50% qualify to join university

 Students of Kakungulu Memorial School carry their best student, Jingo Ramanthan who scored 19 points in History, Economics, Geography and Sub Math.

Kampala.

The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has reported that slightly more than half of last year’s Senior Six candidates qualify to join university this academic year.

Mr Mathew Bukenya, the Uneb executive secretary, explained that out of the 114, 380 candidates who sat for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), 53.8 per cent garnered at least two principal passes (2Ps), making them eligible to join institutions of higher learning.
This is an equivalent of 61,479 students who qualify for admission to the 35 universities across the country.

However, he added that the number will increase to 88,975 (77.8 per cent) if other tertiary institutions which consider one principal pass and two subsidiary passes are considered for admission as opposed to 64,417 (64 per cent) who joined in 2012 at the same grading.

“The overall performance of candidates in 2013 shows that a very high percentage of candidates (97.3 per cent) qualified for the award of the UACE, about the same percentage as in 2012. At least 53.8 per cent of the candidates passed at the 2P level, the minimum pass level considered for admission to university,” Mr Bukenya said at the release in Kampala yesterday.

However, he said that it wasn’t possible for the board to compare current performance to the previous following a new policy guideline for students to register for not more than three subjects at the same time.

The policy further required students offering science combinations or economics but without Mathematics at the principal level to offer subsidiary mathematics.

While Mr Bukenya appreciated performance in traditional government-aided and well-established schools, he equated the quality of work from other centres to that of S4 students. Communication continues to be a challenge to most candidates failing to explain concepts as demanded in the questions.

“Good quality work was seen from many centres, especially the traditional government-aided schools and well-established private schools. At other centres, evidence of poor preparation was all too evident,” he said.

In terms of percentages, female students performed better than their male counterparts at the A-E level in History, Economics, Islam Religious education, Christian Religious education, Geography, Literature in English and Mathematics.

However, the male candidates performed better in sciences. There was a drop in performance in History, Entrepreneurship skills, Literature in English and Biology.

Mr Bukenya noted that although the core sciences and mathematics are compulsory at Senior Four, the transition to A-level in the same subjects has remained low.

For instance, he said that 24.8 per cent of the candidates offered Mathematics, 17.4 per cent did Physics while Chemistry and Biology were at 8.2 per cent and 8 per cent respectively.

Entries in Chemistry dropped from 10.5per cent in 2012 while that in Biology also declined to 10 per cent. Despite registering fewer science candidates, the board also reported that nearly 50 per cent of the candidates were unable to obtain a principal level pass.

“The level of performance, coupled with low entries for the subjects will have negative impact on the country’s manpower needs in science, technology and skilling Uganda,” Mr Bukenya said.

Queen Elizabeth could lose royal consent

 Queen Elizabeth could lose her right to consent to new laws as MPs have questioned whether the "arcane and complex" process of royal consent is still needed.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth could lose her right to consent to new laws.

MPs are discussing whether to abolish royal consent from the 87-year-old monarch and Prince Charles when ushering in new laws, and have declared the process of seeking consent from the queen and first in line to the throne "arcane and complex".

The Commons' Political and Constitutional Reform committee fears royal consent could fuel speculation the royal family has "undue influence" on policy making, however, they say the process is more a "matter of courtesy" and there is no evidence the royals have influenced law change.

A new report states: "The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The queen has the right to be consulted, to advise and to warn. But beyond that she should have no role in the legislative process.

"Its existence could be regarded as a matter of courtesy between the three parts of Parliament. Whether this is a compelling justification for its continuance is a matter of opinion."

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles are currently given approval of any laws that may affect royal matters or the interests of the Crown or Duchy of Cornwall.

UACE results: Performance in History dropped

 UNEB chairman Fagil Mande hands over UACE results to education minister Jessica Alupo.

The minister of Education will today release the long- awaited 2013 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examinations results.

11:04am: Head teachers gathering at the Office of the Prime Minister, conference hall, the new building near Parliament, awaiting for the function of the release of the UACE results.

12:01pm: There is an Increase in candidature of 4 per cent, leading to 4372 more candidates. hence number of candidates qualifying for UACE is at a high percentage of 97.4%

12:11pm: Girls performed better than the boys at all levels of grading as well as mathematics

12:15pm: The number of students offering math and sciences is low. Only 24.8 per cent offered math, 17.4 per cent offered Physics and about 8 per cent offered Chemistry and biology. The number of girls offering these subjects is low.

12:45pm: UNEB secretary Mathew Bukenya addressing the gathering. "Although sciences are compulsory at UCE level, their performance at UACE level has continued to be poor"

12:50pm: " Good quality of work was visible especially for the traditional government schools and well established private schools, Poor communication skills continue to affect the candidates ability to express them selves. This was experienced when it came to essay writing" Bukenya. He also adds that examination malpractice reduced.

12:56pm: Mr Mathew Bukenya says results of 34 candidates have been with held until investigations are concluded.

12.57pm: Twelve centres which did not comply with new registration regulations of ICT and sub math affecting 560 students, Their exams have not been printed.

12:58pm: Improvement was registered in Economics, Islam, CRE, Physics, Agriculture, Chemistry. While performance dropped in History, Entrepreneurship skills, Literature in English and Biology

1:00pm: Fagil Mande speaks: "I would like to thank the parents and the children for the patience"

1:04pm: "Majority of radio stations do not have educative programs, so i would like to encourage them to come up with educative radio programs" Fagil Mande

1:14pm: Are we producing the right skills?. Improve the quality of education at school level, we need to develop a clear definition of a learner- Fagil Mande

1:15pm: Fagil Mande hands over results to Education Minister Jessica Alupo

1:20pm: Minister directs head teachers to teach and stop using pamphlets. Encourage students to enrol in technical education to get skills relevant in the world of work.

