Zimbabwe parliament threatens Mugabe
News & Trends •
source63 zimbabwes parliament has threatened to charge the countrys former president robert mugabe with contempt if he does not appear at a hearing probing 15 billion in lost diamond revenue1 mugabe 94 failed to show up at a hearing monday before the zimbabwes mines and energy parliament portfolios committee to clarify claims he made in 2016 that the country had lost 15 billion through diamond leakages1 it was the second time mugabe did not turn up to face the lawmakers and he drew the anger of the committee officials who have ordered him to turn up on june 11 or face contempt charges and possible jail time1 we expect him to have time to appear before parliament. we expect him to co-operate and parliament has power to summon anyone said committee chairman temba mliswa monday told journalists in harare1 he added in the letter we are writing to him which is a final letter we are reminding him that we will be summoning him and we hope we are not getting to that stage of summoning a former president1 let me remind you that the former and late mp roy bennett was sent to prison by parliament. so lets be mindful of the powers the parliament has mliswa added1 during his 92nd birthday in 2016 mugabe told the state broadcaster that zimbabwe had lost 15 billion through diamond leakages resulting in him nationalizing the industry1 mugabe who ruled zimbabwe for nearly 38 years was forced to leave power last november after giving in to military pressure1 since then he has been rarely seen in public and only addressed a few journalists earlier this year when he accused his former deputy and successor president emmerson mnangagwa of dethroning him unconstitutionally1

Dutch court approves recognition of Transgender
News & Trends •
source63 a court in thehas said a third gender should be enshrined in law in a ground-breaking ruling for people who do not identify as either male or female1 the limburg district court in the city of roermond decided an unnamed applicant could be recorded on their birth register as gender undetermined1 until now dutch citizens have had to be registered as either a man or woman1 the time is ripe for the recognition of a third gender the judges said in a statement. to enable the registration of a third gender x a legal amendment is crucial. its now up to the lawmakers1 the case came after the applicant was registered as male at birth in 1961 but had treatment to become a woman in 2001. they later decided they felt neither like a man or woman and asked authorities to include a third gender-neutral entry in the birth register. it was this that was agreed in court on monday1 a similar request by a different person was turned down in 2007 by the netherlands highest court the high council1 but transgender activists hailed the new ruling as a momentous step in dutch law and for european rights1 this can be called revolutionary within dutch family law brand berghouwer of the netherlands transgender network said in a statement1 a change in legislation would make the netherlands one of a select group of countries where a third gender is officially recognised in law.andare among those that already provide a third option1

Pathologist denies stealing heart of corpse
News & Trends •
source63 kenyas former chief government pathologist dr. moses njue on accused of stealing the heart of a corpse at lee funeral home three years ago has denied the allegation1 they are accused of stealing the heart of timothy mwandi muumbo while performing an autopsy on june 25 20151 mureithi was not in court and chief magistrate francis andayi issued summons for him to appear in court and answer to the charges before the hearing date on july 31 dr njue denied a further count of destroying the heart to conceal evidence knowing that the autopsy report would be used as evidence in a case pending in court1 he denied a third count of illegally removing the heart1 the court had earlier rejected an application by dr njue to defer the plea arguing mr muumbos relatives had filed a petition before the high court seeking to compel him to release the body part. according to dr njue the trial will prejudice the high court case1 dr njue was charged at a nairobi court alongside his son lemuel anasha mureithi who was his assistant pathologist1 mr andayi agreed with ms mwaniki saying that there was nothing stopping the court from proceeding with the case1 after denying the charges the court ordered dr njue to deposit cash bail of sh300000 to secure his release1 another family in meru county complained that they buried their relative minus the heart after dr njue performed an autopsy to establish the cause of his death1 the dpp had recommended that dr njue who resigned from the government a few years ago to work at his own medical school be charged with theft of body parts belonging to benedict karau1 mr karau died mysteriously on march 2 2015 and dr njue was set to be charged with three counts including theft contrary to section 275 of the penal code wilful destruction of evidence and illegal removal of body parts contrary to the anatomy act1 but dr njue rushed to court and obtained orders obtained an anticipatory bail and filed a petition seeking to block the charges1 assistant director of public prosecutions catherine mwaniki objected the application saying dr njue was not the applicant in the petition and the trial court had not been served with orders stopping the proceedings1

