Mugabe hits out at greed, selfishness.Drive Hot News

 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who is also chairman of the African Union, arrives at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha on Saturday to open the Third China-Africa conference of young and upcoming leaders.  Escorting him are the Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Stephen Wassira (left), and CCM Secretary-General Abdulrahman Kinana (right).

Arusha. Some leaders of African independence parties are presiding over the looting of national resources at the expense of public service delivery, according to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Mr Mugabe, who is also the African Union chairman, said in Arusha on Saturday that some leaders were preoccupied with amassing wealth instead of striving to resolve development challenges to improve the lives of their people.  He was speaking at the official opening of the 3rd China-Africa conference of young and upcoming leaders at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge.

Without naming names, President Mugabe said some leaders of parties that have ruled African nations since independence were living in obscene luxury while their people lived in abject poverty, adding that greed and self-centred attitudes cost African countries billions of dollars annually.

Mr Mugabe, who is not known to mince words, said most African countries were struggling with class issues that have led to social tensions and revolt as unemployment among young people rises.

“In some nations, corruption and lack of economic opportunities for the masses amid huge resource exploitation has turned the people against their pre-independence or post-independence leaders.”

The Zimbabwean president showered praise on Tanzania’s founding father, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, saying Mwalimu did not die a rich man, but left a rich legacy for his people that continues to shine to this day. Tanzania would forever remain in Zimbabweans’ hearts as a result of Mwalimu’s selfless dedication to their liberation struggle, President Mugabe told 400 delegates from 43 African countries and China.

Mr Mugabe cautioned aspiring leaders on the continent to be wary of what he said were machinations by neo-colonialists to grab Africa’s resources at the expense of the well-being of future generations.

“Neo-colonialism is all about looting resources...our youth must guard the godsend, particularly land,” President Mugabe said amid deafening applause by delegates.

President Jakaya Kikwete, who showed up briefly at the conference, paid glowing tribute to Mr Mugabe, saying he was Africa’s exemplary statesman.

Mr Mugabe said  colonialists were returning to Africa through the back door in the name of investors, non-governmental organisations, and political parties, and urged the new breed of African leaders to be wary of indiscreet forms of slavery.

It was time African governments empowered their youth to exploit resources, he said and  challenged African nations to kick out wayward investors.

President Mugabe said  some Western countries were uncomfortable with the growing cooperation between Africa and China because they view the Asian powerhouse as a threat.  “China has greatly contributed to Africa’s political and socio-economic achievements, and the continent will never hate it,” vowed Mr Mugabe, citing the Tanzania-Zambia railway as one of the milestones resulting from the Africa-China cooperation.

Eating meat increases resistance to antibiotics dramatically.Drive Hot News

Meat

The quote is from a real doctor at UCLA-Harbor Medical Center, who was treating a real patient—a 20-something Spellberg calls “B.” B had leukemia, and she developed an infection that built up resistance to the hospital’s most powerful antibiotics even as she was being pumped full of them. She died the day after Spellberg told her husband the hospital had nothing left to try.

In the book, Spellberg describes the case as happening “several years ago.” The book was published in 2009.

Antibiotic resistance may make cases like B's much more common in the future. One of the biggest culprits is the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock. Industrial farms feed animals low doses of the drugs in order to promote growth and ward off infections within densely packed herds.

From there, natural selection does its job: The bacteria that can overpower the drugs survive and multiply, and they make their way out into the environment through water, urine, and feces. In the U.S., 80 percent of antibiotics are used in animals, though the industry is moving away from the practice.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences forecasts the geography of antibiotic overuse in the future.

According to the study authors, the next big threat will come from middle-income countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and China, where a burgeoning consumer class is starting to prefer more meat in their diets, and where large-scale farms will try to meet this demand as cheaply as they can.

Antibiotic Consumption in Chicken and Pigs
The study authors estimate that between 2010 and 2030, the global consumption of antibiotics will increase by 67 percent, with about a third of that increase coming from changing livestock practices in fast-developing countries. China, for instance, already leads the world in antibiotic use in livestock.

The increase will largely be driven by chicken and pork, rather than cattle. Chicken and pigs are easier to raise quickly in tight spaces, whereas cattle herds take a while to build up, explained Timothy Robinson, principal scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute and an author of the study.