5 Ways To Achieve An Irresistible Dating Profile,double click and read more..

 Along with the new year come new beginnings, and singles all over the world are hoping for one of those beginnings to be new love. Online dating sites are now one of the most popular ways to meet singles. And with thousands of dating sites out there, the outlets to find love online are certainly there, and booming at that. Finding love online should be a cinch, yet some people still struggle with it. What these people don’t realize is that their problem is right in front of their eyes, and very easy to solve…their problem is their dating profile. A recent study of over 4,000 dating profiles done by Zoosk has discovered how to fix these problems, how to improve odds of receiving messages, and how to get more replies to messages sent. Here are

1. Describe your hobbies

Describing your hobbies and personal interests can lead to more messages, and more activity on your dating profile. Online dating users who mention exercise in their dating profiles receive 21% more messages, and users who mention an interest in music and musical skills get 15% more messages. All of the artists out there get 6% more messages, and bookworms get a whopping 21% more messages!

2. Show it all off

People often mistakenly choose a head shot for their main photo. However, while there’s nothing wrong with a close up of your pearly whites, online dating users who show their entire body in their profile photo receive more than three times the messages of the average user. They also see a 33% improvement in receiving responses to their messages. Save the head shots for other parts of your profile, and put it all on display for your main pic.

3. Check your spelling

Bring out all of your writing and grammar skills when you’re constructing your online profile, because apparently people like proper English. And no short cuts either! Use a “teh” “cuz” or “b4″ in a message, and you will instantly turn the receiver off, making it 13% less likely that you will get a reply. Women are sticklers when it comes to this, because for men the response rates drop by a drastic 27%. Don’t forget about punctuation…

4. Make sure you’re alone…

DO NOT include anyone in your photo, including your beloved pet chihuahua or fluffy kitten. People who include friends or pets in their photos see a huge drop in responses to their messages. Those who bring their dear pets into their profile photo get 53% fewer messages, and 12% fewer responses to the messages they send. Having a human in the photo is nearly as bad. Profiles with main photos with more than one person, lower their chance of receiving an incoming message by 42%. People aren’t interested in dating your pet…they’re interested in dating you.

5. Keep your cool

The prospect of finding love is very exciting, but make sure you keep your cool. Users who come on too strongly experience a significant decline in replies received. Use the word “sexy”, “hot” or “cute”, and you’re 44% less likely to receive a reply

The Power of Words:

While there are some words that turn prospective matches off, there are also words that do the opposite. According to a study conducted with okCupid and Match.com, there are actually certain words that are proven to make you seem more attractive to other users.

What This Dating Guru Has To Say About Women Might Shock You

 The Tao of Badass is the most notorious dating guide on the market today…by far. It’s the most talked about guide, the most used guide, and definitely the most successful guide to picking up women. But The Tao of Badass  is anything but the standard guide to getting girls. It is a bold and daring instructional tool that provides men the tips and tricks needed to seduce any woman instantly, and boost their self confidence. The guide was designed to help men break out of their shells. To stop fearing women and rejection and gain the assurance that they can get whoever they want, whenever they want.
Josh Pellicer is the author of the program. He is a well known dating expert who knows that his program works because he implemented it himself. Like the men he aims to help, he too used to be shy and unhappy because of his lack of confidence. After months of research on psychology, women, and conducting endless field research himself, he perfected The Tao of Badass. So should you trust his advice?

Govt imposes new fees for journalists

 

 Journalists hand a petition to IGP Kale Kayihura. The 

Government has instituted new fees for journalists.

 

 The Government has instituted new fees for journalists, and revised the journalism code of ethics.
 
According to the new regulations issued by the Information and National guidance minister, Rose Namayanja, in a statutory instrument entitled the Press and Journalist (fees) Regulations, 2014, journalists will be required to pay sh200,000 for a practicing certificate and sh100,000 for re-newing the certificate every year.
 
The changes gazetted in February 2014 have not been formally communicated to the media houses or journalists.
 
Although the statutory instrument seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Press and Journalist Act of 1997, that deals with the professional ethics, it is instead stated that it was amending the Fourth Schedule that provides for the meetings of the Media Council. The instrument came into effect on February 10, 2014.

Statutory Instruments (SIs) are a form of legislation which allows the provisions of an Act of Parliament to be subsequently brought into force or altered without Parliament having to pass a new Act. They are also referred to as secondary, delegated or subordinate legislation.
 
The new regulations require journalists to pay sh5,000 as application for enrolment and sh30,000 for a certificate of enrolment. Furthermore, to have his certificate entered on the register of journalists, the journalist will have to pay sh50,000.
The instrument imposes fees ifor foreign journalists seeking accreditation. The regulations also stipulate fees for lodging a complaint before the Media Council, ruling by committee and certification of committee proceedings. It also outlines fees for local and foreign produced films, video material, plays and related apparatuses. The Act does not specify the amount that one must pay.
 
New Vision’s efforts to get a comment from Namayanja yesterday were unsuccessful. The Director for Information and National Guidance Simon Mayende, however, referred the New Vision to Pius Muinganisa, who was also not accessible by phone.
 
The second instrument gazetted effected changes to the journalists’ code of ethics. The new statutory instruments incorporate the provisions of the existing code of ethics, but expands it to cater for harassment, obscene publications and reporting on children.
 
It obliges journalists or editors to respect the constitutional right to privacy of home, correspondence, communication or other property enshrined in the Constitution. It defines a private place as a public or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
 
Journalists are barred from engaging in intimidation, harassment or corrupt tendencies.
 
“It is unacceptable for a journalist or editor to unreasonably persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing a person who has asked the journalist or editor to desist from such acts,” the regulation states.
 
The new regulations state that journalists and editors must not publish obscene material including writings, drawings, prints, paintings, printed matter, pictures, posters, emblems, photographs, cinematography films or any other obscene objects or objects that tend to corrupt morals.
 
The new regulations also prohibit the publication of stories, pictures or information that seeks to glamourise crime in general. The regulations prohibits journalists from interviewing or taking a child’s photograph while at school.

Don’t kid with your kidneys,double click and read more..

They come as a pair, yet one is not a spare of the other.

Kidney failure is one of the leading causes of illness in Kenya, which explains why transplants have become a common medical procedure in the country.