New Sierra Leones government includes opposition in cabinet
News & Trends •
source63 sierra leones president julius maada bio has rolled out names of his cabinet including some members of opposition1 mr margai was one of 16 candidates who contested the march 7 first round presidential election1 he backed brig rtd bio in the second round on march 311 the veteran politicians father and uncle both of who served as prime ministers were among the founders of the governing sierra leones peoples party slpp1 mr margai ditched his kins party in 2007 after losing the contest to lead it in presidential elections that year1 he formed the peoples movement for democratic change mpdc which joined forces with president ernest bai koromas all peoples congress apc to defeat slpp in a hotly contested run-off1 mr margai soon fell out with president koroma who he accused of undermining his party1 veteran politician and lawyer charles francis margai was named as attorney general and justice minister1 a total of 12 ministers were named on thursday including those for finance health and energy1 former world bank development expert jacob jusu saffa takes over the finance ministry while medical scientist and renowned educationist dr alpha wurie was given the health docket1 primary and secondary education went to dr alpha ousman timbo and the energy went to mr kanja sesay1 other ministerial appointments include information and communication mohamed swaray marine resources mrs emms kowa labour and social security adenkunle joliff milton-king water resources dr jonathan tengbe and social welfare gender and childrens affairs ms baindu dassama1 there were also appointments for internal affairs edward a. suluku and deputy defence minister brig rtd simeon n. sheriff1 mr sahr lahai jusu was named financial secretary1 president bio also named his long term personal assistant yusuf keketoma sandi as press secretary1 his appointment will particularly provoke questions around the commitment of the new president to his campaign promise of separating the office of attorney general from the justice ministry which has been seen as a hindrance to justice delivery1

Catholic priest shot dead as unrest continues in Congo
News & Trends •
source63 a catholic priest has been found dead in the congo days after1 father etienne sengiyumvam 28 was found shot in the head hours after he had celebrated a wedding with his parishioners the head of his diocese said1 father etienne sengiyumva was killed sunday by the mai mai nyatura [militia] in kyahemba where he had just celebrated a mass including a baptism and a wedding father gonzague nzabanita head of the goma diocese where the incident occurred said according to1 the mai mai nyatura are an armed group operating in north kivu in eastern dr congo1 the congo has been torn apart by more than 20 years of war exacerbated by ethnic conflicts and land disputes in a bid to control the countrys rich mineral reserves1 last week parish priest of saint paul of karambi and are demanding 500000 for his release1 three other priests assumptionist fathers jean-pierre ndulani edmond kisughi and anselme wasukundi were abduced on october 19 2012 and two more jean-pierre akilimali and charles kipasa on july 17 2017. none of them has been heard from since1

Violence erupts after inauguration of Sierra Leones president
News & Trends •
source63 less than 24 hours after opposition julius maada bio was sworn-in as president of sierra leone some of his supporters have engaged in violent activities2 reports out of the town on thursday suggest running battles between irate youths and the police2 a police station is reported to have come under attack2 reports also indicate multiple injuries some as a result of gunshots2 a source in kenema told apa that jubilating supporters of the sierra leone peoples party slpp whose candidate bio was declared win of the presidential election went on the rampage trying to attack the resident of a minister in the outgoing government2 the source said the slpp supporters later resorted to attacking defenseless apc supporters and destroying their market stalls2 the violence erupted in the eastern sierra leonean district of kenema after the installation of bio as the countrys fifth president2 a video footage shared on the social media platform whatsapp shows angry youths mobbing a police officer while a second officer ran for his life2 the clashes were happening as the newly elected president bio met with former president ernest bai koroma at state lodge for the first time since he was sworn in to office2 the two according to state officials discussed details towards a smooth transition2 there have been calls for bio to act on whats his first test of security challenge as a president2 meanwhile president bio is scheduled to convene his first major engagement as president on friday when he meets with all permanent secretaries and professional heads of institution at state house2 this is according to a leaked official communique issued by the secretary at the office of the president2 pictures on social media show several people supposedly injured from the incident2

