World Cup 2014: Brazil fans stunned as Germany routs home team

The problem is psychological," said Brazil fan Fabio Fontes. "It would be normal for the team to lose against Germany, but not in this fashion."

Soccer fans in Sao Paulo watch in horror as Germany dominates the home side en route to a 7-1 win. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)

With Brazil's star striker Neymar out injured and captain Thiago Silva suspended for the match, it quickly became clear the Brazilians couldn't handle the Germans.
To make matters worse, at Copacabana’s Fan Fest viewing area, hundreds of people stampeded out as a gang of young men carried out a mass robbery, running through crowd, inciting panic and snatching necklaces and bags along the way.
That, coupled with the crushing game, sent many fans heading home.
With Brazil tossed out of its own World Cup in such rough fashion, "you are going to have the most depressed country ever," Pablo Ramoz said.
Brazil spent billions of dollars preparing for the tournament, with expectations that home advantage could deliver Brazil a sixth title, but the high cost also ignited intense anger and protests against the World Cup, with demonstrators lamenting the costs when the nation is saddled with woeful public services.
Few thought Germany's stomping of Brazil would spark renewed mass protests — but it is certain to put a severely sour taste back into the mouths of the nation's fans.

'What a shame!'

In Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest city, thousands gathered in the Bohemian neighbourhood of Vila Madalena, the streets carpeted with yellow, green and blue — the colours of the Brazilian flag.
Fan Samir Kelvin clung to a street pole and loudly cried: "I have nothing left! I am Brazilian and humiliated I want to kill myself!"
Nearby, a woman cried out "What shame, what shame!" as a man nearby was banging his head against a bar table.
The website Veja Sao Paulo, meanwhile, tweeted an image of Brazil fans burning the country's flag.
A large group of fans gathered at a 600-unit apartment complex in Rio couldn't believe what they had witnessed.
Jorge Cardoso, an engineer, blamed the loss on the injury that sidelined Neymar and the benching of Silva for accumulating two yellow cards during the tournament.
He said simply: "It's like someone you love has died."

R. Lee Ermey Talks Military, Acting and Reality TV

Actor R. Lee Ermey in his ranch outside of Los Angeles. Angel Canales/ABC News

Los Angeles — Retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey has had a great acting career for over 35 years. Before his Hollywood career skyrocketed, Ermey, 70, was a farm boy in Kansas growing up with five other brothers.

“I grew up in a farm, so I didn’t really have any playmates or friends with the exception of my brothers,” he said.

Ermey’s father was in the U.S. Navy and he wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps. However, Ermey ended up joining the Marine Corps after he saw one in person.


A young R. Lee Ermey riding a horse in the farm in Kansas. Courtesy R. Lee Ermey

“There’s a Marine standing in full dress blues and I just looked at him and I thought ‘Oh boy, hey.’ If these guys were a uniform like that, they couldn’t do too much work. This is something I should look into. I assumed incorrectly,” he said with a smile.

He joined the Marine Corps in 1961 and said he really enjoyed his time there.

“When I went into the Marine Corps, I had all kinds of playmates, all kinds of brothers and friends. I like that aspect of it,” he said.


R. Lee Ermey in full Marine uniform. Courtesy of R. Lee Ermey

When it came time to re-enlist after four years, he wasn’t too enthusiastic about going back to the farm. As a result, he ended up serving honorably for 11 years.

“I thought well, ‘What do I want to do? Do I want to go back to the farm or do I want to stay in the Marine Corps?’” he said.

It worked out just fine for Ermey. He went on to become a staff noncommissioned officer and served two years as a drill instructor.

“I would rather have been out fighting in the war rather than training people to fight the war but that’s the way it works,” he said.

Ermey was deployed once to Vietnam and retired in 1971.

“The hardest part about being retired out of the Marine Corps was to find myself standing outside the gate in San Diego with nothing but a green sea bag. The toughest part of the transition was leaving my friends behind because every friend that I had in the world was back there,” he said.

Ermey was awarded an honorary promotion to Gunny in 2002. But Ermey had to reinvent and find a way to support himself.

“Whether I liked it or not I was retired but that didn’t mean that I had to leave the [Marine] Corps. Supporting me was the question. I was a grunt. I was an instructor. There’s no big call for grunts or drill instructors or people running up a hill to kill the bad guys in civilian life,” he said.

At the same time, Vietnam War theme shows started production and Ermey took notice. He used his G.I. Bill benefits and enrolled at the University of Manila in the Philippines, where he studied drama.


Actor and Retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey (center on right) with his 1966 Marine recruits at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. R. Lee Ermey/U.S. Marine Corps



“I said, here’s my chance. Here’s the door. Here’s the big door that’s going to come open for me. It would get my foot inside the door to impress the appropriate people,” he recalled.

The plan worked. Film Director Francis Ford Coppola was filming “Apocalypse Now” in the Philippines and cast Ermey in a featured role. From there, Ermey’s career catapulted following the iconic 1987 film by film director Stanly Kubrick “Full Metal Jacket.”