However, you and I can protect these twins that are so critical for our wellbeing. Let’s have a look a how to ensure that they serve us optimally and longer. So, here, the major conditions that cause kidney disease in Kenya

1: Untreated skin and throat conditions

The beta haemolytic streptococcus bacteria, when it infects the skin and throat, sends molecules to the kidney to form immune complexes that destroy the organ. Dr E N Kamuri, a dermatologist, points out that when some skin conditions remain untreated, they contribute to loss of proteins, hence kidneys react. These skin conditions include severe eczema, some fungal and bacterial infections, some forms of skin cancers and Kaposi’s sarcoma.

“When you have a skin infection, you have no protection, thus losing water to the environment causes dehydration and shock, eventually leading to kidney failure,” Dr Kamuri notes. Dr Mbira Gikonyo, an ear, nose and throat specialist, adds that a throat infection, if left untreated, can complicate and cause kidney failure.

“Once an infection affects the throat, it causes an inflammation in the blood vessels of kidneys and the kidneys begin to fail,” Dr Mbira says, adding that the most sore throats are caused by viruses, most commonly a cold or flu virus, and should be treated urgently.

In addition, the patient should strictly adhere to treatment. Strep throat is treated using antibiotics and, if left untreated, may cause serious heart and kidney complications. The response of a person’s immune system to a strep throat infection might also cause inflammation of the kidneys. Dr Mbira advises that due to the potential for serious complications, strep throat should be treated as soon as possible.

2: Lupus (lupus erythematosus) 

This refers to a condition of the immune system where the body attacks the kidney as if it were foreign tissue.

3: Nephrotic syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is the excessive passage of protein in the urine, leading to low amounts of the nutrient in the blood, which makes the body swell. The syndrome is caused by abnormalities of the blood filtering unit, which is supposed to remove protein as waste.

PS: All the above cause glomerulonephritis, which is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease in the country, and refers to the inflammation of the kidney.

When you suffer from glomerulonephritis, the part of your kidneys that helps filter waste and fluids from the blood is damaged and is characterised by damage to the kidney’s filtering units, which result in the appearance of protein and/or blood in the urine.

Obama sends more troops to capture Kony

 A picture of a CV-22 Osprey, a decisive game changer.

US President Barrack Obama has ordered the deployment of an additional 150 Special Forces and aircraft to boost the hunt for the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel leader Joseph Kony in the thick jungles of central Africa. The deployment comes just weeks after the US government threatened to “review” its bilateral relations with Uganda after President Museveni signed the law that criminalises homosexuality.

But the Public Affairs officer at American Embassy, Mr Daniel Travis, told  Drive Hot News yesterday that his country can help protect both rights of LRA war victims and sexual minorities.

“Ensuring justice and accountability for human rights violators like the LRA and protecting LGBT rights aren’t mutually exclusive. We can and must do both. We continue to look at additional steps we may take to work to protect LGBT individuals from violence and discrimination, and to urge Uganda to repeal this abhorrent law,” he said.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces welcomed the deployment of extra forces that brings the officially acknowledged number of American troops participating in the LRA hunt to 250.

“We have bilateral relations with the US to end the LRA insurgency and we are still looking for him (Kony). We welcome any extra effort that comes to help us end this problem,” UPDF spokesperson Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, said yesterday.
Mr Travis said the deployment of CV-22 Osprey aircraft will enable quick troop movement in the war theatre.

“Our African partners have consistently identified airlift as one of their greatest limiting factors as they search for and pursue the remaining LRA leaders across a wide swath of one of the world’s most remote regions,” he said. The Americans help the African Regional Task Force that includes Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and DR Congo to gather intelligence on the LRA and its elusive leader.

The Enough Project’s Ugandan researcher on LRA, Mr Kasper Agger, yesterday observed that the CV-22 Osprey is “a decisive game changer”. “The US and their African partner forces will now be able to act swiftly to apprehend Kony who continues to terrorise civilians in remote corners of central Africa. The deployment confirms US resolve to the mission and sends a strong signal about the Obama administration’s commitment to atrocity prevention,” he said.

Malaysian plane diverted to Hong Kong after electric problem

 One of two Japanese Government P-3 aircraft, helping with the search of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, to arrive at RAAF base Pearce is guided to a stop in Bullsbrook, 35 kms north of Perth on March 23, 2014.

KUALA LUMPUR, Monday

A Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul had to divert to Hong Kong early Monday due to electrical problems, the carrier said, adding to the flag-carrier's headaches as it grapples with its missing plane crisis.

Flight MH066 was "diverted to Hong Kong due to an inoperative aircraft generator which supplies normal electrical power" on the Airbus A330-300, the airline said in a statement.

"However, electrical power continued to be supplied by the Auxiliary Power Unit," the company said, giving no further details on the equipment problem.

It said the aircraft landed in Hong Kong "uneventfully" and that all 271 passengers had been transferred to other carriers.

A Hong Kong Airport Authority spokeswoman said the aircraft touched down without incident at about 3:00 am.

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH

The plane had departed from Kuala Lumpur at 11:37 pm (1537 GMT) on Sunday and was scheduled to arrive at Seoul's Incheon airport at 6:50 am, South Korean time.

6 students killed in road accident

 Oscar Atuhwere, one of the survivors, nursing injuries at Kampala International University Hospital in Ishaka yesterday.

Bushenyi.
Six students of Rwakatende Senior Secondary School in Nyakabirizi Division, Bushenyi Municipality, have been killed in an accident and six others injured after a truck rammed into them as they celebrated winning a football match on Saturday.
The school team had won a zonal trophy after defeating Bishop Ogez High School in the ongoing postprimary football competitions.

The incident occurred when a speeding lorry carrying sand reportedly rammed into a procession of about 70 students in Bushenyi Town at about 6.30pm, killing six on the spot and injuring six.

“The students left the playground in excitement. Police had deployed at the playground but there was no sign that these students will make a procession, otherwise police would have stopped them,” the Bushenyi officer in charge of traffic, Mr Wilfred Byamugisha, said.
They are being treated at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital in Ishaka.

Mr Byamugisha said according to the law, processions are supposed to be held between 7am and 6pm.
He was, however, hesitant to blame the accident on anybody, saying the police are investigating what could have gone wrong.

