VYUO VIKUU SASA KUPEWA 100% YA MIKOPO

BODI ya Mikopo ya Wanafunzi wa Elimu ya Juu (HESLB), imefanya mabadiliko ya utaratibu wa utoaji mikopo kwamba, sasa watatoa asilimia 100 kwa wanafunzi wa vitivo mbalimbali kulingana na vipaumbele vya serikali.

Makamu Mwenyekiti wa bodi hiyo, Nicolaus Mbwanji, alisema jana kuwa utaratibu huo utaanza kutumika katika mwaka mpya wa fedha wa 2009/2010 kwa kuanzia na wanafunzi wa fani za sayansi.

Katika marekebisho hayo bodi hiyo imeongeza makundi yatakayopata mikopo kutoka sita hadi 11, pamoja na kutoa mikopo ya kujiendeleza kwa wahadhiri wa vyuo binafsi sawa na wale wa serikali.

Akizungumza jana jijini Mwanza alisema kuwa uamuzi huo umefikiwa baada ya kutembelea vyuo 17 na kuzungumza na wanafunzi, viongozi wa serikali zao na wakuu wa vyuo hivyo.

Alisema kuwa katika kipindi cha miaka mitatu, bodi hiyo ilikuwa ikitoa mikopo kwa makundi na asilimia zake katika mabano A(100), B(80), C(60), D(40), E(20) na F(0), lakini sasa imeongeza idadi ya makundi hayo hadi kufikia 11, ambayo ni na viwango vyake vya asilimia za mkopo katika mabano A(100), B(90), C(80), D(70), E(60), F(50), G(40), H(30), I(20), J(10) na K(0).

Alisema lengo la mabadiliko hayo ni kuondoa pengo kutoka kundi moja hadi lingine na kuleta uwiano mzuri katika makundi ya uchangiaji na kuwa sasa mikopo haitatolewa kwa kufuata madaraja ya viwango vya kufaulu vinavyotumika sasa (daraja la kwanza na la pili).

"Kwa sasa utoaji mikopo hautafuata 'division' (daraja), bali utakuwa ukizingatia udahili wa wanafunzi katika vyuo na kwa utaratibu huu, chuo kitapewa idadi ya wanafunzi watakaokopeshwa kulingana na programu zake na idadi itapangwa kulingana na vipaumbele vya taifa, kama itakavyoelekezwa na serikali, ikiwemo elimu na sayansi," alieleza.

Mbwanji alifahamisha kuwa katika mwaka wa fedha wa 2009/2010, bodi yake itatoa kipaumbele kwa wadahili wote wa sayansi ambapo watapewa mkopo kwa asilimia 100, hii ni kutokana na wanafunzi wa sayansi ambao wamekuwa wakinufaika na mkopo kuwa pungufu ya asilimi 35.

Marekebisho mengine ambayo bodi imefanya ni kuongeza kiwango cha mikopo kwa vitabu na viandikwa (stationary) kutoka sh. 120,000 ya sasa hadi kufikia 200,000 kwa mwaka kwa wanafunzi wote.

"Eneo lingine ni ulipaji wa ada kwa maombi ya mikopo, katika mabadiliko haya itatozwa sh. 30,000 mara moja kwa mwaka wa kwanza, badala ya utaratibu wa nyuma wa kutoza kwa kila mwaka.

Mabadiliko mengine ni utoaji mikopo kwa wahadhiri wa vyuo vya elimu ya juu binafsi, kwa ajili ya kusoma shahada za uzamili na uzamivu. Hawa pia watapewa badala ya wale wa serikali pekee.” alisema.

Akielezea mabadiliko hayo, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa bodi hiyo, George Nyatega alisema wanafunzi watakaopata mikopo watapaswa kupitishwa na bodi za elimu za kijiji, kata, tarafa na wakuu wa wilaya, ili kuwatambua zaidi na kuepuka udanganyifu kwa waombaji.

Hata hivyo alisema kuwa, utaratibu huo mpya umepelekwa serikalini kwa ajili ya kuthibitishwa na kwamba, utaanza kutumika mwaka huu kwa wadahiliwa wapya na kwamba, waliopo vyuoni sasa wataendelea na utaratibu wa zamani mpaka watakapohitimu masomo yao.

Alisema katika kufanikisha mpango huo mpya, bodi yake inatarajiwa kudahili wanafunzi 60,000 watakaokopeshwa ikiwa ni zaidi ya mwaka jana walipodahili 55,685 na kwamba, mwaka huu wanatarajia kutumia kiasi cha Sh175 bilioni.

Hadi kufikia mwaka jana bodi ilikuwa imekopesha jumla ya sh 62.2 bilioni kwa wanafunzi 56,07. Wanafunzi wa mwaka wa kwanza wanaosoma nchini ni 23,061, wanoendelea na masomo 32,012 na wanaosoma nje ya nchi ni wanafunzi 998.

Jijini Dar es Salaam, Benjamain Sawe na Zawadi Msalla wanaripoti kuwa, Mkurugenzi wa Usambazaji wa Mikopo ya wanafunzi wa Elimu ya Juu, Lubambula Machunda amewashauri wanafunzi kufuata utaratibu uliowekwa na bodi ya mikopo nchini, ikiwa ni pamoja na kufuta vigezo sahihi vilivyopangwa katika kufuatilia madai na matatizo mbalimbali yanayoshughulikiwa na bodi hiyo.

Alisema bodi imejiandaa kufungua ofisi zake katika kila kanda na kwamba, wataanzia Dodoma na Zanzibar, lengo likiwa ni kusogeza huduma karibu na vyuo.

Alivishukuru vyuo mbalimbali nchini kwa kutoa maofisa wake katika kukusanya matatizo ya wanafunzi, kuhusiana na mikopo na kuyashughulikia kwa utaratibu uliopangwa na bodi hiyo.

Sera mpya ya uchangiaji elimu ya juu, ambayo iliweka mfumo wa kutoa mikopo kufuatana na makundi, imesababisha wanafunzi kugoma kwa madai kuwa unalenga kuwanyima haki watoto wa masikini kupata elimu ya juu na hatimaye vyuo kufungwa.

Wanafunzi hao pia waliitaka serikali itoe mikopo kwa asilimia 100 kwa wanafunzi wote na vitivo vyote, badala ya kutenga makundi ambayo hata hivyo, hayazingatiwi kutokana na baadhi ya watoto wa wenye uwezo kulipiwa zote na wale wa masikini wakiwekwa kwenye makundi ya kuchangia.

Hata hivyo hivi sasa vyuo vikuu vya umma vilivyokuwa vimefungwa, vinaendelea kudahili upya, ingawa hatua hiyo imekuwa ikipingwa na wanafunzi.

OBAMA KUFUTA ORDER ZA RAISI BUSH, KUMWEKA JOE BIDEN KUSIMAMIA MIDDLE MANAGEMENT AUNGWA MKONO NA WAREPUBLICAN

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is playing to one of the Democratic Party's most reliable constituencies — organized labor — reversing a number of his predecessor's executive orders that critics regard as anti-union.

Labor leaders were to visit the White House for a second consecutive day Friday, where, a union official said, Obama was to abolish four Bush-era directives that unions opposed and then reintroduce Vice President Joe Biden's task force focused on the middle class.

Both were meant as a way for the new administration to connect with workers at the end of a week that has seen U.S. companies announce thousands more jobs cuts.

"Over the last 100 years the middle class was built on the back of organized labor. Without their weight, heft and their insistence starting in the early 1900s we wouldn't have the middle class we have now, in my view," Biden told CNBC on Thursday. "So I think labor getting a fair share of the pie is part of it."

Officials planned to re-announce a Middle Class Task Force aimed at finding ways to help an economic group that has been hammered by the recession. Biden will lead the task force, comprising a panel of advisers and four Cabinet members.