“When you do a really fantastic film with a great role that you’re able to customize for yourself, the doors fly open. Let’s face it, I was a drill instructor, I was a Marine and I am a Marine so who knows better,” he said.

Ermey, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, has been working nonstop since and has appeared in over 120 films.

His new job is one he really enjoys — one where he gets to show his softer side. When Sportsman Channel ask Ermey to host the new reality show “Saving Private K-9″ last year, he said yes. Saving Private K-9 features untold stories of military and law enforcement dogs. Each episode highlights the dogs’ battlefield training, heroic accomplishments and relationships with their handlers — as well as their impact on those who have worked with them.


A scene with host R. Lee Ermey from Saving Private K9 with military dogs. Sportsman Channel

“I love reuniting the dogs with their former handlers and I want people to know that these dogs are very adoptable, extremely trained and smart,” said Ermey, who has a soft spot for dogs and currently has two of his own on his ranch outside Los Angeles.

Half of NHS bosses believe patients will have to pay for some services

Thirty-five percent of respondents backed the idea of introducing charges for services such as visiting a GP or for missed appointments. Photograph: Hugh Macknight/PA


Almost half of NHS bosses believe the health service is under such strain that patients will be forced to pay for at least some services within 10 years.

The finding reflects deepening gloom among chief executives of NHS organisations that the service is becoming unsustainable in its current form as a result of rising demand for care amid an ongoing financial squeeze.

In a survey of 78 senior NHS leaders by the Nuffield Trust health thinktank, 47% said it was quite (33%) or very (14%) unlikely that comprehensive healthcare would still be provided free at the point of use in England a decade's time.

Although 48% thought the NHS would still be operating along existing lines by 2024, the thinktank said in a report published on Thursday that it was struck by the lack of confidence "that some of the NHS's core values will remain in 10 years' time, squeezed out by relentless austerity, and the need to meet rising numbers of (very) frail older people and people with chronic illness, and increasing expectations about what a health service can and should provide."

Among the respondents 63% said that taxes should rise to fund the NHS, although 29% disagreed. And while 55% opposed introducing charges for services such as visiting a GP or missed appointments, 35% backed the idea. NHS England's chairman, Prof Sir Malcolm Grant, said last year that whoever forms the government after the next election would have to consider introducing charges to help the NHS stay intact.

Three-quarters of (76%) NHS bosses also believe the service could become more efficient without harming care but the thinktank warned that patients could start to feel the effects of its tightening financial squeeze before next May's general election.

"I think they will notice it in some hospitals. They will find rising A&E waits, some people will have to wait longer [for elective treatment] and I think they will have to wait longer to see a GP", said Andy McKeon, the thinktank's senior policy fellow.

The squeeze means hospital trusts are increasingly having to decide whether to spend money to improve the quality of care they offer or let it slide, for example by letting waiting lists lengthen.

Its report, Into The Red?, warned that the NHS could experience a funding crisis before next year's election and that, after coping well until last year with the increasing demands placed upon it, official NHS financial data for 2013-14 show that "cracks are starting to show in a system under severe financial pressure".

There was a worrying £1bn turnaround in the financial health of the hospital sector in England between 2012-13 and 2013-14, which saw the number of trusts in deficit rise from 45 to 66 and a £383m surplus in 2012-13 become a £100m deficit in 2013-14, even after a further £500m was pumped into ailing trusts by the government.

In May the health minister Lord Howe said that while 2014-15 would be "a tough year financially" for the NHS, "in 15/16 … we are going to be really up against it." It is likely to be up against it before then, McKeon said.

Further evidence emerged on Wednesday of the growing pressures on the NHS when official figures showed the number of people being forced to wait longer than the six-week target for a diagnostic test for cancer and other serious illnesses, such as a CT scan or MRI scan, had reached its highest level for six years.

In May a total of 18,664 people waited more than six weeks to have either form of scan, ultrasound or an endoscopy.

Duleep Allirajah, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said it was extremely worrying that the proportion of people waiting more than six weeks for tests to diagnose cancer had more than doubled from 1% to 2.2% in a year.

"Despite the fact that waiting times are significantly lower since the introduction of the six-week waiting time target in 2008, it's alarming to see them creeping back up again. The NHS is under strain and cancer risks being overlooked and not given the focus it needs," he added.

Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, said the figures were further proof of "an NHS heading seriously downhill under David Cameron. Patients are waiting longer for crucial tests, causing stress and real anguish for worried families."

Germany asks top US intelligence official to leave country over spy row

Angela Merkel last year accused the National Security Agency of tapping her phone. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The German government has asked the top US intelligence official in Berlin to leave the country, according to a politician from Angela Merkel's party.

The move comes in response to two reported cases of suspected US spying in Germany and the year-long spat over reported NSA spying in Germany.

Clemens Binniger, who chairs the parliamentary committee that oversees the intelligence services, told reporters on Thursday that "the government has asked the representative of the US intelligence agencies in Germany to leave the country as a reaction to the ongoing failure to help resolve the various allegations, starting with the NSA and up to the latest incidents."

Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imran Khan is an alumnus of the elite Aitchison College in Lahore. Photograph: Nya,/AP


Traditions die hard at Aitchison College, a Raj-era school in the heart of Lahore that has been educating Pakistan's elite amid manicured playing fields and Mughal-esque buildings for decades. Students still wear starched turbans on formal occasions, tent-pegging is a competitive sport and important guests tour the 200-acre campus in a horse-drawn buggy.

So the surprise announcement by the school's governors that they would no longer favour the sons of alumni in the annual fight for places has sparked howls of indignation from high-powered old boys who say selecting on merit alone will damage the character of an institution that is a byword for social elitism in Pakistan.

The scrapping of the "kinship" rules, which took account of whether a father or grandfather of a would-be pupil once attended the school, was pushed through last month in a unanimous decision by board members.

Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, a former Labour MP who as governor of Pakistan's Punjab province also chairs the school board, said kinship had been used as an excuse to favour a tiny minority of "V-VIP" families.

"It was nothing to do with kinship but favouritism," said Sarwar. "When they talk about kinship they are not talking about kinship for the middle classes, they are talking about kinship only for a maximum of one dozen families."

The school has long been dogged by claims that coveted places have been handed out as favours to powerful political families, many of whom have attended the school for generations.

One former school leader said a parent once tried to use a political donation to a flood relief fund to ensure his son was made a prefect in the prep school.

Sarwar has been criticised for interfering halfway through the admissions process. He insists the change was strongly supported by Shahbaz Sharif, the powerful Punjab chief minister and younger brother of the prime minister.

But it caused uproar among old boys, particularly after the school posted a public notice saying only 75 of the more than 450 six-year-olds who had applied had scored more than 50% in entrance test. Although many of those who fell below that mark were later included to fill the 120 available places, the controversy has not died down.

Sarwar insisted the children from powerful families got marks far below the pass rate and would not have benefited from kinship considerations, which the school claimed only ever carried limited weight.

"It is very unfortunate that the children of notables didn't succeed, but they should feel happy merit prevailed and people from [the] middle classes have taken admission," he said. "They are upset because they feel they have some right to a place, but we are living in the 21st century."

Alumni have argued that kinship helps to ensure Aitchison continues to produce all-rounders as well as sustaining loyalty to an institution that has educated scores of famous politicians, including Imran Khan, the former cricket star.

Khawaja Tariq Rahim, another distinguished alumnus who once served as governor of the Punjab, said the system simply emulated the famous British public schools on which Aitchison was originally modelled.

"The governor has no idea about public school life," he said. "His whole politics are from his union activities, which he picked up as a member of the Labour party in the UK."

Most public schools in the UK are now educationally selective. The Headmasters' & Headmistresses' Conference, a body of elite UK private schools, said it was not aware of any of its members offering places based on family members being former pupils.

Although Aitchison faces growing competition from high-performing chains of private schools, it still commands fierce loyalty among students, one of whom last year praised the school for producing "perfect gentlemen".

"An Aitchisonian exudes a well cultivated air of confidence without appearing conceited," one A-level student wrote in an article for a national newspaper. "This is combined with unassuming intelligence and a sense of purpose."

The school, established in 1886 to educate the sons of princes, today boasts lavish facilities, including swimming pools and boarding houses.

While nationwide half of school-age Pakistanis are not in any form of education, Aitchison teaches in English and many of its 2,700 students go on to study at top foreign universities.

Some old boys say they are considering taking the matter to court.

"The problem is they think it's like a British club and they have a natural right for their sons to be invited to become members," said Fakir Aijazuddin, who said he tried to introduce merit-only selection during a short-lived and controversial period as the school principal, during which Aitchison was accused of giving away places to well connected families.

"But it doesn't belong to them, they only went there."

EA film makers to form alliance to support regional integration agenda

East African film makers on Wednesday convened in Arusha in an effort to form an alliance of film festivals that will support the regional integration agenda.

 

The three-day first Preparatory Forum for Film Festivals and Film Makers was made possible by the East African Community (EAC) in collaboration with the German International Cooperation (GIZ).

 

The forum is meant to prepare ground work that will lead to the integration of all film festivals and film makers in the region into a regional body that will advocate for the film sector and also support the regional integration efforts through film in the overall context of culture and creative industries.

 

Addressing the forum, EAC head of the Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Owora Richard Othieno hailed East African Film Festival directors for coming up with such idea.

"The move is recommendable and will take the regional bloc into another stages, taking into account that the industry is very powerful, when it comes to taking message to the public," he said.

 

The official said the trading bloc's secretariat will fully support the initiative to further strengthen the already existing cooperation between the EAC, other state and non-state actors towards building a stronger East African Community through the arts and culture.

 

"Indeed this is a laudable initiative and is in line with Article 119 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community, the Common Market Protocol and the Development Strategy (2010-2016), all of which provide for the fostering of public - private sector partnership towards the development of culture and creative industries in the EAC," Owora said.

