calls, you're going to get criticized. During the course of this presidency, of course, I've been disappointed at times by the silly name-calling that goes on in Washington.

It's really not necessary that it happened. But I've done my best, though, to make sure I didn't bring the presidency down to that level.

King: How do you feel personally when you see the ratings and the polls that have you at 25, 30 percent?

George Bush: I don't give a darn. I feel the same way as when they had me at 90-plus.

King: Do you ever get the feeling -- and everyone has some doubts about some things -- that, you know, if I was wrong, if Iraq was wrong, then (the troops) died in vain and I sent them?

George Bush: I don't think Iraq was wrong.

King: No, but do you ever have a moment of feeling where it was wrong?

George Bush: I was worried Iraq was going to fail, not Iraq was wrong. That's why I put 30,000 troops in when a lot of people were saying, "Get out." The surges worked. A young democracy in the heart of the Middle East has taken hold, and, obviously, there's more work to be done.

King: Reagan once asked this, so we'll ask it, are we better off today than we were eight years ago?

George Bush: One thing is for certain today, we understand the real dangers that we face. Eight years ago, it looked like the world was peaceful and everything was just fine in the economy. Then, we had a recession, then we had an attack and now we've had this financial meltdown.

Everything looked like, on the international front that, you know, radicalism might be, you know, a problem over there, but not here. So one thing is for certain, there's a lot of clarity now on the threats we face.

King: Do you worry?

Laura Bush: Sure, I worry. I worried most right after September 11th. I mean for a long time, I worried a lot. I worried about another attack. I worried about the safety and the security of Americans. I mean everyone did. I think there isn't anybody that lives in the United States that didn't worry for a long time.

I think we've forgotten what it was like when we all worried and when a lot of people had anxiety, most people, probably that had watched television that day or had seen what happened.

I mean I think that's because we are more secure today, people are not as worried and they've sort of forgotten what it was like when -- when everyone woke up worried.

King: 9/11, what did it do to you?

George Bush: It made me realize my most important responsibility is to protect the country from attack.

King: It changed you?

George Bush: Yes, it changed me. It changed the country, too. I still have images of those days vivid in my mind. I told the American people I wouldn't tire and I wouldn't falter and I haven't.

King: Are we ever, ever going to find (Osama) bin Laden?

George Bush: Yes, of course. Absolutely. We have a lot of people looking for him, a lot of assets out there. He can't run forever. Just like the people who allegedly were involved in the East African bombings, a couple of them were brought to justice recently.

King: Did we ever come close?

George Bush: I don't know. I can't answer that.

King: You don't know.

George Bush: I really don't know. I'm not trying to hide anything.

King: You had two girls in the White House. What advice would you give Mrs. Obama on having two girls in the White House?

Laura Bush: Well, I would tell her this is a wonderful and grand home. It is a very nice home for a family, and we know that both from having been the children of a president ourselves, and then of course from having Barbara and Jenna here.

Barbara and Jenna took Sasha and Malia on a tour of the White House, showed them all the fun, you know, great things to do. This is a terrific house for hide-and-seek. They showed them how to slide down the ramp from the Solarium. I think those little girls will have a wonderful time living here.

King: Upon reflection, two more things: was Katrina the lowest point beyond foreign entanglements and 9/11.

George Bush: I think being called a racist because of Katrina was a low point. I can remember people saying George Bush is a racist because of the response, when, in fact, the truth of the matter is the response was pretty darn quick, if you think about the fact that the Coast Guard and a lot of brave kids were pulling 30,000 people off of roofs as soon as the storm passed, as soon as they found people on those

Clinton ajiandaa kutafuta mdahalo na Urusi

Hillary to seek dialog with Russia

Hillary Clinton has suggested the U.S. should use a "smart mix" of military and diplomatic power in its foreign policy.

She was testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before her confirmation as the new Secretary of the State.

"First, we must keep our people, our nation, and our allies secure. Second, we must promote economic growth and shared prosperity at home and abroad. Finally, we must strengthen America’s position of global leadership – ensuring that we remain a positive force in the world, whether in working to preserve the health of our planet or expanding dignity and opportunity for people on the margins whose progress and prosperity will add to our own," she said.