Among the George W. Bush-era executive orders that Obama was to reverse was one that allowed unionized companies to post signs informing workers that they are allowed to decertify their union. Critics claimed it was unfair because nonunion businesses are not required to post signs letting workers know they are legally allowed to vote for a union.

Two Democratic sources also said Obama would prevent federal contractors from being reimbursed for expenses that were intended to influence workers' decisions to form unions or engage in collective bargaining. A third Obama order would require federal vendors with more than $100,000 in contracts to post workers' rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

The final order would require service contractors at federal buildings to offer jobs to qualified current employees when contracts changed. For instance, rank-and-file workers could continue working on the same federal project even if the administrative contract expired.

The officials disclosed the plans on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt the White House's announcements.

Labor leaders also visited the White House on Thursday, where Obama welcomed them to the East Room as he signed his first major piece of legislation, an equal-pay act that organized labor and women's groups championed.

Unions have been lobbying the Obama administration to repeal scores of executive orders they view as hostile to their cause. Officials gave administration officials their top 10 executive orders they wanted to see dismantled quickly.

Many executive orders are enacted and repealed based on which party controls the White House. One of the rules Obama planned to repeal Friday was approved by President George. H.W. Bush, removed by President Bill Clinton and reinstated by the second President Bush.

Iranian leader demands US apology

Mr Ahmadinejad's remarks were the first since Mr Obama took office

Iran's president has responded to an overture by the new US president by demanding an apology for past US "crimes" committed against Iran.

The US "stood against the Iranian people in the past 60 years," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during an address in the western region of Khermenshah.

"Those who speak of change must apologise to the Iranian people and try to repair their past crimes," he said.

President Obama has offered to extend a hand if Iran "unclenched its fist".

President Barack Obama discussed the possibility of a softening of US policy towards Iran in an interview recorded with a Saudi-owned Arabic TV network on Monday.

'Strong tirade'

The Iranian president welcomed the possibility of US change, but said: "When they say 'we want to make changes', change can happen in two ways".

"First is a fundamental and effective change... The second ... is a change of tactics. It is very clear that, if the meaning of change is the second one, this will soon be revealed," he said.

If you talk about change it must put an end to the US military presence in the world, withdraw your troops and take them back inside your borders Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Timeline: US-Iran ties Stakes high for Obama on Iran Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issue

The remarks are the first Iranian comment on the US since Mr Obama took office eight days ago.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran describes it as one of Mr Ahmadinejad's strongest tirades against the US.

Our correspondent says we may see twists and turns out of Iran as its leaders work out whether Mr Obama is offering real changes and whether they are prepared to offer real changes in return.

While he was playing to the crowd, adds our correspondent, he could also be staking out his position ahead of Iran's presidential elections in June.

Mr Ahmadinejad congratulated Mr Obama after his election in November but the message was criticised in Iran and received a cool response from Mr Obama.

Nuclear issue

Mr Ahmadinejad also attacked US support for Israel and called on Mr Obama to withdraw US troops from their bases around the world.

"If you talk about change it must put an end to the US military presence in the world, withdraw your troops and take them back inside your borders."

The US should "stop interfering in other people's affairs," he said.

"If someone wants to talk with us in the language that [George W] Bush used... even if he uses new words, our response will be the same that we gave to Bush during the past years".

Relations between Washington and Tehran reached new lows in recent years over attempts by the US and its allies in the United Nations to curtail Iran's nuclear programme over fears it is trying to build nuclear weapons.

Tehran says its programme is to develop civilian nuclear power only.

The new US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said on Monday that she was looking forward to "vigorous diplomacy that includes direct diplomacy with Iran".

The US broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979, after students stormed the US embassy in Tehran after the Islamist revolution overthrew the US-backed Shah.

Du! lugha ngumu kwelikweli...

MP3 iliyotumika yakutwa ikiwa na taarifa za kijasusi za marekani kati ya mwaka 2005. siri za Iraq na Afrighanistan zagundulika...

Thrift store MP3 player contains secret military files

It sounds like the opening line to a bad joke. And this case was a bad joke -- for the Pentagon.

Chris Ogle of New Zealand was in Oklahoma about a year ago when he bought a used MP3 player from a thrift store for $9. A few weeks ago, he plugged it into his computer to download a song, and he instead discovered confidential U.S. military files.

"The more I look at it, the more I see, and the less I think I should be," Ogle said with a nervous laugh in an interview with TVNZ.

The files included the home addresses, Social Security numbers and cell phone numbers of U.S. soldiers. The player also included what appeared to be mission briefings and lists of equipment deployed to hot spots in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the information appears to date to 2005.

The New Zealand journalist who first reported the story was able to contact at least one of the soldiers by dialing a phone number found in the files. He hung up once she explained why she was calling.  Watch how man discovered secret military files »

Pentagon officials told CNN that they are aware of the MP3 player, but can't talk about it until investigators confirm that the information came from the U.S. Department of Defense.

"The government isn't doing a good job of protecting the information that it collects," said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington.

Despite government efforts to protect sensitive information, this is a growing problem, privacy experts say.

Two years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs lost track of a laptop with the personal information of millions of soldiers. And computer hard drives with classified military information have been found for sale at street markets in Afghanistan.

"When you can identify American personnel, when you have their names, their home address, their cell phone numbers, you put people in a dangerous position," Rotenberg said.

In this case, the personal information for several hundred soldiers landed in friendly hands. Ogle told CNN the MP3 player is being kept in a safe place and he will happily turn it over to U.S. military officials if they ask for it.

OBAMA NA MEDVEDEV LEO LIVEEEEEEE

Medvedev and Obama have first chat

Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama have had their first telephone conversation in the capacity of presidents, according to the Kremlin press service.

President Medvedev wished his U.S. counterpart, who was sworn-in last week, all the best.

Both leaders spoke of holding full face-to-face talks soon.

Obama and Medvedev also confirmed they are ready to do their best to “restore the U.S.-Russia relations potential”, according to the statement.

sherehe hiyo ilikuwa kama ifuatavyo.....

wamebana wameachia....tatu bla ......

hivi, mtu unafariki unaacha wajane 4, watoto 27, wajukuu 37 na vitukuu 6. unafikiria nini? huu sio ufisadi?

Rais Jakaya Kikwete juzi aliongoza mamia ya waombolezaji kumzika mmoja wa wanasiasa magwiji mkoani Mara na nchini, Ezekiel Mirumbe Waryuba.

Baada ya kuwasili nyumbani kwa marehemu katika Kijiji cha Masurura, kiasi cha kilomita 30 kutoka mjini Musoma kwenda Tarime, Rais Kikwete alisalimiana na wanafamilia wa marehemu, wakiwamo wajane zake wanne; alitia saini kitabu cha rambirambi, kabla ya kutoa heshima za mwisho kwa mwili wa marehemu.

Mwili wa Waryuba aliyepata kuwa Katibu Mkuu wa Jumuiya ya Wazazi Tanzania kati ya mwaka 1973 hadi 1977 na Mwenyekiti wa CCM wa Mkoa wa Mara kwa miaka 20 mfululizo kuanzia mwaka 1977, uliteremshwa kaburini saa 7:55 mchana kwa heshima zote za Chama Cha Mapinduzi.

Rais Kikwete aliyekatisha ziara yake ya Zanzibar kwenda kuhudhuria maziko hayo, akifuatana na Mama Salma Kikwete, aliwasili nyumbani kwa marehemu saa 7:25 mchana kuungana na viongozi wengine wengi kwenye maziko hayo.

Miongoni mwa viongozi wengine waliohudhuria maziko hayo ni Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Mara Issa Machibya, Waziri wa Kilimo, Chakula na Ushirika Stephen Wassira aliyetoa shukurani kwa niaba ya familia, na wanasiasa wakongwe Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru na Pancras Ndejembi aliyekuwa Mwenyekiti wa CCM Mkoa wa Dodoma kwa miaka mingi.

