The Guardian: Live Q&A with the Founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange

The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, answers The Guardian readers' questions about the release of more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables

Fwoggie

I'll start the ball rolling with a question. You're an Australian passport holder - would you want return to your own country or is this now out of the question due to potentially being arrested on arrival for releasing cables relating to Australian diplomats and polices?

Julian Assange:

I am an Australian citizen and I miss my country a great deal. However, during the last weeks the Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, and the attorney general, Robert McClelland, have made it clear that not only is my return is impossible but that they are actively working to assist the United States government in its attacks on myself and our people. This brings into question what does it mean to be an Australian citizen - does that mean anything at all? Or are we all to be treated like David Hicks at the first possible opportunity merely so that Australian politicians and diplomats can be invited to the best US embassy cocktail parties.

girish89

How do you think you have changed world affairs?

And if you call all the attention you've been given-credit ... shouldn't the mole or source receive a word of praise from you?

Julian Assange:

For the past four years one of our goals has been to lionise the source who take the real risks in nearly every journalistic disclosure and without whose efforts, journalists would be nothing. If indeed it is the case, as alleged by the Pentagon, that the young soldier - Bradley Manning - is behind some of our recent disclosures, then he is without doubt an unparalleled hero.

Daithi

Have you released, or will you release, cables (either in the last few days or with the Afghan and Iraq war logs) with the names of Afghan informants or anything else like so?

Are you willing to censor (sorry for using the term) any names that you feel might land people in danger from reprisals??

By the way, I think history will absolve you. Well done!!!

Julian Assange:

WikiLeaks has a four-year publishing history. During that time there has been no credible allegation, even by organisations like the Pentagon that even a single person has come to harm as a result of our activities. This is despite much-attempted manipulation and spin trying to lead people to a counter-factual conclusion. We do not expect any change in this regard.

distrot

The State Dept is mulling over the issue of whether you are a journalist or not. Are you a journalist? As far as delivering information that someone [anyone] does not want seen is concerned, does it matter if you are a 'journalist' or not?

Julian Assange:

I coauthored my first nonfiction book by the time I was 25. I have been involved in nonfiction documentaries, newspapers, TV and internet since that time. However, it is not necessary to debate whether I am a journalist, or how our people mysteriously are alleged to cease to be journalists when they start writing for our organisaiton. Although I still write, research and investigate my role is primarily that of a publisher and editor-in-chief who organises and directs other journalists.

achanth

Mr Assange,

have there ever been documents forwarded to you which deal with the topic of UFOs or extraterrestrials?

Julian Assange:

Many weirdos email us about UFOs or how they discovered that they were the anti-christ whilst talking with their ex-wife at a garden party over a pot-plant. However, as yet they have not satisfied two of our publishing rules.

1) that the documents not be self-authored;

2) that they be original.

However, it is worth noting that in yet-to-be-published parts of the cablegate archive there are indeed references to UFOs.

gnosticheresy

What happened to all the other documents that were on Wikileaks prior to these series of "megaleaks"? Will you put them back online at some stage ("technical difficulties" permitting)?

Julian Assange:

Many of these are still available at mirror.wikileaks.info and the rest will be returning as soon as we can find a moment to do address the engineering complexities. Since April of this year our timetable has not been our own, rather it has been one that has centred on the moves of abusive elements of the United States government against us. But rest assured I am deeply unhappy that the three-and-a-half years of my work and others is not easily available or searchable by the general public.

CrisShutlar

Have you expected this level of impact all over the world? Do you fear for your security?

Julian Assange:

I always believed that WikiLeaks as a concept would perform a global role and to some degree it was clear that is was doing that as far back as 2007 when it changed the result of the Kenyan general election. I thought it would take two years instead of four to be recognised by others as having this important role, so we are still a little behind schedule and have much more work to do. The threats against our lives are a matter of public record, however, we are taking the appropriate precautions to the degree that we are able when dealing with a super power.

JAnthony

Julian.

I am a former British diplomat. In the course of my former duties I helped to coordinate multilateral action against a brutal regime in the Balkans, impose sanctions on a renegade state threatening ethnic cleansing, and negotiate a debt relief programme for an impoverished nation. None of this would have been possible without the security and secrecy of diplomatic correspondence, and the protection of that correspondence from publication under the laws of the UK and many other liberal and democratic states. An embassy which cannot securely offer advice or pass messages back to London is an embassy which cannot operate. Diplomacy cannot operate without discretion and the

protection of sources. This applies to the UK and the UN as much as the US.

In publishing this massive volume of correspondence, Wikileaks is not highlighting specific cases of wrongdoing but undermining the entire process of diplomacy. If you can publish US cables then you can publish UK telegrams and UN emails.

My question to you is: why should we not hold you personally responsible when next an international crisis goes unresolved because diplomats cannot function.