The committee quizzed her on foreign policy issues from North Korea to Afghanistan and the Middle East.

The former first lady also said the U.S. can't solve its most pressing problems on its own.

"President-Elect Obama and I seek a future of cooperative engagement with the Russian government on matters of strategic importance, while standing up strongly for American values and international norms," Hillary Clinton said.

Related links:

Hillary hints at foreign interference
Is the US ready to put its pride in pocket?
Obama under fire for Rick Warren choice
Obama’s administration a circular firing squad?
Will Obama back White House restoration?
Clinton thrashes Obama

meli ya Urus yaokoa meli ya Ujerumani mikononi mwa maharamia wa Somalia

Russian ship saves Dutch vessel from pirates

Russian anti-submarine destroyer “Admiral Vinogradov” has defended a Dutch container ship from a Somali pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden.

The captain of the Dutch vessel sent a distress signal to the Russian ship saying that pirate boats were approaching his ship and shooting at it, Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo informed. The crew of the Admiral Vinogradov raised the alarm, dispatched a helicopter and the Dutch ship was asked to speed up and dramatically cast about.

Pirates made an attempt to board the Dutch ship, but the Russian crew fired warning shots from the helicopter, forcing the pirates to halt. One of the three boats was stopped and two others were seized by the crew of the Admiral Vinogradov. The ship’s doctor gave the necessary medical assistance to three pirates who were wounded by ricochet fire.

“The pirates didn’t seem to feel the pain from the wounds, which can be a result of the fact that they were under the influence of drugs,” Igor Dygalo said.

The boats manned by the pirates were handed over to Yemeni coast guards.

The Admiral Vinogradov is patrolling Somali waters to help maintain security in the area that is threatened with frequent raids by the pirates.


Related links:

Somali pirates shocked by Greek vessel

Navy is Fearless when dealing with pirates

Piracy purge: Moscow to send more warships to Somali coast

Russian & UK ships stop pirate attack

OBAMA andaa order ya kulifunga gereza la Guantanamo Bay

WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to issue an executive order his first week in office — and perhaps his first day — to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to two presidential transition team advisers. It's unlikely the detention facility at the Navy base in Cuba will be closed anytime soon. In an interview last weekend, Obama said it would be "a challenge" to close it even within the first 100 days of his administration.
But the order, which one adviser said could be issued as early as Jan. 20, would start the process of deciding what to do with the estimated 250 al-Qaida and Taliban suspects and potential witnesses who are being held there. Most have not been charged with a crime.
The Guantanamo directive would be one of a series of executive orders Obama is planning to issue shortly after he takes office next Tuesday, according to the two advisers. Also expected is an executive order about certain interrogation methods, but details were not immediately available Monday.
The advisers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the orders that have not yet been finalized.
Obama transition team spokeswoman Brooke Anderson declined comment Monday.
The American Civil Liberties Union called the order an important first step, but demanded details on how Guantanamo will be shuttered.
"What we need are specifics about the timeline for the shuttering of the military commissions and the release or charging of detainees who have been indefinitely held for years," ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said in a statement. "An executive order lacking such detail, especially after the transition team has had months to develop a comprehensive plan on an issue this important, would be insufficient."
The two advisers said the executive order will direct the new administration to look at each of the cases of the Guantanamo detainees to see whether they can be released or if they should still be held — and if so, where.
Many of the Guantanamo detainees are cleared for release, and others could be sent back to their native countries and held there. But many nations have resisted Bush administration efforts to repatriate the prisoners back home. Both Obama advisers said it's hoped that nations that had initially resisted taking detainees will be more willing to do so after dealing with the new administration.
What remains the thorniest issue for Obama, the advisers said, is what to do with the rest of the prisoners — including at least 15 so-called "high value detainees" considered among the most dangerous there.
Detainees held on U.S. soil would have certain legal rights that they were not entitled to while imprisoned in Cuba. It's also not clear if they would face trial through the current military tribunal system, or in federal civilian courts, or though a to-be-developed legal system that would mark a hybrid of the two.
Where to imprison the detainees also is a problem.
Obama promised during the presidential campaign to shut Guantanamo, endearing him to constitutional law experts, civil libertarians and other critics who called the Bush administration detentions a violation of international law.
But he acknowledged in an interview Sunday that the process of closing the prison would be harder and longer than initially thought.
"That's a challenge," Obama said on ABC's "This Week." "I think it's going to take some time and our legal teams are working in consultation with our national security apparatus as we speak to help design exactly what we need to do.
"But I don't want to be ambiguous about this," he said. "We are going to close Guantanamo and we are going to make sure that the procedures we set up are ones that abide by our constitution."
President George W. Bush established military tribunals to prosecute detainees at Guantanamo. He also supports closing the prison, but strongly opposes bringing prisoners to the United States.
Lawmakers have moved to block transfer of the detainees to at least two potential and frequently discussed military facilities: an Army prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and a Navy brig in Charleston, S.C. A Marine Corps prison at Camp Pendleton in Southern California also is under consideration, a Pentagon official said.
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said Monday that "it's hard to show why terror suspects should be housed in Kansas."
"If the holding facility at Guantanamo Bay is closed, a new facility should be built, designed specifically to handle detainees," Brownback said in a statement.
A Pentagon team also has been looking at how to shut Guantanamo and move its detainees, but spokesman Bryan Whitman did not immediately know Monday whether it was completed.