Violence erupts after inauguration of Sierra Leones president
News & Trends •
source63 less than 24 hours after opposition julius maada bio was sworn-in as president of sierra leone some of his supporters have engaged in violent activities2 reports out of the town on thursday suggest running battles between irate youths and the police2 a police station is reported to have come under attack2 reports also indicate multiple injuries some as a result of gunshots2 a source in kenema told apa that jubilating supporters of the sierra leone peoples party slpp whose candidate bio was declared win of the presidential election went on the rampage trying to attack the resident of a minister in the outgoing government2 the source said the slpp supporters later resorted to attacking defenseless apc supporters and destroying their market stalls2 the violence erupted in the eastern sierra leonean district of kenema after the installation of bio as the countrys fifth president2 a video footage shared on the social media platform whatsapp shows angry youths mobbing a police officer while a second officer ran for his life2 the clashes were happening as the newly elected president bio met with former president ernest bai koroma at state lodge for the first time since he was sworn in to office2 the two according to state officials discussed details towards a smooth transition2 there have been calls for bio to act on whats his first test of security challenge as a president2 meanwhile president bio is scheduled to convene his first major engagement as president on friday when he meets with all permanent secretaries and professional heads of institution at state house2 this is according to a leaked official communique issued by the secretary at the office of the president2 pictures on social media show several people supposedly injured from the incident2

Mandela and his three wives
News & Trends •
source63 nelson mandela ducked out of an arranged marriage when he was a student then went on to wed three times1 in sharp contrast to graca machel and his feisty second wife winnie mandelas first wife was a demure country girl who kept well away from politics1 like him evelyn wase hailed from the rural transkei and had come to johannesburg in the early 1940s to carve out a living in the big city1 she was the cousin of african national congress anc stalwart walter sisulu and met mandela in sisulus home in soweto southwest of johannesburg in 19441 they married months later in the same year that mandela sisulu and oliver tambo formed the ancs youth league and politics of struggle against white minority rule came to consume mandelas life1 descriptions of their first years tell of evelyn as the happy housewife with mandela bathing their three babies and helping with the cooking when his work at his law practice and political meetings were done1 but by 1954 evelyn had buried herself in religion like her husband had in politics and resented his absences1 when mandela was arrested for treason the first time he came home on bail to find evelyn had gone leaving behind their two youngest children1 she returned to the transkei ran a shop and remarried in her 70s1 winnie who died aged 81 on monday came into mandelas life at the start of a second treason trial which would see him jailed for 27 years and they married in june 19581 she too came from the country but took to the city and once she met mandela also dove into politics1 soon after their wedding she was arrested for an incendiary speech leading mandela to remark proudly and prophetically i think i married trouble1 the couple had two daughters before the prison doors slammed behind mandela in 1964. in the coming years winnie would be in and out of jail as the police hounded her in a bid to demoralise him1 in 1969 she was held in solitary confinement for 13 months on terrorism charges and in 1973 endured another six months in jail but when the 1976 student riot revolt broke out in soweto winnie was unbowed urging crowds to fight to the bitter end1 his first two marriages collapsed under the strain of politics but the third time around he found enduring happiness with the widow of mozambican president samora machel1 when she returned to soweto the firebrand militant-martyr became a liability for mandela and the anti-apartheid movement1 in 1986 at a time when suspected traitors were being burned alive in the volatile townships winnie declared that south african blacks would be freed with our matchboxes1 she surrounded herself with a band of thugs christened the mandela united football club who murdered a young activist called stompie sepei1 her bond with mandela had endured through letters and visits to prison and when he was released in 1990 winnie was there holding his hand but in private she had a young lover1 mandela stood by her when she was convicted for kidnapping sepei and only in 1992 announced their separation1 winnies six-year sentence was suspended on appeal and in 1994 she was appointed a deputy minister in his government but was later sacked for insubordination1 by the mid-90s mandela was courting graca machel a woman 27 years younger than him who studied in lisbon before she became a freedom fighter for samora machels frelimo movement and eventually machels education minister and wife1 gracas first contact with mandela came in 1986 when her husband died in an air crash that many believe was orchestrated by the apartheid regime and he wrote to her from prison1 when they met in mozambique in 1990 machel was still in mourning. but two years later mandela became the godfather of her stepchildren and in 1996 they were spotted at president robert mugabes wedding1 mandela was smitten and let the press in on their love story telling reporters late in life i am blooming like a flower because of the love and support she has given me1 on july 18 1998 mandelas 80th birthday machel broke her vow that she would not marry another president1 while clearly a proud husband mandela joked that sometimes he found it hard to keep pace with the younger woman1 she is busier than i am. we meet for lunch go off and then only see each other again for supper. i wish i had married a wife who was less busy he told students in 20071 the police saw her as a mastermind of the uprising. she was locked up for five months then banished to the desolate town of brandfort for seven years1