Mr Byamugisha said the driver, Mr Moses Kyakabare, was reportedly beaten up by other students and whisked to an unknown health facility.
The school director, Mr Frank Muhangi Rwakatende, blamed the accident on the driver, saying the truck was in dangerous mechanical condition and knocked the students on the roadside where they were walking.

Mr Rwakatende accepted to meet the cost of transporting bodies to their homes and promised to treat those who were injured.
However, he said the driver should have met the costs since he was in the wrong.
“I am going to take the matter to court because the vehicle was in dangerous mechanical condition,” Mr Rwakatende said at police yesterday.

THE VICTIMS
The dead include Robert Mugabi (S6), Sam Aruho and Clinton Nuwaha (S1), Mr Cuthbert Aineamtsiko (S6), Ainemukama Ahebwa and Apollo Nuwamanya (S5).
Those who were injured are Mr Winfred Nankunda, Ms Ruth Atuhaire, Mr Pius Tibamnya, Mr Benson Barigye, Oscar Atuhwere and another one only identified as Michael.

Doctors face penalty for procuring unwanted drugs - govt

Entebbe.
The government is to draft guidelines to punish doctors who requisition for drugs without following the prescribed clinical guidelines, the Minister for General Duties, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye, has said.

Dr Tumwesigye said some doctors in government health facilities ask for drugs that are not necessarily needed in their health centres.

“This makes the drugs they procure expire because they are not usually wanted in their health centres, yet government using epidemiology studies came up with clinical guidelines that list common diseases per given areas,” Dr Tumwesigye said during a tour of National Medical Stores (NMS) last Thursday.

The minister said doctors should follow the government guidelines to know how to accurately quantify the different drugs per given health centres. “We are going to popularise these guidelines so that those who fault them be punished and those who follow them be rewarded,” he said.

Progress
Dr Tumwesigye said the ministry will also continue developing basic kits for health centre IIs and IIIs to ensure that all people receive adequate healthcare.
The NMS general manager, Mr Moses Kamabare, denied drugs expire in their stores.
“We wait for health centres to requisition for drugs as per their budget and they are delivered to their health centres in the shortest time possible,” he said.
Mr Kamabare urged the ministry to create measures to ensure that the health units ask for drugs as per clinical guidelines to lower cases of drugs expiring in their stores.

Ebola caused fever that killed 59 in Guinea,double click and read more

 Five health workers, dressed in head-to-toe "Ebola suits", leaving in a pick-up truck in Uige, about 300km north of the Angolan capital, Luanda, to collect a man dying from haemorrhagic fever on April 9, 2005. The Ebola virus has been identified as the source of an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in southern Guinea, the west African nation said on March 22, 2014 as the death toll rose to 34.

Health authorities in Guinea are battling against an Ebola outbreak that has killed 59 people since February 2014, medical sources confirmed Saturday.

It is the first time that the virus has been reported in West Africa after it was first documented in Central Africa nearly two decades ago, sources said.

A French medical research specialist, Dr Jean Paul Gonzalez on Saturday confirmed that the deaths were caused by the Ebola virus after carrying out a laboratory test in Lyon.

Guinean health authorities said the specimens were obtained from patients in Macenta in the south of the country along the borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The country’s chief medical doctor Sekouba Keita expressed surprise over the sudden outbreak of the virus and especially its rapid spread in the region.

This has triggered a rapid intervention on the part of the health ministry which was undertaking a mass public awareness and information campaign to reduce its spread.

Dozens of patients who have been diagnosed with the disease are being quarantined in dispensaries and other health centres where the outburst has occured

He explained that the 59 deaths were among the 100 diagnosed nearly two months ago with the disease.

A total of 30 tonnes of drugs are being loaded on two flights in France and Belgium and are expected to arrive in the country by Tuesday, Dr Keita said.

Ebola is a highly contagious virus that is characterised by fever, internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea and vomiting and can lead to death within a relatively short period of time, sources said.

Meanwhile, the medical authorities have also announced the resurgence of lassa fever which is caused by the long-nosed rats and has killed hundreds of people in West Africa in the past.

10 Most Beautiful Places in the World,read more on http//drivhot.blogspot.com

1. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

This is an amazing site located in between the border of Zambia and North of Zimbabwe along the Zambezi River. This breathtaking site occupies around 2 kilometer mile and is 354 feet high. It emits mist that is spotted by somebody about 20 kilometers away and hence it’s traditional “Mosi-oa Tunya” that simply means “thundering smoke”. It was named Victoria Falls by a Scottish explorer David Livingstone.


Once in a while it is good to divert your mind from the daily hassle and dissonance of daily working environment and find a cool place where you can relax and enjoy with your family. There is one good place that exceeds nature and its beauty. Spending some time visiting and watching some of the most beautiful wonders of the world will make you forget all your worries and realize how much is given to you by your creator to enjoy. There are so many breathtaking places in the world that you can visit but here we are going to concentrate on 10 most beautiful places in the world. They are so beautiful that you might think of changing your current career to travelling; after all travelling not only helps you learn but can also decide to write guides for others who might want to know more about their world.

Jaguar: I help to change lives

 Jaguar has released a video for his song 'Kioo'.

Singer Jaguar has stated that he does not help the needy just to show off as has been claimed by some of his haters, he says.

He says his actions are inspired by the need to change peoples’ lives in whatever way. “I avoid children’s homes because they have since become money-minting ventures, that’s why I prefer helping individuals,” he told Nairobi News.

He also said it was easier to do a follow up when you help an individual compared to a group.

Chris Brown vows to turn life around,read more on http//drivhot.blogspot.com

 Musician Chris Brown.

The 'Fine China' singer, who was transferred to a jail in Los Angeles after he was kicked out of a court-ordered rehab facility last Friday (14.03.14), and must stay there until his next probation violation hearing on April 23, has told friends he is absolutely miserable behind bars.

A source, who recently spoke to the 24-year-old star, told Drive Hot News that Chris said being in prison is "the worst experience of my life," and he feels like "a caged animal."

He also reportedly said: "I'll never f**k up again."

The 'Don't Wake Me Up' singer has been spending his time in jail writing new music and working out.

But Chris could be out of jail early next week, as his lawyer is close to reaching a civil settlement with a man the star allegedly assaulted in Washington D.C.

