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WHAT UK NEWSPAPERS SAY - IKO NINI BWANA SEED ARCHIVE

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Taiwanese woman 'will marry herself due to social pressure'

Taiwanese office worker Chen Wei-yih is set to marry herself in a marriage celebration with 30 friends, due to mounting social pressure to wed. Chen has rented a banquet hall and enlisted the help of a wedding planner for the reception with 30 friends next month. 'Chen has even posed for a series of photos in a wedding dress ahead of the 'ceremony'. 'Age thirty is a prime period for me. My work and experience are in good shape, but I haven't found a partner, so what can I do?' she stated. 'It's not that I'm anti-marriage. I just hope that I can express a different idea within the bounds of a tradition.' she added. Chen took the decision after being unimpressed by a number of potential suitors, though added that if she finds a man later she will wed again. She added that her mother initially insisted upon a groom, before finally conceding and supporting her daughter's plan to marry herself.  She is set to undertake a solo honeymoon to Australia following the 'marriage' ceremony.

Do you know that the Television is moving to another level. 3D Television has been launched in UK. Funny enough, you will be using glasses to watch. If you have been visiting cinemas of late, you know what I am talking about. More information below. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Spectacular Cosmic Display Marks 3D Launch

The solar system has been brought to life in a spectacular display over London's skyline. The show above the Royal Greenwich Observatory was organised to promote the launch this month of Sky 3D – Europe's first 3D TV channel. Nine helium-filled "planets" up to 20ft wide were illuminated and floated above the landmark. It recreated scenes from the 3D premiere of The Universe: 7 Wonders Of The Solar System, from History, which was screen on Sky 3D, channel 217, at 9pm on Sunday, October 24. John Cassy, Sky 3D's channel director, said: "The phenomenal universe we live in has captured the imagination of generations for centuries and we wanted to add yet another dimension. "It's taken a team of 17 people over 100 hours to recreate the solar system over the London skyline."

Nairobi mayor arrested over Sh283m graft case

Nairobi Mayor Geophrey Majiwa was on Monday arrested by anti-corruption agents over the controversial purchase of a piece of land for use as a cemetery. Officials from the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (Kacc) went to the mayor's residence in Nairobi's South 'C' at 7am while accompanied by police officers and took him away to the their headquarters where he is currently being held. In the cemetery saga, officials at City Hall and the Ministry of Local Government set off to identify alternative land to set up a new cemetery to serve the city.  A parcel was identified at Mavoko township and purchased. Later, however, the entire deal stirred a controversy with questions over its suitability for burying the dead amid claims it was highly overpriced and ownership disputes. The Kacc spokesman Mr Nicholas Simani said Mayor Majiwa is likely to be arraigned in court on Tuesday to face two corruption-related charges. Mr Simani said Kacc investigators recorded a statement from the mayor soon after his arrest. So far, 14 people, among them former Local Government permanent secretary Sammy Kirui and former Nairobi Town Clerk John Gakuo have been charged with scandal and denied the offence. According to the charge sheet, Mr Kirui and 13 others acquired Sh283 million from the Local Government Ministry on diverse dates between December 2008 and April 2009. - Daily Nation.

THE WORD OF TODAY

Jeremiah 33:3-5 (King James Version)

3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. 4 For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; 5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.

Owen Education fundraising this weekend

We the organising committee and the family cordially invite you to a fundraising for our son Owen, who is studying Engineering at University of Queen Mary. This fundraising has been prompted by the death of his sponsor and the adverse circumstances in which he finds himself in.

We therefore appeal to you ‘ALL’ to come and assist us in this endeavour, for our hope is in God.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

You are welcome to a Harambee organised for Saturday the 30th October, 2010 at Grays Baptist Church Hall, off Orsett Road, Grays. RM17 5HH. Starting at 6.00pm. - CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP

For any further information you may please contact Godfrey Gichuki on 07853389428, Owen Karanja on 07946163989 Agnes 07899860577.

Any contributions can be deposited to Halifax Bank, Godfrey G. Miano, A/C No: 00928462, Sort Code: 110337. May God richly bless you.

Watch all the action live in amazing 3D at your nearest Sky 3D pub

Find your nearest Sky 3D venue by using our pub finder and experience some of the best live sports in incredible 3D. We’re bringing you some amazing sporting action from the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Euro 2012 qualifiers, as well as Heineken Cup rugby and Ryder Cup golf.

Geoffrey Karugo Kimani has been charged with second-degree arson, and an additional arson charge is pending.  A Lockridge, Colorado, USA man was arrested by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Sunday night on arson charges after attempting to burn down his family’s house. Geoffrey Karugo Kimani, age 31, was arrested at 11:04 p.m. Sunday at his home, 3293 200 St., Lockridge. He was charged with second-degree arson, and an additional charge of first-degree arson is pending, according to Jefferson County Attorney Tim Dille. Dille explained the second-degree arson charge stems from the fire Kimani allegedly set Sunday evening. The pending first-degree charge stems from a fire he allegedly set earlier that day. The main difference between first- and second-degree arson charges is the presence of persons, explained Dille. Dille said the original call came into the Jefferson County Law Center as a verbal altercation between a husband and wife Sunday afternoon. While the officer was at the Kimani home at about 3:30 p.m., the wife and two daughters left. Dille said he had not had an opportunity to review officials’ reports yet this morning, but he did say the fire had been intentionally set. The Lockridge Fire Department and the Fairfield Fire Department responded to the fire about 9:19 p.m. Sunday. The house was fully engulfed in flames when the sheriff’s deputy arrived. “It’s my understanding from the deputies the house is destroyed,” said Dille. Dille said no one was injured in the fire. Kimani’s wife and daughters were in a Mount Pleasant hotel. For the complete article and photos, see the Monday, Oct. 18, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.

 

Lockridge firefighter Josh Lunsford pokes at a hot spot that rekindled this morning after the fire last night at 3293 200th Street. Assistant chief Charlie Johnson and three other firemen also were on the scene around 10:15 a.m. to extinguish the smoldering remains of the home of the Geoffrey Karugo Kimani family.

Increased mortgage lending spurs Housing Finance profit

Housing Finance has posted a 67 per cent growth in pre-tax profit for the first nine months of 2010 boosted by a strong growth in lending and interest income. The firm reported a return of Sh353 million for the first nine months of the year compared to Sh211 million posted during a similar period last year.  The Group recorded an after tax profit of Sh250 million compared to Sh139 million recorded in the first nine months of 2009. In a statement, Housing Finance managing director Mr Frank Ireri said the firm expects further growth during the year and into 2011 driven by a robust demand for mortgages, favourable interest rates and the successful bond that netted over Sh7 billion.  The bond is expected to start trading at the Nairobi Stock Exchange at the end of October. Net loans and advances to customers during the period under review increased to Sh18 billion up from Sh13 billion.  Net interest income as a result increased to Sh1,038 million up from Sh837 million the previous year.  Customer deposits increased to Sh18 billion up from Sh12 billion the previous year. Mr Ireri said the introduction of agency banking is expected to reduce cost of offering banking services and at the same time boost the deposit mobilisation campaign for the company. “The introduction of current accounts and agency banking will raise Housing Finance into the same level as the commercial banks and hence open doors for more business and expansion opportunities,” said Mr Ireri. - Daily Nation.

Ministers in UK appear to have ruled out allowing universities to set unlimited tuition fees

Ministers in UK appear to have ruled out allowing universities to set unlimited tuition fees in England. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the government was still considering its response to the Browne Report, which recommended unlimited fees. But when pressed about whether fees would be capped, he said: "Correct". The Russell Group, which represents Britain's top universities, said "rowing back from Browne" would be a "wasted opportunity". It comes as the education secretary, Michael Gove, confirmed that some schools will face budget cuts to pay for the government's "pupil premium" policy, aimed at pumping extra money into the schooling of the poorest pupils.  Mr Clegg told BBC One's Andrew Marr show he regretted ditching his pre-election commitment to scrapping tuition fees, but it had to be done due to the financial situation the country was in. He said the government wanted to take the "best" parts of the Browne report to build a system that was fairer to poorer students but also gave the top universities the funding boost they needed. Asked about Lord Browne's recommendation for unlimited fees, he said: "I am uneasy about the idea that you, in theory, have unlimited fees. So we are looking at something which would be more restrained." Business Secretary Vince Cable also appeared to confirm plans for a cap. He said the government had not yet finalised its plans for higher education funding but added: "I don't think there's any prospect of having unlimited fees - that simply isn't going to arise." Mr Cable told Sky News that Universities Minister David Willetts had already "made it very clear that that clawback mechanism was not attractive". The business secretary said: "We're not ruling things out. We're looking at this very carefully, what Browne had to say - but I think that particular approach was one we're not going to pursue." The review by Lord Browne recommended universities in England be free to set their own fees but face a levy on sums above £6,000.

Ministers have stressed that no decision has been made but say proposals to raise fee levels would be put before MPs by Christmas.  But the suggestions of a limit on the amount students could be charged did not go down well with Britain's top universities. Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said: "Rowing back from Browne and re-imposing a cap would be a real waste of an opportunity to allow our leading universities to provide the high quality education that their students deserve.  "However, while we acknowledge the need for some contribution to the costs of higher loans, we are concerned about the large size of the levies proposed by Browne." But shadow education secretary Andy Burnham, for Labour, said: "I believe they are creating an elitist education system where the best universities will only be for the very well-off." Speaking last week at a higher education conference, David Willetts said there were some "very difficult issues" around the proposed fee cap and levy. Lord Browne proposed that if universities wanted to charge fees of above £6,000, they would face a levy (payment to the government) - which would go towards the cost of lending the money to students. This would rise with each extra thousand pounds the university wanted to charge. But Mr Willetts said the idea had "aroused quite a lot of concern across the sector", and said it could cause universities to drive their fees up higher to reach a given level of income. He said the government recognised there were arguments for a lower levy or for "sticking with a fee cap". He also floated the idea of a two-tier fee cap.  Speaking later in response to reporters' questions, he said: "I don't think it's sensible or sustainable to imagine having an unlimited fee cap." Last week, Vince Cable said he was considering a £7,000 fees cap. Currently students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are charged a maximum of £3,290 in fees per year. The government pays the money up front and the student then pays it back once their income reaches £15,000 after graduating. University courses in Scotland are free to Scottish students, although there is increasing pressure for some form of graduate contribution.