Wengine ni Mwenyekiti wa CCM Mkoa Shinyanga Khamis Mgeja, Mwenyekiti wa CCM Mkoa wa Mwanza Clement Mabina, Naibu Katibu Mkuu wa CCM Zanzibar Saleh Ramadhani Ferouz, Mwenyekiti wa CCM wa Mkoa wa Kusini Pemba, Abdallah Mshindo, na Katibu Mtendaji wa Nyerere Foundation Joseph Butiku.

Waryuba aliyekuwa na umri wa miaka 74, alifariki dunia mwanzoni mwa wiki hii nchini India, alilolazwa kwa ugonjwa wa kansa ya tumbo. Ezekiel Mirumbe Waryuba alizaliwa mwaka 1935 katika Kijiji cha Masurura, akiwa mtoto wa saba katika familia ya watoto 19. Baada ya elimu yake ya msingi na kati, alijiendeleza mwenyewe kwa masomo ya elimu kwa njia ya posta. Ameacha wajane wanne, watoto 27, wajukuu 37 na vitukuu sita.

hivi tutaendela kweli. mijitu mingine inajidai kuongea sanaaaa kuwa inanyimwa haki zao kumbe imegushi vyeti. haya sasa.....

Wanafunzi 75 kuburuzwa mahakamani kwa kufoji vyeti. 8 kati yao ni kutoka chuo kikuu cha urafiki LUMUMBA

kwani kutoka ni lazima mtu aende chuo kikuu?

Bodi ya Mikopo ya Elimu ya Juu (HESLB), inatarajia kuwaburuza mahakamani wanafunzi 75 wa elimu ya juu wanaosoma nchini na nje ya nchi baada ya kugundulika kughushi vyeti na kuidanganya bodi ili wapatiwe mikopo.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Bodi hiyo, George Nyatega alitoa taarifa hiyo wakati wa mkutano na waandishi wa habari uliyofanyika mjini Moshi jana kwa lengo la kuelezea maoni waliyoyapokea kutoka kwa wateja wao mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Alisema wanafunzi hao ni pamoja na wanaosoma nchi za nje zikiwamo Algeria na Urusi waliofanya hivyo kwa lengo na kutaka mikopo ili waendelee na masomo. Alisema pamoja na kupandishwa kizimbani, wanafunzi hao watafutiwa mikopo.

Waliopo nje watarejeshwa nchini ili kuwawezesha wanafunzi wengine wenye sifa kupatiwa mikopo hiyo. Nyatega alisema katika uchunguzi wao wa awali umebaini wanafunzi saba walioko Algeria na wengine wanane walioko Urusi, wamefanya udanganyifu huo.

Kwa upande wa walioghushi kutoka vyuo vya ndani, wanafunzi 15 ni kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam (UDSM). Chuo cha Ushirika na Biashara cha Moshi (MUCCoBS), wamegundulika wanafunzi 45 walioghushi vyeti. Mkurugenzi huyo alisema taarifa nyingi za wanafunzi wanaodai kuwa wametoka katika familia duni siyo za kweli.

Aliwataka wanafunzi wanaoomba mkopo katika bodi hiyo kuhakikisha wanatoa taarifa za kweli ili kusaidia kufahamu wanafunzi wanaostahili kupewa mikopo. Akizungumzia mafanikio ya HESLB, Nyatega alisema wanafunzi wanaopata mikopo kutoka katika bodi hiyo wameongezeka kutoka wanafunzi 16,345 mwaka 2004/2005 hadi wanafunzi 56,071 kwa mwaka 2008/2009.

Alisema katika kipindi cha mwaka 2008/2009, kulikuwa na maombi 74,983 ya mikopo kwa wanafunzi, lakini wote hawakupewa kutokana na sababu mbalimbali ikiwamo wengine kutotimiza masharti yaliyowekwa. Pia Mkurugenzi huyo alisema bodi hiyo inatarajia kutoa mikopo yenye thamani ya zaidi ya Sh bilioni 140.3 kwa mwaka wa fedha 2008/2009, ingawa awali bodi hiyo ilitenga kiasi cha Sh bilioni 117

vijimambo tuu...

Usiombe ukamatwe na mgambo...wanapandisha vifua juu utafikiri mabaunsa

Askari wa Manispaa ya Ilala wakimzonga Dereva aliyekuwa akiendesha gari namba ZNZ 69469 aliyekuwa akilalamikia kitendo cha mgambo hao kugonga gari lake kwa mkokoteni kwenye makutano ya barabara za Nyerere na Msimbazi, Dar es Salaam jana.(Picha na Charles Lucas)

Obama alazimika kuapa tena kwa mara ya pili

RAIS wa Marekani, Barack Obama amelazimika kurudia kuapa baada ya kiapo cha mara ya kwanza kukosewa kwa kusahaulika neno moja.

Obama aliapishwa kwa mara ya pili tena juzi kwa sababu ya kutotamka neno moja wakati akila kiapo katika sherehe zilizofanyika Jumanne wiki hii.

Jaji Mkuu, John Roberts, aliyemuapisha wakati wa sherehe za Jumanne, alilazimika kumuapisha tena Obama katika Ikulu ya Marekani baada ya kuruka neno moja wakati akimuapisha.

Taarifa iliyotolewa baadaye na Ikulu ilisema kwamba, maamuzi ya kurudia kiapo hicho juzi, yalichukuliwa kwa tahadhari kubwa.

Akizungumza kwa utani kabla ya kula kiapo chake cha pili, Obama alinukuliwa akisema, "Tumeamua kufanya hivyo kwa kuwa lilikuwa ni jambo la kufurahisha…tutarudia tena kufanya vilevile taratibu."

Katika tukio la juzi, tofauti na alivyofanya Jumanne, Obama aliapa pasipo kulazimika kushika Biblia.

Mbali ya hilo katika uapaji wa mara ya pili mkewe Michelle ambaye katika kiapo cha kwanza alimshikia Biblia hakuwapo.

Kama hiyo haitoshi, tukio zima la marudio ya kiapo hicho, lilifanyika huku idadi ya watu walioshuhudia ikiwa ni ndogo, ikilinganishwa na mamilioni ya mashuhuda waliohudhuria sherehe za mwanzoni mwa wiki hii.

Habari zinaeleza kwamba, miongoni mwa watu ambao pia hawakushuhudia kurudiwa upya kwa kiapo hicho ni waandishi wa habari.

Taarifa ya Ikulu ilieleza kwamba, kwa mujibu wa Katiba, Rais anapaswa kuapa kwa kutamka; ‘‘Mimi.. ninaapa kwamba nitaitumikia Ofisi ya Rais wa Marekani kwa uaminifu na kwamba nitaitunza, kuilinda na kuitetea Katiba ya Marekani kwa kadri ya uwezo wangu.

Hata hivyo, kumbukumbu zinaonyesha kuwa, wakati wa kiapo cha kwanza, Jaji Mkuu, Roberts alianza kwa kusahau kutamka maneno "kwa uaminifu" jambo lililomlazimisha afanye masahihisho muda mfupi baadaye baada ya Obama kusita kwa muda kutokana na kile kilichoonekana kulitambua kosa hilo.

Alipofanya marejeo ya kiapo hicho baada ya mara ya kwanza kusita, safari hii aliyefanya kosa la kulisahau neno ‘uaminifu’ alikuwa Obama ; kwani aliyekosea mara ya kwanza alikuwa Jaji Roberts!

Obama anakuwa Rais wa tatu kurudia kula kiapo; marais wengine wawili, Calvin Coolidge na Chester Arthur, nao walilazimika kurudia viapo vyao, baada ya kufanyika kwa makosa kama hayo.