 

"The Film industry is one of those culture and creative industries in the region with great potential to alleviate poverty and also to create employment for young people. The EAC is cognizant of the critical challenges facing the sectors such as the low capacity, infrastructure, financing and copyright among others. But these are not insurmountable," he said.

 

Martin Mhando, the CEO and director of Zanzibar International Film Festival, noted that culture has been used to shape and to govern identity and as festivals are perceived to be vehicles for "re-imaging" places, they also give communities a creative focus, helping to celebrate achievements, forge community identity, and of course in generating increased tourism.

 

He said the region was rich in talent but has no infrastructure to develop the talents and the formation of a festival network is a response to such a need.

 

The forum is being attended by film directors, cultural officers, and culture and creative industries stakeholders.

'Involve ICT firms in policy formulation'

The Government has been urged to involve local companies dealing with information and communication technology (ICT), in the formulation of policies in order to enable the nation to benefit more, from various inventions in the field.

 

The call was made at the weekend by Chief Executive Officer of Raha Aashiq Shariff a registered trademark of Startel Tanzania Limited that deals with provision of digital services and digital tools during the launch of an underground fiber network across the Central Business District (CBD) of Dar es Salaam, which is quickly expanding beyond the city.

 

The CEO said, together with the good job that is being done by the government through the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA), still there is a lot that needs to be done for Tanzania to reap the benefit of ICT advancements.

 

“Social media, blogs, content platforms, clouds and the increasing integration and connectedness of daily processes to the internet have created a population of digital natives and nationals, who are no longer intimidated by the web, nor are they in need of being educated on how to use it,” he said.

 

Under such a situation, he said, it is of paramount importance that the policies are such that they allow brands and service providers to respect them as globally exposed, creative and tech-savvy individuals.

 

“With this comes a new way of looking at the world and engaging with its parts, so in recognition of this, we have challenged ourselves to evolve our brand, and as such we want Raha, the local company to be a mirror of Tanzania’s era of digital content and resonate on a global scale,” he said.

 

Commenting on some of the advantages of optic fiber technology they were launching, he said, the systems are less expensive in comparison with conventional technology systems like metal wires.

 

Mentioning an example, he said that kilometers of optical cable can be made cheaper than the equivalent lengths of copper wire, and that saves the provider, be it of cable television or internet and hence, it is cost effective.

 

“Another advantage is in the carrying capacity, that because optical fibers are thinner than copper wires, more fibers can be bundled into a given diameter cable, than copper wires et cetera,” he said.

 

Sharrif said, the launched service will provide unparalleled speed and reliability to all of its users, especially to consumers whose business and individual productivity relies on maximum efficiency.

 

Moreover, he invited telecommunication companies to utilise the new launched service, to improve the interconnectedness of their customers in various areas.

EAC harmonising human drugs registration to allow free flow

East African Community (EAC) member states are in the process of harmonising the registration of human drugs to allow their free movement and increase availability of safe, efficacious and good quality essential medicines in the region.

 

The move comes amid complaints by pharmaceutical importers in the country that the registration process is slow and involves several procedures compared to some neighbouring countries.

 

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the India-Tanzania Pharmaceuticals Buyer Seller meeting, Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority, (TFDA) Director of Drugs and Cosmetics, Dr Adam Fimbo said the project’s guidelines are ready and awaiting approval.

 

“The project will start with free movement of some few drugs not all kinds of drugs...we may decide to start with malaria drugs and some few other medicines,” he said.

He noted that the project will contain some rules and standards to be adhered to by member states. 

 

Pharmaceutical importers in the country applauded the project, but expressed fear that it may lead to foreign drugs flooding the pharmaceutical sector in the country.

 

“I think this is a good idea. It will enable us to do business in five countries instead of depending on one and will also speed up the registration process...but it could be a disaster as it will pave way to flooding of drugs from our neighbours,” said one of the importers, Neelay Jani during in an exclusive interview with The Guardian.

 

Jani urged local importers in the country to brace for competition with their East African counterparts. He noted that through the free movement of drugs between the states, prices are expected to be lower. 

 

According to the importers, it takes more than a year for TFDA to process the registration process while in neighbouring countries the process takes only 100 days.

However, according to Dr Fimbo, the delay is due to the fact that there are more than 1,000 registration applicants per year while each application takes at least 5 days to be processed. 

 

He said the registration process needs comprehensive scientific analysis including traveling abroad to inspect the drugs’ manufacturer industries.

 

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Charles Pallangyo said analysis of drug supply in the country shows that 70 percent of them are imported from India.

 

“This meeting has been organised at a time when the East African Community is implementing the EAC Regional Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan of Action, 2011-2016 which guides the EAC Secretariat and EAC Partner states towards evolving an efficient and effective pharmaceutical manufacturing industry,’’ he said.

 

The Chairman for Tanzania Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (TAPI) Dr Yusuph Sinare said local pharmaceutical importers are ready to work and do business with their counterparts from India. During their visit to Tanzania, PHARMEXCIL will hold a business meeting to promote the Indian generics. 