REDUCED FARES TO MOMBASA

National Carrier Kenya Airways will from next month offer reduced fares to Mombasa, following a planned increase in its daily flights to the region with two dedicated larger Boeing 737-300 aircraft. In a move geared towards revamping its Mombasa route, KQ will operate 10 daily flights to the coastal city at a reduced fare of Sh7,999 inclusive of all taxes. KQ Chief Executive Officer Titus Naikuni said that there had been a sharp rise in passenger traffic on the Mombasa route and that the airline was keen on offering capacity to the increased traffic. He added that the airline was progressing keenly with its fleet expansion plan, demonstrated recently by adding two additional Boeing 737-300 wide body aircraft. He explained that it was a measure taken in line with the airline strategy to increase the level of efficiency on the domestic and regional services by offering passengers more choice of flying times through increased frequencies. “The low fares we have introduced coupled with the over 50 flights a week to Mombasa is evidence of our commitment to maintaining our market share on the busy and lucrative Mombasa route,” Mr Naikuni said.  Kenya Airways has embarked on an aggressive network expansion program to cater for the growing passenger traffic and customer needs. The airline has plans to operate to Malindi in early December.  Kenya Airways serves over three million passengers a year and flies to 50 destinations worldwide, 41 of them in Africa. “Our main goal is to interconnect Africa and link the entire continent to the rest of the world,” the CEO said.

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Thousands of people took to the streets in London on Saturday 23rd October, 2010 to protest against planned government spending cuts at events organised by trade unions across the country. Union leaders have vowed to fight the cuts outlined in George Osborne's Comprehensive Spending Review, as they are expected to lead to 490,000 public sector job losses. Polls have suggested public opinion is evenly split about the coalition's debt reduction measures, but unions were able to put on a show of strength at a series of demonstrations, including events in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Wrexham, York, Sheffield, Cambridge and Bristol. Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, told demonstrators in London the trade union movement needs to build its support in communities and workplaces so that industrial action is supported by everyone. He called for a 'tidal wave of protest' across the country and added: 'When public sector workers and private sector workers fight over the next 12 months to defend their jobs and their communities, we've got to build up the biggest resistance possible.' There was a huge turnout for the There Is A Better Way event in Edinburgh, with a number of SNP and Labour MSPs among the crowd. Scottish Trades Union Congress general secretary Grahame Smith described the spending cuts as an 'act of inexcusable callousness' and called on the government to focus its efforts on job creation schemes. 'They might not want to be reminded of the spectre of Margaret Thatcher - but unemployment is never, ever, a price worth paying,' he added. The protests came on the same day that the TUC announced plans for a national demonstration against the cuts in Hyde Park on March 26th 2011.

Recognition as a Mission Church in USA

Trinity Anglican Church, Dallas, the only Church which preaches in ‘KIKUYU VERNACULAR' in the whole of Texas State of USA, was recognized as a Mission Church in Diocese of Dallas during The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas' 115th Annual Diocesan 2010 Convention at Southfork Ranch on Friday, October 15, 2010.

Bishop James M Stanton (in the picture on the right) receiving the Trinity Anglican Church Minister, Rev. Jacob N. Muiruri (in the picture on the left) and the congregation of the Convention giving a standing avotion.

The Church, which was launched as Trinity Anglican Church on March 28, 2010, was officially received to be a Mission Church in the Diocese of Dallas by the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton. In his opening speech, the Bishop, who was consecrated the sixth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas on March 6, 1993, called all members of the Diocese to focus their minds and lives on “Kingdom, Covenant and Community.” His message called on the Diocese to live as a foretaste of the kingdom of God, remembering baptismal covenant and being bound together in community by the Lord of that covenant. Bishop Stanton’s address was a call to mission, to not focus on the members of the Diocese alone, but to love those whom Christ has called the members of the Diocese to love and serve. The Church Minister, Rev. Jacob N. Muiruri, thanked all the members of the Church for their support and prayers with special thanks to those who managed to attend and represent the Church congregation during the wonderful and blessed ceremony at Southfork Ranch.

A Kenyan dies in Delaware, USA

A Kenyan has died in Delaware, USA. The late Julius Maingi Mburu (Julii) died in Delaware while undergoing Chemotherapy and other cancer treatment in Christiana Hospita. The comes from Thika.  Julius was born on Oct’7th, 1974 as the second son of Mr. John Mburu and Margaret Wangari in Thika, Kenya. He was a brother to Michael Mwaura and Samuel Kagombe. Julius started school in Memorial Primary School and later on went to Chania High School from 1991 – 1994. He then attended Thika Technical College to study electronics. In July-1999, Julii came to the U.S.A., settled in Delaware and co-owned S&G Auto Works. He met and later married Rachael Kirumba (Kyks) on May, 9th, 2008. Julius was first diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and battled the disease since then. He underwent chemotherapy and other cancer treatments in Christiana Hospital where he rested peacefully on Oct, 20th, 2010 at 5.30 p.m. - Diasporamessenger

The Observer exclusively reveals that London councils are preparing for a mass exodus of low-income families from the capital because of benefit cuts. Councils have already block-booked bed and breakfasts and other private accommodation outside the capital to house those who will be priced out of the London market.

Councils plan for exodus of poor families from London

• Benefit cuts force officials to book up B&B accommodation
• More than 200,000 may leave capital in 'social cleansing'  

Ministers were accused last night of deliberately driving poor people out of wealthy inner cities as London councils revealed they were preparing a mass exodus of low-income families from the capital because of coalition benefit cuts. Representatives of London boroughs told a meeting of MPs last week that councils have already block-booked bed and breakfasts and other private accommodation outside the capital – from Hastings, on the south coast, to Reading to the west and Luton to the north – to house those who will be priced out of the London market. Councils in the capital are warning that 82,000 families – more than 200,000 people – face losing their homes because private landlords, enjoying a healthy rental market buoyed by young professionals who cannot afford to buy, will not cut their rents to the level of caps imposed by ministers. The controversy follows comment last week by Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, who said the unemployed should "get on the bus" and look for work. Another unnamed minister said the benefit changes would usher in a phenomenon similar to the Highland Clearances in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when landlords evicted thousands of tenants from their homes in the north of Scotland.

In a sign that housing benefit cuts are fast becoming the most sensitive political issue for the coalition, Jon Cruddas, the Labour MP for Dagenham, last night accused the government of deliberate social engineering. "It is an exercise in social and economic cleansing," he said, claiming that families would be thrown into turmoil, with children having to move school and those in work having to travel long distances to their jobs. "It is tantamount to cleansing the poor out of rich areas – a brutal and shocking piece of social engineering," Cruddas added. The National Housing Federation's chief executive, David Orr, described the housing benefit cuts as "truly shocking". He said: "Unless ministers urgently reconsider these punitive cuts, we could see more people sleeping rough than at any stage during the last 30 years." The issue is fuelling tension inside the coalition. Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, said last night he would table amendments to change housing benefit rules. He said: "I would fully expect to be one of those putting forward proposals for changes in the housing benefit rules, particularly for London." Under a clampdown on housing benefit, the chancellor, George Osborne, announced that housing benefit will be capped from April next year at £400 a week for a four-bedroom house, £340 for a three-bedroom property, £290 for two bedrooms and £250 for a one-bedroom property. In addition, from October 2011 payments will be capped at 30% of average local rents.

At a meeting of the Commons work and pensions select committee last Wednesday, the day Osborne announced £81bn of cuts in the spending review, MPs were told by London council chiefs that the housing benefit cuts could have devastating results. Nigel Minto, head of sustainable communities at London Councils, who works closely with the capital's housing directors, told the committee that since June London councils had been "procuring bed and breakfast accommodation" in outer London and beyond. The committee was told similar problems would occur in other cities with high-priced property such as Brighton and Oxford. Jeremy Swain, chief executive of the homelessness charity Thames Reach, said he was particularly worried about the impact on numbers sleeping rough in London. "We have reduced rough sleeping dramatically and we have a target of zero rough sleeping in London by 2012. For the first time I'm thinking that we will not achieve that," he said. Karen Buck, shadow minister for work and pensions, said: "The sheer scale and extremity of the coalition proposals means almost a million households are affected across the country." In today's Observer, Labour leader Ed Miliband says last week's spending review took Britain back to the 80s. "This was the week that took the compassion out of David Cameron's claim to compassionate Conservatism," he writes, accusing the Tories of displaying "arrogant ideological swagger". But last night Cameron insisted the cuts were tough but fair. "Departments have to make savings. I don't underestimate how difficult this will be. But we are doing what we are doing because it is the right thing to do – right by our economy, right for our country." A DWP spokesperson said: "The current way that it [housing benefit] is administered is unfair. It's not right that some families on benefits have been able to live in homes that most working families could not afford. However, we are absolutely committed to supporting the most vulnerable families and have tripled our discretionary housing payments to provide a safety net for those who need it."