Mrithi wa OBAMA huyu hapa..

WASHINGTON – Eager to put the scandal-tainted standoff behind them, Senate Democrats accepted Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's Senate successor on Monday and said they expect to swear in the new Illinois senator this week. "He is now the senator-designate from Illinois and, as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a senator-elect," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a joint statement.
At a news conference in Chicago, Burris called himself honored and humbled to be the state's next junior senator. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve," he said and added: "I recognize that my appointment triggered a challenging time for many."
Monday's development prevented the impasse that has plagued Democrats from dragging on into Obama's inauguration festivities that begin this weekend, and it capped a grudging, gradual retreat by the Senate's top Democrats.
Initially they had tried to dissuade Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces a state Senate impeachment trial, from making an appointment and suggested that his pick would not be seated. Last week, Burris' credentials were rejected by Senate Democrats in a circus-like atmosphere that tarnished the opening day festivities of the new Congress.
But Reid and Durbin said they now anticipate that Burris, a former Illinois attorney general, will be seated this week, barring objections from Republicans.
They made the announcement after Burris' lawyers delivered to the Capitol documents certifying his appointment to Obama's seat, and the secretary of the Senate determined that the paperwork met Senate requirements.
While a victory for Burris, the move is a major reversal for Senate Democrats.
They initially indicated they would refuse to seat Burris and objected to the appointment by Blagojevich, who is accused by federal investigators of seeking to trade the Senate seat for personal favors.
Senators feared that any appointee would be tainted.
Even though Burris does not stand accused of wrongdoing, Senate Democrats rejected Burris last week only to quickly backpedal after Obama himself privately weighed in and senators fretted that the situation was diverting their focus at a critical time.
Indeed, much to the chagrin of Democrats who expanded their House and Senate majorities in the November elections and won the White House, the standoff stretched into the new Congress' second week in session and has served as a distraction for Democrats trying to tackle an ambitious agenda.
It includes weighty tasks like holding confirmation hearings for Obama's new Cabinet while negotiating both the second installment of last fall's $700 billion financial bailout package and the president-elect's mammoth new spending plan aimed at jolting the economy.
Senate Democratic angst over seating Burris softened last week as the Burris appointment took on the feeling of a political sideshow.
Under pressure from Obama and rank-and-file Democrats to resolve the dispute, Reid said a "number of efforts" would be undertaken, including sending the matter to the Senate Rules Committee. He also said that "without any question" the entire Senate would vote on whether or not to seat Burris after Senate lawyers reviewed necessary documents and Burris' testimony in the Illinois House that he had promised Blagojevich nothing in exchange for the seat.
But Reid spokesman Jim Manley said Monday that Reid doesn't intend to have the Rules Committee review Burris' appointment, and that the Senate will vote on the appointment by unanimous consent unless there is an objection that would trigger a roll call vote.
From Illinois to Washington, Republicans assailed Senate Democrats for how they handled the issue.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who is leading the Senate GOP's election efforts, accused them of "arrogant mismanagement" and said: "This entire situation has been a national embarrassment that could have been avoided." He pledged to make winning the Illinois Senate seat a top priority for Republicans in 2010.
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna added: "Democrats chose to trust a madman over the people of Illinois" by seating Burris instead of blocking Blagojevich's appointment and holding a special election.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled last week that under state law, Burris' appointment paperwork was valid and that it was up to the Senate to decide whether to seat him. But Reid and other Democrats had contended that it violated Senate rules unless the appointment was signed by both the governor and the Illinois secretary of state.
After lawyers for Burris and the Senate met for under an hour in the Capitol to review the documents, Reid and Durbin issued the statement that they were satisfied both with the documents and with Burris' testimony before the impeachment panel that he did nothing wrong.