Julian Assange:

If you trim the vast editorial letter to the singular question actually asked, I would be happy to give it my attention.

cargun

Mr Assange,

Can you explain the censorship of identities as XXXXX's in the revealed cables? Some critical identities are left as is, whereas some are XXXXX'd. Some cables are partially revealed. Who can make such critical decisons, but the US gov't? As far as we know your request for such help was rejected by the State department. Also is there an order in the release of cable or are they randomly selected?

Thank you.

Julian Assange:

The cables we have release correspond to stories released by our main stream media partners and ourselves. They have been redacted by the journalists working on the stories, as these people must know the material well in order to write about it. The redactions are then reviewed by at least one other journalist or editor, and we review samples supplied by the other organisations to make sure the process is working.

rszopa

Annoying as it may be, the DDoS seems to be good publicity (if anything, it adds to your credibility). So is getting kicked out of AWS. Do you agree with this statement? Were you planning for it?

Thank you for doing what you are doing.

Julian Assange:

Since 2007 we have been deliberately placing some of our servers in jurisdictions that we suspected suffered a free speech deficit inorder to separate rhetoric from reality. Amazon was one of these cases.

abbeherrera

You started something that nobody can stop. The Beginning of a New World. Remember, that community is behind you and support you (from Slovakia).

Do you have leaks on ACTA?

Julian Assange:

Yes, we have leaks on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a trojan horse trade agreement designed from the very beginning to satisfy big players in the US copyright and patent industries. In fact, it was WikiLeaks that first drew ACTA to the public's attention - with a leak.

people1st

Tom Flanagan, a [former] senior adviser to Canadian Prime Minister recently stated "I think Assange should be assassinated ... I think Obama should put out a contract ... I wouldn't feel unhappy if Assange does disappear."

How do you feel about this?

Julian Assange:

It is correct that Mr. Flanagan and the others seriously making these statements should be charged with incitement to commit murder.

Isopod

Julian, why do you think it was necessary to "give Wikileaks a face"? Don't you think it would be better if the organization was anonymous?

This whole debate has become very personal and reduced on you - "Julian Assange leaked documents", "Julian Assange is a terrorist", "Julian Assange alledgedly raped a woman", "Julian Assange should be assassinated", "Live Q&A with Julian Assange" etc. Nobody talks about Wikileaks as an organization anymore. Many people don't even realize that there are other people behind Wikileaks, too.

And this, in my opinion, makes Wikileaks vulnerable because this enables your opponents to argue ad hominem. If they convince the public that you're an evil, woman-raping terrorist, then Wikileaks' credibility will be gone. Also, with due respect for all that you've done, I think it's unfair to all the other brave, hard working people behind Wikileaks, that you get so much credit.

Julian Assange:

This is an interesting question. I originally tried hard for the organisation to have no face, because I wanted egos to play no part in our activities. This followed the tradition of the French anonymous pure mathematians, who wrote under the collective allonym, "The Bourbaki". However this quickly led to tremendous distracting curiosity about who and random individuals claiming to represent us. In the end, someone must be responsible to the public and only a leadership that is willing to be publicly courageous can genuinely suggest that sources take risks for the greater good. In that process, I have become the lightening rod. I get undue attacks on every aspect of my life, but then I also get undue credit as some kind of balancing force.

tburgi

Western governments lay claim to moral authority in part from having legal guarantees for a free press.

Threats of legal sanction against Wikileaks and yourself seem to weaken this claim.

(What press needs to be protected except that which is unpopular to the State? If being state-sanctioned is the test for being a media organization, and therefore able to claim rights to press freedom, the situation appears to be the same in authoritarian regimes and the west.)

Do you agree that western governments risk losing moral authority by

attacking Wikileaks?

Do you believe western goverments have any moral authority to begin with?

Thanks,

Tim Burgi

Vancouver, Canada

Julian Assange:

The west has fiscalised its basic power relationships through a web of contracts, loans, shareholdings, bank holdings and so on. In such an environment it is easy for speech to be "free" because a change in political will rarely leads to any change in these basic instruments. Western speech, as something that rarely has any effect on power, is, like badgers and birds, free. In states like China, there is pervasive censorship, because speech still has power and power is scared of it. We should always look at censorship as an economic signal that reveals the potential power of speech in that jurisdiction. The attacks against us by the US point to a great hope, speech powerful enough to break the fiscal blockade.

rajiv1857

Hi,

Is the game that you are caught up in winnable? Technically, can you keep playing hide and seek with the powers that be when services and service providers are directly or indirectly under government control or vulnerable to pressure - like Amazon?

Also, if you get "taken out" - and that could be technical, not necessarily physical - what are the alternatives for your cache of material?

Is there a 'second line' of activists in place that would continue the campaign?

Is your material 'dispersed' so that taking out one cache would not necessarily mean the end of the game?

Julian Assange:

The Cable Gate archive has been spread, along with significant material from the US and other countries to over 100,000 people in encrypted form. If something happens to us, the key parts will be released automatically. Further, the Cable Gate archives is in the hands of multiple news organisations. History will win. The world will be elevated to a better place. Will we survive? That depends on you.