It’s particularly devastating that developing countries will use the most antibiotics in livestock because they also shoulder a disproportionate disease burden. For example, the authors write, “India has no regulatory provisions for the use of antimicrobials in cattle, chicken, and pigs raised for domestic consumption,” but approximately 95 percent “of adults in India carry bacteria resistant to β-lactam antimicrobials.”

These are also the nations where restrictions on antibiotic use might be hardest to implement.

“In Europe, we have fairly strict legislation on antimicrobial use,” Robinson said. “In the States, things are a bit looser. In India and China and Russia, it's one thing producing the legislation and it's another thing enforcing it.”

All of this made me wonder how much good it does to buy antibiotic-free meat in the U.S., which, unlike the EU, hasn’t outlawed the use of antibiotics in livestock as a growth promoter.

The answer is: It depends. Chicken raised without antibiotics might have a lower chance of harboring resistant pathogens like Campylobacter and Salmonella, says Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy.

Still, choosing antibiotic-free chicken is still a little bit like buying a Prius or recycling: It could help on a wide scale, but only if most people do it. Even if some people are chowing down on Whole Foods poultry, superbugs from chicken farms that do use antibiotics could still make their way to humans through the water supply and other means. According to Laxminarayan, this is how most resistance genes get to humans, rather than through the direct consumption of animals raised on antibiotics.

“Antimicrobial resistance is a tragedy of the commons, but with more direct individual effect than climate change,” said Thomas Van Boeckel, an ecologist at Princeton University and the study's lead author. “By playing your part you do reduce your risk of infection. Although not completely.”


In order to preserve antibiotic effectiveness entirely, he added, “we need to rethink how we raise livestock.

DRC artiste ‘finally home' in Kenya.Drive Hot News

 Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Victor Kasereka Basua alias Victor B arrived in Kenya for the first time in 2011.

He says he feels he is finally home in Kenya, only three years after he left for South Africa, where went to seek greener pastures.

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Victor Kasereka Basua, alias Victor B, arrived in Kenya for the first time in 2011, with a mission to perform and sell R&B, a genre that wasn’t quite popular in his homeland.

He, however, gave in to his ambitions of recording quality music and videos and moved to South Africa for this.

But things didn’t go as he had hoped, as his efforts to sell his music in this part of the world hit a snag, forcing him to come back to the land that gave him a chance to record his first solo hit.

Victor B talks about his upcoming album, together with his latest hit “My Only Girl”, revealing his disappointments as a foreign artiste in South Africa.

Why exactly did you decide to come back, considering the fact that the music sector in South Africa is more advanced compared with here in Kenya?

There is no doubt that indeed the music sector in South Africa, especially when it comes to recording, is miles ahead not only compared with Kenya but the rest of Africa. But it is also a fact that it is difficult for a foreign artiste to market his work, especially if you are using a foreign language.

For me, things were even more complicated considering the fact that most of my songs are composed in Swahili, a language that is foreign to them. There is also the issue of foreign artistes being ignored to a level that you could have a nice song and even an excellent video, but that won’t guarantee you airplay in some of the local media.

Then does this mean that you are now settled here in Kenya or is this just a bridge to revive your career?

As I said earlier, I am finally home, especially (because) I sing using a language understood here. Also, I can say Kenya is strategically placed in the middle of the countries that I have interest in.

For instance, if I want to go home for a visit, I can easily do that. In case I maybe want to travel to Tanzania for a collaboration, then I won’t have to struggle, and it will take me a few hours if my mission is to record a video in South Africa.

How many songs do you have to your name as of now?

Believe it or not, I have composed over 120 songs, but I have managed to record and release only a handful, among them “Sunshine”, “Take You Away” and “My Only Girl”. For now, I am working on my first album, “My Music”, which consists of 14 songs, with six already recorded but not released yet. I plan to officially launch it between June and July this year through a concert.

Do you plan to work with Kenyan artistes?

Already I have plans to collaborate with a certain Ogopa artiste, whom I can’t reveal at the moment.

Human waste contains gold worth millions - study.Drive Hot News

WASHINGTON

Human faeces contains gold and other precious metals that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, experts say.
Now the trick is how to retrieve them — a potential windfall that could also help save the planet.