Kumbukumbu zinaonyesha kwamba, mwaka 1929, Jaji Mkuu, William Taft aliongeza neno jipya ‘kuimarisha’ katika kiapo wakati akimuapisha Rais Herbert Hoover huku akililiondoa neno ‘kuilinda’.

Mhakama zinachekesha sana. hivi mtu unashtakiwa kwa makosa 45! utapona kweli? lazima kosa moja likufunge tuu...

Dereva wa ajali ya gari Arusha ashitakiwa kwa makosa 45

DEREVA wa Kampuni ya Bonite Bottlers, aliyesababisha ajali iliyoua watu 16 na kujeruhi wengine 17, Daniel Lali, amefikishwa mahakamani akikabiliwa na makosa 45.

Mwendesha Mashitaka, Haruni Matagane, mbele ya Hakimu Mkazi wa Mkoa wa Arusha, George Habeti, alidai mahakamani hapo kuwa mshitakiwa anakabiliwa na makosa 16 ya kusababisha vifo na 17 ya kujeruhi abiria waliokuwa ndani ya basi lenye namba za usajili T 799 AWR.

Kwa mujibu wa mwendesha mashitaka huyo, dereva huyo ambaye alikuwa akilia muda wote aliokuwa kizimbani, anakabiliwa na makosa mengine ya kuharibu daraja na kusababisha hasara kwa serikali, hivyo kufanya idadi ya makosa yake kufikia 45.

Dereva huyo aliyekuwa akiendesha gari hilo lenye namba za usajili T 417 AMM, alifikishwa mahakamani hapo jana, akiwa amevunjika mguu na hadi sasa amelazwa katika Hospitali ya Mkoa wa Mount Meru, akiwa rumande. Kesi hiyo itatajwa Februari 2 mwaka huu.

Wakati mshitakiwa huyo akisomewa mashitaka hayo, Kamanda wa Polisi wa Kikosi cha Usalama Barabarani, James Kombe, alikuwapo kushuhudia kesi hiyo.

Kombe aliyesafiri jana kutoka Dar es Salaam kwa ajali hiyo, alisema kuanzia sasa madereva wazembe watakabiliwa na adhabu kali ili iwe fundisho kwa wengine.

Katika hatua nyingine, baadhi ya majina ya watu waliofariki dunia juzi katika ajali hiyo iliyohusisha magari matano yaliyogongana katika daraja la Mto Nduruma, yamejulikana.

Kutambuliwa kwa miili hiyo kunafanya idadi yao kufikia 13 kati ya miili ya watu 16 waliofariki dunia katika ajali hiyo ya aina yake.

Waliotambuliwa ni pamoja na askari Polisi, PC Hamidu, mzaliwa wa Mwanga, mkoani Kilimanjaro na mwenzake PC Abinieli, kutoka mkoani Mbeya.

Miili ya askari hao, ilisafirishwa jana kwenda katika mikoa waliyozaliwa, huku mwili wa Abinieli, ukiwa katika hali mbaya kutokana na kuharibika.

Wengine waliotambuliwa ni David Ngunda (21), Maina Kireri, Nanganya mkazi wa Ngulelo, Anasitazia, mkazi wa Burka, Alice Kinjaa, Samweli Chuwa, mkazi wa Monduli na mtoto wa kike, anayekadiriwa kuwa na umri wa miaka 10, ambaye hata hivyo jina lake halijajulikana. Majina ya maiti saba hadi sasa bado hayajatambuliwa.

Kwa upande wa majeruhi waliolazwa katika hospitali hiyo ni Exaudi Mbise (31), mkazi wa Akeri, Deogratius Gabriel (18), mkazi wa Mto wa Mbu, Leka Chuwa (73), mkazi wa Majengo na Sebastian Tarimo (26), mkazi wa Monduli.

Wengine ni Ailali Damian, mkazi wa Mbauda, Alyoce Joachim, mkazi wa Moshi, Eliya Abdallah (18), mkazi wa Moshi, Dismas Patrick, mkazi wa Ngarenaro, Isaac Angalili (15), mkazi wa Majengo, Scolastical Samson (65), mkazi wa Moshi Kibosho na Josephine Bonitas (17), mkazi wa Moshi, Rombo.

Wengine ni Emily Joseph, mkazi wa Moshi, Maria Apolinari, mkazi wa Rombo, Hamisi Majala na Elizabeth Patrick (21) na wengine saba walitibiwa na kuruhusiwa kurejea makwao.

Akizungumza katika ibada ya mazishi kwenye kambi ya askari wa Jeshi la Polisi, mjini Arusha, Kaimu Kamanda mkoani hapa, Robert Boaz, aliwapa pole ndugu, jamaa na marafiki waliofikwa na msiba huo.

Alisema chanzo cha ajali hiyo ni lori lenye namba za usajili T 424 AMM, mali ya Kampuni ya Coca Cola, lililokuwa likitoka Moshi kwenda mkoani Arusha, likiwa na kreti tupu za soda, kuligonga basi aina ya Coaster, lenye namba T 799 AWR.

Alisema baada ya kuligonga basi hilo lililokuwa na abiria kutoka Arusha, kwenda Moshi, nalo liligonga basi dogo aina ya Hiace, lenye namba za usajili T 607 ANW, ambalo nalo lililigonga gari jingine aina ya Land Cruiser, namba za usajili T 820 AMC.

Wakati huo huo, Rais Jakaya Kikwete, amesema ajali mfululizo zinazotokea nchini hazina budi kuwekewa mikakati madhubuti ya kudhibitiwa, kwani mamlaka husika zina uwezo huo, anaripoti, Mwandishi Esther Mbussi wa jijini Dar es Salaam.

Rais Kikwete alisema hayo katika taarifa yake ya salamu za rambirambi aliyoitoa jana kwa Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Arusha, Isidore Shirima, kutokana na vifo vya watu 16 waliofariki dunia katika ajali ya gari iliyotokea eneo la daraja la Mto Nduruma, mkoani humo juzi.

“Kwa masikitiko na huzuni kubwa, napenda kwa dhati ya moyo wangu kukutumia salamu za rambirambi wewe Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Arusha kutokana na vifo vya wenzetu 16 waliofariki papo hapo katika ajali hiyo, kupitia kwako nawapa pole familia, ndugu, jamaa na marafiki wa marehemu na namuomba Mwenyezi Mungu azilaze roho zao mahali pema peponi, Amin.

“Kwa watu wote waliojeruhiwa katika ajali hiyo, natambua maumivu makali mnayoyapata hivi sasa, hivyo namuomba Mungu awape moyo wa uvumilivu na awawezeshe kupona haraka ili muungane tena na familia, ndugu na jamaa zenu,” ilisema sehemu ya taarifa hiyo.

Rais alisema, serikali haitaendelea kuvumilia kutokea kwa ajali kama hizo, wakati mamlaka zenye dhamana ya kusimamia sheria ya usalama barabarani zipo.

KIONGOZI WA WAASI WA CONGO LAYRENT NKUNDA AKAMATWA....

Nini kitatokea zaidi baada ya kukamatwa Nkunda?

Kiongozi wa zamani wa kundi la waasi la CNDP Laurent Nkunda ambaye amekamatwa hivi karibuni na jeshi la Rwanda huko Bunagana.

Laurent Nkunda amekamatwa na jeshi la Rwanda baada ya jeshi hilo kushutumiwa kwa muda mrefu kuwa lilikuwa likimsaidia katika mzozo wa mashariki ya Congo.

Laurent Nkunda na kundi lake la waasi walikuwa wanaonekana kuwa wanashirikiana pamoja na Rwanda katika mzozo wa eneo la mashariki ya Congo. Kwa muda wa miezi kadha umoja wa mataifa umekuwa ukilishutumu jeshi la Rwanda, kumsaidia jenerali huyo , ambaye alikuwa akipigana na majeshi ya serikali mjini Goma. Hivi sasa lakini pamoja na mambo yote jeshi la Rwanda siku ya Jumanne limemkamata jenerali Nkunda.