A colourful engagement in Liverpool, UK

Killing three birds with one stone

A very colourful party took place on 16th October 2010 in Liverpool, Merseyside. John Hiuhu aka "Celeb" or "Bling Bling" of Coventry and Catherine Gichuru of Liverpool threw a Thanksgiving party to celebrate Catherine's graduation and birthday. Bling Bling had another idea, He went down on one knee and popped the BIG question to Catherine - "Will you marry me?" and Cathering said "Yes I will", breaking into tears. It was a very well organised party with people travelling hundreds of miles to be with them.  Food was catered by Mama Gatehi of Northampton. Catherine and John Bling Bling aka Celeb are said to be planning to get married soon.  John and Catherine would like to thank all who attended their occasion. - CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

7 die in stampede at Kenyan stadium

Nairobi, Saturday 23rd October, 2010.  At least seven people died while scores of others were injured following a stampede at a football match between perennial rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards on Saturday night. Police and Kenya Red Cross officials said six of the victims were trampled to death as thousands of fans tried to force their way into the Nyayo National Stadium. The seventh person died at the Kenyatta National Hospital where 11 other fans were undergoing treatment for injuries. "Our emergency rescue teams are on the ground and they have been able to confirm the deaths of six people whose bodies have been found outside the stadium. They are five males and a female," Kenya Red Cross spokesman Titus Mung'ou, told Capital News on telephone. "We can also confirm that another person has succumbed to injuries at the Kenyatta National Hospital," he said and added: "That is what we at the Red Cross can say for now because there are several other emergency rescue teams from other organizations involved." Nairobi Deputy Police chief Moses Nyakwama earlier told Capital News: "Twelve people have been rushed to hospital with critical injuries. We have our officers at the scene. There are fatalities but we are yet to know the exact number because there are those who have died at the stadium and at the hospital."

Rescue efforts were underway outside the Nyayo National Stadium even as the match between the two teams continued. One of the injured fans Jimmy Oredo who was treated and discharged at the Kenyatta National Hospital said congestion at one of the entries into the stadium led to the stampede. "I was in the queue and so many people were outside queuing at a very tiny entrance. Those people (organisers) were very slow," said Mr Oredo. "There were so many people outside and they forced themselves towards the gate and it caved in. A lot of people fell on me," he added.  Kenya Premier League (KPL) Medical Chairman Andrew Sulleh who was at the hospital said trouble started when some fans tried to get to the main stand to shield themselves from rain.  "It was raining heavily so people started to cross over to the main dais so that they don't get rained on. In the process, there was a stampede and some of the people were injured, and the gate that leads out of the stadium for the ambulance was closed and it forced fans to carry the injured round (the stadium) to get to the ambulance," said Mr Sulleh. "As we resuscitated the victims, there was still no access for the ambulances to get into the stadium and some of the people who we could have saved died as we watched," he added. "The stadium was packed. Even after the arrival of three other ambulances, they still could not access the stadium," said Mr Sulleh. Earlier this year, football's Word governing body FIFA banned the stadium due to safety and security concerns. Gor Mahia eventually won the game 1-0 following an 87th minute penalty that was converted by Collins Okoth. - CapitalFM

Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive at the wedding of their friends Harry Mead and Rosie Bradford on Saturday 23rd October, 2010

Teenager, 16, shot dead by 'masked gunmen' in Plaistow

A boy of 16 has been killed by masked gunmen in east London, police said. The boy, locally named as Samuel Adelagun, was shot in the upper left chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene in Chesterton Road, Plaistow.  Police also found a boy of 15 who was shot in the abdomen. He remains in hospital in a stable condition. Officers believe two balaclava-clad gunmen opened fire on a group of four youths, aged 15 and 16, from behind. No-one has been arrested. Metropolitan Police said 16 teenagers have been killed in London this year. Five of them were shot. The Met said both the victims were known to the police and officers are investigating to find out if the incident was gang-related. Police said the shooting took place in parkland at the junction of Upper Road and Chesterton Road. A Met statement said the group of four friends were in Upper Road when "two gunman appeared behind them and began firing. Approximately four shots were discharged". All four youngsters ran away and then re-grouped in the area and sought help from a local resident. It is not known if the suspects arrived or departed from the area in a vehicle, police said. Det Ch Insp John Mackenzie said: "A number of shots were discharged and the youths dispersed. "They then got together again outside Chesterton Road." He said the teenagers knocked at a house whose owners "provided some shelter as good Samaritans". "In there unfortunately one of the youths died and one was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen."He added: "Shooting incidents are still rather rare in London. We are working with the community and asking the community to help us to come together to solve this. "The mother (of the deceased) is very distraught as you would expect. It is a traumatic and violent way for a loved one to go." A post-mortem examination will take place on Sunday after which the boy will be formally identified. The next of kin have been informed, police said. - CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP

Rooney's the world's highest paid footballer

Wayne Rooney's new contract at Manchester United has made him the highest-paid footballer in the world, according to newspaper reports. The Sun and the Daily Mirror both report that the striker's new deal is worth £250,000 a week including bonuses and image rights - equivalent to £65 million over five years. Rooney, who turns 25 on Sunday, now earns over £30,000 a week more than former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, the next best-paid player in the world, . And though fans pilloried Rooney when they thought he was leaving Old Trafford, it seems that the affair has brought an unexpected windfall for United boss Alex Ferguson.  The Daily Star reports that the crucial factor clinching the deal was not Rooney's wages, but a promise elicited from the Glazer family to make £60m available to Ferguson to spend in the transfer market between now and the start of next season. Rooney has no doubts he will soon be back to his best. The Manchester United striker ended an intense week of speculation about his future on Friday when it was confirmed he had agreed a new five-year contract with the Old Trafford outfit.  But he will not be able to assist United on the pitch for a little bit as he spends the next three weeks recovering from an ankle injury, which was the cause of so much angst in the first place. "I certainly can't wait to pull on the red shirt again," Rooney told MUTV. "I am gutted to be injured. I just want to be out there playing, get back to form and doing what I do best. And I will be back to my best. I have no worries about that." Rooney is aware of the upset his outspoken comments, questioning his team-mates' talent, have caused. He has already been assured of Ferguson's support and Rio Ferdinand has given dressing room approval. In all probability, United's supporters will be bellowing from the rafters too. But if there are any remaining dissenters, they will be won over in the only way the Merseysider knows how. "I am sure the fans have been upset over the past few days with everything they have heard in the media," he said. "But I care for this club. I want to be here and I want to continue being successful at this club. "It might take time with some fans. But I am going to be giving 100%, the same as always, to try and build that relationship back."

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world, and the oldest in continuous occupation (over 900 years). It is one of the Queen's three official residences, and is often said to be her favourite. The Royal Standard flies over the Round Tower of Windsor Castle when the Queen is in residence - at other times, the Union Jack flag flies in its place. Samuel Pepys proclaimed the Castle to be "the most romantique castle that is in the world". That was in 1666, and the same is true today. - MORE

Windsor Castle has over 1,000 rooms. Have a look inside some of the rooms - MORE

Rhino horn GPS used to deter poachers

Five rhinos in South Africa's North West province have been fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to help protect them from poachers. The GPS chip is fitted into the rhino's horn by drilling a small hole in the inert or dead part of the horn. As well as GPS tracking, the device is equipped with alarm systems to alert game wardens of unusual movement or if a rhino is outside of the park. The North West Park Board is testing the devices in Mafikeng Game Reserve. The board began this novel project in April of this year, when they tested the chips. Park vets carried out the first implants the system is now "up and running" - constantly monitoring the five animals. "It's basically a satellite system which connects with the cell phone system and we can monitor the animals on whatever time delay we want," Rusty Hustler, head of security for North West Parks Board, told BBC News. "There are a number of alarms that can be programmed: one for excessive movement, so if the rhino starts running, and another that goes off if the rhino sleeps for longer than six hours, which is abnormal." An alarm also sounds if the chip goes outside of the area of the game reserve. A reaction team in the park would be able to track and quickly reach the animal if an alarm went off. More than 200 rhinos had been slaughtered in South Africa since the start of the year and there is a high demand for rhino horn, a prized ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Mr Hustler said that the board was looking to use the devices in animals in other North West province parks and were planning to tag more animals in the coming weeks. He added that in the future, the devices could even help to track rhino horns that were taken by poachers to help combat the illegal trade.

The UK Border Agency has responded on Friday 22nd October, 2010 to the Guardian newspaper following their publication of footage of an illegal immigrant being returned to their home country. Enforced returns are a vital part of a viable immigration policy, which relies on the government's ability to enforce the return of those with no legal right to be in the UK who refuse to leave voluntarily. In a statement the UK Border Agency has made clear it will investigate any inappropriate use of restraint used on the flight if the footage demonstrates that this was the case. Dave Wood, strategic director, criminality and detention for UK Border Agency, said. 'We take any allegation of mistreatment by our contractors extremely seriously. We will look at this footage carefully. 'According to the contractor's records, the detainee had become violent and non-compliant before the flight took off and trained escorts took the decision to use restraint in line with agreed procedures. A previous attempted removal had already failed due to his disruptive and violent behaviour. 'He was accompanied on the flight by medics who examined him during the flight and found no injuries as a result of the restraint. No complaint was ever received from him, his legal representatives, the airline or any passenger on the flight following this removal more than a year ago.' A failed asylum seeker being 'forcibly restrained' on flight to Kenya. Another passenger on the Heathrow-Nairobi flight captured footage on his mobile phone of the deportee being restrained in his seat. - VIDEO

MAAJABU YA ULIMWENGU

"Ndathiî ndûka kûgûra nyama"

Miniature pinscher Lu Lu, who prefers walking on her hind legs - on right  - can we go to Louis Vuitton next - can we, can we? Lu Lu with owner Zhou Guanshan. Lu Lu has come to the conclusion that four legs are terribly passé. She can be found on many a morning walking purposefully through the Chinese city of Zhumadian on her hind legs. It is not entirely clear why Lu Lu has chosen to present herself in such a manner, or indeed where she go that darling teddy bear bag. But retired teacher Zhou Guanshun, who owns the one-year-old eccentric, isn’t put off by her irregular behaviour. ‘We loved her instantly', he said.