"The gold we found was at the level of a minimal mineral deposit," said Kathleen Smith, of the US Geological Survey, after her team discovered metals such as platinum, silver and gold in treated waste.

A recent study by another group of experts in the field found that waste from one million Americans could contain as much as $13 million worth of metals.

Finding a way to extract the metals could help the environment by cutting down on the need for mining and reducing unwanted release of metals into the environment.

"If you can get rid of some of the nuisance metals that currently limit how much of these biosolids we can use on fields and forests, and at the same time recover valuable metals and other elements, that's a win-win," said Smith.

'METALS EVERYWHERE'

"There are metals everywhere — in your hair care products, detergents, even nanoparticles that are put in socks to prevent bad odours."

More than seven million tons of biosolids come out of US wastewater facilities each year: about half is used as fertilizer on fields and in forests and the other half is incinerated or sent to landfills.

Smith and her team are on a mission to find out exactly what is in our waste.

"We have a two-pronged approach. In one part of the study, we are looking at removing some regulated metals from the biosolids that limit their use for land application.

"In the other part of the project, we're interested in collecting valuable metals that could be sold, including some of the more technologically important metals, such as vanadium and copper that are in cell phones, computers and alloys," said Smith.

The findings were presented at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, taking place in Denver through Thursday.

Singapore mourns founding father Lee Kuan Yew.Drive Hot News

 Flowers, messages and other tributes are piling up outside the hospital where Lee Kuan Yew died.

Singapore has begun seven days of national mourning following the death of its founding father, Lee Kuan Yew.

Mr Lee, who was 91, led Singapore's transformation from a small port city to one of the wealthiest nations in the world.
World leaders have paid tribute to Mr Lee, who served as the city-state's prime minister for 31 years.
US President Barack Obama described him as a "giant of history" whose advice had been sought by other world leaders.
The Chinese foreign ministry called him "a uniquely influential statesman in Asia" and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply saddened" by Mr Lee's death.
The period of national mourning will culminate in a state funeral next Sunday and Mr Lee's body is to lie in state at parliament from Wednesday to Saturday.
A private family wake is taking place on Monday and Tuesday.
News of Mr Lee's death came in a government statement that said he had "passed away peacefully" in the early hours of Monday at Singapore General Hospital. Mr Lee had been in hospital for several weeks with pneumonia and was on life support.
State television broke away from its normal schedules and broadcast rolling tributes.

Only 'loyal' African patrons are allowed in Chinese restaurant after sunset.Drive Hot News

 The Chinese Restaurant, located at the junction of Galana and Lenana roads in Kilimani, Nairobi. It does not allow Africans to enter after 5pm. The management says the “no-African after 5pm” policy was introduced because Africans pose a security threat to its Chinese patrons.


 Africans is over) a guard at a Chinese restaurant in Nairobi’s Kilimani neighbourhood tells Nation reporters when they get there at 7pm.

The restaurant, simply known as the Chinese Restaurant, and located at the junction of Galana and Lenana roads, does not admit Africans after 5pm.

Only taxi drivers or Africans accompanied by Chinese, European or Indian patrons are allowed into the compound.

But Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and former Cabinet Minister Raphael Tuju, said to be a friend of the owners, are allowed in after sunset.

The management claimed certain “loyal” African patrons are allowed to dine in the evening.

For an African to be considered “loyal” and worthy of admission, they must spend Sh20,000 at the restaurant over a specified period, they said.

But staff, speaking privately, said the restaurant is not a members’ club and with the exception of Mr Sonko and Mr Tuju, the “no Africans” policy is strictly enforced.

LENKU, KIYIAPI BARRED FROM RESTAURANT

Among those who have been barred from the restaurant, according to the staff, are the former Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government Joseph ole Lenku, and former Education Permanent Secretary and presidential candidate Joseph ole Kiyiapi.

Ms Esther Zhao, the relations manager, said the restaurant stands by its strict “no-African after 5pm” policy because Africans pose a security threat to its Chinese patrons.

She said the patrons feel safer and more comfortable if African patrons are locked out.

“We don’t admit Africans that we don’t know because you never know who is Al-Shabaab and who isn’t,” she said.

“It is not like it is written on somebody’s face that they are a thug armed with a gun.”