Foundation for cancer awareness campaign

Tanzania Breast Cancer Foundation (TBCF) has said most cancer patients from rural areas go for screening when the disease is already at an advanced stage, and hence cannot be treated.

 

According to TBCF, women in rural areas are not fully aware of the disease and its early symptoms and hence end up seeking the treatment from tradition healers. 

The foundation says such women only decide to go to hospitals when the situation has worsened.

 

TBFC Director, Angela Kuzilwa, said the situation is equally bad in other urban areas, especially upcountry. She urged women who are aware of the affliction to visit district hospitals which can refer them to the Ocean Road Cancer Institute – the only such facility in the country.

 

The Director said Ocean Road Cancer Institute receives between 3,000 and 3,500 patients per year and yet only 10 percent of them get medical treatment since most of them discover the disease at a stage where it no longer responds to treatment.

 

The Director appealed to private and public institutions, including the media to promote awareness of the disease to ensure that more patients report to hospital when the disease is at its early stages, terming the diseases a national disaster.

 

“Despite coming for treatment, majority of them usually come at a very late stage. The disease can only be treated if it is discovered during early stages,” she said.

 

According to Kuzilwa, most of the victims of cancer are women. She said little knowledge about cancer and its early symptoms among this group leads to the late discovery of the disease.

 

 “Tanzanians should join hands by helping women in the fight against breast cancer. It is killing a lot of our beloved mothers who fail to read the symptoms early,” she said.

 

The Director said that sensitising and educating them could contribute immensely to saving lives.

 

She said TBCF plans to conduct massive campaigns countrywide in a move to provide education to women in rural and urban areas on early symptoms of breast cancer and its effects.

 

She said in last year’s charity walk the Foundation collected 100m/-, part of which will be used for the campaigns.

 

Kuzilwa called on men to support their wives who have been found with cancer and warned against discriminating them.

Activist, family in hiding after gun-point threat

One journalist and his family have fled their residence after armed men stormed the residence and at gun point threatened to kill him and his family should he continue with his investigative work.

 

Putting a stop to his inquiry into the illicit trade of government trophies in the country, it is reported that Christopher Kidanka, a human rights journalist and editor of the monthly magazine ‘Africa Tomorrow,’ has been forced to abandon his home along with his family to an undisclosed location in fear of his safety. 

 

Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRD) has condemned the threats levied against all human rights activists and journalists in Tanzania calling for an immediate stop and bidding responsible law and public safety authorities to take decisive action.

 

Speaking yesterday in Dar es Salaam, THRD National Coordinator, Onesmo Olengurumwa cited the case of human rights activist Christopher Kidanka who is said to have been receiving repeated threats against his life. According to Olengurumwa, Kidanka has been receiving a series of threats from unknown persons since last month. 

 

 “All this started on February 21 when a group of people invaded my house threatened me with a gun and walked away with my house keys but they did not steal anything,” recalled the journalist as per Olengurumwa narration of the ordeal.

 

“This has to a large extent affected his work including the investigative story that he had been working on,” noted the Human Rights Defenders Coalition Coordinator.

 

He said though the police are investigating the matter, the fact that his journalistic work has prompted the threats cannot be ruled out. 

 

“The matter has already been reported to the police at the University of Dar es Salaam and investigation is in progress,” he reported “but we cannot overrule or ignore the fact that the threat is a result of his work,” he added. 

 

Olengurumwa called upon all concerned authorities to do what it takes to help the innocent family resume its normal life and enable Kidanka continue with his work.

Experts: Homosexuality harmful to your health

Tanzanians should take a wise move to shun gay marriages because of its negative medical consequences on human beings. Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) says that it is unthinkable to advocate homo sexuality citing its enormous negative health effects, especial in a country which is challenged by high maternal and infant mortalities, severe malaria, HIV, TB and now hepatitis B.

 

MAT Chairperson Doctor Primus Saidia, said in an interview in Dar es Salaam that in the light of this debate of gay marriages, it has to be made clear that homo sexuality transmits deadly diseases like hepatitis B and HIV which many poor countries cannot cope with.

 

The interview was centred on the recent bold decision of Uganda to enact a law that bans homosexuality in the country despite diplomatic tantrums from the western countries.

 

“How can we talk about such relationships and neglect their negative medical consequences in a country like Tanzania that cannot cope with preventable and treatable diseases like pneumonia?

 

He observed further that those issues should be regarded as backyard diplomacy that has no place in Tanzania and other areas of Africa.

 

He said one of the basic reasons for Africa to lag behind other continent in the world is the higher prevalence of diseases both communicable and none communicable.

 

“In fact is the biggest challenge that people in the developing world should ponder and discourage such learned cultures.”

 

Recently the national blood transfusion services director, Doctor EfespaNkya, told the public gather in Dar es Salaam in the launch of Hepatitis B vaccine that, the centre collects 170,000 litres of blood annually in which 7.0 percent is HVB contaminated.