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New Amazing Grace International Church directs Munguki into the church

By Rev. Grace, Kariuki, US

I have just come back from Kenya after a very busy time at the New Amazing Grace International Church in Lavington where Maina Njenga has been attending daily and where we are experiencing revival of souls coming to the kingdom in hundreds on daily basis. We have services and visitors from all over the world daily.  We have had alot of media getting involved and I am avoiding press conferences and interviews at the moment so that I can concentrate on Church planting and the discipleship of those 6million precious souls. I just dedicated over 200 children on Sunday and will baptise about 1000 on December 5th. We now have Amazing Grace Churches in Kasarani at Amazing Grace Children's centre, Nanyuki, Kakamega, nyeri, Sagana, Rumuruti, Ol-karao, Kitengela, Karen, Ongata Rongai, Dagorretti, Limuru, Dandora, Kayole, makuyu, maragwa and Ruai.  We will be planting the Amazing Grace International Church in Nakuru, Muranga, Eldoret, Kisumu and Mombasa in January 2011. I will send you the current pictures. This weekend starting from 23rd to 24th October I  will be in Springfield Massachusetts with International Faith Outreach Ministries (IFOM) where Pastor John Wesonga is the Senior Pastor. Kindly let the people know where they can hear how God has chosen the least of the ministries to demolish the Mungiki altars and build God His Church. The VCDs from our services in where Maina Njenga is involved will be available in Springfield. I am not sure you were able to see the star message below. You are free to use it and let the people know that the Mungiki altars are already destroyed in Jesus name.

allAfrica.com: Kenya: Mungiki Rebrands for 2012

M-Pesa users to retrieve numbers in a new move

Users of Safaricom’s money transfer service M-Pesa will in the coming weeks swap their SIM cards and take up new ones that will enable them to retrieve the number of the person they are sending money to directly from the phone book. Currently users have to manually key in the phone number of the person they are sending money to, a process prone to errors and has resulted in a number of customers sending the money to unintended parties.  Joseph said the new SIM cards would help in reducing the number of erroneous transactions. He added the issue could only be corrected on the SIM card’s menu rather than the network and hence the reason the firm had to bring in new SIM cards. "The SIM cards are already here and we will launch a campaign for SIM card replacement among M-Pesa customers in the coming weeks," he said. "The process of designing and making them cost us about $1 for every SIM card and when you consider the over 12 million M-Pesa customers, this was costly on our side. We will be charging a small fee for the replacement to partly recover the cost." Joseph spoke yesterday when Safaricom signed a partnership with Uchumi supermarkets.  The deal will enable Consumers can now use M-Pesa to pay for their shopping following a partnership between the operator and local retail chains. The operator also entered into a similar deal with Naivas supermarkets and said it was working on getting more retailers to accept M-Pesa as a form of payment. "We are looking at partnering with other supermarkets, convenience stores and chemists to enable M-Pesa customers pay for what they buy using the services," he said. He added that the transactions would not be charged additional fees. - The Standard.

The Guinness Book of World Records has confirmed that the

record for the heaviest pumpkin has been broken in the US

Chris Stevens of New Richmond, Wisconsin, grew a giant pumpkin weighing in at 1,810.5lb (821.24 kg). The pumpkin, which has a circumference of more than 15ft, smashes the precious record held by Nick and Christy Harpy from Ohio, which stood at 1,725lb. Mr Stevens attributed his pumpkin's massive size to a precise mixture of sunshine, rain, cow manure, fish emulsion and seaweed. 'We got lucky with a couple good seeds,' Mr Stevens told his local paper the New Richmond News. 'Plus, we know what we're doing.' He added that he was extremely nervous at the official weighing at a local harvest festival, saying: 'So many things could go wrong where you get disqualified. 'You're on pins and needles until it's on the scale. It's tough.' Earlier this month, green-fingered twins Ian and Stuart Paton of the New Forest, Hampshire, broke the British record for growing the biggest pumpkin. The duo's effort weighed in at 1,504lb, meaning it was still significantly smaller than Mr Stevens' vegetable. They told the BBC their success was down to '50 per cent genetics and 50 per cent love and care'.

Wayne Rooney paid £50m ransom to stay at Manchester United

Wayne Rooney has signed a staggering £50 million five-year deal to stay at Manchester United after effectively holding the club to ransom. The U-turn was announced on Friday 22nd October, 2010 at the end of a week of high drama when it seemed certain that the 24-year-old England striker would quit Old Trafford. Just two days ago Rooney said he had refused to sign a new contract because he was worried about the “future squad”. But last-minute talks involving manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United's chief executive David Gill and the club's owners, the Glazer family, persuaded Rooney to stay after his pay was doubled. The five-year deal is worth about £180,000 a week, making Rooney, who turns 25 on Sunday, the second-best paid footballer in the Premier League after Manchester City's Yaya Touré.  With image rights and other payments on top of his basic salary, the new deal will pay Rooney about £50 million before tax by June 2015. The only English player making more money than Rooney is David Beckham. The deal also comes just weeks after he faced allegations of having sex with a prostitute while his wife Coleen was pregnant. He allegedly paid for hotel sex sessions with £1,000-a-night prostitute Jennifer Thompson, 21, seven times over four months. The announcement was made at lunchtime on the club's website below a picture of a beaming Ferguson with his arm round Rooney's shoulders.

Sir Alex, who only two days ago accused the player he signed in 2004 of betrayal, said: “Sometimes, when you're in a club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand. I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is.” Rooney said: “I've talked to the manager and the owners and they've convinced me this is where I belong.” However, there was also speculation that Rooney's mother-in-law had played a key role in persuading the disaffected player to stay. Friends claimed that Colette McLoughlin, 48, told Rooney that the family did not want their daughter Coleen or their grandson Kai to be moved too far away. One source said: “Wayne and Coleen spoke to both sets of parents about what the future held, but one voice came through loud and clear — and was Colette McLoughlin.” Rooney is believed to have favoured a move to Real Madrid so he could make a fresh start. But his wife wanted to stay in Britain, leaving moves to Chelsea or Manchester City the only feasible alternatives. Fans had also expressed their anger. Last night 30 supporters converged on the Rooneys' family home, allegedly threatening to kill Rooney if he left. On the internet, joking fans accused him of bringing the game into disrepute. One tweet by @Adam_J_Newman said: “Wayne Rooney, what a guy. The teams not good enough!! What? Your doubling my wages? The teams good enough!!'.” Another by @dalebutler read: “Giving footballers a bad name and getting a pay rise in the process, all in a weeks work!”

Nairobi, 22nd October, 2010  - About 2.6 million Kenyans or 14 percent of the adult population regularly receive an average of Sh60,000 a year from their relatives residing abroad. A new survey by the World Bank indicates that the money is remitted in seven transactions in a year through banks and other money transfer companies such as Moneygram and Western Union although about some of it is sent through informal channels. "The adult population according to the 2009 census is 18.6million.  The World Bank estimates that 2.6million Kenyans receive an average of $105 (Sh8,490) at least seven times a year, giving a total estimate of $1.9 billion (Sh153.3 billion)," explained the consultant Sergio Bendixen. The study involved 2,423 recipients, 35 percent of whom said they received money from their relatives in USA; 25 percent from Europe, 12 percent from Asia and the Middle East and the remainder from Africa. The lowering of communication costs in the country which makes it easier for Kenyans to communicate with those in the Diaspora has played a major role in facilitating the remittance process, the study further discovered. According to the findings, the inflows benefit an average of four other family members or relatives while an estimated 20 to 30 percent is invested either in small businesses, education or saved with the various financial institutions. Central Bank of Kenya data shows that last year, Diaspora flows stood at Sh49.1 billion, although the actual size is estimated to be 20 percent more, an amount which World Bank's Specialist for Africa Region Payment Systems Benjamin Musuku said calls for the development of supportive frameworks that can encourage Kenyans abroad to send more money back home.

Despite the fact that the world economy has been in a recession for nearly two years, Diaspora inflows to sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to exceed Sh1.7trillion ($21 billion) and are projected to grow by two percent this year. But while remittances play a crucial role in Kenya's economy and even outstrip what the country receives from the International Monetary Fund to help it meet its trade deficit, the government is yet to take adequate measures to maximise the flow's potential. A one-day conference jointly organised by the World Bank and the Central Bank of Kenya and anchored around the results however hoped to discuss the obstacles to leveraging the inflows and how they can be used effectively to improve the country's developmental impact. How to lower the costs of transmitting the money to enable more Kenyans to remit more will also be on the agenda of the consultative forum through which Mr Musuku was optimistic workable and innovative solutions would be reached. "Kenya has not shied away from thinking outside the box and has been innovative in its approach with products such as M-PESA (Safaricom's money transfer service) and M-Kesho (Equity Bank's revolutionary bank account)," he observed. The government has in the past indicated its intentions to provide incentives to Kenyans residing abroad estimated to be two million pointing to their ability to play a major role in enabling the country increase its national savings levels from the current 17 percent to 30 percent as envisaged in the Vision 2030. However, it is yet to finalise a Diaspora Policy which incorporates the Diaspora Bond which would enable it to mobilise funds from such Kenyans for various development programs in the country. - CapitalFM

Half of Ugandan banks record losses

Nearly half of the commercial banks in Uganda reported losses in the first half of this year, the central bank said in its latest report on the financial stability of the banks. The report released by Bank of Uganda (BOU) attributes the losses largely to rising operating costs. Some of the affected banks continue to stare at turbulent times ahead, as they came under pressure to pay back rescue packages received from shareholders last year. A fragile financial situation abroad has cut off credit sources that local banks relied on to finance operations. Foreign currency assets held by banks also substantially dropped between June last year and this year. According to the report, Financial Stability, Kenya’s Equity Bank, Fina Bank, and KCB Uganda, United Bank of Africa and Global Trust Bank are among the banks that posted losses in their first full year of operation. The report says the trend is likely to continue right into next year The report states that profitability in the banking sector, which remarkably declined last year, had recovered in the first half of this year, with returns on both assets and equity increasing. Profitability was boosted by an improvement in asset quality due to a fall in non-performing loans. - The Standard.