According to her, the decision to deny access to Africans was reached in 2014 after a gang posing as patrons robbed the establishment and its clients.

“Six armed men — Africans — broke into our restaurant and robbed us of Sh600,000.

“They also robbed our patrons of their possessions at gunpoint. A chef was also injured,” Ms Zhao said in an interview with the Nation.

Some workers who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing their jobs denied claims that a select group of Africans are allowed into the restaurant after 5pm.

“It is strictly a no-African policy and we have even had to turn away some prominent Kenyans who were obviously not a security threat,” said one worker.

AL-SHABAAB THREATS

Ms Zhao said that recently, the Chinese embassy in Nairobi issued a warning to all Chinese businesses to be vigilant due to the security threat posed by Al-Shabaab.

“The Chinese people who stay here or come to dine want to feel safe.

“They also have families back in China and they don’t want to be in harm’s way during their stay in Kenya.

“As management, it is our duty to ensure their safety,” said Ms Zhao.

The Ombudsman, Mr Otiende Amollo, said it was both illegal and unconstitutional to discriminate against an individual on the grounds of their race, gender or ethnicity.

“That amounts to racial and ethnic profiling, which is unconstitutional.

“It has in it the inherent assumption that Africans are inevitably pre-disposed to be robbers.

"Whatever measures they choose to take to maintain security must be measures that treat people equally irrespective of race, gender or colour,” Mr Amollo said.

He said there were several ways to reverse the problem.

SUE FOR DISCRIMINATION

A person who was turned away can sue for discrimination or approach the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to take up the matter on behalf of citizens.

“The last alternative is to complain to us formally. We would not take it up with them directly because they are a private entity but we would take it up with the licensing authorities, which would include the county government,” said Mr Amollo.

He said his commission could put pressure on the county government to revoke the licences of a private company that has been accused of discrimination.

However, according to the restaurant’s management, it is unlikely that African patrons would feel comfortable dining at the restaurant anyway, because they host many Chinese parties after sunset.

At times, the party goers themselves ask the restaurant managers to lock out Africans.

“In the future, we are considering to roll out a membership scheme and give cards to some of our loyal African customers so that they can be admitted after 5pm,” Ms Zhao said.

Hundreds in Chile try to stop Bishop Barros ordination.Drive Hot News

 Protesters surrounded Bishop Barros in the cathedral

Protesters in southern Chile have tried to stop the ordination of a Catholic bishop, accusing him of covering up a priest's sexual abuse of young boys.

Police in the city of Osorno said at least 650 people turned up at the cathedral wearing black in protest against the ordination of Juan Barros.
The protesters say Bishop Barros used his position in the Church to try to deter an investigation into the actions of his mentor, Fernando Karadima.
Bishop Barros denies the allegations.
Last Monday he sent a letter to priests saying: "I never had knowledge of, or could have imagined, the serious abuses that this priest committed against the victims."
Before boarding a plane in Santiago, Bishop Barros, 58, said he had "confidence in the future".
 
More than 1,000 people wrote to Pope Francis to ask him to review the appointment.
"I believe the Catholic Church is not listening to its people," said Christian Democrat congressman Sergio Ojeda.
"That is why we are asking for Bishop Barros to show dignity and resign, putting an end to this tremendous problem," he told La Tercera newspaper.


The top leaders of Chile's Catholic Church and most of the local authorities stayed away, but the ceremony went ahead in the morning in Osorno, some 900km (560 miles) south of the capital, Santiago.
Protesters outside and inside the cathedral attempted to stop the ordination going ahead.
There was a heavy police presence there and three people were arrested.
Supporters of Bishop Barros also attended the ordination and said he was a good man, misunderstood by many.
'Penitence and prayer' Juan Barros was a protege of Father Karadima, who spent decades training young men to enter the priesthood, and regularly celebrated Mass at a well-known church in Santiago.
In February 2011, the Vatican found Father Karadima, then 81, guilty of sexually abusing children.
The Vatican ordered him to a life of "penitence and prayer" in a monastery in Santiago.
Months later, a judge dismissed a criminal case against him, saying the alleged crimes had been committed too many years before.
The BBC's Gideon Long, in Santiago, says that before the allegations surfaced, Father Karadima was one of the most respected and influential priests in Chile