13 Nov 2008

Want a top job in the Obama administration? Only pack rats need apply, preferably those not packing controversy.

A seven-page questionnaire being sent by the office of President-elect Barack Obama to those seeking cabinet and other high-ranking posts may be the most extensive -- some say invasive -- application ever.



SOURCE:USATODAY


CLICK HERE to watch the video.

British scientists have come up with the first robot that can mimic a person's expressions simply by watching their face.CLICK HERE to read more about this fascinating story.


A Montreal man serving time for drug smuggling has walked to freedom after authorities said he was too fat to be kept in jail. 

Michel Lapointe - also known as Big Mike - was set free three months before his scheduled release date because his 30st weight was making prison life "hell".

The 37-year-old had served 25 months for drug trafficking, conspiracy and gangsterism.

"In the end, some might say he got off easy," Mr Lapointe's lawyer Clemente Monterosso was quoted as saying by Canada's Globe And Mail newspaper.

"But he didn't choose to be morbidly obese. This man is a colossus."

Lapointe reportedly could not fit his legs under the prison tables for meals and his mattress was too narrow to accommodate his bulk.

He also complained he could not shower properly.

Footage from Canadian broadcaster CTV showed the outsize prisoner heading to court.

The Quebec parole board cited his good behaviour, his non-violent crime and the support of his wife and mother, along with his weight as reasons for his early release.

"You have been incarcerated for over 25 months and your prison conditions are difficult because of the state of your health," the board said in its report.

Following his release, Lapointe told reporters he was looking forward to getting on with his life.

SOURCE: Sky

Mhh hii shughuli mpya sasa.Isome zaidi hapa chini:

Daily News; Wednesday,November 12, 2008 

The United Kingdom visas for Tanzanians wishing to travel to Britain would from December this year be processed in Nairobi. The British High Commission Press Officer, Mr John Bradshaw, told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday that effectively from that time, there won’t be visas issued in Tanzania. 

Mr Bradshaw illustrated that the process to get a UK visa will now take six weeks, instead of the old five days that majority of UK travellers used to enjoy. According to the new directives outlined, an applicant of UK travel permit will have to submit an application on line, and then wait for an appointment that will require the applicant to bring appropriate documents to High Commission office in Dar es Salaam for verification. 

Mr Bradshow said the last procedure will take place in Nairobi, where the whole process will take three weeks before the visa is ready. He said the changes are part of UK government’s plans to restructure its visa operation, known as ‘Hub and Spoke Visa Processing’. He added that UK visas for southern African countries are now processed in Pretoria, South Africa, where seven countries, including Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi and Zimbabwe get the service. 

Mr Bradshow advised travellers to apply for long term visas, which are cheaper than making a 6-month permit application. He insisted that student visa applicants should apply three months in advance, to enable them travel on time, because student visa does not require an interview. Over 8000 Tanzanians apply for UK visas every year, Mr Bradshow said.

They lecture the rest of us on the evils of discrimination in the workplace. But those in charge of the Equality and Human Rights Commission don't seem to be following their own advice. 

Female staff at the superquango are paid less than the men, it was revealed yesterday. The gap between the average pay of the sexes runs at more than 15 per cent, figures given to MPs showed. 

They mean that a typical female employee of the £70million-a-year equality body gets £85 a week less than a typical male worker. 

The organisation also pays its white staff more than blacks, by a margin of more than 6 per cent, and able-bodied employees more than disabled workers. 

The commission, headed by Labour activist Trevor Phillips, has been scathing about the shortcomings of other employers when it comes to women's pay. 

In September it published a report accusing bosses of being wedded to old-fashioned ways of working that are unfair to women. 

The pay gap between men and women in the workforce in general, in terms of average hourly earnings, is 17.2 per cent. 

It was this figure which led one of the commission's governors, Margaret Prosser, to declare that full-time women workers 'are cheated of £330,000 over the course of their lifetime'. 

Equalities minister Maria Eagle told MPs that the commission's salary figures covered the average of total earnings and did not take into account the effects of part-time working. 

She said no figures for hourly rates of pay were available because the commission was still 'harmonising' pay rates inherited from the equality quangos it took over last year. 

She said: 'These new rates have now been agreed with trade unions and staff have been consulted. It is expected that these new arrangements will be implemented shortly.' 