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula is facing the toughest credibility test

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula is facing the toughest credibility test of his political career. A report tabled by a parliamentary committee indicts him over irregular sale of Kenya properties abroad. Initiating the debate Wajir West MP Adan Keynan took parliament through an illustration of how Kenya properties abroad were blatantly sold off under questionable circumstances. Debate on this motion was shelved last week after Wetangula requested for more time to peruse the report and prepare his defence.  The report also implicates the permanent secretary in the ministry Mwangi Thuita over the procurement, disposal and construction of properties of Kenya Diplomatic missions in Egypt, Japan, Nigeria, Belgium and Pakistan.  The parliamentary committee on legal affairs also wants the two senior officers in the ministry of foreign affairs to step-aside to pave way for full investigations into the matter by the Kenya-Anti- corruption commission.  Armed with a barrage of documents Keynan took a packed parliament through volumes of evidence of how the ministry of foreign Affairs crafted a scheme that defrauded Kenyan tax payers billions of Shillings.  He urged Wetangula to step aside to allow for investigations noting that a noble policy of acquiring property aboard had been turned into a cash cow by officials in the ministry of foreign affairs who either undervalued property that was being disposed or over valued property to be acquired. He questioned the rationale used in purchasing a building in Brussels which has turned out to be a monument whose renovation to a mission will require the consent of the Belgian government. Kenyan also said it was shameless for Kenya to sell its mission in Nigeria located in a prime area next to the US embassy and former president Ibrahim Babanginda's residence. But perhaps more shocking was the question of how the Kenyan government acquired property in Tokyo Japan at three times its worth in disregard of government procurement procedures.

Keynan's Key points

• 10% of money from proceeds of sale of property in Egypt missing
• Building acquired in Brussels a monument
• Three prime plots in Abuja sold
• Nigerian lawyer sues Kenya over 94 million shillings legal fee in disposing off the property
• Kenyan mission employees in Nigeria living as squatters at KQ building
• Money for Japan property paid in cash to individuals' account

The motion continues on Tuesday next week.

Astronomers Say They've Found Oldest Galaxy So Far

WASHINGTON (Oct. 20) - Astronomers believe they've found the oldest thing they've ever seen in the universe: It's a galaxy far, far away from a time long, long ago. Hidden in a Hubble Space Telescope photo released earlier this year is a small smudge of light that European astronomers now calculate is a galaxy from 13.1 billion years ago. That's a time when the universe was very young, just shy of 600 million years old. That would make it the earliest and most distant galaxy seen so far. By now the galaxy is so ancient it probably doesn't exist in its earlier form and has already merged into bigger neighbors, said Matthew Lehnert of the Paris Observatory, lead author of the study published online Wednesday in the journal Nature. "We're looking at the universe when it was a 20th of its current age," said California Institute of Technology astronomy professor Richard Ellis, who wasn't part of the discovery team. "In human terms, we're looking at a 4-year-old boy in the life span of an adult." While Ellis finds the basis for the study "pretty good," there have been other claims about the age of distant space objects that have not held up to scrutiny. And some experts have questions about this one. But even the skeptics praised the study as important and interesting. The European astronomers calculated the age after 16 hours of observations from a telescope in Chile that looked at light signatures of cooling hydrogen gas. Earlier this year, astronomers had made a general estimate of 600 to 800 million years after the Big Bang for the most distant fuzzy points of light in the Hubble photograph, which was presented at an astronomy meeting back in January.

 

Stunned fans cheer Rooney U-turn

Joyous Manchester United football fans have been celebrating Wayne Rooney's decision to stay at Old Trafford. The Red Devils' talisman went from hero to villain then back to hero again by agreeing a new five-year contract with United. And after questioning the club's ambition and the ability of his team-mates, Rooney apologised to his fellow players and his boss, Sir Alex Ferguson said. The signing of a new deal ended an amazing week in which Ferguson revealed that the 24-year-old England striker wanted to leave the club - dropping the bombshell during a press conference on the eve of a Champions League match. Emma Parish of the Manchester United Supporters Trust, which has 163,000 members, has said: "I was in the car when I heard on the radio and my jaw just dropped open. It was a surprise. "I'm pleased and glad he is staying because he is a world class player, I would have hated to see him in a Man City shirt," she said. "Everybody is flabbergasted at what has gone on this week, but the people I have spoken to are all pleased because you don't want your best players going." Angry supporters had vented their frustrations on Rooney - who was not involved in United's midweek game due to injury - with banners branding him disloyal. And on Thursday night police were called to the footballer's £4.5 million mansion in the village of Prestbury, Cheshire, after a mob of up to 30 fans protested outside the property. But ongoing talks between the club's chief executive David Gill and Rooney's adviser Paul Stretford resulted in Rooney confirming he is staying put. "I am delighted to sign another deal at United," Rooney said. "In the last couple of days, I have talked to the manager and the owners and they have convinced me this is where I belong. "I am signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history - which is the reason I joined the club in the first place."

Another Kenyan MP loses seat

Kirinyaga Central Member of Parliament Ngata Kariuki has lost his seat through an election petition. In his ruling, High Court judge Mohamed Warsame who nullified the election said the Returning Officer breached all electoral rules and proceeded to declare the wrong candidate the winner of the 2007 poll. Justice Warsame said Kariuki benefited from an illegal announcement and that he should not be allowed to continue serving as an MP illegally, robbing the electorate their rightful candidate.He said the poll loser, Daniel Karaba, was the actual winner of the election but was short changed by the Returning Officer. The returning officer confessed before the Kriegler Commission, appointed to probe the 2007 polls that he mistakenly announced the wrong candidate a winner. The Ford Asili MP was the eighth legislator to lose his seat in the 10th parliament. Others whose elections were nullified included Matuga MP Ali Chirau Mwakwere, Bomachoge's Joel Onyancha, Margaret Wanjiru of Starehe, Omingo Magara of South Mugirango, Makadara's Dick Wathika, George Thuo of Juja and Abdirahman Ali Hassan of Wajir South. Mwakwere and Wanjiru managed to recapture their seats in subsequent by-elections but the rest lost. During the hearing of the Kirinyaga Central seat petition, the court was told that forms 16A and 17A were destroyed by fire leaving the court to rely on the Kriegler report. Warsame said the cause of the fire was suspect as the documents required in the case were not available. Five other election petitions arising from the 2007 elections are yet to be determined including in Kamukunji, Kititu Masaba, Gatundu North, Ikolomani and Ganze constituencies. The High Court in Kakamega will begin hearing the election petition against Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale from next week.

French unions have called two more national days

French unions have called two more national days of action to protest at the goverment's pension reforms.  They announced the dates of 28 October and 6 November after a meeting in Paris on Thursday afternoon. Separately, rolling strikes are continuing against government plans to raise the pension age from 60 to 62. Meanwhile, the Senate has curtailed debate on more than 1,000 amendments to the bill and may vote as early as Thursday night. The lower house has already approved the bill, which aims to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 and the full state pension age from 65 to 67. Protests have taken place around the country. In the south-eastern city of Lyon, police used water cannon to disperse protesters. A demonstration outside the Senate in Paris was largely peaceful.  "I am 44 and I don't want to work until I am 62 or 67," teacher Odile Jaquet told the AP news agency. "I am still young: I still have to work for another 18 years, and in my industry, I don't think that I will be able to work much longer." Students marched in cities around the country, including Paris, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux. Marseille is becoming the waste-bin of France. At least that's what some of the people mutter. If the wind is blowing fiercely enough off the Mediterranean - as it does at this time of year - you can just about avoid the stench of rotting fruit and veg. But if it isn't, a walk along the main shopping thoroughfare can leave you with a lung full of bad air.  The rubbish hasn't been cleared off the streets for over a week now. Great piles stand against shop windows.  People talk of the rats running out from the piles of rubbish.

One shopkeeper, standing outside his electrical shop, says he's concerned about disease taking hold.  In Marseille, tonnes of rubbish have piled up in the streets since collectors went on strike on 12 October.  The top central government official in the region, Michel Sappin, has asked 150 members of the civil security force and the French foreign legion to clear the rubbish.  Blockades of refineries and fuel depots have led to fuel shortages. Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said 2,790 filling stations had run out of fuel, down from 3,190 on Wednesday. However, around three quarters of high-speed TGV trains are now running, as are about half of all regional trains. President Nicolas Sarkozy called for an end to the disruption and promised to punish rioters. "By taking hostage the economy, companies and the daily lives of French people, we are going to destroy jobs," he said on Thursday.  Lionel Guerin, head of the National Federation of Commercial Aviation, said the strikes had now cost airlines more than the Icelandic volcano eruption in the spring. Singer Lady Gaga said on her website that she had cancelled two concerts scheduled for Paris this weekend because was "no certainty that the trucks can make it" to the venue.  All 12 French refineries remain on strike, although police have broken blockades at most of the country's fuel depots.  Strikes also stopped work at two of France's three liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. On Wednesday, the country began importing electricity as the wave of protest action took hold of energy supplies. At least 12 of France's 58 reactors were shut for maintenance, but the unions say production has been cut at four others.

Tseng focused on ranking after rejecting $25m

Taiwanese golfer Yani Tseng has brushed aside the matter of nationality getting in the way of a $25 million (£15.8m) contract - though she refused to slam the door on the possibility of adopting Chinese citizenship in the future. The 21-year-old world number four was approached last month with the enormous five-year contract offer, which also included use of private jets and a luxury villa in Beijing, according to Taiwanese media reports. But a stipulation of the deal was that Tseng had to change her nationality to Chinese, prompting the golfer's father to say that the deal was rejected straight away. China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since 1949 when defeated Nationalist forces fled to the island following the Communist victory in a civil war. Tseng has insisted that the subject of her nationality, and any sponsorship deals it affected, was secondary to her sole aim of improving enough to claim the world number one spot. "I don't know if I'm qualified to receive so much money, I don't know if I'm that capable," Tseng said when asked about the sponsorship offer. "I hope in the future my results can be better or I've reached my target of becoming the world's number one. I think it's still not too late to decide when that time comes. "It doesn't matter which country I'm playing in, I feel that I'm bringing glory to ethnic Chinese across the world and I'm proud to be a Chinese," she added. Tseng had her first golf lesson with her parents at the age of five and in 2008 became the youngest player to win the LPGA Championship.Talking about the latest move by the LPGA to add Taiwan to the season next year, Tseng said she saw great potential in Taiwan, Japan and Korea."Asian golfers are playing well and I think this gives competition to the United States and it shows that Asian players are very talented and ambitious - we try to win every competition," she said. Tseng is in Malaysia to compete in next week's Sime Darby LPGA tournament.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

Bridgena Barnard took her family with her in search of this shot in South Africa’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on Christmas Day. She said: "We knew it was a special moment - we were all quiet in the vehicle thinking about what we had witnessed." and on right Jari Peltomaki described his shot of Dalmatian pelicans in northern Greece as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "I couldn’t believe my luck when the clouds lifted and I could see the mountains," he said. "I knew I had to make the most of it.