Kwa muda wa miaka kadha Laurent Nkunda alikuwa akionekana kuwa mshirika wa Rwanda katika mzozo wa mashariki ya Congo. Vifaa na fedha vinavyotumiwa na waasi wanaoongozwa na jenerali huyo, inasema serikali ya Kongo , vinatoka kwa nchi hiyo ndogo jirani.

Lakini hapo Alhamis wiki hii Nkunda alitiwa mbaroni. Na wale wale ambao walikuwa wakishutumiwa kumpa misaada. Msemaji wa ujumbe wa kulinda amani cwa umoja wa mataifa nchini Congo , MONUC Jean Paul Dietrich amesema.

Kwa taarifa nilizonazo ni kwamba Nkunda alikamatwa jioni ya Alhamis katika eneo la Bunagana, ambalo ni mpaka kati ya mashariki ya Congo na Rwanda, ikiwa ni kolometa 956 kaskazini ya mji wa Goma. Hadi sasa nafahamu kuwa amekamatwa na wanajeshi wa Rwanda.

Watu walioshuhudia katika eneo hilo wanaeleza kuwa kulitokea mapambano katika eneo la Bunagana jioni hiyo. Kabla ya hapo jeshi la Congo na lile la Rwanda , siku moja kabla walikuwa wakipambana na waasi mashariki ya Congo, wakimtaka Nkunda kujisalimisha. Nkunda alikimbia, na muda mfupi alikamatwa ndani ya ardhi ya Rwanda.

Waziri wa ulinzi wa Congo alimtaka Nkunda kuweka silaha chini na kusitisha shughuli zote za kundi hilo la waasi. Kukamatwa kwa Nkunda ni mafanikio ya kwanza ya ujumbe wa jeshi la Rwanda na Kongo likiwa na wanajeshi jumla wapatao 3,500. Hadi sasa viongozi wa majeshi yote wamesema tu kwamba wanawasaka wanamgambo wa Kihutu ambao wanahusika na mauaji ya halaiki nchini Rwanda. Kwa hivi sasa amekamatwa jenerali huyu wa Kitutsi, ambaye kwa kusema kuwa anawalinda Watutsi wachache kutokana na wauaji hao wa Kihutu amezidisha wasi wasi na mauaji katika eneo la mashariki ya Congo. Msemaji wa umoja wa mataifa Jean Paul Dietrich amesema.

Tunaweza kusema kwa kweli Nkunda hakuwa mtu wa amani, alikuwa na mambo yake. Tutaona iwapo juhudi zote zilizofanywa katika siku chache zilizopita, hususan na jeshi la CNDP kuweka chini silaha, zitaleta amani ya kudumu katika eneo hili.

Wapi anakoshikiliwa Nkunda hadi sasa bado hajajulikana hadi leo. Anapaswa hata hivyo kuwajibika na yale aliyoyafanya. Kutokana na kuendewa kinyume kwa kiasi kikubwa haki za binadamu anapaswa kupelekwa katika mahakama ya kimataifa ya uhalifu wa kivita mjini The Hague.

Kesi ya kwanza ya mahakama ya kimataifa ya uhalifu kunguruma Jumatatu.

Miaka saba tangu kuundwa kwa mahakama ya kimataifa ya kuwahukumu wahalifu wa kivita, ICC, mahakama hiyo itaanza kusikiliza kesi yake ya kwanza siku ya Jumatatu

Karibu miaka saba tangu kuundwa, mahakama ya kimataifa ya kuwahukumu wahalifu ICC, itaanza kusikiliza kesi yake ya kwanza siku ya Jumatatu, kesi ambayo inamhusu kiongozi wa waasi wa Congo Thomas Lubanga kwa madai ya kuwatumia watoto kama wanajeshi katika vita nchini humo.

Lubanga anakabiliwa na mashtaka matatu ya uhalifu wa kivita kwa madai ya kuwatumia mamia ya watoto chini ya umri wa miaka 15 katika mapigano katika jimbo la Ituri ya mashariki la jamhuri ya kidemokrasi ya Congo kati ya Septemba 2002 na august 2003.

Kesi hiyo inatarajiwa kuanza kusikilizwa kwa kuanza kusomwa muhtasari wa taarifa , itakayosomwa na mwendesha mashtaka mkuu wa mahakama hiyo Luis Moreno-Okampo, ikifuatiwa na mawakili wa wahanga wa madhara ya wanajeshi wa Lubanga, na baadaye upande wa utetezi.

Shahidi wa kwanza , ambaye ni mwanajeshi wa zamani mtoto,atapanda kizimbani siku ya Jumatano, akifuatiwa na baba yake , kwa mujibu wa taarifa zilizotolewa na na ofisi ya mwendesha mashtaka.

Kutakuwa na mashahidi 30 kwa jumla, ikiwa ni pamoja na wanajeshi watoto binafsi, wanajeshi wa zamani wa kundi hilo la wanamgambo waliohusika katika mapigano katika jimbo la Ituri, na wataalamu katika masuala hayo ambao wataamua kuhusu umri wa watoto hao.

Kesi hii inahusu kutoa ishara kali , kuwa ni vibaya kiasi gani kuwaandikisha watoto kuwa wanajeshi na kuwafanya wawe wauaji , amesema mwendesha mashtaka huyo wakati akihojiwa na shirika la habari la AFP ofisini kwake.

Amesema kuwa kesi hiyo itatoa picha mbaya ya kile kinacholazimisha kuwa mwanajeshi mtoto. Kama watu wazima ameongeza tuna wajibu wa kuwaelimisha watoto wetu. Na hapa watoto wanafundishwa kuua, wanafundishwa utekaji nyara , uporaji, na ubakaji.

Lubanga mwenye umri wa miaka 48, kutoka kabila la Hema alikuwa mfanyabiashara wa kuuza vyakula kabla ya kuwa mbabe ya kivita anayeogopewa akiongoza moja kati ya makundi sita yenye silaha yanayowania udhibiti katika eneo la mashariki ya jamhuri ya kidemokrasi ya Congo lenye utajiri mkubwa wa madini la Ituri.

Eneo hilo limekuwa limekumbwa na miaka kadha ya mizozo kati ya watu wa kabila la Hema na Lendu ambao wanafanya asilimia 40 ya watu wa jimbo hilo la kaskazini mashariki ya Congo.

Lubanga haraka alijitokeza kuwa kiongozi mwenye haiba na mlinzi wa jamii yake akiongoza kundi la Union of Congolese Patriots UPC, ama umoja wa wazalendo wa Congo, ambalo lilikuwa na tawi lake la kijeshi la FPLC lilikamata maeneo kadha muhimu ya machombo ya madini katika mkoa wa Ituri.

Kwa mujibu wa mwendesha mashtaka, Lubanga , alizishawishi familia za Wahema kuwatoa watoto wao kwenda kujiunga na UPC na kuwaweka katika maeneo ya mapambano kati ya Septemba 2002 na August 2003.

Kundi hilo la wanamgambo linatuhumiwa kufanya mauaji kadha ya raia wa kabila la Lendu kati ya mwaka 2002 na 2003, hususan katika ngome yake kuu katika mji wa Bunia mji mkuu wa jimbo la Ituri.

Lubanga alikimbia kutoka Bunia baada ya jeshi la umoja wa Ulaya kuwekwa katika eneo hilo Juni 2003 ili kusitisha umwagaji damu.

Aliibukia mjini Kinshasa , 2004 ambako alikuwa akiishi hotelini wakati akisubiri kupandishwa wadhifa katika cheo cha jenerali, ahadi iliyotolewa na serikali kwa wakuu wote wa makundi ya wanamgambo ambao wamekubali kuweka silaha chini.