Vita vya mashariki ya kati, Israel yaitaka Hamasi ikubali makubaliano ya amani

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israeli troops advanced into Gaza suburbs for the first time early Tuesday, residents said, hours after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Islamic militants of an "iron fist" unless they agree to Israel's terms to end the fighting. Hamas showed no signs of wavering, however, with its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, saying the militants were "closer to victory."
Despite the tough words, Egypt said it was making slow but sure progress in brokering a truce, and special Mideast envoy Tony Blair said elements were in place for a cease-fire.
Sounds of the battle could be heard clearly before dawn Tuesday around the city of 400,0000 as the Israeli forces, backed by artillery and attack helicopters, moved into neighborhoods east and south of Gaza City. Israeli gunboats shelled the coast from the west.
The Palestinian residents told The Associated Press that Israeli tanks rolled into public areas of the Tel Hawwa neighborhood, pushing back militants. Tens of thousands of Palestinians live in apartment buildings in the neighborhood south of Gaza City.
One of the residents, Khader Mussa, 35, told The Associated Press by telephone that he saw two apartment buildings on fire. He said he was huddling in the basement of his building with 25 other people, including his pregnant wife and his parents. "The gates of hell have opened," he said. "God help us."
Several other buildings were on fire, witnesses said, including a lumberyard. Thick smoke blanketed the area.
The Israeli military confirmed that a battle was in progress but gave no details.
On Monday, as diplomats struggled for traction in truce efforts, Olmert stood within Hamas rocket range and said Israel would only end military operations if Hamas stops rocketing Israel, as it has done for years, and is unable to rearm after combat subsides.
"Anything else will be met with the Israeli people's iron fist," Olmert said. "We will continue to strike with full strength, with full force until there is quiet and rearmament stops."
As he spoke in Ashkelon, Israeli tanks, gunboats and warplanes hammered suspected hiding places of Hamas operatives who control the poor, densely populated territory just across the border. The Israeli military said Hamas fired about 20 rockets at Israel on Monday, fewer than previous days.
Just a few hours earlier, a rocket hit a house in Ashkelon but caused no casualties. Olmert addressed regional mayors in the relative safety of the basement of a public building during his two-hour visit.
Later, he tempered his tough talk, saying: "I really hope that the efforts we are making with the Egyptians these days will ripen to a result that will enable us to end the fighting."
Ashkelon is 10 miles from the border with Gaza. The Israeli military says Hamas has Iranian-supplied rockets that can reach 25 miles into southern Israel.
Meanwhile, Gaza's Hamas prime minister insisted on an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the opening of blockaded border crossings as part of any truce.
"As we are in the middle of this crisis, we tell our people we, God willing, are closer to victory. All the blood that is being shed will not go to waste," Haniyeh said on Hamas Al Aqsa television. But he said the group was also pursuing a diplomatic track to end the conflict that "will not close."
Haniyeh sat a desk in a room with a Palestinian flag and a Quran in the background. His location was unclear; Israeli airstrikes have targeted militant chiefs, and most are in hiding.
The fighting began Dec. 27 and has killed more than 900 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, according to Palestinian medical officials. Thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, have been killed.
Inside Gaza, an Israeli battalion commander identified only as Lt. Col. Yehuda said Monday that troops had not met significant resistance and had found several houses booby-trapped either with regular explosives, or by sealing the windows and doors and opening cooking gas valves.
"A couple of days ago, an armed squad popped up from a tunnel that was concealed by a nearby building. We took them out with tank fire and a bulldozer," he said.
In another incident, the commander said, his men spotted a suicide bomber on a bicycle.
"He ran off to take cover in a building, presumably to draw us in," Yehuda said. "We demolished the building on top of him with a bulldozer."
Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg said troops were "tightening the encirclement" of Gaza City and were "constantly on the move."
The comments by Yehuda and Eisenberg were approved by Israeli military censors. They spoke to a small group of reporters who accompanied Israeli units inside Gaza. Israeli forces have not allowed journalists to enter Gaza to cover the war.