London, Thursday 21st October, 2010. A mother of two died after she was trapped under her car while trying to clear ice from the windows.  The freak accident happened as temperatures plunged across much of the North of England and Scotland. A neighbour spotted Andrea Southern, 43, crushed under her black Fiat Panda and called an ambulance. It is believed she had started the engine in order to help clear the the ice while she sprayed de-icer on the windows outside the car. The vehicle then rolled back on the driveway, dragging her under the front wheels. Police cordoned off Wickham Close, Widnes, Cheshire, and Mrs Southern's husband John and two young daughters were told to stay inside their home, where they have lived for 10 years, while firefighters worked to cut Mrs Southern free. She was taken to Whiston Hospital with serious crush injuries to her upper body but died at 4.30pm on Wednesday 20th October, 2010. A North West ambulance service spokesman said: 'When paramedics arrived, she had gone into cardiac arrest, but they found a pulse.' A police spokesman said: 'Inquiries suggest she was defrosting her car when it is thought to have started and rolled backwards, dragging her under the front wheels. 'Police believe she was trapped for around half an hour before her neighbour found her. 'Police are appealing to anyone who was in the Wickham Close area of Widnes yesterday morning between around 6.15am and 7am to make contact with the officer investigating the incident, even if you feel you have seen nothing of relevance.  Joiner Ryan Gregson, 21, who lives across the road, witnessed paramedics battling to save Mrs Southern. He said: 'It's an utter tragedy. She was a lovely woman, quite quiet and they had two young daughters. 'I woke up early yesterday to blue flashing lights in my room shortly before 7am. At first I didn't see much because the firemen were jacking up the car so they could get her out. 'They were working quickly and got her out fast.

Sub-zero: A woman battles the adverse weather which hit much of Scotland and the North on right Frost: A jogger braves the ice and mist in Hyde Park but temperatures will be back to normal by the weekend
 

Bishop Bishop Muya arrives in UK

Bishop Samuel Muya from Elburgon, Kenya arrived in UK on Thursday 21st October, 2010 a few weeks visit. While in the UK he will be preaching in several different churches. On Sunday 24th October 2010 he will be at Christian Life Ministry (CLM) Church in the morning and in the afternoon the Bishop will be preaching at Kigocho at 363 Woodway Lane, Potters Green, CV2 2AP in Coventry The following weekend he will be having a 3-day conference in Northampton on Friday  29th October, 2010 to Sunday 31st October, 2010 at  Freedom House Ministry in Northampton. On Sunday 7th November, 2010 he will be preaching at CCBC  Swahili Service, Greatfield Temple, King Edward Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 7TR. His contact in UK is 07556113850 or samuelmuya2003@yahoo.com

Despite midterms, Obama may have it easier in 2012

Despite midterms, Obama may have it easier in 2012. President Barack Obama's Democrats may be headed for a train wreck on November 2, but his own re-election bid in 2012 would face a brighter path if a grindingly slow economic recovery picks up steam. How Obama navigates a starkly different political landscape in Washington over the next two years and whether the ailing U.S. economy rebounds will go a long way toward determining his standing when he asks Americans for four more years at the next presidential election. "If the economy is still in bad shape in the spring of 2012, that really spells problems for the president because this election will be fought over whether the economy has recovered or not," said Andy Smith, a political science professor at the University of New Hampshire. Washington politics will likely get more difficult for Obama after the November 2 congressional elections, with Republicans seemingly poised to take control of the House of Representatives and cut the Democratic majority in the Senate. Pressure will be on Obama and lawmakers to find ways to inspire confidence in the economy, resolve the mortgage foreclosure crisis, spur business investment and create jobs. Many of the new wave of Republicans will be of the conservative, Tea Party variety, wanting to slash spending and cut the government down to size. This will make any new stimulus initiatives difficult to achieve, such as Obama's $50 billion proposal for infrastructure projects. With Americans in an anti-Washington mood, political battles between Obama's Democrats and Republicans are a strong possibility over taxes, spending and deficits. Will the larger presence of Republicans force Obama to move from the left to the center and compromise with his opponents, as President Bill Clinton did after the 1994 Republican revolution when his Democrats were trounced in the midterm congressional elections? "We're about to learn a lot about Barack Obama," said William Galston, who was a policy adviser to Clinton. "If he is as eager to be a transformative president and do big things as he is said to be, then he will probably send his administration off on a different course. But we don't know anything yet."

BIG 'THANK YOU' TO KCIC Family in Seattle, WA.

On behalf of the entire New Hope family in Uplands, Kenya, I wish to thank Mr Joseph Kamau and the entire congregation of KCIC, Seattle. WA.

I attended their Sunday Service, and immediately thereafter some dinner in the same place. The entire service was excellent, God's presence was so evident.

I met wonderful brethren, may I confess that I have never met such wonderful people in my entire visits in the US. Although it was my first visit, I felt like I had been there all the time, some divine connection.

Lastly, 'WALINIPATIA CHAKULA NYINGI SANA, CHA WATOTO WANGU'-------may God richly bless them.

MAY GOD EXPAND THEIR TERRITORY.

Regards.
Anne Chege.

UK Councils 'to lose 100,000 jobs'

Up to 100,000 council jobs could be lost in England as a result of government spending cuts, the Local Government Association has said. LGA chairman Baroness Eaton said "one in 10 of the workforce" would lose their jobs. Some would go through voluntary redundancy and "natural wastage" but sackings were unavoidable, she added. Chancellor George Osborne cut funding for local authorities by 7.1% from April in Wednesday's spending review. The Office for Budgetary Responsibility has estimated 500,000 jobs could go over the next four years, as the chancellor cuts £81bn from public spending. The LGA has suggested that about 20% of the lost jobs will be in local authorities. Baroness Eaton dismissed suggestions that some councils would "go bust" but she added: "These cuts will hurt. We know this means there will be fewer libraries, more pot holes going unrepaired, parks shutting earlier and youth clubs closing." It also meant council workers would face redundancy, she said. "Some jobs will go in natural wastage, not filling vacancies and voluntary redundancy. But there will be job losses where real people dedicated in their profession won't be there any more."

FACES FROM OXFORD

Caught in a ceremony in Oxford a week ago is Mrs. Muhungi (far left) and Mr. & Mrs. Kairu (far right)

IF BRITAIN IS SO BROKE... FOREIGN AID BILL MUST BE CUT TOO

A furious backlash grew last night after the bloated budget for overseas aid was spared the axe in George Osborne’s £81billion cuts. The Chancellor slashed an extra £7billion from welfare benefits. The pension age was hiked for five million workers. And he signalled that nearly 500,000 public-sector jobs are to go. Rail fares are set to rocket and prison and police budgets will be sliced in spending reductions of 19 per cent across Whitehall. But despite imposing the blood­iest onslaught on public spending since the Second World War, Mr Osborne revealed that donations of taxpayers’ cash to developing countries will rise to £12.6billion a year over the next four years. And £200million has been earmarked for off-shore wind farms, £1billion for a “Green Bank” and a further £1billion found for other environmental schemes including “a commercial scale carbon capture and storage project”. Mr Osborne insisted the domestic cuts were “unavoidable” and necessary. “Today’s the day when Britain steps back from the brink. When we confront the bills from a decade of debt,” he said. “It is a hard road, but it leads to a better future,” he added, outlining his Comprehensive Spending Review in an hour-long statement to MPs. “A stronger Britain starts here.” But questions were being raised last night about the scale of multi-billion budgets for aid for the Third World and for a string of anti-global warming projects.

BARIDI YAINGIA NA WATOTO WAKE

Snow storm: Cars struggling through the blizzards in Aberdeen during morning rush hour

 

RETIREMENT: MILLIONS WILL BE FORCED

TO CARRY ON WORKING UNTIL 66

The pension age is to rise to 66 for both men and women by 2020 – four years earlier than previously planned. The retirement age for women – currently set at 60 – was originally planned to rise to 65 by 2020. It means that millions of men and women below the age of 57 at the start of this tax year will be forced to work longer than they had planned. Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement yesterday marks a huge change in employment conditions for women.

The poorest people in Britain will be hit harder than anyone else under the terms of the Government's Spending Review, according to a leading financial think tank. Outlining the planned cuts, Chancellor George Osborne said one of the guiding principles had been "fairness". "We are all in this together and all must make a contribution," he said. "Fairness means creating a welfare system that helps the vulnerable, supports people into work, and is also affordable for the working families who pay for it from their taxes." However the Institute for Fiscal Studies has told Sky News the spending plans are "regressive" and a chart on page 98 of the official document reveals the bottom 10% of earners will lose the most money from the cuts. Acting director Carl Emmerson said: "The Treasury's own figures show the benefit cuts announced today will affect the bottom half more than the top half. "The cuts to public sector spending will also affect the poorest half rather than the top half. "Therefore, everything we have heard about so far indicates the measures are regressive." Mr Emmerson, who replaced Robert Chote - now head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, said, however, that the Government could claim the review was fair if it took into consideration measures announced by the previous government - such as an increase in the top rate of tax - which hit the richest hardest. But even taken with the impact of June's Budget measures, only the very richest bear more of the brunt than the poorest. Following months of wrangling between ministers, Mr Osborne revealed half a million public sector jobs will go, the welfare budget will be slashed and the retirement age will rise. Funding for Britain's £193.1bn benefits system will drop by £7bn a year, though the Government will spend £2bn to introduce a Universal Credit designed to replace all working age benefits and tax credits. "It represents the greatest reform to our welfare state for a generation," Mr Osborne said.