 

“More than 12,000 bottles of one litres are discarded annually as they are contaminated with the deadly virus; it is time to intensify the fight against diseases not otherwise.” Nkya said.

 

He said as medical professionals they don’t mind about anybody’s sexual orientation , however they have to make it understood that homo sexuality have negative health impacts that poor people cannot cope with. 

 

The current media portrayal of gay and lesbian relationships is that they are as healthy, stable and loving as heterosexual marriages… or even more so.

 

 Medical associations in some big economies of the world are promoting somewhat similar messages. 

 

Sexual relationships between members of the same sex, however, expose gays, lesbians and bisexuals to extreme risks of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), physical injuries, mental disorders and even a shortened life span.

 

According to medical experts, there are five major distinctions between gay and heterosexual relationships, with specific medical consequences. 

 

Similar extremes of promiscuity have not been documented among lesbians. 

However, an Australian study found that 93 percent of lesbians reported having had sex with men, and lesbians were 4.5 times more likely than heterosexual women to have had more than 50 lifetime male sex partners.

 

Any degree of sexual promiscuity carries the risk of contracting STDs.

Common sexual practices among gay men lead to numerous sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) and physical injuries, some of which are virtually unknown in the heterosexual population. 

 

Lesbians are also at higher risk for STDs. In addition to diseases that may be transmitted during lesbian sex, a study at an Australian STD clinic found that lesbians were three to four times more likely than heterosexual women to have sex with men who were high-risk for HIV.

 

However, it is well established that there are high rates of psychiatric illnesses, including depression, drug abuse, and suicide attempts, among gays and lesbians. 

 

This is true even in the Netherlands, where gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) relationships are far more socially acceptable than in the U.S. Depression and drug abuse are strongly associated with risky sexual practices that lead to serious medical problems.

 

Medical researchers say, the only epidemiological study to date on the life span of gay men concluded that gay and bisexual men lose up to 20 years of life expectancy.

 

Accrding to the experts, “Monogamy” meaning long-term sexual fidelity, is rare in Gay-lesbian relationships, (GLB) particularly among gay men. 

 

One study reported that 66 percent of gay couples reported sex outside the relationship within the first year, and nearly 90 percent if the relationship lasted five years.

In Summary, It is clear that there are serious medical consequences to same-sex behavior.

 

Identification with a GLB community appears to lead to an increase in promiscuity, which in turn leads to a myriad of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and even early death. Youth should be warned of the undeniable health risks associated with a homosexual lifestyle.

Tweet winners urge SMEs focus to enhance local potentials

The February 2014 IPP tweet winners have urged the government to introduce a new policy that will give priority to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to partake of national investment potentials.

 

Speaking during the Tweets Winners’ handover ceremony yesterday, they expressed concern over the lack of improved investment opportunities that would lift up economic strength among small and medium enterprises and widen market viability of local products.

 

Victor Byemelwa, a student at the University of Dodoma, who banked the first place win for the third time after October and November last year urged the formulation of a new policy that could create a conducive business environment for local entrepreneurs.

 

The first runner up, Glory Ndewario from Ardhi University and the second runner up, Mteule Mnyalap supported the view, saying current financial policies were friendly to big business ventures, forgetting the potentiality of small entrepreneurs for the national development wheel.

 

In awarding the Tweet Champions, the first winner pocketed Tsh 1 million, the second winner netted TSh 500,000 while the third winner banked TSh 300,000 financing.

 

Winners of February were found after giving good ideas on ‘how does the governments help young entrepreneurs to build their economic abilities,’ whereby 978 citizens’ tweets were received and three emerged winners.

 

Speaking on behalf of IPP Executive Chairman Dr. Reginald Mengi, the Independent Television (ITV) and Radio One managing director Joyce Mhaville commended the ideas of the tweet victors, saying they were potentially helpful to the country’s economy if applied.

 

 “Your ideas are positive to the government and once such policies are introduced it will help many young entrepreneurs in the country and improve the economy as well,” she stated.

 

Dr. Donath Olomi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Development said that benchmarks used to arrange criteria were focusing on creativity of the idea, the possibility of its implementation in the Tanzanin environment and how clearly the idea is explained.

 

The competition was introduced in May last year by IPP Executive Chairman Dr. Mengi and until now people have been putting across various ideas for evaluation each month, all focusing on how the economy can be improved.

 

The question for this month is ‘provide an example on how you can use challenges facing others to build up the economy,’ the director noted.

Telecom firm supports women's award

Airtel Tanzania has handed over 5m/- to The Unity of Women Friends, the organisers of the Mwanamakuka Award.

 

During the hand over event held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, Airtel Public Relations Officer Jane Matinde said the money will go a long way in boosting the recipients businesses.

 

"Today we handover 5m/- as our sponsorship believing the funds will enable to the organisers reach more women and enable the recipients expand their business,” she said.

“We are happy to see winners from previous year awards doing well in their business it is encouraging and we pledge continued support," she added.