That's it every one, thanks for all your questions and comments. Julian Assange is sorry that he can't answer every question but he has tried to cover as much territory as possible. Thanks for your patience with our earlier technical difficulties

SOURCE: The Guardian

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Picha za URBAN PULSE na Msanii DIAMOND walipozuru BBC

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Shukrani Kutoka URBAN PULSE na Tangazo la Party

Utawala wa URBAN PULSE CREATIVE MEDIA Unapenda kuwashukuru wale wote ambao walijitolea kufika, kushiriki na kutoa support ya namna moja au nyingine wakati wa URBAN TOUR ili kusaidia kuchangia fedha za kupambana na vita dhidi ya Malaria Tanzania. Tour hii ilifanikiwa kwa kiwango kikubwa sana kuweza kupata publicity duniani kote na kuhamasisha watu mbalimbali ili kutambua umuhimu na namna ya kufanya ili kutokomeza ugonjwa huu kama ambapo kila mtu ataamua kuchukua majukumu na kufanya sehemu yake.

Itakuwa ni vigumu kutoa shukrani kwa kila mtu ila URBAN PULSE ingependa kutoa shukrani za dhati kwanza kabisa kwa Mwenyezi MUNGU ambaye alisaidia kufanikisha tour hii, Ubalozi wa Tanzania hapa UK Pamoja na staff wake,ASET(ASHA BARAKA; BARAKA MSILWA) Bloggers Wote waliosadia kutangaza show yetu ukianzia na MICHUZI,JIACHIE,MISS JESTINA,DJ CHOKA,TZ UK, HAKI NGOWI,GLOBAL PUBLISHERS, ABDALLAH MRISHO,KULIKONI UGHAIBUNI,HUNGA,MASHUGULI,KANUMBA,VINCENT KIGOSI,JENGATZ,MASHUGHULI,TA READING,LADY JAYDEE,MJENGWA,MTAA KWA MTAA,BONGO WIKEND na wengine wote.TV ; RADIO STATION zikiwepo BBC, BEN TV, BET,MTVBASE,AILTV, PRESENTERS: SPORAH, AYOUB MZEE, FRED MTOI, FRED MACHA, SAFINA,IDD SAFE, CHRIS GOLDFINGER NA JJ. MA DJZ; CHAMBI,ASH,ANDREW,10 TONNES,JCOM,MOJA PAMOJA NA CHRIS GOLD FINGER

Hiyo basi Imeandaa party ya kutoa shukrani na kusherekea anniversary ya kwanza ya URBAN PULSE kwa wote jumamosi hii kuanzia 10pm- 4am. DJZ on the deck DJ CHAMBI ;ANDREW

4th November 2010

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Harufu ya Ufisadi New Mount Meru Hotel,Arusha?

Nimetumiwa na mdau,nami nawasilisha

Nadhani kwa wakaazi wa Arusha na vitongoji vyake watakuwa wameshaona kwenye mabango mbalimbali barabarani ama kupitia redio ama magazeti ya kuwa iliyokuwa inaitwa Novotel Mount Meru Hotel inafunguliwa tena upya ikijulikana kama New Mount Meru Hotel.

Kikubwa nachotaka kuwafikishia watanzania wenzangu ni kuwa nimestaajabika sana ile maana kamili ya uwekezaji kuendelea kutupwa kapuni. Huwezi amini moderator na watanzania kwa ujumla, Hotel hii hadi maua na mchanga vyote vimetoka South Africa ambapo ndipo ilipo kampuni iliyopewa jukumu la kuindesha hotel hii ijulikanayo kama Zabulan.

Nachokiona hapa ni kuwa wasauzi afrika wao wanathamini vyao hata kama wako nje ya kwao, itakumbukwa watu walishapiga kelele kuhusu bidhaa zipatikanazo shoprite ya kuwa hadi nyanya na vitunguu hata mchicha vinatoka hukohuko SA, sasa ambacho watu watajionea hapa ni kuwa mchanga, maua, mbolea, signboards, tisheti, viatu, sabuni, vitambaa, computer, curtains na vyooote vinatoka sauzi afrika, hivi ina maana hapa hatuna hivyo vitu; vingine itasemekana labda viwango na jee hata mbolea na mchanga??

Kali zaidi ni kuwa Senior staffs woote ni ndani ya sauzi afrika ama asia au kwa watani wa jadi, ina maana hapa hatuna mameneja wazuri wakuendesha hotel? hatuna mashefu wazuri hapa tz?

Ikumbukwe walisema katika ajira wataweka mbele wazawa...hii imefia wapi??

Kama uwekezaji ndo hivi jamani bora tufie na tai shingoni.