Sierra Leones ruling party accuses Britain, AU of rigging
News & Trends •
source63 sierra leones governing party has accused britain african union and ecowas of planning to rig the presidential election1 the party through a spokesman said tuesday the conspiracy involved the african union the west african regional bloc ecowas and the commonwealth among others1 deputy information minister and a government spokesman cornelius deveaux said the british high commissioner in freetown was championing the conspiracy alongside former ghanaian president john mahama1 mr mahama is heading the commonwealth elections observation mission in the country1 there is an international conspiracy to steal our victory. it is led by british high commissioner guy warrington and implemented by former ghanaian president john mahama mr deveaux told state broadcaster slbc1 mr deveaux who is also the apc publicity secretary said they had got evidence indicating that a brother of president mahama was bankrolling the campaign of the opposition candidate brig rtd julius maada bio1 all peoples congress apc said britain and the regional blocs were spearheading an international conspiracy to effect regime change by rigging its presidential election1 both parties have issued statements claiming victory even without the national electoral commission nec releasing any figures1 on monday slpp held a press conference where it presented the outcome of its tally indicating a 2 per cent victory margin for its candidate1 an internationally mediated peace deal in freetown on the same day paved the way for the resumption of vote tallying after it was stopped due to disagreement between the two parties. at that meeting the head of nec mr mohamed nfa allie conteh promised to announce the final results within the next 48 hours1 there were rumours now that apc was preparing to seek a court injunction blocking nec from announcing the results1 while the nation awaits conspiracy theories continue to fuel tension amidst reports of violence in parts of the country thanks to accusations and counter-accusations of ballot stuffing1 meanwhile the defence ministry has angrily dismissed the opposition allegations of a plot to assassinate its presidential candidate and it called on the police to investigate the matter1 the allegations come as the country anxiously awaits the results of the march 31 presidential run-off election pitching brig bio against apcs dr samura kamara1

Americans hit streets against guns
News & Trends •
source63 on the other side of the debate gun rights advocates cite constitutional guarantees of the right to bear arms1 students from the parkland florida high school where 17 students and staff were killed on feb. 14 will be among the 500000 people organizers say could rally on pennsylvania avenue near the capitol in washington1 the protests orchestrated by survivors of the rampage at marjory stoneman douglas high school are aimed at breaking through a legislative gridlock that has long stymied efforts to tighten firearms controls. mass shootings at american schools and colleges have become a regular occurrence1 this issue is going to turn into the no. 1 issue in this country. i know thats not only what i want but i know its what you guys want alfonso calderon a junior at the florida school told washington students at a pre-march event on thursday1 the washington rally is among more than 800 events scheduled worldwide with u.s. demonstrations set from san clemente california to new york and parkland according to gun-control group everytown for gun safety1 the teenage organizers have won kudos and cash from dozens of celebrities with singer ariana grande and hamilton creator lin-manuel miranda among those performing in washington1 trainwreck star amy schumer is set to appear at the los angeles rally. actor george clooney and his human rights attorney wife have donated 500000 and said they would be at the washington rally1 organizers want congress many of whose members are up for re-election this year to ban the sale of assault weapons like the one used in the florida rampage and to tighten background checks for gun buyers1 the protests led by survivors of the florida school massacre which re-iginited public anger over mass shootings1 on friday republican president donald trump signed a 1.3 trillion spending bill that includes modest improvements to background checks for gun sales and grants to help schools prevent gun violence1 david hogg a senior at stoneman douglas said the protests were a way for young americans to show their opposition to the national rifle association the powerful gun lobby1 were asking people to put the usa over the nra he said at the thursday event in washington1 an nra spokeswoman said it had not taken a position on the protests1 democrats and nonpartisan groups hope to register at least 25000 first-time voters at the rallies potentially a boost for democrats who generally favor stricter gun controls 1 hundreds of thousands of americans are attending rallies nationwide on saturday for tighter gun laws in march for our lives in the united states1 students at columbine high school in colorado join their fellow students in the nationwide protests against gun violence. amazing1 ricky davila @therickydavila1