The Grammy-Award winner's representative Mark Geragos is said to have offered Parker Adams, who claims Chris broke his nose and hurled a homophobic slur at him last October, a large financial deal in the hopes of convincing him to tell prosecutors he no longer wants to participate in the criminal case against the star.

Chris, who was first placed on probation in 2009 after assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna, is facing a misdemeanour assault charge in relation to the incident and could be sentenced to four years in jail if convicted.

Kenyans in the US to be issued with IDs: Embassy

 Kenya’s acting Ambassador to the US, Ms Jean Kamau has announced that the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC will begin issuing IDs to Kenyan citizens residing in the US and Mexico from mid April.

The Kenyan Embassy in the United States has announced it will begin issuing National Identity cards to Kenyan nationals living in the US and Mexico from next month.

Besides being able to acquire 2nd generation IDs, Kenyans living in the Western hemisphere nations will also have their lost IDs replaced at the Embassy while first time applicants and those wishing to change their particulars will be able to do so without having to travel to Kenya.

Speaking to the Nation from her office in Washington DC, acting Kenya’s Ambassador to the US, Ms Jean Kamau, said the government is determined to make sure that every Kenyan who qualifies for the important document gets one.

“We are very excited about this roll out which begins on Monday April 14. In due course, this program will be replicated in other countries across the world,” she said.

Ms Kamau appealed to Kenyan parents of American born children to take advantage of the roll-out.

“We would like these children to feel appreciated as Kenyans. They too deserve these documents,” she said.

The new development comes barely a week after the Sunday Nation reported that a section of Kenyans residing in the United States were dissatisfied with the Jubilee government’s performance record – mainly on the handling of Diaspora Affairs.

In recent times Kenyans in the Diaspora have been finding it increasingly difficult to transact various official businesses due to lack of valid requisite documents.

“A new generation ID is part of the requirements when applying for a Personal Identification Number (PIN) which is mandatory for registration of property in Kenya. Most Kenyans who came here over a decade ago don’t have the IDs and as a consequence couldn’t transact many businesses. This is welcome news,” said Timothy Ndegwa, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia.

But some Kenyans are already taking issue with the requirement to appear in person at the embassy in Washington DC in order to acquire or renew their documents.

Jovita Kassangi, a Kenyan who lives in the city of Thibodoux, Lousiana questioned the rationale of asking Kenyans to travel to the US capital.

“It wouldn’t make any sense for me to travel for 17 hours to get an ID,” she said via twitter.

It is also not very clear whether Kenyans living in Mexico would be required to travel to Washington DC to access the service.

Our attempts to reach the envoy for clarification were unsuccessful as we were advised to leave a message on her cell phone Friday evening.

However, in an interview late last year, Ms Kamau had said the embassy was contemplating a road tour to take the ID issuance service to different cities in the US.

“It would be a good idea to target cities with high concentration of Kenyans,” she told the Nation in December.

A message posted on the embassy’s website says that processing of an ID will take approximately 6 to 8 weeks from the date of application.

Requirements for application and other details can be found on the Embassy's website.

South Sudan refugees return to fight as peace talks drag

A Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) government soldier walks towards the town of Malakal on March 20, 2014, after the SPLA allegedly took it over. Despite the brutal suffering the war has caused -- displacing nearly one million people, many without sufficient food or medical care -- troops have refused to lay down their arms, violating a ceasefire deal signed in January.

GAMBELLA, Friday

Paul Kuon's escape from his war-torn nation was the most brutal of journeys, with the South Sudanese rebel fighter forced to dodge gunfire as he trekked with his wife and two young children.

But after his two month-long ordeal, passing scores of dead bodies and spending days without food or water to reach the relative safety of an Ethiopian refugee camp, Kuon is readying to return to fight.

"There is no choice... we will not give up, we will continue fighting," said Kuon, a member of one rebel force that is fighting against the government.

"What was done by the government in Juba is not correct, they tried to kill each individual, brothers and sisters were killed," he told Drive Hot News, standing among hundreds of refugees under a cloud of buzzing flies, in a rapidly growing camp just across the border in western Ethiopia's Gambella region.

Kuon is leaving his family behind in the camp to return to a bloody civil war in the world's youngest nation, in which thousands have already been killed.

Despite the brutal suffering the war has caused -- displacing nearly one million people, many without sufficient food or medical care -- troops have refused to lay down their arms, violating a ceasefire deal signed in January.

Slow moving peace talks between the government and rebels failed to resume as scheduled on Thursday in the comfort of a high-end hotel in the Ethiopian capital, although mediators insisted they would restart soon.

So far they have made little, if any, progress.

"You cannot leave this fight because I've left my brothers there fighting, they are fighting for our freedom," said Chuot Mach, a bony-chested rebel soldier from a separate rebel force, flashing a toothless smile.

"I will go and fight until we get a solution."

REFUGEE CONDITIONS WORSENING

South Sudan's government has been at war with rebel groups since December 15, when a clash between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing sacked vice-president Riek Machar descended into full-scale fighting.

The conflict has taken on an ethnic dimension, with the Dinka people -- Kiir's tribe and the country's biggest -- largely allying with the government against Nuer forces loosely tied to Machar.

Aid agencies warn of a growing humanitarian crisis, with observers saying the country faces possible famine if warring parties do not heed the ceasefire.

Refugees desperate for food and medicine have poured into neighbouring countries, including Ethiopia, where over 72,000 have arrived since mid-December.

A new camp opened in late February is already full, and officials are seeking to expand existing settlements or open new ones on the dusty and heat-cracked earth.

Ethiopia could receive up to 300,000 refugees in total, UN refugee agency chief in the country, Moses Okello said.

The UN estimates that $350 million (251 million euros) will be needed to respond to the South Sudan refugee crisis by the end of the year.

But what is alarming is that "the condition in which (the refugees) are arriving is getting progressively worse," Okello told Drive Hot News

"Our fear is that the group that will come after this will be really in a bad, bad way," he added.

Recruitment of child soldiers is a major concern, said Okello, noting there are few young men in the camps.

"Our fear is that there could be people that are staying behind to fight, possibly including children," he said.