Longest cat in the world revealed
 

A cat called Stewie has broken the Guinness world record for being the world's longest domestic cat. The five-year-old cat was confirmed as the new record holder after measuring 48.5 inches (4ft) from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. In all it's more than four feet long (1.16metres). The previous record was held by a 48-inch moggy. The owners of Stewie, Robin Hendrickson and Erik Brandsness of Reno, Nevada, said they decided to try for the record after hearing numerous people say they were amazed by his length. Stewie is of the Maine Coon variety - known as 'the gentle giants' of the cat world.

A Kenyan young man has been shot

and killed in San Antonio, Texas

Brian Odipo, also 17, killed at the home of his friend Jassjeet Singh

A Young Kenyan man has been shot and killed in San Antonio, Texas, USA. A high school community is dumbfounded at the weekend shooting death in West Bexar County of a senior track star and the arrest of his friend. Bexar County Sheriff’s Office detectives are at a loss to explain why Brian Odipo, 17, was shot and killed at the home of his friend Jassjeet Singh, also 17, in the 11600 block of Sweet Pea Run on Friday 15th October, 2010 afternoon. Odipo, shot in the right buttock and in the head, was flown to University Hospital, where friends said the numbers of visitors made the waiting room resemble a Stevens High School gathering. He died Sunday night. Singh, arrested at the scene, remains in Bexar County Jail on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and also is under an immigration hold, officials said. He’s being held without bail. Sgt. Jose Trevino said he expected Singh to be charged with murder this week. Singh became angered at Odipo, but didn’t give deputies any clue as to why, Trevino said. By all accounts, the boys were friends. Both attended Stevens in the Northside Independent School District. Although Odipo’s mother, Mary S. Odipo, never met Singh, she wasn’t surprised he was at a friend’s house Friday. “He was an outgoing kid, but also respectful and well-mannered,” she said at her home Tuesday. “He was a friend to the old, to the young; it didn’t matter what race, age or sex.” Odipo was at Stevens’ alternative school, where a district spokesman said he’d been placed after breaking into a vehicle on campus Oct. 7, but his mother claims he chose the smaller class setting because it allowed him to work in the afternoons. He left after lunch Friday and was expected to pick up a friend from school later, Mary Odipo said.

Jassjeet Singh, 17, is suspected of shooting 17-year-old Brian Odipo, also 17.

Instead, he, Singh and another school peer were at Singh’s two-story brick house when shots were fired. The third boy witnessed part of the incident, Trevino said, but he didn’t know what caused the apparent rage. “The shooter was just upset; he became upset and he says he just shot the victim,” Trevino said. The witness left and Singh went to pick up a friend from work and admitted the shooting to him, deputies said. Then Singh drove the two of them back to his home, where Odipo still lay bleeding on the kitchen floor. Officials said the boy Singh picked up called 911. Jassjeet Singh, 17, is suspected of shooting 17-year-old Brian Odipo, also 17, in the head Friday. The injured teen remains hospitalized in critical condition Sunday. Trevino declined to describe the murder weapon, but said deputies found it hidden in Singh’s attic. For hour after hour, Odipo’s mother, his father — El Paso-based U.S. Army chaplain Steven Odipo Siaji — and siblings Linda, 19 and David, 5 — didn’t leave his side. Linda Odipo said she can’t fathom life without her brother. “He’s my other half,” she said. “We would tell each other everything, and he was always with me.” Raised in Kenya, the Odipos moved to Bexar County when Brian was 5 to join Siaji, who already was in the United States. Brian adjusted to America easily, excelled in sports and was a good student, his mother said. He already had committed to joining the Marines upon graduation in May. “He was real determined and motivated, and he was a great teammate,” said Randy Lighteard, who coached him on the San Antonio Blazers track and field team. “He was always so happy.” Brian Odipo worked at the Wash Tub on Bandera Road and was meticulous about keeping his own powder-blue Jeep Cherokee clean, using it to shuttle friends around. He knew people all over town, Mary Odipo said, and many of his friends met each other for the first time at his hospital bedside. “In Kenya, when a child is born, it’s everybody’s child. Here, it’s just one family’s,” she said as her face quivered with emotion. “I learned at the hospital he was everybody’s son and everybody’s brother.” - Source: mysanantonio.com

EMPOWERMENT CHRISTIAN MINISTRYCONFERENCE IN COVENTRY

EMPOWERMENT CHRISTIAN MINSTRY WARMLY INVITES YOU TO AN ANNOINTED SERVICE WITH GUEST SPEAKER BISHOP CLIMATE. DATE ON SAT: 13TH NOVEMBER 2010, TIME 5PM – 10PM, VENUE: THE MOAT HOUSE LEISURE CENTRE, WINSTON AVENUE, COVENTRY, CV2 2EA.

ALL ARE WELCOME, COURTESY OF HOST PASTOR BOB KAMAU.  

Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled the biggest UK spending cuts

Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled the biggest UK spending cuts since World War II, with welfare, councils and police budgets all hit. The pension age will rise sooner than expected, some incapacity benefits will be time limited and other money clawed back through changes to tax credits and housing benefit. A new bank levy will also be brought in - with full details due on Thursday. Mr Osborne said the four year cuts were guided by fairness, reform and growth. Mr Osborne ended his hour-long Commons statement by claiming the 19% average cuts to departmental budgets were less severe than expected. This is thanks to an extra £7bn in savings from the welfare budget and a £3.5bn increase in public sector employee pension contributions.

'Frontline cuts'

The chancellor claimed it meant his savings were less than the 20% cuts Labour had planned ahead of the general election. BBC Economics Editor Stephanie Flanders said that, at first glance, "the cuts to the welfare benefit are regressive, in the most basic sense of costing families in the lower half of the income distribution more".

KEY MEASURES

• £81bn cut from public spending over four years
• 19% average departmental cuts - less than the 25% expected
• £7bn extra welfare cuts, including changes to incapacity, housing benefit and tax credits
• £3.5bn increase in public sector pension employee contributions
• Rise in state pension age brought forward
• 7% cut for local councils from April next year
• Permanent bank levy
• Rail fares to rise 3% above inflation from 2012

The Local Government Association said the move would "hit councils and the residents they serve very hard and will inevitably lead to cuts at the frontline". Outlining the £81bn cuts package, Mr Osborne vowed to restore "sanity to our public finances and stability to our economy".  He told MPs: "Today is the day when Britain steps back from the brink, when we confront the bills from a decade of debt. "It is a hard road, but it leads to a better future." The main new welfare savings come from abolishing Employment and Support Allowance, which replaces incapacity benefit, for some categories of claimant after one year, raising £2bn. Universal benefits for pensioners will be retained as budgeted for by the previous government and the temporary increase in the cold weather payment will be made permanent. But a planned rise in the state pension age for men and women to 66 will start in 2020, six years earlier than planned. In other measures, rail fares will be allowed to increase by 3% above RPI inflation from 2012, higher education spending will be cut by 40%, flood defences by 15% and sport England and UK Sport cut by 30%.

Heated negotiations

Up to 500,000 public sector jobs could go by 2014-15 as a result of the cuts programme, according to the Office for Budgetary Responsibility. Government departments facing major cuts to their budgets include the Home Office, on 6%, including a 20% cut in government funding for police over four years, the Foreign Office, facing 24% cuts, and the Cabinet Office, which will see its budget slashed by 35%. The justice department is facing cuts of 6%, with 3,000 fewer prison places over four years. Winners include the Department for International Development, which will see its budget rise to £11.5bn over the next four years, reaching 0.7% of national income in 2013. The schools budget will rise from £35bn to £39bn and, overall, the Department for Education will be required to find resource savings of just 1% a year. Each government department will next month publish a business plan setting out reform plans for the next four years. The government will also deliver £6bn of Whitehall savings - double the £3bn promised earlier, said the chancellor. He also confirmed that the budget for new social housing would be cut by 60% over four years, and rents for new tenants would be brought closer to private sector rates, with the money raised to go towards building new affordable homes. Campaign groups reacted angrily to the move, with the National Housing Federation calling it "a devastating blow to the millions of low income families currently stuck on housing waiting lists". The Spending Review is the culmination of months of heated negotiations with ministers over their departmental budgets and comes a day after the Ministry of Defence and the BBC learned their financial fate.

Tough action

The MoD is facing cuts of 8% - less than most other departments but enough to mean 42,000 service personnel and civil servants will lose their jobs over the next five years and high-profile equipment such as Harrier jump jets, the Ark Royal aircraft carrier and Nimrod spy planes will be scrapped. The BBC has been told it must freeze the licence fee for six years and take over the cost of the World Service, currently funded by the Foreign Office, and the Welsh language TV channel S4C. This adds up to an estimated 16% cut in the BBC's budget in real terms. The chancellor insists tough action on spending is needed to stave off a debt crisis - and that the private sector will create new jobs to fill the void. During raucous Commons exchanges, shadow chancellor Alan Johnson accused Tory backbenchers of cheering "the deepest cuts to public spending in living memory". He claimed that for some on the government benches cuts were an "ideological objective" and "what they had come into politics for".

The day of Kenya's heroes

Kenya's heroes at the national Mashujaa Day fete on Wednesday.  - The Standard.

Spending Review 2010: Key points at-a-glance

Chancellor George Osborne has announced the government's four-year Spending Review to Parliament, revealing some of the deepest cuts in public spending in decades.

• 490,000 public sector jobs set to be lost
• £81bn total cut in spending
• Average 19% departmental budget cuts
• Structural deficit to be eliminated by 2015
• £7bn in additional welfare budget cuts
• Police funding cut by 4% a year
• Retirement age to rise from 65 to 66 by 2020
• English schools budget protected
• NHS budget in England to rise every year until 2015
• Regulated rail fares to rise 3% above inflation
• Bank levy to be made permanent

Here, department by department, are more details.

The percentage cuts were calculated using the figures given in the Spending Review documents for Total Managed Expenditure (TME). That was then adjusted for inflation at the target rate of 2% for four years and compared with the target TME for 2014-15 to give the planned real level of cuts or increases to departmental spending.