 

This is the third consecutive year that Airtel has sponsored the Mwanamakuka Award which the PR said is part the firm’s women empowerment initiative.

 

The Mwanamakuka Award 2014 involved 10 women who participated and won in 2012 and 2013 respectively. The winners were required to write short success stories of the achievements attained since their sponsorship.

 

Leila Mwambungu was announced the number one winner of Mwanamakuka Award 2014 who applauded Airtel for their support.

 

"I feel honoured and happy to emerge the winner of this year award…” she said “…I would like to thank both the organisers and the sponsors.”

 

She revealed that thanks to the award: “I have successfully been running my business and even employed several people and with the cash prize I am awarded today I will add on to my working capital.”

 

“I would like to encourage my fellow women to put more effort in what they do, it does not matter how small their capital is, what matters is the determination, there is no any other secret to success apart from determination,” she insisted bidding other entrepreneurs to set realistic and achievable goals to be pursed in a specified timeframe.

 

From The Unity of Women friends, Chairperson and Event organiser, Maryam Shamo, said they are working to better the Mwanamakuka Award to reach more women in the country. 

The other winners were Tatu Ngao, Mwananne Msekalile, Sikudhani Daudi, Nasra Aziz, Selestina Renatus, Mwajabu Yusufu and Agnes Daudi

TFDA cautions public over use of banned cosmetics

Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) has issued a health alert warning on the use of illegally imported prohibited cosmetics warning that on one hand the consumers’ risk major health threats while on the other hand, the government stands to loose huge sums in medical bill charges of the victims. 

 

The amount of banned cosmetics in the Tanzanian market is overwhelming, TFDA reports revealing that during the 2012/13 financial year they destroyed a shocking 34 tones of prohibited cosmetics following a nation wide crackdown.

 

TFDA Public Relations Manager Gaudensia Simwanza said in Dar es Salaam recently that of 3,968 registered cosmetics, 242 that have been identified to have the harmful contents of mercury and have been placed on the list of prohibited products.

 

She went on to issue a stern warning to fraudulent importers who continue to sneak into the country banned products for personal gains despite the danger posed to the public saying severe legal measures would be pursued against any found guilty of the practice.

 

 “I call upon the general community to collaborate by us to identify these deceitful businessmen who import harmful products,” she bid.

 

She explained that the unscrupulous traders use unofficial routes and ports to smuggle products into the country.

 

She however fell short of naming the identified harmful cosmetics and what signs should the final consumer look for when purchasing products to verify their legality other than the TRA logo which is mainly Tax payment verification.

Over 180 private schools close down

Over 180 private secondary schools have stopped operating in the past two years due to what owners said were high operational costs.

 

Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges (Tamongsco) in an interview with The Guardian over the weekend said the costs were due to the multiple taxes they were required to pay.

 

Tamongsco members called on the government to remove some of the taxes imposed in education to enable them run the schools or else people will return to the old days where they will be required to send their children to study outside the country.

 

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Prof Sifuni Mchome acknowledged it was aware of and was working on the concerns of the private school owners.

 

The taxes which the private school owners are charged include property tax, city levy, land rent, and skills development levy, occupational safety and health administration, and fire which they said are too many for them to manage, affecting the schools economically.

Speaking to The Guardian over the weekend, Jerry Nyabululu Tamongsco member from Shinyanga claimed that private school owners in Lake Zone plan to give their stand in April this year   concerning the multiple levies imposed on them.

 

“We are not going to strike. We will find  a proper way of ensuring that our message reaches the government… private school owners have written a letter to the government since 2007 requesting it to stop imposing multiple taxes in education but is has never responded,” Nyabululu said.

 

According to him, private schools in Kilimanjaro region have vowed to file a case in court against the government to oppose some taxes in education including skills development levy.

Nyabululu said the Vocational Education and Training Act of 1994 revised in 2004 required school owners to pay 5 percent of the salary of each employee, as skills levy, saying that a school can pay up to over 40m/- per year.

 

Dr Martha Mvungi the owner of the Eastern and Southern Africa Center for Support in Education (ESCSE) who suspended operations of her school said that the imposition of multiple taxes will force the schools to turn into businesses while it is not allowed by law.

 

She added that many schools are facing shortage of students because parents have failed to pay the higher fees due to increased taxation.

 

“If the government fails to support private schools with grants, many of them will be close down, because the operational costs are high,” she said.

 

She further claimed that the work permit fee is very high, forcing school owners to pay for their workers. The situation is different in neighbouring countries such as Kenya and Uganda where foreign workers don’t pay for work permits.

 

They said that before 1992, when private individuals were not allowed to own schools, many Tanzanians sent their children to Kenyan and Ugandan schools, but when individuals were allowed to own schools the number of parents sending children abroad came down sharply and more Tanzanians got employment.

 

Prof Mchome said the government is working on the concerns raised by private school owners through education lab which comprised different stakeholders.

 

Through the lab the government will be able to address some of the issues which have been raised by the private school owners including multiple taxes, he said. 