Both sides have been accused of atrocities and war crimes, and this month the African Union launched an inquiry into human rights abuses.

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM?

South Sudan was born less than three years ago, splitting from the rump of Sudan after more than five decades of on-off civil war.

But the desire to fight on remains for many, with many using the same rhetoric once used in the 1983-2005 civil war.

Nyatuach Chol left her three adult sons in the key oil-producing state of Upper Nile region to fight in the war, while she walked with her daughter and grandchildren for a month, surviving on leaves and little water until they reached the camp.

"I support my children, because they are fighting for freedom," she said, sitting under the shade of a UN tent in a tattered green floral dress.

She has not heard from them since she left three months ago, and does not know if they are alive or dead. But she accepts their fate.

"I cannot worry, the one who dies, dies, while the one who survives will come and get me," said Chol, emaciated and grey-haired.

"This is a cause for all of our people, not only my sons."

Archaeologists find human with cancer in a 3,000 year-old skeleton

The findings are reported in the academic journal PLOS.

The skeleton of the young adult male was found by a Durham University PhD student in a tomb in modern Sudan in 2013 and dates back to 1200BC.

Analysis has revealed evidence of metastatic carcinoma, cancer which has spread to other parts of the body from where it started, from a malignant soft-tissue tumour spread across large areas of the body, making it the oldest convincing complete example of metastatic cancer in the archaeological record.

The researchers from Durham University and the British Museum say the discovery will help to explore underlying causes of cancer in ancient populations and provide insights into the evolution of cancer in the past. Ancient DNA analysis of skeletons and mummies with evidence of cancer can be used to detect mutations in specific genes that are known to be associated with particular types of cancer.

Even though cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of death today, it remains almost absent from the archaeological record compared to other pathological conditions, giving rise to the conclusion that the disease is mainly a product of modern living and increased longevity. These findings suggest that cancer is not only a modern disease but was already present in the Nile Valley in ancient times.

Lead author, Michaela Binder, a PhD student in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, excavated and examined the skeleton. She said: “Very little is known about the antiquity, epidemiology and evolution of cancer in past human populations apart from some textual references and a small number of skeletons with signs of cancer.

“Insights gained from archaeological human remains like these can really help us to understand the evolution and history of modern diseases.

“Our analysis showed that the shape of the small lesions on the bones can only have been caused by a soft tissue cancer even though the exact origin is impossible to determine through the bones alone.”

The skeleton is of an adult male estimated to be between 25-35 years old when he died and was found at the archaeological site of Amara West in northern Sudan, situated on the Nile, 750km downstream of the country’s modern capital Khartoum. It was buried extended on his back, within a badly deteriorated painted wooden coffin, and provided with a glazed faience amulet as a grave good.

Previously, there has only been one convincing, and two tentative, examples of metastatic cancer predating the 1st millennium BC reported in human remains. However, because the remains derived from early 20th century excavations, only the skulls were retained, thus making a full re-analysis of each skeleton, to generate differential (possible) diagnoses, impossible.

Co-author, Dr Neal Spencer from the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum, said: “From footprints left on wet mud floors, to the healed fractures of many ancient inhabitants, Amara West offers a unique insight into what it was like to live there — and die — in Egyptian-ruled Upper Nubia 3200 years ago.”

The skeleton was examined by experts at Durham University and the British Museum using radiography and a scanning electron microscope which resulted in clear imaging of the lesions on the bones. It showed cancer metastases on the collar bones, shoulder blades, upper arms, vertebrae, ribs, pelvis and thigh bones.

The cause of the cancer can only be speculative but the researchers say it could be as a result of environmental carcinogens such as smoke from wood fires, through genetic factors, or from infectious diseases such as schistosomiasis which is caused by parasites.

Woman earns 3 years for torturing boy

Mbeya. A primary court in Mbeya Urban has sentenced Mwanahawa Nassoro, 32, to three years in prison after she was found guilty of torturing and wounding a three-year-old child (name withheld).

Ms Nassoro, who is an aunt to the child, was arraigned to answer charges of torturing and wounding the boy, whom she was living with at her home.

The child was admitted to Mbeya Referral Hospital last week, complaining of severe pain resulting from torture.

Delivering the verdict, magistrate Salome Mwakyosi said she was satisfied with the evidence and testimonies against the accused.

“Apart from the evidence which proves beyond reasonable doubt that she committed the offence, the accused did plead guilty on the charges against her,” she said.

It was earlier alleged that Ms Nassoro committed the offence on March 12, this year.

Prosecution alleged that the accused beat up the child, who she locked in her house for several hours without offering him food.

It was further alleged that local leaders, who came to discover the boy was suffering,, apprehended the woman and handed the accused over to a nearby police station.

The prosecution presented four witnesses, including the child himself, who gave his testimony after his condition had improved, to prove their case against the accused.

In a yet interesting but heart wrenching scenario, when the magistrate asked the child about who tortured him, the boy only pointed a finger at the accused three times without uttering any word.

Meeting stresses quality medicines,read more on http//drivhot.blogspot.com

Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) medicines regulatory harmonization project aims to increase access to medicines and health care products that are affordable and of good quality, it has been said.

The products should also be safe and efficacious for all diseases and conditions, resulting in the prevention of diseases and better treatment of illness to protect and promote a healthy population in the region.

This was stressed during at a two-day EAC regional stakeholders’ consultation meeting to validate technical documents that the Partner States National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) will use for harmonized medicines regulation scheme.

The EAC documents that were validated include Guidelines, Manuals and Standards to be used in the joint registration and evaluation of medicines for marketing authorization, joint good manufacturing practices (GMP) and inspections for pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

Others are regulatory information exchange and quality management system requirements for Partner States NMRAs to ensure that adequate quality standards are maintained, so as to achieve consistency in regulatory service delivery and facilitate mutual trust, confidence and recognition.

Addressing the meeting, the EAC deputy secretary general (Productive and Social Sectors) Ms Jessica Eriyo noted that one of the key interventions for the East African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (EAC-MRH) Framework is to facilitate the process of good health of the people, free movement of goods and services, developing industries and the private sector to transact in fair and better trade.