The commission, which started work in October last year, employed 518 staff this spring. It pays its male employees an average of £33,366.96. 

The average salary for its women staff is £28,920.48, an amount £4,446.48 or 15.4 per cent lower. 

The figures compare with average pay of £23,750 for all workers, men and women, in the economy as a whole. 

Black and ethnic minority staff at the commission average £29,035.12, or 6.1 per cent below the £30,803.91 average paid to white employees. Disabled staff get an average of £29,784.07, which is 2.7 per cent below the £30,598.81 average paid to able-bodied employees. 

The figures provoked outrage among critics of the commission. Tory MP Philip Davies, whose parliamentary question drew the details from ministers, said: 'Given that this organisation is always banging on about the faults of employers, it is astonishing to find that it is paying men more than women. 

'To lecture everybody else about doing something they can't do themselves is hypocrisy beyond belief.' 

He added: 'Since their top man is black, there must be real discrepancies lower down in the organisation for them to end up paying blacks less than whites.' 

Ruth Lea, economic adviser to the Arbuthnot Banking Group, said: 'This is a reality check. If the commission is paying its male staff more on average than it pays to its female staff, it must think they are worth more on average. It is one of life's little ironies.' 

SOURCE: Daily Mail

12 Nov 2008

MKURUGENZI wa Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa (Takukuru), Dk Edward Hoseah, amesema kuwa kuwafikisha mahakamani watuhumiwa wote wa ufisadi kwa pamoja kunaweza kusababisha nchi kuyumba.

Hoseah alisema hayo katika siku ambayo hakukuwa na mtuhumiwa yeyote katika sakata la wizi wa fedha kwenye Akaunti ya Madeni ya Nje (EPA) aliyefikishwa mahakamani baada ya wafanyabiashara 20 kupandishwa mfululizo kizimbani kuanzia Jumatano iliyopita hadi juzi.

Akitoa mada kwenye semina iliyohusisha vyuo vikuu tisa nchini iliyofanyika kwenye Hoteli ya Blue Pearl jijini, mkurugenzi huyo wa Takukuru alisema: "Tukiwapeleka wote mara moja mahakamani, nchi inaweza 'ikaparalyse' (ikapooza) ni lazima kuwe na 'stability' (kutoyumba), tufanye kwa kuwa ni sahihi," alisema Hoseah.

Akitoa mada katika semina hiyo iliyowahusisha wajumbe wa kamati za maadili kutoka vyuo hivyo, Hoseah alieleza kuwa, mapambano dhidi ya rushwa kubwa yanapaswa kufanyika kukiwa na utashi wenye nguvu wa kisiasa, mikakati sahihi ya kiuchumi pamoja na kuzuia rushwa.

Alisema kuwa watuhumiwa wa rushwa kubwa wana nguvu kutokana na fedha nyingi wanazomiliki, kiasi cha kuweza kuhatarisha usalama wa watu wengine kwa kutumia vibaya fedha zao.

Dk Hoseah ni kigogo wa tatu kuzungumzia uwezo wa mafisadi na hatari ya kuwashughulikia bila ya umakini baada ya Waziri Mkuu Mizengo Pinda kulieleza bunge kuwa, kushughulikia watu wenye uwezo wa kifedha ni kazi ngumu, kama ilivyoelezwa na Rais wa Awamu ya Tatu, Ali Hassan Mwinyi kuwa mafisadi ni hatari.

Watuhumiwa katika kashfa hiyo ya EPA wanadaiwa kuchota fedha hizo katika kipindi cha mwaka 2005/06 wakisingizia kupewa au kulipa madeni na makampuni ya nje yaliyokuwa yakiidai serikali. Watuhumiwa hao wanadaiwa kuchota Sh133 bilioni.

Pamoja na kilio cha wananchi kuwa wote waliochota fedha hizo wapandishwe kizimbani, Rais Jakaya Kikwete alitoa maagizo kuwa wale ambao wangeshindwa kurejesha fedha walizochota kabla ya Oktoba 31, ndio waliotakiwa kufikishwa mahakamani.

Na watuhumiwa hao 20 waliofikishwa mahakamani hadi sasa wamekuwa wakipandishwa kizimbani kwa nyakati tofauti na wengi wameshtakiwa kwa makosa tofauti, wakipandishwa mmoja mmoja na wakati mwingine kuunganishwa na wenzao na kwa mahakimu tofauti.