Kali nyingine ni kuwa Raisi wetu yuleyule aliyeifunguaga Snow Crest Hotel then kesho yake ikaja kuvunjwa ukuta ndio anakuja tarehe 17 Dec kuifungua hii ambayo ilikuwa mali ya watanzania then Mkapa na Magufuli wakaiuza na sasa watanzania hawana hata percent moja hapa, hilo moja pili ni kuwa wafanyakazi woote ni wametoka kenya ama sauzi afrika ma bara asia na pia waliopewa tenda za ku-supply vyakula ni wakenya tupu na vyote vinatoka hukuhuko kenya kuanzia kuku, maharage hadi matunda, jamani rais hana washauri wakamfungua kwenye hili na jee watanzania tutakuwa wapole hadi lini watu wanakuja kupora malighafi zetu na kukimbia??

Ama ndio kichwa cha mwendawazimu??


TUAMKE WATANZANIA NA TULIANGALIE HILI SWALA LA MOUNT MERU KWA JICHO LATATU.


NGUVU YA UMAA IFANYE KAZI JAMANI............

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Waislam Wenye Msimamo Mkali wachoma moto Majengo Ya Kanisa Zanzibar

Waislam wakiwa kwenye swala.Picha hii haihusiani moja kwa moja na habari ifuatayo

Waislam wenye msimamo mkali wanashukiwa kuyachoma moto majengo mawili ya kanisa huko Zanzibar,tukio lililotokea Jumapili iliyopita huku waumini wa makanisa hayo wakipokea vitisho vya kuuawa.

Majengo hayo ya Kanisa la Assemblies of God (TAG) na Evangelical Assemblies of God Zanzibar (EAGZ) katika kijiji cha Masingini kilichopo kilomita 5 kutoka mjini-kati Zanzibar yalichomwa moto takriban saa 2 usiku,kwa mujibu wa Askofu Fabien Obeid wa EAGZ.Polisi wa Mwera walipata taarifa ya tukio hilo kesho yake asubuhi.

Matukio hayo ni mwendelezo wa vitendo vya kuwatisha Wakristo katika eneo hilo lenye Waislam wengi,na kuibua hofu kwamba Waislam wenye msimamo mkali wanaweza kudiriki kufanya lolote lile kuzuwia ustawi wa Ukristo.

“Muislam mmoja alisikika akisema, ‘Tumesafisha eneo letu kwa kuharibu makanisa mawili,na sasa tuna mpango wa kuwaua waumini wa makanisa haya mawili-hatutaruhusu kanisa kujengwa tena,’” alisema muumini mmoja wa kanisa ambaye aliomba jina lake lihifadhiwe.

Jengo hilo la matofali la TAG lilikuwa katika hatua za mwisho za ujenzi,na kwa mara ya kwanza Jumapili hiyo waumini walifanya ibada katika jingo hilo jipya.Jengo la EAGZ ambalo waumini takrban 30 walihudhuria ibada lilikuwa la udongo.

Pasta Michael Maganga wa EAGZ na Pasta Dickson Kaganga wa TAG walieleza hofu yao kuhusu hatma ya kanisa hapo Masingini.Mapasta wa Zanzibar walitarajiwa kukutana jana (Jumamosi) kujadili namna ya kukabiliana na uharibifu huo,alieleza Mwenyekiti wa Usharika wa Mapasta Zanzibar,Askofu Lonard Masasa wa Kanisa la EAGT.

Kwa muda mrefu Waislam wenye msimamo mkali visiwani Zanzibar,wanaoungwa mkono na baadhi ya viongozi wa serikali katika maeneo husika,wamekwaza uwezekano wa Wakristo kupata ardhi kwa minajili ya ujenzi wa majengo ya ibada.Kuna nyakati ambapo wamebomoa majengo yaliyopo na badala yake kuanzisha ujenzi wa misikiti.

Huku wakikanganywa na kutopata ushirikiano wa serikali katika kuwashughulikia wahusika wa matukio hayo,viongozi wa makanisa wameeleza kuwa uwezekano wa waliochoma moto majengo hayo kukamatwa ni mdogo.Mara nyingi,serikali huegemea upande wa wanaofanya matukio hayo,kuchelewesdha uchunguzi kwa hofu ya kuwaudhi Waislam walio wengi ambao wanapinga kuenea kwa Ukristo.

Mwaka jana,maafisa wa serikali katika eneo la Mwanyanya-Mtoni waliungana na Waislam wa eneo hilo kujenga msikiti katika eneo lililotengwa kwa ajili ya ujenzi wa kanisa la EAGZ,alieleza Pasta Paulo Kamole Masegi.

Pata Masegi alinunua ardhi mwezi Aprili mwaka 2007 kwa ajili ya ujenzi wa kanisa katika eneo hilo la Mwanyanya-Mtoni,na kufikia mwezi Novemba mwaka huohuo tayari kulikuwa na jengo lililotumika kama sehemu ya ibada kwa muda.Muda si mrefu Waislam wa eneo hilo walipinga hatua hiyo.