Lakini kurejea tena kwa machafuko katika jimbo la Ituri na kuuwawa kwa wanajeshi tisa wa kulinda amani wa umoja wa mataifa Februari , 2005 kulisabibisha kukamatwa kwa Lubanga na maafisa wa Congo

MMOJA AKAMATWA KWA TUHUMA ZA MAUAJI YA FOREIGNERS MOSCOW RUSSIA. NI AFISA WA NGAZI YA KATI WA IDARA YA UPELELEZI YA RUSSIA. UCHUNGUZI KUENDELEA.....

mtu mmoja amekamatwa kuhusiana na tuhuma za mauaji ya wageni (skin head) yaliyofanyika katika maeneo ya chuo kikuu cha urafiki Lumumba juma moja lililopita. Mtu huyo anayesemekana kuwa ni afisa mwandamizi katika shirika la ujasusi la Urusi amekamatwa siku ya jumatano tarehe 21/01/2009 siku mbili baada ya kuuwawa kinyama wanafunzi watatu wa chuo kikuu cha urafiki Lumumba Moscow Russia Na kuuwawa kwa mtu mwingine toka cameroon katika maeneo ya chuo kikuu. Mtu huo na wenzake wameshukiwa na kuhusika kwao katika mauaji hayo na tayari wanashikiliwa na polisi (MILITSIA) kwa uchunguzi zaidi. hadi kuanza kwa mwezi february mwaka huu, wanafunzi wasiopungua watano wameshauwawa na wengine zadi ya ya kumi kujeruhuwa vibaya sana kutokana na UBAGUZI WA RANGI katika chuo kikuu cha Urafiki Lumumba. Hadi sasa chuoni hapo imetangazwa hali ya hatari kwa wanafunzi wote wageni kutoka nje hasa nyakati za jioni na usiku, pia wanafunzi wameshauriwa kutembea kimakundi ili kuepuka adha ya kudhalilishwa, kupigwa hata kufa.

Kutokana na taarifa zilizoifikia The THOMCOM siku ya leo ni kwamba vituo viwili vya Metro (BELYAEVO NA YUGO ZAPADNAYA) vimetekwa na wabaguzi wa rangi na hakuna uwezekano wa mgeni yeyote kukatiza maeneo hayo,. kutokana na hali hiyo kujitokeza, wanafunzi wanaosoma kozi za uandisi na ecology wamekutana leo katika kikao maalumu kilichoandaliwa na viongozi wa umoja wa wanafunzi wa Tanzaina kujadili njia za kuwasaidia wanafunzi hao kusafiri kutokana na kuwa katika kipindi cha mitihani.

hali ya wasiwasi na kutishiana maisha nchini RUSSIA imekuwa ikwavunja moyo wanafunzi wageni kiasi cha kukata Tamaa hivyo mataifa ya Dunia yanaomwa pia kusaidia kulinda usalama wa wageni hasa wanafunzi wanaoingia nchiniRussia kujipatia asomo.

Nikiripoti toka bwenini, mimi ni Osana Mafundisho wa The THOMCOM

............................................................

paredi ya kufa mtu...

S THIS A PARADE? NOT EXACTLY! The National Traffic Police Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police James Kombe, is seen employing all the military tactics he has to direct motorists to move faster yesterday.

makubwa...

Wanafunzi UDSM kizimbani

WANAFUNZI watano wa Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam (UDSM) wamepandishwa kizimbani katika Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi Kisutu, wakikabiliwa na shitaka la kufanya mkusanyiko usio halali.

Wanafunzi hao ni Anthony Machibya, Owawa Juma, Sabinian Pius, Titus Ndula na Paul Issa.

Ilidaiwa mahakamani hapo na Mwendesha Mashitaka, Kamishina Msaidizi wa Polisi, Charles Kenyela mbele ya hakimu mkazi, Victoria Nongwa kuwa wanafunzi hao walitenda kosa hilo Januari 19 mwaka huu saa 3:45 asubuhi katika maeneo ya chuo hicho.

Ilidaiwa wanafunzi hao walibeba mabango yaliyokuwa na ujumbe mbalimbali ambao ulikuwa umejielekeza kuleta hasira na kujenga chuki kwa watu wengine.

Baadhi ya ujumbe uliokuwemo katika mabango hayo ni, "Nyerere angefufuka leo angelia machozi ya damu", "Kweli Kikwete umesahahu umaskini wa Watanzania wako", "Hivi Pinda wewe ni mtoto wa mkulima", "Wazazi wetu tuoneeni huruma tunateseka jamani" na "Vyuo vya uma vimeuzwa kwa matajiri".

Hata hivyo, wanafunzi hao walikana shitaka hilo na upande wa mashitaka ulidai kuwa upelelezi bado haujakamilika. Kenyela aliwasilisha maombi kupinga dhamana kwa washitakiwa.

Maombi hayo yaliungwa mkono na hati ya kiapo, ambapo Kaimu Mkuu wa Upelelezi wa mkoa wa Kinondoni, Koka Moita alidai kuwa washitakiwa wakiachiwa watavuruga zoezi la udahili linaloendelea chuo kikuu.

Moita alidai pia kuwa ana taarifa za kuaminika kwamba mshitakiwa wa pili ameandaa maandamano nchi nzima yanayotarajiwa kufanyika Januari 24, mwaka huu wakati hajatoa taarifa kwa mamlaka zinazohusika na masuala ya ulinzi.

Wakili wa upande wa utetezi, Flugency Massawe alipinga hoja hizo kwa madai kuwa makosa yote wanashitakiwa nayo washitakiwa yanastahili dhamana na kwamba, hakuna kiapo kinachoendana na kosa la washitakiwa.

"Mahakama haifanyi kazi kwa hisia chuo kimefungwa kwa muda mrefu na hakuna chochote kilichofanywa na washitakiwa wakati huo," alisema Massawe.

Baada ya kusikiliza hoja zote hakimu Nongwa alitupilia mbali hoja za upande wa mashitaka kwa kuwa washitakiwa bado ni watuhumiwa, hadi mahakama itakapothibitisha kosa lao.

Hakimu Nongwa alitoa masharti ya dhamana kwa washitakiwa akiwataka kila mmoja kuwa na mdhamini mmoja ambaye ni mtumishi wa serikali atakayesaini dhamana ya Sh 500,000.

Nongwa alisema washitakiwa pia hawaruhusiwi kwenda kwenye maeneo ya chuo kikuu bila ruhusa ya mahakama na hawaruhusiwi kufanya mikutano bila ruhusa kutoka mamlaka husika na watatakiwa kuripoti kituo cha polisi Oysterbay kila Ijumaa asubuhi.

Washitakiwa hao walirudishwa rumande kwa kushindwa kutimiza masharti ya dhamana. Kesi hiyo imeahirishwa hadi Februari 5 mwaka huu itakapotajwa tena.

Huku hayo yakiendelea Tumsifu Sanga anaripoti kuwa Kamanda wa polisi kanda maalum ya Dar es salaam, Suleiman Kova alisema hatatoa kibali cha kuandamana kwa wanafuzi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es salaam mpaka atakapopata uhakika wa hali ya usalama barabarani kwa siku hiyo.

Kamanda Kova alisema Jeshi lake limepokea barua ya wanafunzi hao ikilitaka jeshi la polisi kutoa ulinzi siku ya Jumamosi katika maandamano ya wanafunzi hao kupinga sera ya uchangiaji wa elimu ya juu ombi lao litafanyiwa kazi kwa muda wa masaa 48 na uwezekano wa kukataliwa ama kukubaliwa upo na si kuhusiana na maandamano kwa kuwa hawakuomba kibali cha kuandamana.