Akitoa mada yake jana, Dk Hosea alisema Takukuru peke yake haiwezi kumaliza tatizo la rushwa nchini bila kuwepo ushirikiano kutoka kwa taasisi za elimu, mashirika mbalimbali na wananchi.

Aliongeza kuwa, mapambano dhidi ya rushwa, kubwa na ndogo yanapaswa kuwashirikisha wananchi wote, huku akielezea Watanzania kuwa ni waoga kutokana na kukosa ufahamu wa masuala mbalimbali yanayowahusu.

Hoseah alisema kuwa katika mapambano ya rushwa ni vema kuzuia rushwa na kwamba uadilifu ndiyo njia bora ya kulitokomeza tatizo hilo.

Alisema moja ya kasoro za Tanzania ni kuwa na taasisi nyingi dhaifu, zisizo na uwezo zinazofanya kazi zake bila ya uwazi, hali aliyoielezea kuwa inakaribisha rushwa.

"Moja ya kasoro za Tanzania ni kuwa na taasisi dhaifu, zisizo na uwazi... lazima tufanye kazi kuzipa nguvu kwa kurejesha maadili," alisema Hoseah.

Aliongeza kuwa, ndani ya serikali pia uadilifu upo chini na kueleza kuwa kuwa kutokana na hali hiyo ni vema wananchi wakaacha kulalamika badala yake kutafuta ufumbuzi wa tatizo kwa kushiriki kurejesha maadili na kupambana na rushwa.

Alisema kuwa Watanzania wengi wamekuwa wakilalamikia tatizo la rushwa huku wakishinikiza Takukuru ichukue hatua bila wao kushiriki katika mapambano hayo ambayo alisema kuwa ni ya kila mmoja.

Mkurugenzi huyo wa Takukuru alisema kuwa katika kutilia maanani umuhimu wa kuongeza jitihada za kuzuia na kupambana na rushwa nchini, wameanzisha mkakati maalumu wenye lengo la kurejesha uadilifu nchini.

"Tunataka kurejesha maadili, lengo ni kuzuia rushwa, jukumu letu ni kuwawezesha watu wafahamu na kushiriki katika mapambano hayo," alisema.

Kwenye Mahakama ya Kisutu, hali jana ilikuwa shwari baada ya siku nne za purukushani za kupandisha kizimbani watuhumiwa hao 20, ambao kati yao ni wawili tu waliopata dhamana kutokana na mahakama kuweka masharti magumu, anaripoti James Magai na Paulina Richard.

Hadi majira ya alasiri jana, hakuna mtuhumiwa hata mmoja mpya kwenye kesi hiyo ambaye alikuwa amefikishwa mahakamani hapo.

Mwendesha Mashtaka wa Polisi, Inspekta Charles Kenyela, aliwaambia waandishi wa habari kuwa hadi mchana huo hakuwa na taarifa za kuwepo kwa watuhumiwa wengine ambao wangepandishwa kizimbani.

Mpaka sasa ni wamiliki wa kampuni 10 tu kati ya 22 zinazodaiwa kuchota fedha hizo ambao walikuwa wameshafikishwa kwenye Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi Kisutu jijini Dar es Salaam, akiwemo mfanyabiashara maarufu mwenye asili ya Kiasia, Jayatkumar Chantubhai Patel, ambaye anajulikana zaidi kwa jina la Jeetu Patel.

Tofauti na siku nyingine jana hali ilionekana kuwa tulivu mahakamani hapo huku kukiwa na pilikapilika chache za baadhi ya ndugu wa watuhumiwa katika kashfa hiyo ya EPA ambao walikuwa wakishughulikia dhamana za watuhumiwa hao.

Mkurugenzi wa Mashtaka ya Umma (DPP), Elieza Feleshi, hakutaka kuwaambia waandishi kama kuna watuhumiwa zaidi ambao wangefikishwa mahakamani jana na badala yake alisema aulizwe msemaji wa Wizara ya Sheria na Katiba.

Hata hivyo, msemaji huyo, Omega Ngole alijibu kwa ufupi kuwa hawawezi kusema ni lini watuhumiwa wanapelekwa mahakamani na badala yake taratibu zinapokamilika na DPP kujiridhisha, wahusika hufikishwa mahakamani.