“The public have to participate in the integration process. Medicines regulatory harmonization is key in facilitating proper handling and use of medicines to ensure a healthy and productive population.

“The integration has to be people-centered and private-sector-led to ensure that the people benefit and build capacity in the region. The borders are porous meaning that goods can be smuggled from one country to another, resulting in unfair trade and poor quality goods,” she said.

The Heads of the National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) assured delegates of their continued commitment and support to the medicines regulatory harmonization process that aims to strengthen existing NMRAs and transform them into Centres of Excellence (CoE) for regulatory capacity building programmes.

The Executive Director of Community Health and Information Network (CHAIN Uganda) and Chairperson of Uganda Alliance of Patient Organization (UAPO), Ms. Regina Kamoga underscored the need to meaningfully involve health consumers and patients at all level of decision making to ensure that decisions are designed with the consumer/patient at the center.

The Development Partners congratulated the EAC Secretariat and Partner States for the milestone so far achieved in streamlining medicines regulation procedures that will contribute to improvement of health outcomes, facilitate trade and development of pharmaceutical industries.

The meeting drew participants from both public and private sector in the five Partner States that included representatives of the respective Ministries of Health, Commerce, Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs, regional and international Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, National Bureaus of Standards, Consumer Protection Organizations and National Medicines Regulatory Authorities.

No US aid cut in response to Uganda gay law

 PHOTO | FILE Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni speaks to the press in Juba on December 30, 2013. The United States has not cut any aid to Uganda in response to the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Law, the State Department said on Wednesday.

The United States has not cut any aid to Uganda in response to the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Law, the State Department said on Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Jen Psaki clarified earlier statements suggesting the US was withholding a small amount of funding related to the salaries of 18 Ugandan health officials.

The US actually stopped paying stipends for extra work by the officials beginning in January — a month prior to enactment of the anti-gay legislation, Ms Psaki said on Wednesday.

“This was an ongoing process before the signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill,” she told reporters.

Asked whether any US aid to Uganda has been reduced, Ms Psaki replied that the Obama administration is continuing to take “a thoughtful, deliberate look at next steps in light of the enactment of the law.”

Her comments indicate that the US has yet to take punitive actions of the sort announced by the World Bank and a few European countries, despite President Obama's warning last month that the anti-gay law will “complicate” Washington's relations with Kampala.

US reluctance to reduce its $400 million a year in aid to Uganda highlights the country's importance for Washington's efforts to promote security in East Africa.

The Obama administration is thus unlikely to heed a call on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch for cuts in security funding to Uganda.

"There's been a lot of condemnatory statements. The time has kind of passed for that," Human Rights Watch official Sarah Margon told Voice of America.

"The US needs to actually take some concrete actions. One of the things we've been talking about is looking at US assistance to the police and security forces, given that they are going to be the ones tasked with implementing the law."

State Department plans to arrange discussions between Uganda President Yoweri Museveni and a team of experts on homosexuality are at a “preliminary” stage, Ms Psaki said on Wednesday.

No information is available on who would join the team or when it might travel to Uganda, she added.

UN prepares new camps for South Sudan refugees

 Internally displaced South Sudanese stand among makeshift tents in Malakal on March 3, 2014.

JUBA

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese civilians sheltering in UN peacekeeper bases fearing revenge attacks after weeks of conflict are to be moved to new camps, UN officials said Monday.

More than three months since fighting broke out, some 77,000 civilians are still inside eight UN bases across the troubled nation, in overcrowded conditions that are worsening with the early arrival of torrential rains.

UN peacekeepers opened their gates to protect civilians after brutal fighting broke out in December with reports of massacres and targeted ethnic killings.

But the temporary shelter has stretched into months, and with fighting ongoing and a ceasefire in tatters, civilians are too fearful to leave.

Aid officials had hoped the thousands would be able to return to their homes, but are now being forced to prepare more permanent sites for people.

Toby Lanzer, the UN humanitarian chief in South Sudan, said there was "desperate overcrowding" for the 25,000 civilians crammed into the UN's base in war-ravaged Malakal, the state capital of oil-producing Upper Nile.

Aid agencies and the UN are preparing a new "protection of civilians" site in Malakal, which will also free up space inside the UN camps for normal operations.

Those in the camps say they fear the creation of enclaves but are too fearful to return home.

"I don't want to live a life stuck in a camp, but my neighbourhood in Juba is in ruins, and I would not be safe there," said John Nyoun, a student in the UN base in the capital.

"At my family home in the countryside... that is where the fighting is."

South Sudan's government has been at war with rebel groups since December 15, when a clash between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to sacked vice president Riek Machar snowballed into full-scale fighting.

Over 930,000 civilians have fled their homes since fighting began, including over quarter of million leaving for neighbouring nations as refugees, the UN said.

In the capital Juba, some 10,000 civilians squeezed into one UN base, a swampy area used previously only as a sports ground, are being moved to another UN camp in the city, as work is done on a new site.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) an agency supporting those in the camps, warned of "deplorable conditions" for all those who had fled their homes.

"People are still afraid to go home but also fear living knee-deep in water amid dangerously unsanitary conditions," IRC country director Wendy Taeuber said

Go slow on gay issues, global body cautioned

Kampala.

The Commonwealth should exercise caution while engaging its African members on the polarising homosexuality debate because it is a “sensitive” matter owing to cultural differences, a senior official has said.

Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe, who chairs the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) responsible for monitoring the group’s adherence to political values on Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) issues, warned that “imposed Western cultural norms on the African continent or elsewhere is more likely to lack legitimacy and acceptance.”

“…the Commonwealth needs to go very slowly and carefully when it deals with the cultural norms and ideologies in the continent,” he said at a press conference in London on Friday.

This was in response to a journalist seeking the Commonwealth’s official position on the West’s sanctioning of Uganda over the anti-gays law and whether it shared President Museveni’s view point that homosexuality is a form of “social imperialism”.

No definite position
However, Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma, who was the first to answer the question, said the body had no agreed position on matters of sexual preferences and LGBTI.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that the Commonwealth opposes discrimination on any grounds and stands up for the principles of equality, non-discrimination, non-victimisation [and] non-criminalisation.”