HALI YA MAMBO..

January 10, 2009, 19:32

‘Put it in writing’ Putin tells Ukraine

The EU has reached a verbal agreement with Ukraine for Gazprom officials to join an international body to monitor gas transit through Ukraine. However, Russia continues to insist on written confirmation.

The news comes with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek in Moscow in a bid to break the gas deadlock.

"I hope you will manage to persuade our Ukrainian partners to sign the documents to create mechanisms of control," Topolanek said on Saturday at a meeting with Russian PM Vladimir Putin.

Watch Vladimir Putin's media conference

Moscow and Kiev, with the EU acting as mediator, have been trying to hammer out an agreement on the price Ukraine pays for its gas and the cost of transporting gas to Europe via Ukraine.

Gazprom agreed to reopen supplies of fuel to the EU via Ukraine, if an international monitoring team was put on the ground to oversee the transit of gas through the country.

Meeting with the head of Russia's energy company, President Dmitry Medvedev said that Ukraine will not be offered discounted gas prices in future. This means that Ukraine will have to pay US$470 per 1,000 cubic metres of gas in the first quarter of 2009 – the same as other Eastern European countries pay.

“Last year we supplied Ukraine with gas for US$179 per 1,000 cubic metres. That very same gas was re-sold to Ukrainian consumers at twice that amount. The profit in all likelihood was used to achieve someone's political goals or resolve personal problems,” Medvedev said before adding:

“In the future, we shall not make any exceptions when it comes to selling gas to any country. If there's a set price, it must be paid with no exceptions or discounts. It will first of all benefit Ukraine's own economy, and will help stabilise the political situation in the country.”

Ukraine has confirmed that Gazprom employees and representatives of Russia's Energy Ministry can be among the international monitors, the first group of whom has already arrived in Kiev.

“The purpose of our monitoring mission is to verify on an independent basis the flows of gas coming into the Ukrainian system, and to be able to compare them on an independent basis with the flows of gas that reach the European customers that Gazprom has commercial contracts with,” said Filip Cornelis, the European Commission’s Energy and Transport Director General.

The delegation consists of energy experts from all across Europe.

Ukraine’s Naftogaz also confirmed that its specialists are joining the mission.

“Experts from both sides will have access to gas meters. This was our request as well. Since we want to get an objective picture, we need all three parties to be represented – well, at least two parties. Experts and representatives of the European Commission should give their objective judgement,” said Vadim Chuprun, Ukraine’s Deputy Energy Minister.

According to Naftogaz, the experts will monitor gas flow where it enters Ukraine from Russia and where it exits Ukraine to Europe. Only then can the delegation determine whether fuel is failing to reach Europe.

Ukraine claims it is ready to resume gas deliveries to Eastern Europe within 36 hours of Russia reopening the pipes to Ukraine.

Europe has not received any gas from Russia since Moscow was forced to fully stop sending gas through Ukraine on 7 January.

Gazprom says supplies to Europe are down 86 million cubic metres since the beginning of the year.

Matters have been made worse because the continent is in the midst of bitterly cold winter snap.

Russia’s energy giant says Kiev still owes it more than US$600 million for earlier gas deliveries.

Negotiations on a new contract between the two countries remain on hold.

Made worse by weather

Suffering a bitterly cold spell, Europe has been keen for Russia and Ukraine to resolve their dispute as soon as possible. Nearly two thirds of Europe’s member states have reported feeling the effects of the gas supply cut.

Some countries have coped better than others: Germany and the Czech Republic have their own gas reserves and other supply routes which allow them to handle gas shortages. Poland can bypass Ukraine by using alternative transit routes through Belarus.