“Hivyo ninachoweza kukuambia ni kwamba, tumwache DPP afanye kazi, kama kuna watu wa kuwapeleka mahakamani akishajiridhisha atawapeleka,” alisema Ngoe.

Wamiliki wa makampuni waliofikishwa mahakamani mpaka sasa ni Johnson na Mwesiga wanaomiliki kampuni ya Kernel, Ketan Chohan, Jeetu Patel na Amit Nandy (Bina Resort na Itoh), Bahati Mahenge, Manase Mwakale, Davis Kamungu, Godfrey Mosha na Edah Nkoma Mwakale (Changanyike Residential Compelex Ltd)

Wengine ni Rajabu Farijala, Japhet Lema na Rajabu Malanda (Mibale Farm), Rajabu Farijala na Rajabu Malanda (Money Planner), Japhet Lema (Njake Enterprises) na Ajay Somani na Jay Somani (Liquidity Services).

Wengine ni Jeetu Patel na ndugu zake wanaomiliki kampuni za Bencon International Ltd, Maltan Mining Ltd na Navy Cut Tobacco (T) Ltd.

CHANZO: Mwananchi

HAYO NDIO MATUNDA YA PhD YA HOSEA KATIKA KUPAMBANA NA RUSHWA AU NDIO APPLICATION YA THEORY FLANI YA KULINDA UHALIFU INAYODAI KWAMBA UKIFUTA KABISA UHALIFU KWENYE JAMII BASI VYOMBO VYA KUPAMBANA NA UHALIFU VITAKUWA HAVINA KAZI YA KUFANYA?MBONA VITA YA SOKOINE DHIDI YA WAHUJUMU UCHUMI HAIKUYUMBISHA NCHI?


A British car dealer has found one way around the looming recession -- by offering a buy-one-get-one-free offer on new cars, a report said Saturday. 

Online car broker Broadspeed.com, based in Colchester near London, offered customers two Dodge Avenger SXT saloon cars, complete with leather seats and air conditioning, for 20,000 pounds (24,450 euros, 31,300 dollars).

The dealership based in Colchester near London has just sold the last of the cars.

Managing director Simon Empson told the Guardian newspaper: "It was amazing. We had been trying to sell those cars online at half price for nearly a month and they were selling, but it was nothing special.

"But when we made the deal two-for-one, we got 22,000 customers.

"The very first call I had was from a father who was going to buy the two cars, have one himself and give the other to his son."

The number of new cars sold in Britain in October fell by nearly a quarter compared with the same period a year ago, the biggest decline since 1991.

SOURCE: Yahoo! News



A BBC Radio presenter has been sacked following a 'racist' call to a taxi firm, in which she requested a 'non-Asian' driver.

Sam Mason told the operator that 'a guy with a turban would freak her daughter out' insisting they send an English driver instead.

The ex-glamour girl, 40, called the firm to order a taxi for her 14-year-old daughter off-air, while presenting her BBC Bristol radio show.

After the operator branded her request 'racist', Mason insisted, claiming it wasn't the first time she had made the request.

She said: 'A guy with a turban is going to freak her out. She's not used to Asians.'
When the operator said it would not be possible to carry out her wishes, she said: 'You've managed it before.'

Mason, who has previously battled alcohol addiction, claimed she wasn't racist but insisted she was looking out for her daughter's interest.

Mason said: 'If it were me I wouldn't care if it had two heads, but it's my little girl we are talking about.'

After the operator refused to book a car, Mason complained before hanging up.

The operator said: 'We would class that as being racist. We can't just penalise the Asian drivers and just send an English one.'

She later called back before a manager accepted the booking.

Mason said: 'I work at the BBC. I'm far from racist and that uneducated woman has no right to call me one.'

The BBC were alerted to the conversation after it was recorded and sent to the Sun newspaper. 
The mother-of-one was subsequently suspended and fired 24 hours later.

A BBC spokesman said: 'Although Sam Mason's remarks were not made on-air, her comments were completely unacceptable and, for that reason, she has been informed that she will no longer be working for the BBC with immediate effect.'

SOURCE: Daily Mail

Jasusi ChatBot

Categories

Blog Archive

© Evarist Chahali 2006-2022

Search Engine Optimization SEO

Powered by Blogger.