The Commonwealth Secretariat’s communications director, Mr Richard Uku, originally convened the press conference to announce CMAG’s decision to suspend Fiji from the Council of Ministers of the Commonwealth instead of its full membership as prescribed under a previous penalty.
This is after the South Pacific Ocean Island country agreed to undertake electoral reforms ahead of the scheduled September ballot.

Museveni warns youth against Western culture

 President Museveni inspects traditional foods during the launch of a students’ cultural gala at Busitema University in Busia District on Saturday.

Tororo.

President Museveni has urged the youth to exploit the economic opportunities in the country to create jobs instead of copying Western cultures.

Speaking at the launch of the students’ cultural gala in Busitema University at the weekend, the President said whereas most of the Western cultures look modern and interesting to the youth, the African culture is richer in promoting social identity and discipline. Mr Museveni urged Ugandans to stand firm and abhor, especially the divergent sexual orientation or society will be dragged into danger.

The President also challenged students to scrutinise cultural practices and shun those that do not favour their survival.
“How do you just inherit your late brother’s wife when you are aware of what he was suffering from? I know there are cultures in Uganda still encouraging widow inheritance but this must end,” he said.

Mr Museveni tasked Busitema University to create a faculty of marine sciences so that the country trains and produce experts who can build boats, operate marines as well as maintaining them instead of hiring foreign experts.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Mary Okwakol, appealed to supporters of the university’s business master plan to enable the university source for resources to boost government assistance for the smooth running of the institution.

“We have fought taking raw milk in Western Uganda without boiling successfully. We shall continue fighting bad cultures that have negative impacts on us,” President Museveni

Gossip,Radio, TV Presenters Drown In Booze At BBQ

Last week on Thursday, Radio and TV personalities from different media houses were drowned in booze at the centenary park based BBQ lounge during the Nominations List release of 2014 RTV academy awards scheduled for May 2014.






 After gunning down several bottles, shedding the tears of joy was the best he could do.


Due to the fact that the awards are sponsored by Nile Breweries, it was automatic that brownish and green like bottles were going to in plenty so the Radio and TV presenters came prepared to gun down the bottles.
The situation was normal during the early stages of the drinking spree but it later changed when they swallowed more bottles.

Tv and Radio presenters enjoying the booze

Our snoops revealed that the presenters began to bring in a sense of euphoria and a warm sensual feeling.
“As they continued to drink, their sense of reality become clouded and distorted. They then lost their inhibitions and many did things they would have never done when sober like dirty dancing,” snoop further revealed.

It was time to pull out the rare strokes…….The booze was indeed working

It is believed that some of the presenters up to now do not exactly know how they reached home since they were walking in a zigzag motion.

Gulu Lecturers Furious Over Delayed Salaries

Up to 154 lecturers at Gulu University have gone two months without pay due to financial irregularities at the Ministry of Public Service.





According to Ambrose Eger Apili, a lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Development Studies, many of the lecturers last received their salary in December last year and are currently struggling to live.
He says that lecturers are failing to transport themselves to the University due to lack of money and also most of the children of the lecturers are at home since they have not paid school tuition.
He says some people were paid January salary while majority are still waiting for last month’s pay despite a letter from the ministry that the lectures would be paid on the 28th day of last month.
Eger noted that the problem arises from the failure by the ministry to deduct Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and also the new harmonized finance management system in the Ministry of Public Service.
Eger noted that there are many irregularities in the payment systems since many have been paid incorrect amounts.
In December last year more than 3000 Gulu University students missed some of their end of semester examinations following a strike by lecturers over accumulated allowances.
The lecturers laid down their tools to coincide with the start of the examinations. A professor at Gulu University earns 2.9 million shillings while a Teaching Assistant earns 1.4 million shillings.
Jack Nyeko Pen- Mogi, the Gulu University Vice chancellor said  that he is also among the people who have not received salaries.
He says he cannot explain the reason for salary delays but emphasised that many civil servants were experiencing the same challenges.
When contacted, Jonas Tumwine, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Service stated that he is not aware of the matter but promised to verify.

Pastors to support Museveni’s fifth term

Kampala

The Uganda Pastors’ Network, an organisation of more than 1,000 born-again Christian pastors, has said they would work with government a head of the 2016 polls.

The announcement was made by Pr Moses Ngolobe on Sunday at Terbenacle Center International in Namungoona during a function orgainised to pray for the nation as well as thanking God for President Museveni’s decision to sign the anti-gay law.

The function was graced by Vice President Edward Ssekandi. “We thank God for our leaders and the President in particular. We ask God to grant this government another term in office,” said Pr Ngolobe. He said there had been a gap between pastors and government; however, he added pastors had formed a network that would bridge the gap.

Speaking to a visibly excited congregation the Vice President said the anti-homosexuality law was not made in bad faith but in the spirit of protecting Uganda’s culture values and norms.

Church ready to split from England on homosexuals

Kampala.
The Archbishop of Church of Uganda (CoU) has responded to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, saying Uganda is ready to break away from the Church of England if its views on homosexuality are not respected.
Addressing Christians at St Andrews Church, Bukoto yesterday, Archbishop Stanley Ntangali said the Ugandan-born Archbishop of York John Sentamu recently wrote to him, saying the Church of England was concerned about the CoU’s anti-homosexuality stand.

“I have written back to Archbishop Sentamu. I told him it does not matter even if we do not work with them because the Church of England is a product of repentance and USA is founded on Christian values but they seem to have become spiritually blind,” Bishop Ntangali said.

Blinded
He accused Americans and the British of trying to play double standards by preaching homosexuality yet they sent Church missionaries to spread the gospel of Christ.

“Many people have spiritual blindness but let us not mix issues. One hundred and thirty six years ago, the Church of England sent graduates from Oxford University to Africa to evangelise. America is a super power built on Christian principles... but in all this money is involved,” he said.

During the service, a 32-year-old man, Mr George Oundo, testified of how ex-communicated bishop reportedly sodomised him for 17 years.
When the press approached for a comment, the accused waved journalists away.
Bishop Ntangali urged the police to avoid bribes to curb the vice.