Food insecurity imminent in African Sahel region
News & Trends •
source63 report by un and eu on food crisis has predicted that the impact of severe dry weather on crop and livestock production is likely to heighten food insecurity in pastoral areas1 the report said that nigeria somalia and south sudan are among the countries that faced the worst food crises in 2017 the un and eu said thursday1 yemen also features among the countries that hosted some 124 million people worldwide whose food security was under acute threat the two organisations said in an annual report1 conflicts and climate-related shocks have recently sent levels of world hunger marching back up following decades of steady decline1 the figure of 124 million is 15 per cent higher than the number in 20161 the report says was untouched while pointing out that in africa the middle east and in parts of south asia conflict and insecurity undermined food security1 the areas are somalia southeastern ethiopia and eastern kenya and in the sahel in senegal chad niger mali mauritania and burkina faso the report said1 looking ahead the report said that conflict and insecurity were likely to remain major drivers of food security crises in 2018 affecting afghanistan central african republic the democratic republic of congo north-east nigeria and the lake chad region south sudan syria and yemen as well as libya and the central sahel mali and niger1 yemen will continue to be the largest food crisis by far the report said1 the situation is expected to deteriorate particularly because of restricted access economic collapse and outbreaks of disease1 on a more optimistic note the report predicted that southern africa was headed for a better year thanks to bumper cereal production in 2017 and falling food prices1 the report was presented by the european union the food and agriculture organisation of the united nations fao and the united nations world food programme wfp1 likewise persistent drought in the horn of africa floods in asia and hurricanes in latin america and the caribbean have all contributed to the spread and intensification of hunger1

Saif, son of ex-Libyan leader, eyes presidency
News & Trends •
source63 mr. saif al-islam gaddafi second son of ex-libyan leader late muammar gaddafi is set to launch his election bid for presidency1 local media reports say saif who had been detained by a militia in libya until his release last year will be joining the race to be the strife-torn country1 saif who is reportedly inside libya since his release will in a matter of days appear on television to pitch his presidential ambition before voters1 saifs manifesto is reportedly revolving around a clarion call for administrative reforms national reconciliation and the building of a modern state1 it is not known what libyans made of his alleged presidential ambitions1 the 45-year-old who was never part of his fathers administration had an arrest warrant from the international criminal court over his head over his alleged role in the bloody persecution of political opponents1 politically fragmented libya goes to the polls later this year to get a leader that would unify the country1 with libya still blighted by a deadly civil war shortly after his father was killed saif was captured in the south of the country by militiamen originating from zintan1 while being held in zintan he was sentenced to death four years later by a tripoli court in a trial in absentia1 he was released from custody in june 2017 and continues to live in libya although his exact whereabouts remain unknown1 since the overthrow of his father in an armed uprising in 2011 libya has been caught up in a struggle for control by two rival governments based in tripoli and benghazi1 a un-funded election is expected to take place toward the end of 20181 confirming its involvement in january the un said it was encouraged by number of libyans who had registered to vote in what would be the countrys first western-style democratic election in decades1 he was widely regarded as a potential successor to his father a theory which he had severally attempted to debunk1