Slovakia, on the other hand, was forced to declare a state of emergency because of shortages. There has even been talk of re-opening a Soviet-era nuclear power plant, the closure of which had been a requirement for Slovakia joining the EU.

Similarly, Bulgaria is experiencing significant problems, reporting that thousands of households have been left without heating in the freezing cold. Dozens of factories have also been forced to cut production.

Ukrainian officials say the country has large gas reserves, which will allow it to cope through the winter without having to rely on Russian imports. However, there have been reports of several heating stations in Kiev switching to oil instead of gas.

Related links:

Ukraine to let Russian observers in – or not?The gas row that won’t go away
Chronology of Russia-Ukraine gas war
Europe braces itself over Ukrainian gas theft
Gazprom threatens Ukraine with extreme measures
Gazprom calls on Europe to sue Ukraine

BADO HALI NI NGUMU GAS DEAL TO EUROPE......

Gas tug-of-war: Ukraine’s unconditional surrender

A three-way gas transit deal between Russia, Ukraine and the EU has been signed without attaching amendments, according to Gazprom, which held crucial talks in Kiev on Monday morning. Moscow says gas supplies to Europe will start as soon as it has received the official document setting out an agreement on transit monitoring.

Meanwhile, a source in the Russian government says Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and Gazprom’s CEO Aleksey Miller will sign the final document on gas transit in Brussels later on Monday.

Earlier, Moscow put the agreement on hold after Kiev signed the paper with a note "with declaration attached". The sticking point was the additional document Ukraine had added to the agreement. Russia said the additions contradicted the original text of the agreement and included obvious lies. One of the points said Ukraine had paid all the debts to Gazprom in full, while the other stated Ukraine had not stolen gas earmarked for Europe.

Monitors have already arrived at the assigned points to control the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. Gazprom says it will resume a full gas supply to Europe only when the monitors confirm there has been no theft of gas. Gazprom’s condition is made in connection with the agreement reached by Ukraine, Russia and the EU, allowing international monitors to check the flow of gas through its territory.

Both Ukraine and Russia have been criticised by the European Union for letting the dispute go so far.

Europe has not received any gas from Russia since Moscow was forced to fully stop sending gas through Ukraine on January 7. Homes are unheated, schools and businesses closed and people are freezing because of the deadlock. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans have faced severe gas shortages, but Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Serbia are feeling the brunt, while Germany, also hit by the halt, has tapped into its reserves.

MAREKANI NA MPANGO WAKE WA KUITOKOMEZA PALESTINA ...

US sends more arms to Israel

As the Israeli military operation in Gaza continues, critics have hit out at the hiring of a transport ship by the US to take thousands of tonnes of arms to Israel. The Pentagon denies the shipment is for use in Gaza, saying it is destined for a US stockpile in Israel.

American planners want to carry 3,000 tonnes of ammunition from the Greek port of Astakos to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

The US military has ammunition stores in a number of countries ready for use at short notice, but experts say the timing and size of the consignment are 'irregular.'

An even larger shipment of arms, which included laser-guided bombs, arrived in December.

DHANA YA UFISADI INALETA MAAFA NCHINI....

Mkutano wa Lowassa wazua balaa Monduli

2009-01-10 12:13:37

Mkutano wa viongozi wa jadi wa kabila la Kimasai ulioitishwa na kiongozi wake aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu, Edward Lowassa, umezua balaa, baada ya mbunge wa Simanjiro, Christopher Ole Sendeka na Mwenyekiti wa Umoja wa Vijana wa Mkoa wa Arusha, James Milya, kurushiana makonde mazito hadharani.

Tukio hilo lilitokea jana baada ya mkutano huo wa viongozi wa jadi wa Kimasai kuahirishwa kwa muda kwa ajili ya chakula cha mchana.

Mkutano huo uliokuwa wa siku mbili ulimalizika jana, lakini kwa mujibu wa Ole Sendeka, Lowassa hakuwepo wakati tukio la purukushani hiyo lilipotokea.

Akizungumza na Nipashe kwa njia ya simu jana, Ole Sendeka alisema aliamua kujitetea baada ya Milya kumrushia konde ambalo alilikwepa.