 

He said that the government is aware of all the levies and has promised to work on the complaints so as to provide an environment that conducive for education investment in the country.

 

Prof Mchome called on all private school owners to be patient as his ministry takes all necessary measures to ensure that the levies which are imposed to them do not affect their operations.

TALK OF THE TOWN

VIEW GALLERY

A valet at a five-star hotel might be looking for a new job after he crashed a Lamborghini Gallardo, causing nearly 200,000 in damage.

The front end of the super car was badly damaged when the valet, named by the Times of India as Arun Kumar, who was injured in the collision, appeared to lose control, hitting a concrete wall at the Le Meridian hotel in New Delhi.

The paper reports that the hotel had initially promised to pay for the works but later declined that offer and a complaint has been filed with police.

Nipun Mglani, who was borrowing the car, said: "The car had been parked by valets a number of times before.

"Even that afternoon, the valet took the car to the parking safely and even brought it back to the porch area without any hassles."

However, he somehow appears to have lost control, almost hitting another valet, before smashing into the barrier.

Nipun said that before the collision with the wall the Lamborghini hit another car causing it to spin round and hit another car.

MAVITUZ YA B- BAND

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said Israel struck more than 320 Hamas targets overnight, focusing on underground tunnel networks and rocket launching sites. That brought the total number of targets hit to 750 in three days of the massive offensive that has killed at least 80 Palestinians.


A woman takes a photo with her mobile phone of a car damaged when the remains of a rocket intercepted by Israel landed in a Tel Aviv neighbourhood Thursday. (Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters)

Lerner said Israel has already mobilized 20,000 reservists for a possible ground operation into Gaza, but for the time being Israel remained focused on maximizing its air campaign. A ground invasion could lead to heavy civilian casualties on the Palestinian side while putting Israeli ground forces in danger.

Neither side is showing any sign of halting their heaviest fighting since an eight-day battle in late 2012. Israel says that Hamas must cease rocket fire from Gaza for Israel to consider a truce. Militants have fired hundreds of rockets, striking across the length of Israel and disrupting life across the country. No one has been seriously harmed as the "Iron Dome" defence system has intercepted at least 70 of the projectiles destined for major population centers.

"The ground option needs to be the last option and only if it is absolutely necessary. It is a carefully designed plan of action," Lerner said.

The Israeli security Cabinet was meeting to discuss its next moves.


Rescue workers search for victims under the rubble of a house, which police said was destroyed in an Israeli air strike, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa /Reuters)

Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said the operation was going according to plan, with Israel targeting various Hamas interests.

"The military's successes so far have been very significant," he said. "We will continue until they understand that this escalation is not beneficial to them and that we will not tolerate rocket fire toward our towns and citizens."

Palestinian medical officials said a strike early Thursday struck a home in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, killing eight members of the Al Haj family. Tractors cleared away large piles of debris from the demolished building as one man laid atop a mattress and blankets that remained.

Earlier, at least eight others were killed when a strike hit a Gaza beach cafe where they were watching a World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands, said Mahmoud Sawali, who said he lost at least two of his brothers in the attack.


Israel continues to mass troops, tanks and armoured personnel carriers outside of the central Gaza Strip. (Baz Ratner/Reuters)

"We only ask of help from God. Here I have two brothers who are martyrs, and I'm looking for the third," he said.

The Israeli military said it was investigating both incidents. It also said it struck a car in Gaza carrying three Islamic Jihad militants involved in firing rockets. The militant group confirmed that its men were killed in the strike. Hamas officials said that the Palestinian side of its border crossing with Israel had also been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes.

The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported 81 deaths thus far, saying about half were women and children though the exact breakdown remains unclear.

Israel accuses militants of deliberately endangering civilians by using homes and other civilian buildings for cover. The military has also directly targeted the offices and homes of known militants that it says are used as command centers. The military typically contacts the families first to ask civilians to evacuate before striking its targets.

Yigal Palmor, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Hamas is firing rockets from "within houses and streets and neighbourhoods which are populated with civilians … exposing these civilians to retaliation and to backfire."

After an overnight lull, militants resumed their barrage toward central and southern Israel. Remnants of a long-range rocket fired from Gaza landed in a gas station in south Tel Aviv after being shot down by Israel's "Iron Dome" defence system.

The longer range of the rockets fired from Gaza has disrupted life across southern and central Israel, where people have been forced to remain close to home, and kindergartens and summer camps have closed. Israeli television has been a constant news loop with updates from both sides of the border and even radio music stations were interrupting songs with news of every siren informing of incoming rockets.

"We heard the siren and we immediately entered the home shelter," said Avraham Nachum, from the southern Israeli town of Netivot. "One of the boys was in the shower. He didn't manage to step outside of the shower on time."

Besides firing toward Israel's two largest cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Hamas also launched a rocket that reached the town of Zichron Yaakov, more than 100 kilometres north of Gaza.

Initially, Israel said that "quiet would be met with quiet" but as the rocket fire has reached deeper into Israel officials have taken a tougher stand saying the rocket threat against Israel must be lifted.