Nigeria misses out of free trade agreement
News & Trends •
source63 nigeria was obviously absent on wednesday when african leaders signed the largest free trade agreement since the creation of the world trade organisation wto1 a statement signed by the spokesperson ministry of foreign affairs dr tope adeleye elias-fatile said the president cancelled his trip to kigali rwanda to allow more inputs from nigerian stakeholders1 the trade agreement deal created a continental market of 1.2 billion people with a combined gross domestic product of more than 3.4 trillion dollars1 a major goal in the agreement is to boost intra-african trade and rely less on the volatility ofthat affect many exports1 the aim is to have agreement signed by 44 of the african unions 55 member states enter into force by the end of this year said the chair of the au commission moussa faki mahamat1 president muhammadu buhari had on sunday cancelled his trip to rwanda due to pressure by labour union not to participate in signing the agreement1 our peoples our business community and our youth in particular cannot wait any longer to see the lifting of the barriers that divide our continent hinder its economic takeoff and perpetuate misery even though africa is abundantly endowed with wealth mahamat said1 he urged strong follow-up to confound those who outside africa continue to think with barely concealed condescension that our decisions will never materialize1 and while africas largest economies are expected to benefit most from the deal some of them worry that more people from poorer countries will migrate their way1 but some of the continents strongest and fastest-growing economies including ghana and signed the deal1 the major concerns remained that the president of one of africas largest economies skipped the summit1 he added that states must ratify the deal1

Kenya bans people with high blood pressure from driving
News & Trends •
source63 kenyan has taken far reaching steps to stop people with some health conditions including high blood pressure from driving1 the countrys national transport and safety authority ntsa released the new driving curriculum with recommendation of mandatory medical tests for epilepsy high blood pressure sight and hearing problems for all drivers1 according to the new curriculum drivers are supposed to renew their licences every 10 years and only after submitting a medical report1 however motorists above 60 years must submit a medical report every year1 the medical tests will also include a range of brain-related conditions and diseases that disable mobility and muscle movement such as stroke1 in the curriculum eye conditions lead a long list of mandatory medical tests for new drivers as well as old ones seeking licence renewals1 according to ntsa deputy director in charge of safety dr duncan kibogong some conditions will lead to automatic disqualification1 for epilepsy it is a no. the fact is no one including the driver has any idea when the seizures can occur said dr kibogong1 the medical tests will also include the drivers heart condition as well as sleep alcohol and drug-related disorders1 the tests will also look out for a drivers susceptibility to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and stroke1 those with high blood pressure are among those who may not be allowed to have a drivers licence1 in some cases it does not make sense to even allow you to train as a driver when we know you are not fit said kibogong1 he however insisted that the mandatory health clearance should not be viewed as discrimination against certain conditions1 in most of these cases it is just about correcting them. for example for poor eyesight you can be given glasses and you will be fine. there are only a few conditions that we may not allow he said1 drivers to be affected by the new rules are those applying for new licences and those seeking renewals this year1 the practice of pegging the issuance of drivers licences to medical tests may be new in the country but has been in force for years in other parts of the world1 in new york for instance if one loses the use of a leg arm eye or ear such information must be included on the driving licence1 such drivers are then only allowed to operate customised vehicles1 similarly if the drivers hearing is not acceptable a restriction of hearing aid or full-view mirror is added to the driver licence1 those who wear hearing aids and cannot pass the hearing test must use full-view rear mirrors1 kibogong said ntsa would work closely with the ministry of health to ensure that only those who were fit were allowed on the road1