Mwezi Agosti mwaka jana,Waislam hao walianza ujenzi wa msikiti futi tatu tu kutoka kitalu cha kanisa.Mwezi Novemba mwaka huohuo,Pasta Masegi alianza ujenzi wa kanisa la kudumu.Waislam wenye hasira walivamnia eneo hilo na kubomoa msingi wa jengo hilo,alieleza Pasta huyo.

Viongozi wa kanisa waliripoti tukio hilo kwa polisi,ambao hawakuchukua hatua yoyote- na walikataa kutoa ripoti ya tukio,hivyo kukwamisha suala hilo kufikishwa mahakamani,alisema Pasta Masegi.

Wakati huohuo,ujenzi wa msikiti ulikamilika mwezi Desemba (mwaka jana).Hatma ya mpango wa ujenzi wa kanisa ilielekea kufikia ukomo mapema mwaka huu baada ya Mkuu wa Wilaya Ali Mohammed Ali kumfahamisha Pasta Masegi kuwa hana haki ya kufanya ibada katika jengo husika.

Kihistoria, wafanyabiashara wa Kiislam kutoka Ghuba ya Uajemi walifika visiwani Zanzibar mapema karne ya 10 baada ya kusukumwa na pepo za monsoon katika Ghuba ya Aden.Muungano wa visiwa hivyo na Tanganyika mwaka 1964 (na kuunda Tanzania) uliwaacha Waislam visiwani humo wakiwa na hofu kuhusu Ukristo,wakiuona kama njia inayoweza kutumiwa na Tanzania Bara kuwatawala,na tangu wakati huo kumekuwa na hali ya mashaka.

Imetafsiriwa kutoka Compass Direct News (Tarehe 25/11/2010)

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Kutoka kwa Dada Koero Kundi: UJIO WANGU

Ni matumaini yangu kuwa muwazima na mnaendelea na majukumu yenu ya kujenga Taifa au ustawi wa familia zenu popote mlipo.

Ni kitambo kidogo nilitoweka katika ulimwengu wa Kublog, na hiyo ilitokana na majukumu yangu ambayo yalinifanya nihamie Arusha kwa muda ambapo nilijikuta nikiwa na wakati finyu sana kuutenga kwa ajili ya kublog.

Najua kwa wale wapenzi wa Blog ya VUKANI, watakuwa wame-miss makala zangu ambazo kwa kweli zilikuwa zikiibua mijadala mipana ambayo ilikuwa ikifurahisha kuchangamsha na wakati mwingine kukera kidogo.......lakini yote kwangu yalikuwa ni heri tu... lakini pia kwa wale waliokuwa wakifuatilia maoni yangu popote pale nilipokuwa nikichangia mada mbalimbali nao pia walikuwa wanani-miss kwa kuwa napo huko nilikuwa siishi uchokozi.

UCHAGUZI UMEKWISHA!

katika kipindi kizima cha kampeni za uchaguzi karibu blog zote zilikuwa zimedorora, nadhani sikuwa peke yangu, nawapongeza sana wale walioendelea kutupasha habari mbalimbali wakati wa kampeni hususan kaka zangu Evarist Chahali, Mubelwa Bandio,Prof. Matondo,Prof Mbele, Mzee wa Karibu Iringa, Magid Mjengwa Simon Kitururu, Chacha Wambura, Kamala Fadhy Dada yangu Subi, Yasinta na wengine ambao sikuwataja hapa, lakini nilikuwa napitia blog zenu na kujifunza japo mawili matatu.

sasa baada ya uchaguzi kwisha ni vyema wote turejee na nguvu mpya tukiwa na fikra pevu za kuijenga nchi yetu, kuna haja sasa ya kuwa na sauti moja yaani wanablog na wasomaji wa blog kuwahamasisha viongozi wa serikali wasome blog zetu hizi kwani kuna mawazo mengi yanayotolewa katika eneo hili la blog lakini yameachwa tu yapotee bila sababu.

Ni vyema kuunganisha nguvu zetu bila kujali vyama, maana najua wengi tumeumia mioyoni mwetu baada ya kuona yule tuliyemtegemea hakutangazwa na tume kuwa ndiye mshindi, lakini mimi naamini kuwa kwa kiasi kikubwa vyama vya upinzani vimeshinda uchaguzi wa mwaka huu, kwani kwa nguvu ndogo walizokuwa nazo kwa maana ya nguvu ya kifedha, lakini wamefanikiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa kuzoa wabunge na madiwani wengi nchini na hivyo kuonyesha kuwa wananchi wamewakubali.

Tunahitaji sasa kuonesha mshikamano, na kumsaidia bwana mkubwa aliyeko madarakani ili aweze kutuvusha katika miaka mitano hii aliyobakiza salama.Tunatakiwa kukosoa kwa nia ya kujenga na kuelekeza na ikibidi kufundisha........katika tasnia hii ya wanablog naamini kuna vichwa vilivyojaa hekima na mawazo mapya, na ninaamini hata wao wanalitambua hilo

Nimerejea lakini sidhani kama nitakuwa na nguvu kama ile ya kipindi kilichopita kwa sababu ya kutingwa na mambo ya kujiimarisha kiuchumi......

nawatakia kila la kheri na mafanikio mema katika kipindi hiki cha kuumaliza mwaka huu wa 2010.