"Jeshi la polisi lina taratibu zake wao waliomba kupewa ulinzi hawakuomba kibali cha kufanya maandamano, hivyo tunatarajia kujadili barua yao ya kuomba ulizni na si maandamano kwa kuwa barua yao tumeipata na tunaifanyia kazi ndani ya masaa 48 na tutawapa jibu la barua yao kulingana na hali ya usalama itakavyokuwa siku hiyo," alisema Kamanda Kova.

Wakati huo huo, Hussein Issa na Patricia Kimelemeta wanaripoti kuwa Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam (UDSM), kimekiri kuwa sera ya uchangiaji wa elimu kwa vyuo vikuu nchini ina upungufu ambao yanahitaji kufanyiwa marekebisho.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Naibu Makamu wa Chuo anayeshughulikia utawala, Profesa Yunus Mgaya alisema kuwa wanachosubiri wao ni kuona kuwa Waziri Maghembe anaiwasilisha bungeni ili ijadiliwa na kupitishwa.

"Kweli tumeona mapungufu yapo, tumeunda tume ambayo iko chini ya Profesa kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Sokoine (SUA) kwa ajili ya kukusanya maoni na kuikabidhi kwa waziri ili aweze kuifikisha bungeni kufanyiwa marekebisho,"alisema Profesa Mgaya.

Aliongeza kuwa, kutokana na hali hiyo, wanafunzi walipaswa kuwa na uvumilivu ili wajue uamuzi wa bungeni ambalo ndile lenye mamlaka ya kubadili sera.

Alisema kubainika kwa tatizo hilo kulitokana na fomu mbili za wanafunzi mapacha ambao wanalipiwa na mzazi mmoja huku kila mwanafunzi akiwa na daraja lake la malipo. Mmoja alikuwa analipiwa daraja A na mwingine C, hivyo kusababisha mkanganyiko baina ya wanafunzi hao.

Alisema hata hivyo katika fomu zilizojazwa na wanafunzi wengine kumekuwa na mikanganyiko mingine baada ya watoto wa vigogo kuwekwa katika daraja la kwanza na wanaotoka katika familia ya kawaida

daraja tatu.

Profesa Mgaya alifahamisha kuwa kutokana na hali hiyo, waliona bora sera hiyo ipitiwe upya.

Hata hivyo, udahili chuoni hapo unaendelea chini ya ulinzi mkali wa askari wa Kikosi cha Kutuliza Ghasia (FFU) na mafisa wa usalama wa taifa waliotanda kila eneo.

Naye Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Vyuo vya Elimu ya Juu nchini(Uvejuta), Silinde David alisema maandamano yao yatabaki pale pale hata kama viongozi wao wamekamatwa.

"Sisi tutafanya maandamano hata kama wenzetu wamekamatwa," alisisitiza.

kumbe obama ni MASHOTO!

President Barack Obama signs an executive order closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington

Obama to spend 2nd full day on foreign affairs

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is making good on his promise to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and appears ready to name a veteran politician to guide his new administration in the Middle East conflict.

A senior Obama administration official said the president would sign an order Thursday to shutter the Guantanamo prison within one year. The U.S. naval facility has been a major sore point for critics around the world who say it violates domestic and international detainee rights. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the order has not yet been issued.

The executive order was one of three expected on how to interrogate and prosecute al-Qaida, Taliban or other foreign fighters believed to threaten the United States. The administration already has suspended trials for terrorist suspects at Guantanamo for 120 days pending a review of the military tribunals.

Obama also had in hand executive orders to review military trials of terror suspects and end harsh interrogations, a key part of aides' plans that had been assembled even before Obama won the election on Nov. 4.

"In view of the significant concerns raised by these detentions, both within the United States and internationally, prompt and appropriate disposition of the individuals currently detained at Guantanamo and closure of the facility would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice," said the draft executive order that would close Guantanamo. The draft was obtained by The Associated Press.

On Thursday, Obama was visiting the State Department to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and his top national security advisers.

White House aides announced that the president would meet with retired military officers to discuss the executive orders in the morning, but would not confirm that Obama planned to sign them immediately.

The Obama-Clinton meeting also was to include Vice President Joe Biden and national security adviser Jim Jones and his deputy. It was to be followed by an address by Obama and Clinton to State Department employees.

The address could provide an opening for Obama to enter the daunting thicket of Middle East diplomacy, long dodged by deferring to President George W. Bush, who left office Tuesday. It could also be the time he announces George Mitchell, the former Senate Democratic leader, as his special envoy to the region.

During his two-month stint as the president-elect, Obama promised he would have plenty to say on the conflict as soon as he was in office, but the country could only have one foreign policy voice at a time.

Some of Obama's other promises, though, have already been attended to. On Wednesday, he signed executive orders to limit his staff's ability to leave the administration to lobby their former colleagues. He also limited pay raises for his senior aides making more than $100,000 a year — a nod to a flailing economy and voters' frustrations.

He also opened the doors to the White House to visitors on Wednesday, meeting with guests in the White House's Blue Room.

"Enjoy yourself, roam around," a smiling Obama told one guest as he shuffled through the room. "Don't break anything."

Obama was starting his day Thursday with a private meeting on the nation's struggling economy, a signal to the millions of Americans struggling with tighter credit, increasing home foreclosures and the dollar's shrinking value.

masaa machache baada ya kuapishwa, Obama ahitisha mkutano wa joint chiefs, wakuu wa jesh, wakuu wa usalama wa Taifa na secreat service...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will begin to put his imprint on the nation's war strategy in his first full day in office, gathering his top military and national security advisers at the White House for what is expected to be the start of the new commander in chief's shift in emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan.
According to officials, Obama will conduct a videoteleconference late Wednesday afternoon with members of the National Security Council as well as the U.S. military commanders in the two war zones.
Obama has said he wants combat troops out of Iraq in 16 months and a greater effort made in Afghanistan. In his inauguration speech Tuesday he offered a glimpse of what was to come.
"We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan," he said.
At the same time, he added a warning to America's enemies: "We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."
Ali al-Dabbagh, a spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister, told Associated Press Television News on Tuesday that Iraq is willing to have the U.S. withdraw its troops and assume security for the country "before the end of 2011," the departure date agreed to by former President George W. Bush in November.
Summoned to the White House were Defense Secretary Robert Gates — the lone Republican Cabinet holdover from the Bush administration — along with chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen; the top military commander in the Middle East, Gen. David Petraeus; and other members of the security council.
Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Gen. David McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan, were due to participate from the war fronts, according to two senior military officers. The officers spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been officially announced by the White House.
Obama pledged during his campaign to pull all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months, but it was not clear whether he would issue any hard-and-fast orders Wednesday to end the war on that specific timeline or declare his intentions in more general terms.
Petraeus is in the midst of a broad review of his entire region of responsibility, which encompasses Iraq and the rest of the Middle East as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan and the rest of Central Asia. He is expected to finish his review by late next month.
With the inclusion of Petraeus, Odierno and McKiernan, the meeting Wednesday appeared to reflect, at least in part, Gates' preference for offering the president a full range of views — from senior civilians as well as top military commanders — at key junctures in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
The military service chiefs, with whom Obama would be expected to consult at some point, were not expected to attend Wednesday's session. Some have expressed concerns about the impact the long, repeated war tours have had on the U.S. military.

Saa moja baada ya obama kuapishwa, aamuru gereza la Guantanamo bay lisimamishwe kufanya kazi zake kwa siku 120.