Alisema kutokana na hali hiyo, aliamua kujitetea kwa kumrushia konde moja ambalo lilimpata hadi kuanguka chini.

Akizungumzia zaidi juu ya mkutano huo, Ole Sendeka alisema kwa ujumla haukuwa wa kisiasa na haukupangwa kwa lengo la kumhujumu.

Alisema wakati akichangia mada, katika mkutano huo uliokuwa na ajenda mbili, ya kuzungumzia elimu ya mtoto wa kike kwa jamii ya wafugaji na nyingine ya matatizo ya ardhi, baadaye Milya alichangia hoja hiyo akiwashutumu wanasiasa na hasa katika jimbo la Simanjiro kwamba ni mafisadi na wanafiki.

``Huyu bwana mdogo alinishambulia akidai kuwa sisi wanasiasa na hasa wa Simanjiro ni wanafiki na kwa nini hatuchukuliwi hatua.

Alitamka wazi ingawa hakutaja jina langu, lakini alisema `kama mchangiaji huyo aliyemaliza kuzungumza sasa hivi` akimaanisha jina lake (Sendeka),`` alisema.

Alisema baada ya kuahirishwa kwa muda kwa ajili ya kupata chakula, alimuuliza Milya kwa nini alimshambulia kiasi hicho naye akamjibu kwamba sasa ameanza vita.

Alisema bila kutegemea alirushiwa ngumi, ambayo hata hivyo, alifanikiwa kuikwepa.

``Katika kujitetea niliamua kumrushia ngumi moja ambayo ilimpata na akaanguka chini, nilichofanya ni kujitetea tu katika mazingira kama yale...`` alisema.

Lakini kwa upande wake Milya alisema hakumrushia ngumi, isipokuwa Ole Sendeka ndiye aliyempiga hadi akaanguka chini.

Alisema baada ya kuanguka Ole Sendeka alitaka kuendelea kumpiga, lakini wajumbe wa mkutano huo walimnusuru.

Hata hivyo alisema aliripoti tukio hilo katika kituo cha polisi cha Monduli na kufungua jalada namba Monduli/RB/35/09.

HUU NDIO MUDA WA KUNUNUA WHITE HOUSE

Now’s the time to buy the White House
If you want to make the US presidential residence your property, now is best time to do it. According to Zillow.com consulting agency, the White House became $US 23 million cheaper during 2008 because of the world financial crisis. Its estimated price is $US 308 million.

The White House was built in 1800 in Washington DC. The total floor space of the mansion is more than 5,300 square metres. The building, originally called 'the Presidential Palace', has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 16 bedrooms and three kitchens. The area of land around the mansion is 7.3 hectares.

But despite the drop in the price, the White House remains the most expensive residence in the US.

Zillow.com is valuing over 90% of living residences in the U.S. Their estimated price of the White House is based on open information on house sales in the country. They say they decided to value the president’s residence just for fun.

Hamas attacks on Israel continue despite UN resolution

Israel says the UN ceasefire resolution “is not practical" as Hamas its continues rocket attacks on its territory. Officials in Tel-Aviv have once again underlined that the military operation in Gaza will not stop until all its objectives are complete. “Responsibility for the current hostilities lies squarely with Hamas. The international community must focus its attention on the cessation of Hamas' terrorist activity and make clear that a terrorist organisation can never be a legitimate leadership,” said Gabriela Shalev, Israeli Ambassador to the UN.

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for an immediate and durable ceasefire between Hamas militants and Israeli forces in Gaza. It also welcomed the prospect of an international conference on the Middle East peace process in Moscow in 2009.

The resolution was passed by 14 votes to 0 with the US abstaining. Israel and Hamas were not party to the vote.

The resolution also called for the Israeli military to pull out from Gaza, for measures to stop the smuggling of arms into the region, and for checkpoints on the Gaza border to be reopened.

“The UN Security Council demands to secure unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid on the territory of Gaza, including food, fuel and medicine. It welcomes initiatives aimed at the creation and opening of humanitarian corridors, and other mechanisms to secure the stable delivery of humanitarian aid,” the resolution reads.

The Security Council resolution was reached after three days of intense negotiations between Arab and Western officials at the UN.