Ni mie Koero Japhet Mkundi

ASANTE SANA DA KOERO.NAMI NAKUTAKIA HERI NA MAFANIKIO MEMA KATIKA KIPINDI HIKI KILICHOSALIA KABLA YA KUMALIZA 2010 NA SIKU ZOTE.

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Kwa mara nyingine,shule ya Sekondari ya Wavulana ya Tabora (Tabora Boys')imezalisha kiongozi mwingine baada ya Mheshimiwa Mahadhi Juma Mahadhi (pichani kulia anayehojiwa) kuteuliwa kuwa Naibu Waziri Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Uhusiano wa Kimataifa.Mahadhi pia alishinda ubunge wa jimbo la Muyuni kwa tiketi ya CCM huko Zanzibar.

Ushindi wako wa kiti cha ubunge na kuteuliwa kuwa Naibu Waziri ni sifa kubwa kwako na kwa Tabora Boys kwa ujumla,a inadumisha rekodi ya shule hiyo kama kitalu cha kuzalisha viongozi wa baadaye wa taifa.

Hongera sana,Mheshimiwa Naibu Waziri.

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Msanii wa kizazi Kipya Diamond aka Mzee wa Mbagala ametengeneza kibao kipya mapema wiki hii ndani ya Studio za URBAN PULSE CREATIVE maalum kwa ajili Urban Tour war on Malaria. Kibao hicho cha kusisimua kinaitwa LALA SALAMA kimeangushwa na Producer Young Josh na Salim kutoka URBAN PULSE. Ili kuwapa mafans wake burudani ya ukweli Diamond ataperfom LALA SALAM kwa mara ya kwanza kwenye show zake za mwisho ambazo zitafanyika:


CLUB AMBASSADOR
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BARAKA, FRANK NA DIAMOND WAKIJADILI MWELEKEO WA NYIMBO MPYA YA DIAMOND.

DIAMOND AKITUNGA NYIMBO MPYA NA URBAN PULSE

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Ratiba zaidi:
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Kiingilio ni £10 kabla ya saa sita usiku.

Tafadhali wahi mapema na pia tunaomba mpe taarifa mwenzako.

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Asanteni sana,

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HIV Breakthrough as Pills Already On Sale are Found to Help Prevent the Virus

Important: The pill was found to lessen infection chances in conjunction with education and condoms

A pill which prevents people from getting HIV has come a step closer after medication already available in pharmacies was shown to lessen the chances of infection.

.Scientists gave the pill, which is currently used to treat people who have contracted the virus, to healthy gay and bisexual men during the three-year global trial.

They discovered daily doses of the pill, Gilead Science's Truvada cut the risk of infection when given with condoms, counselling and other prevention services.

Breakthrough: Truvada, pictured being held by Gilead Sciences Inc. Chief Executive John Martin, was found to lessen the chances of infection among gay men

The drug lowered the chances of infection by 44 per cent, and by 73 per cent or more among men who took their pills most faithfully.

Researchers had feared the pills might give a false sense of security and make men less likely to use condoms or to limit their partners, but the opposite happened - risky sex declined.

The results are 'a major advance' that can help curb the epidemic in gay men, said Dr. Kevin Fenton, AIDS prevention chief at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But he warned they may not apply to people exposed to HIV through male-female sex, drug use or other ways. Studies in those groups are under way.

Because Truvada is already on the market, the CDC is rushing to develop guidelines for doctors who want to use it to prevent HIV, and urged people to wait until those are ready.

However, high prices of the pills which cost $5,000 to $14,000 a year in the United States could be prohibitive.

They are sold for roughly $140 a year in some poor countries where they are produced in generic form.

Whether insurers or government health programs should pay for them is one of the tough issues to be sorted out, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Historic: The Vatican, led by Pope Benedict XVI, has indicated it now supports condom use in the fight against AIDS

'This is an exciting finding,' but it 'is only one study in one specific study population,' so its impact on others is unknown, Fauci said.

His institute sponsored the study with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

It was the second piece of good news in a day for the fight against AIDS after U.N. officials said new HIV cases are dropping dramatically worldwide.

The U.N. report said that new cases dropped nearly 20 percent over the last decade and that 33.3 million people are living with HIV now.

And earlier, the Pope, in a shift from historic teachings, said that using a condom is a lesser evil than infecting a sexual partner with HIV.

Gilead Sciences Inc. donated Truvada for the study, which involved about 2,500 men at high risk of HIV infection in Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand and the United States.

The foreign sites were chosen because of high rates of HIV infection and diverse populations.

The men were given either Truvada or dummy pills. All had monthly visits to get HIV testing, more pills and counselling.

Every six months, they were tested for other sexually spread diseases and treated as needed.

After a median follow-up of just over a year, there were 64 HIV infections among the 1,248 men on dummy pills, and only 36 among the 1,251 on Truvada.