Ethiopian refugees in Kenya narrates ordeal
News & Trends •
source63 more than 8000 ethiopian refugees have arrived in moyale town marsabit county in kenya with tales on how they were evacuated from their homes by soldiers1 the refugees accused the ethiopian government of abdicating its responsibility of protecting its citizens1 the camps where the 8200 ethiopians are staying in moyale are at butiye social hall somare an ngo camp at moyale a plot owned by marsabit governor mahmoud mohamed and dambala fachana village1 mr harsame halakhe a 68-year-old father of 19 said that when the soldiers raided their homes they ordered them to lie down and shot some of them dead1 even places of worship including mosques became chambers of death. people were killed in a mosque as we watched. we escaped death narrowly and fled with children and cattle he said1 ms kashure guyo 18 said the soldiers attacked them on saturday at shawa-bare a town located three kilometres from the kenya-ethiopia border1 she said the soldiers shot at anyone they came across. she was injured in the leg and hand as she fled. they just came to the market and started shooting. we had to flee for our lives with bullets flying all over1 ms abdia galma a 56-year-old mother of 11 said the conflict had been building up over the past several years1 they fled the country in the wake of their governments crackdown on dissidents with ethiopian soldiers being accused of killing at least 13 people on saturday1 the refugees spoke even as the kenya red cross society sounded the alarm over the influx. the society appealed to the humanitarian and security agencies to set up a proper camp for the refugees. even as more refugees arrived in the kenyan border town yesterday there was no designated area for the consolidation of the numbers and their registration krcs upper eastern coordinator talaso chucha said.1 she noted that the refugees were arriving in the villages where they were being assisted by their kenyan relatives and friends with no proper record of how many they were. ms chucha also decried the security risk as there was no system in place to screen and monitor the movement of the refugees arriving in the town1 so far they are 8200 and more are arriving every hour. we have identified at least five points where they have been assisted by the local community but we cannot coordinate help when they are scattered. there is a need for a camp to enable us to mobilise resources and avert a crisis she said1 at least 15 paramedics had been deployed to moyale to help the refugees she said1 there is a major potential health risk for the refugees and the host community because there are no amenities in the places where they are staying. there is no food clean water and bedding1 children are defecating in the open. although so far there are no reported cases of serious diseases we cannot rule out an outbreak of cholera if the situation is not addressed ms chucha warned1 the national drought and management authoritys marsabit county boss mr golicha guyo tuesday said they had called an emergency meeting with all the stakeholders to assess the situation1 we want to come up with an urgent solution to the crisis because more than 50 people are living in one home he said1 she said the genesis of the crisis was land that had been allocated to some members of one community she did not name1

Syria discovers deadly military chemical plant
News & Trends •
source63 syrian army has discovered a clandestine plant in eastern ghouta that was used by the terrorists to produce military-grade agents1 the plant is located in al-shefounieh town in the area of duma1 among other toxic chemicals chlorine was found at the site and that the papers of the jaysh al-islam militant group were also discovered1 a syrian field commander said that high-tech equipment was found at the plant which indicates that european and saudi experts could have been involved in the illegal production according to the agency1 on monday syrian government troops discovered during a mopping-up operation in a village in eastern ghouta another secret workshop constructed for production of various chemical munitions1 they deadly chemical plant had equipment of saudi origin and materials presumably made in western countries1 however the un-opcw joint investigative mechanism jim presented last october to the un security council a report on the april 4 chemical incident that took place in khan sheikhoun of the syrian idlib province reportedly killing over 80 people with a toxic nerve agent sarin1 the report blamed the syrian government for the alleged gas attack. the panel also accused the daesh terrorist group of using chemical weapons in an attack on syrias um housh in september 20161 the russias mission to the united nations said that the report looked more like an amateur document and was based mostly on assumptions and selective use of facts1 eastern ghouta was seized by militants in 2012. according to syrian army estimates there are 10000-12000 militants in the region1 last week syrian authorities have sent more than 100 letters to the un security council confirming that terrorist groups own chemical substances that they use against civilians1