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – Military judges will consider Wednesday whether to halt the Guantanamo war crimes trials after President Barack Obama ordered prosecutors to request a 120-day suspension during a review of the system used to try suspected terrorists.
The motions, filed just hours after Obama's inauguration, will be heard in the cases of five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks and of Canadian Omar Khadr, who is accused of killing an American soldier with a grenade in Afghanistan in 2002.
Obama has said he will close the military detention center in Cuba, where the U.S. holds about 245 men, and he had been expected to halt the widely criticized war-crimes trials created by former President George W. Bush and Congress in 2006.
The motions to suspend the trials came the day of Obama's inauguration. Before Obama was sworn in, a military judge adjourned the war crimes court until Wednesday, noting the future of the commissions was in doubt.
In the motion filed for the Sept. 11 case, U.S. military prosecutor Clay Trivett says a continuance is necessary in all pending cases because the review may result in significant changes to the system.
"The interests of justice served by granting the requested continuance outweigh the interests of both the public and the accused in a prompt trial," Trivett wrote.
The motion was written at the direction of the president and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he said.
"It will permit the newly inaugurated president and his administration to undertake a thorough review of both the pending cases and the military commissions process generally," he added.
There are war crimes charges pending against 21 men being held at Guantanamo, including the five charged with murder and other crimes in the Sept. 11 case. Judges would be required to suspend the other cases as well, though hearings may not be necessary.
Eric Holder, the president's nominee for attorney general, has said the so-called military commissions lack sufficient legal protections for defendants and that they could be tried in the United States.
A human rights group at Guantanamo to observe this week's session of the war crimes court welcomed what appeared to be the looming end of the special tribunals.
"It's a great first step but it is only a first step," said Gabor Rona, international director of Human Rights First. "The suspension of military commissions so soon after President Obama took office is an indication of the sense of urgency he feels about reversing the destructive course that the previous administration was taking in fighting terrorism."
Jamil Dakwar, director of the human rights program at the American Civil Liberties Union, said it was a positive step but "the president's order leaves open the option of this discredited system remaining in existence."
Relatives of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, who were also at the base to observe the hearings, have said they oppose any further delay in the trials of the men charged in the case.

READ THE OBAMA SPEECH AS HE SWORN IN NOON TUESDAY

WASHINGTON – Stepping into history, Barack Hussein Obama grasped the reins of power as America's first black president on Tuesday, saying the nation must choose "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord" to overcome the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

In frigid temperatures, an exuberant crowd of more than a million packed the National Mall and parade route to celebrate Obama's inauguration in a high-noon ceremony. They filled the National Mall, stretching from the inaugural platform at the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial in the distance.

With 11 million Americans out of work and trillions of dollars lost in the stock market's tumble, Obama emphasized that his biggest challenge is to repair the tattered economy left behind by outgoing President George W. Bush.

"Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed," Obama said in an undisguised shot at Bush administration policies. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin the work of remaking America."

The dawn of the new Democratic era — with Obama allies in charge of both houses of Congress — ends eight years of Republican control of the White House by Bush, who leaves Washington as one of the nation's most unpopular and divisive presidents, the architect of two unfinished wars and the man in charge at a time of economic calamity that swept away many Americans' jobs, savings and homes.

Obama's election was cheered around the world as a sign that America will be more embracing, more open to change. "To the Muslim world," Obama said, "we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

Still, he bluntly warned, "To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

Two years after beginning his improbable quest as a little-known, first-term Illinois senator with a foreign-sounding name, Obama moved into the Oval Office as the nation's fourth youngest president, at 47, and the first African-American, a barrier-breaking achievement believed impossible by generations of minorities.

He said it was a moment to recall "that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

Obama called for a political truce in Washington to end "the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

He said that all Americans have roles in rebuilding the nation by renewing the traditions of hard work, honesty and fair play, tolerance, loyalty and patriotism.

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

With the economy in a long and deepening recession, Obama said it was time for swift and bold action to create new jobs and lay a foundation for growth. Congressional Democrats have readied an $825 billion stimulus plan of tax cuts and spending for roads, bridges, schools, electric grids and other projects.

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works," the new president said.

A mighty chorus of cheers erupted as Obama stepped to the inaugural platform, a midday sun warming the crowd that had waited for hours in the cold. There were some boos when Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney came onto the platform.

In his remarks, Obama took stock of the nation's sobering problems.

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood," he said.

"Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age," Obama said. "Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

It was the first change of administrations since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Crowds filled the Mall for a distant glimpse of the proceedings or just, in the words of many, simply "to be here." Washington's subway system was jammed and two downtown stations were closed when a woman was struck by a subway train.

Bush — following tradition — left a note for Obama in the top drawer of his desk in the Oval Office.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said the theme of the message — which Bush wrote on Monday — was similar to what he has said since election night: that Obama is about to begin a "fabulous new chapter" in the United States, and that he wishes him well.

The unfinished business of the Bush administration thrusts an enormous burden onto the new administration, though polls show Americans are confident Obama is on track to succeed. He has cautioned that improvements will take time and that things will get worse before they get better.

Culminating four days of celebration, the nation's 56th inauguration day began for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden with a traditional morning worship service at St. John's Episcopal Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House. Bells pealed from the historic church's tower as Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived five minutes behind schedule.

The festivities won't end until well after midnight, with dancing and partying at 10 inaugural balls.

By custom, Obama and his wife, and Biden and his wife, Jill, went directly from church to the White House for coffee with Bush and his wife, Laura. Michelle Obama brought a gift for the outgoing first lady in a white box decorated with a red ribbon.

Shortly before 11 a.m., Obama and Bush climbed into a heavily armored Cadillac limousine to share a ride to the Capitol for the transfer of power, an event flashed around the world in television and radio broadcasts, podcasts and Internet streaming. On Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney pulled a muscle in his back, leaving him in a wheelchair for the inauguration.

Just after noon, Obama stepped forward on the West Front of the Capitol to lay his left hand on the same Bible that President Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration in 1861. The 35-word oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, has been uttered by every president since George Washington. Obama was one of 22 Democratic senators to vote against Roberts' confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005.

The son of a white, Kansas-born mother and a black, Kenya-born father, Obama decided to use his full name in the swearing-in ceremony.

To the dismay of liberals, Obama invited conservative evangelical pastor Rick Warren — an opponent of gay rights — to give the inaugural invocation.

About a dozen members of Obama's Cabinet and top appointees were ready for Senate confirmation Tuesday, provided no objections were raised. But Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas indicated he would block a move to immediately confirm Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Still, she is expected to be approved in a roll call vote Wednesday.

More than 10,000 people from all 50 states — including bands and military units — were assembled to follow Obama and Biden from the Capitol on the 1.5-mile inaugural parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue, concluding at a bulletproof reviewing stand in front of the White House. Security was unprecedented. Most bridges into Washington and about 3.5 square miles of downtown were closed.

Among the VIPs at the Capitol was pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the hero of last week's US Airways crash into the Hudson River.

Obama's inauguration represents a time of renewal and optimism for a nation gripped by fear and anxiety. Stark numbers tell the story of an economic debacle unrivaled since the 1930s:

_Eleven million people have lost their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent, a 16-year high.

_One in 10 U.S. homeowners is delinquent on mortgage payments or in arrears.

_The Dow Jones industrial average fell by 33.8 percent in 2008, the worst decline since 1931, and stocks lost $10 trillion in value between October 2007 and November 2008.

Obama and congressional Democrats are working on an $825 billion economic recovery bill that would provide an enormous infusion of public spending and tax cuts. Obama also will have at his disposal the remaining $350 billion in the federal financial bailout fund. His goal is to save or create 3 million jobs and put banks back in the job of lending to customers.

In an appeal for bipartisanship, Obama honored defeated Republican presidential rival John McCain at a dinner Monday night. "There are few Americans who understand this need for common purpose and common effort better than John McCain," Obama said.

Young and untested, Obama is a man of enormous confidence and electrifying oratorical skills. Hopes for Obama are extremely high, suggesting that Americans are willing to give him a long honeymoon to strengthen the economy and lift the financial gloom.

On Wednesday, his first working day in office, Obama is expected to redeem his campaign promise to begin the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq under a 16-month timetable. Aides said he would summon the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Oval Office and order that the pullout commence.