Among men who took their pills at least half the time, the risk of infection fell by 50 per cent. For those who took pills on 90 per cent or more days, risk fell 73 per cent.

Tests of drug levels in the blood confirmed that more consistent pill-taking gave better protection, and in one subgroup, the reduction in risk was 92 per cent.

SOURCE: Daily  Mail

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Familia ya Lowassa yapelelezwa London

Mwandishi Wetu

Novemba 24, 2010

Polisi Uingereza wamchunguza mwanawe

Washitushwa na uhamishwaji wa Sh.bil. moja

MTOTO wa Waziri Mkuu aliyejiuzulu, Edward Lowassa anayeitwa Frederick Lowassa anachunguzwa na Kitengo Maalumu cha Polisi wa Kimataifa wa Uingereza wanaofuatilia utata wa uhamishaji fedha kutoka Tanzania, Raia Mwema limedokezwa.

Fedha hizo zinahusishwa na ununuzi wa nyumba yenye thamani ya pauni za Uingereza 475,000 (takriban Shilingi bilioni moja) katikati ya Jiji la London, .

Hata hivyo, watu walio karibu na Frederick wameelezea kwamba kijana huyo hakuwahi kununua nyumba; bali aliwahi kutaka kupanga kwa ajili ya kuishi akiwa masomoni nchini Uingereza na fedha nyingine alizituma kwa ndugu yake aishie nchini humo.

Nyumba ambayo inatajwa katika maelezo ya awali iko mtaa wa Leinster Gardens, jijini London.

Hata hivyo, hakuna ofisa yeyote wa Serikali ya Tanzania aliyekuwa tayari kuzungumzia suala hilo, pamoja na kuwapo taarifa kwamba tayari vyombo vya dola vya Tanzania vimekwisha kuhusishwa katika uchunguzi huo.

Maofisa wa Polisi wa Idara ya Upelelezi wa Jinai (CID) wanaohusika na uchunguzi wa fedha haramu, wamekwepa kuzungumzia suala hilo na Mkurugenzi wa Upelelezi wa Makosa ya Jinai (DCI) Robert Manumba, hakuweza kupatikana, na alielezwa kuwa nje ya nchi kikazi.

Ofisa wa CID aliyeelezwa kuongoza kitengo kinachochunguza makosa ya uhalifu wa fedha na nyaraka, Naibu Kamishna wa Polisi (DCP), Samson Kasala, alikanusha kufahamu chochote kuhusiana na suala hilo, kabla ya kukata simu alipohojiwa na Raia Mwema kuhusu taarifa hizo.

Taarifa zinaeleza kwamba Kitengo cha Ufuatiliaji wa Fedha Haramu (Financial Intelligence Unit-FIU) kilichopo chini ya Wizara ya Fedha nchini, kilipokea taarifa kutoka Polisi wa Kimataifa wa London, Uingereza, wakitaka taarifa muhimu kuhusiana na Frederick, kabla ya kitengo hicho kuomba msaada wa polisi.

Hata hivyo, Kamishna wa FIU, Herman Kessy, hakuweza kupatikana wiki iliyopita akielezwa kuwapo nchini Afrika Kusini kikazi, lakini hata aliporejea wiki hii Raia Mwema ilikosa ushirikiano kutoka kitengo hicho Jumatatu wiki hii.

FIU imeanzishwa chini ya Sheria ya Udhibiti wa Fedha Haramu ya mwaka 2006 (Anti-Money Laundering Act-2006) kwa kuundiwa kanuni mwaka 2007, lakini hadi sasa kitengo hicho kimekuwa kikiendeshwa na maofisa watano tu, Kamishna Kessy, mchambuzi mmoja, mtaalamu wa mawasiliano na wasaidizi wawili wasio wataalamu, kitengo kilichopaswa kuendeshwa na watu wengi zaidi kutokana na unyeti wake.

Habari zinaeleza kwamba hata ofisa wa Polisi aliyewahi kuhamishiwa FIU kwa kazi maalumu alijikuta akitengwa na kutopangiwa kazi na maofisa hao ambao wengi wanatoka Benki Kuu ya Tanzania (BoT), baada ya kuwa ‘wameaminiwa’ sana na uongozi wa juu wa serikali.

Kwa mujibu wa taarifa hizo ambazo bado zinafanyiwa kazi, Frederick ambaye baba yake alijiuzulu Waziri Mkuu kwa kuhusishwa na kashfa ya ununuzi wa mitambo ya kuzalisha umeme iliyokabidhiwa kwa kampuni tata ya Richmond Development LLC, anadaiwa kufanya mawasiliano kupitia kampuni ya uwakala iliyotajwa kwa jina la ‘Mishcon’.

Nyaraka alizowasilisha, zilidai kuwapo ubia kati ya mtuhumiwa huyo na kampuni tatu ikiwamo Integrated Property Investment(T) Ltd na Barare Ltd Company.