Catholic Church rallies against Kabila of DRC
News & Trends •
source63 the catholic church in the democratic republic of congo is mobilising the to force president joseph kabila to organise elections and relinquish power1 the huge rally is also to remember those killed in last months protest1 in a statement the church said the catholic church in kinshasa is spearheading what it hopes would be a huge rally on march 16 at notre dame du congo cathedral as a focal point for the struggle against kabilas prolonged presidency1 according to the new constitution adopted in 2006 kabilas presidency was supposed to expire on december 20 2016 ten years after he was elected for his first five-year term in office1 the electoral authority in drc had announced in september 2016 that elections would not be held until early 20181 since then talks have focused on building a census over the handling of the elections which the constitution disqualifies kabila from contesting1 we have our heroes for democracy. they have a name a face an age. they are dead they are alive. they will continue to demand a rigorous and active citizen participation to avoid falling back into a new dictatorship that will cost human lives a statement by the church said1 the church is also upping the ante against kabila for continuing to stay put despite the expiry in december 2016 of his second term1 the church also urged the public to continue with their civil disobedience by ringing bells in parishes across the country at 9pm every thursday with others encouraged to use whistles car horns and saucepans1 in addition to their campaign of non-violence the church also undertook to launch diplomatic overtures targeting drcs partners through the congolese diaspora to ratchet up pressure on kabila1 at the end of three huge marches between december 31 2017 and february 25 2018 the church claimed a series of victories from its civil disobedience aimed at unmasking a dictatorship hiding behind democracy1 the church also claimed it has conquered its own fear transferring it to our political and military leaders the police and other security operatives1 another victory it is claiming is the moral authority it commands from its congregations a trait admired by the rest of the world1 the decision to bring further pressure to bear on the government by the church comes after bishop fridolin ambongo was inducted in his position as coadjutor archbishop of kinshasa1 bishop ambongo replaces the retired cardinal laurent monsengwo as head of the catholic church in kinshasa1 the church is referring to people who died on february 25 during a mass demonstration including young rossy kadima who was killed in lemba district in kinshasa1

Disney launches first-ever cruise line
News & Trends •
source63 disney will in the 2019 summer launch its cruise line the first-ever round trip cruise route starting from the port of civitavecchia a town near rome italy2 disney fans will be able to see italy and southern europe in a more magical way than ever before2 the first voyage begins on june 14 with stops in italy france and spain2 guests will be able to visit salerno on italys amalfi coast la spezia a common launch point for visiting the picturesque towns of cinque terre villefranche-sur-mer and marseilles on the french riviera and spains vibrant beach city of barcelona2 the rome-based cruise is just one of seven new cruise routes that disney has to offer in europe2 the others are cartagena spain toulon provence and brest france belfast northern ireland gothenburg and nynashamn stockholm sweden and fredericia denmark according to the disney parks blog2 we dare you not to sing its a small world after all2 and closer to home for americans disney cruise line is also returning to their popular ports in alaska the bahamas and the caribbean2

Kenyas ex-President, Moi flies to Israel for medicare
News & Trends •
source63 mr. daniel arap moi kenyas former president has been flown to israel for a medical check-up1 mzee old man moi is accompanied by his physician dr david silverstein and his son senator gideon moi the brief statement read1 the former head of state has not been in active in politics in the recent past and has been out of the limelight1 in brief statement senator moi said the old man is not feeling well. he will go for medical check-up. so he needs your prayers as he leaves the country1 he said that the 93-year-old former president would visit historical sites in jerusalem1 moi has been booked at a hospital in tel aviv for a check-up on his knee which has been giving him discomfort1 however unlike other voters the former head of state cast his ballot from his car with a polling clerk assisting him1 moi has been meeting delegations at his kabarak home1 notable among the visitors was president uhuru kenyatta and his mother mama ngina kenyatta1 on january 27 2017 the former president underwent a minor surgery on his knee at the aga khan university hospital in nairobi1 the problem begun on july 30 2006 after a crash while riding his range rover vehicle which collided with a pick-up vehicle at the rukuma view point in limuru west of nairobi1 mr mois last public appearance was on october 26 2017 where he cast his vote at the kabarak university polling station during the repeat presidential election1

Disney launches first-ever cruise line
News & Trends •
source63 disney will in the 2019 summer launch its cruise line the first-ever round trip cruise route starting from the port of civitavecchia a town near rome italy2 disney fans will be able to see italy and southern europe in a more magical way than ever before2 the first voyage begins on june 14 with stops in italy france and spain2 guests will be able to visit salerno on italys amalfi coast la spezia a common launch point for visiting the picturesque towns of cinque terre villefranche-sur-mer and marseilles on the french riviera and spains vibrant beach city of barcelona2 the rome-based cruise is just one of seven new cruise routes that disney has to offer in europe2 the others are cartagena spain toulon provence and brest france belfast northern ireland gothenburg and nynashamn stockholm sweden and fredericia denmark according to the disney parks blog2 we dare you not to sing its a small world after all2 and closer to home for americans disney cruise line is also returning to their popular ports in alaska the bahamas and the caribbean2