Mkataba huo unaonyesha kuwa Frederick Lowassa ana hisa kwenye kampuni hizo, na kwamba fedha za ununuzi wa nyumba hizo zinatokana na fedha za malipo ya hisa anazopata kutokana na kampuni hizo.

Hata hivyo, mkataba huo unaonyesha kusainiwa Machi 25 mwaka 2009 siku moja baada ya Frederick Lowassa kusaini mkataba kati yake na kampuni ya Mishcon kama wakala wake katika ununuzi wa jengo hilo.

Pia aliwasilisha nyaraka zinazoihusisha kampuni ya Alphatel kama moja ya kampuni ambayo pia yeye ni mkurugenzi wake ambayo pia ni chanzo chake kingine cha fedha anazotumia kununua jengo hilo.

Taarifa zimedokeza kuwa ununuzi huo ulikwama baada ya kushindwa kutoa malipo hayo kwa mujibu wa mkataba kati yake na wakala wa ununuzi wa nyumba hiyo (kampuni ya Mishcon) ambao ulimtaka awe amekamilisha kulipa fedha hizo kabla ya Aprili 14, mwaka 2009.

Hata hivyo, siku chache baadaye ndani ya mwezi huo wa Aprili, Frederick aliipelekea Mishcon kiasi cha pauni za Uingereza 199,940 zikitokea kwenye kampuni ya ununuzi fedha ya Wall Street Exchange.

Aidha kiasi cha pauni 100,000 kiliingizwa kwenye akaunti ya kampuni hiyo hiyo ya Mishcon kwa fedha taslimu katika mikupuo 12 tofauti zikitokea kwenye matawi tofauti ya benki ya NatWest Bank plc iliyoko Kaskazini mwa Jiji la London.

Raia Mwema limeelezwa kuwa mazingira ya kuingizwa fedha hizo kwenye akaunti ya wakala huyo ( Mishcon) ndiyo yameifanya Taasisi ya SCD 6 Economics and Specialist Proceeds of Corruption Unit ya Uingereza inayosimamia uchunguzi wa sakata hilo kuwa na mashaka makubwa kuhusu uhalali wa fedha hizo.

Kutokana na mazingira hayo, SCD 6 Economic and Specialist Crime Proceeds of Corruption Unit yenye ofisi zake Victoria Block, New Scotland Yard, London, ililazimika kuwasiliana na FIU ikitaka maelezo ya awali kuwezesha kufanyika kwa uchunguzi kuhusu fedha hizo.

Raia Mwema iliwasiliana na Fred ambaye alikana kununua nyumba Uingereza lakini alikiri kuwahi kutuma fedha huko. Aliliambia Raia Mwema pia kwamba hajawahi kuhojiwa na yeyote kuhusu suala hilo, na pia kwamba hana taarifa kuwa polisi wa Uingereza wanampeleleza.

Hata hivyo kwa upande mwingine, gazeti hili limebaini kuwa, maelezo ya awali ambayo yalitakiwa kutoka Tanzania na makachero hao wa Uingereza, ni pamoja na kutaka kufahamu kama kweli Frederick Edward Lowassa amezaliwa Agosti 26, 1977, Mwanza Tanzania na anamiliki hati ya kusafiria yenye namba AB 109402 iliyotolewa Tanzania na kwamba anwani yake nchini Uingereza ni 71 Hendrix Drive, Milton Keynes, MK8 0DY.

Pia makachero hao waliitaka Serikali ya Tanzania kutoa ufafanuzi wakitaka kujua kama Frederick Lowassa ni mbia katika kampuni za Alphatel Partnership (Tanzania) Barare Ltd na Intergrated Tanzania Limited, kampuni ambazo zimefahamika kumilikiwa na familia ya Lowassa.

Asasi hiyo ya Uingereza pia imeomba kujua kama FIU wana taarifa zozote za uhalifu dhidi ya Frederick Lowassa na kama baba yake Edward Lowassa anachunguzwa kwa tuhuma yoyote ya rushwa na mamlaka za uchunguzi wa rushwa nchini Tanzania kuhusu fedha haramu.

Uchunguzi wa awali uliofanywa na vyombo vya dola, ulielezwa na taarifa hizo kwamba Frederick Lowassa si mbia katika kampuni hizo na kwamba Barare Ltd wenye hisa ni Edward Ngoyai Lowassa mwenye hisa 500 na Regina Mumba Lowassa mwenye hisa 500 huku wakurugenzi wakiwa ni hao hao.

Ofisa wa Uingereza anayesimamia uchunguzi huo, George Simpson, ameliambia Raia Mwema kupitia barua pepe kwamba kanuni za uchunguzi kuhusiana na kesi zenye mguso wa kisiasa huwazuia kukanusha au kuthibitisha kuhusu uchunguzi unaoendelea hadi pale wanapofikia hatua ya kukamata mtuhumiwa ama anapofikishwa mahakamani.

CHANZO: Raia Mwema

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