What's being cut: Administration costs to be cut by £400m with 24 quangos axed. The Train to Gain programme to be axed. University teaching budgets to be cut by 40%. Funding for further education for over 18s to be cut by 25% over four years. Reform of student tuition fees based on Browne review. The science budget is to be frozen - in cash terms - rather than cut as had been feared. Funding for 75,000 adult apprenticeships a year.

What's being cut: Support for citizenship and "big society" projects. Cabinet Office officials to move into Treasury. Civil List cash funding for Royal Household to be frozen next year. New system of funding for Royal Household from 2013.

What's being cut: Councils will see a 7.1% annual fall in their budgets. But ring-fencing of local authority revenue grants will end and councils will have freedom to borrow against their assets. Funding for social housing to be cut by more than 60%, with new tenants having to pay higher rents. But the government hopes these changes will free up funds to build 150,000 new affordable homes over the next four years.

What's being cut: Budget cut 11.5% over four years. Administration costs to be cut by 41% while core arts programmes will see a 15% fall in funding. Free museum entry to remain in place. BBC licence fee to be frozen for next six years. Corporation will also fund World Service and BBC Monitoring. Adds up to equivalent of 16% savings over the period.

What's being cut: The RAF and navy will lose 5,000 jobs each, the Army 7,000 and the Ministry of Defence 25,000 civilian staff. The Harrier jump jets and the Ark Royal aircraft carrier are being axed while the planned Nimrod spy planes will be cancelled. Key spending decision on Trident to be delayed until 2016.

Watch: The Chancellor on defence cuts

What's being cut: Overall, a 6.4% real term fall over four years. Five quangos to be abolished. But direct funding to schools in England is to be protected, their budgets rising from £35bn to £39bn. Confirmed £2.5bn "pupil premium" for teaching for disadvantaged pupils. Educational Maintenance Allowances to be replaced. Sure Start budget to be protected in cash terms.

Watch: Osborne on schools budget

What's being cut: Cuts in the department's overheads will be offset by a number of investment schemes including £200m funding for wind power development and £1bn for green investment bank.

What's being cut: 8% annual cut, equivalent to 29% over the period. But there will be more money for flood defence.

What's being cut: 25% cut in funding over four years. Reduction in Whitehall-based diplomats.

Outcome: Overall a 4% rise. The NHS in England will get a 0.1% annual real terms rise in funding by 2015, fulfilling a Tory manifesto pledge. The NHS budget will rise by £10bn to £114bn. New cancer drug fund to be provided. But £20bn in efficiency and productivity savings will be expected of the NHS by the end of the Parliament. An extra £2bn for social care will be provided by 2014-15.

Watch: The Chancellor outlines NHS funding

What's being cut: Police budget cut by 4% a year, focused on bureaucracy rather than manpower. Aim to maintain "visibility and availability" of officers on beat. But some experts believe 18,000 police jobs could be lost. UK Border Agency budget to fall 20%. Counter-intelligence budget to fall 10%.

Watch: George Osborne on police cuts

What's being cut: The overseas aid budget is to be protected from cuts but not the department's other costs. Budget to rise to £11.6bn over four years to meet UN aid commitment. But aid to China and Russia is to stop and there will be a reduction in administration costs.

What's being cut: Plan for new 1,500-place prison to be dropped. 3,000 fewer prison places expected by 2015. £1.3bn capital investment in prison estate.

What's being cut? Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson has said cuts to be implemented in Northern Ireland are worse than he had anticipated.

What's being cut? Scotland's block grant will fall 7.9% over four years in real terms. SNP ministers have said that cuts to the Scottish budget will threaten 12,000 jobs.

What's being cut: The Welsh Assembly Government says its budget will be cut by £1.8bn in real terms over the next four years.

What's being cut: £30bn set aside for capital spending, including £500m for Tyne and Wear Metro and Tees Valley bus network. Crossrail project to go ahead in London. Rise in regulated cap on rail fares to 3% above inflation for three years from 2012.

Treasury spending hard to quantify as current year's spending is expected to be negative as a result of repaid loans to the banks.

What's being cut: 33% cut in budget over four years. Bank levy to be made permanent. £900m to target tax evasion. £1.5bn in compensation to Equitable Life policyholders hit by its near collapse. 15% cut in funding for Revenue and Customs.

Watch: The Chancellor on the bank levy

Outcome: State pension age for men to start rising from 65 in 2018 - six years earlier than planned - and reaching 66 by 2020. Rise in retirement age for women to accelerate, also reaching 66 by 2020. The measures combined will save £5bn a year. Reform of public sector pensions to save £1.8bn by 2015, with employees likely to contribute more. Winter fuel allowance, free bus passes and TV licences for 75-year-olds protected. Cuts to child benefit for higher rate taxpayers to generate £2.5bn. £2bn investment in new universal credit. Weekly child element on child tax credit to rise by £30 in 2012 and £50 by 2012.

Watch: Osborne outlines state pension changes

What's being cut?: A further £7bn in welfare savings planned on top of £11bn already announced. A new 12-month time limit for the one million people on employment and support allowance to find work or face benefit cut. 10% cut in council tax benefit budget. New threshold on housing benefit. Maximum savings award in pension credit to be frozen for four years. Increased working hours threshold for working tax credits for couples with children. New total benefits cap per family.

BYE BYE SOUTH AFRICA

While leaving South Africa airport for Kenya last August, Margaret Njiiri (Daughter Seed) took time to take an aerial photo of Johannesburg City minutes after leaving the ground. She had a good time touring South Africa and she explained a week was not enough.  Her tour in South Africa was conducted by Nguyo Safaris (escorting Maggy), No 2 The Vines Mimosa Road, Primrose Johannesburg South Africa 1401. Tel: South Africa +2773 814 3663, Tel: (Kenya) +254 727 341 426, Fax +2711 252 7708, Website www.nguyosafaris.co.za  -  rugosam@mweb.co.za, Email     info@nguyosafaris.co.za

BofA shares plunge to June 2009 low on mortgage woes

(Reuters) - Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) shares hit their lowest point since June 2009 on Wednesday, after accusations that the company inappropriately handled more than $47 billion in mortgage bonds prompted some Wall Street analysts to downgrade its stock. The bank's shares fell to $11.21 on Wednesday morning, their lowest point in over a year, before recovering slightly. They were trading down 3.5 percent at $11.39 by late morning. Analysts at Oppenheimer & Co and Stifel downgraded Bank of America to "perform" and "hold" respectively, after a group of investors on Tuesday accused it of inappropriately bundling mortgages into bonds. Analysts at Robert W. Baird and Citigroup trimmed their price targets for the bank. On Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that the New York Federal Reserve and bond fund Pimco were among the investor group. Bank of America, which reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Tuesday, said it would fight being held responsible for investors' losses.

Mashujaa Day in Kenya

President Mwai Kibaki on Wednesday 20th October, 2010 led thousands of Kenyans in observing the inaugural Mashujaa Day. Kenyans turned up in large numbers at the Nyayo National stadium and other parts of the country to celebrate the day in honour heroes and heroines who contributed to the nation's liberation struggle. The first Mashujaa day comes following the ratification of the new constitution.  The annual event that has replaced Kenyatta day will be celebrated every 20 October to honor Kenyan freedom fighters who sacrificed for the country's independence. Wednesday marks 47 years since independence. The government, three years ago constituted a task force to carry out a countrywide data collection on the criteria for identifying, recognizing and honoring the heroes. Among the Mashujaa (heroes) who are recognized for their contribution to the independence of the country are the Kapenguria Six, who include Kenya's founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Paul Ngei, Bildad Kaggia, Achieng' Oneko, Kungu Karumba and Fred Kubai. A mausoleum for the late Kenyatta stands at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi while the heritage ministry has built mausoleums for Ngei, Kagia and Oneko. Work is ongoing on Kubai's mausoleum and a monument in honour of Karumba is being built. The ministry has also developed a Draft National Heroes Bill, which is awaiting cabinet approval. The government is also recognizing some 100 other Kenyans who have contributed in other sectors of the society including ex-freedom fighters, environmentalists, sportspeople and others.

Kibaki's Mashujaa Day Speech

Nairobi, Kenya, 21 October, 2010 - It is my great pleasure to join you as we celebrate the first Mashujaa Day since the inception of our Second Republic that came into being following the promulgation of our new Constitution. Mashujaa are men and women who have made a lasting mark in the lives of fellow Kenyans and in the history and development of our country. They are men and women who have taken great risks in service to save, advance and protect their fellow citizens. These are also men and women whose hard work, courage and perseverance have had a great impact on the socio-economic well being of our people. On this historic day, I salute our early Mashujaa who resisted colonisation. We remember the courage of Mekatilili wa Menza and the bravery of Koitalel arap Samoei. We shall also never forget the heroic contribution of Harry Thuku and Muindi Mbingu. Today, we pay special tribute to the founding father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and his compatriots Achieng’ Oneko, Paul Ngei, Bildad Kaggia, Kung’u Karumba and Fred Kubai. We also pay tribute to Dedan Kimathi and his comrades. These great Kenyans, through courage and determination, galvanised the struggle for Kenya’s independence. While the Kapenguria Six and many others were in detention, the flame of independence was kept burning by nationalists among them Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Ronald Ngala, Masinde Muliro, Tom Mboya, Martin Shikuku, Jean Marie Seroney, Bernard Mate, Lawrence Sagini, James Gichuru, Pio Gama Pinto and retired President Daniel arap Moi to mention but a few. We also acknowledge and appreciate the post independence Mashujaa whose service to our nation has contributed to the social and economic progress we have achieved as well as the greater democratic space that we enjoy today. Our present day Mashujaa are those who, through hard work and perseverance, are creating agricultural, industrial and service enterprises that have created jobs and increased incomes for Kenyans. We are particularly proud of our companies that have made regional and global impact through innovation and export of goods and services.  Among them are Kenya Airways, Equity Bank, Co-operative Bank, KCB Bank, Bidco, East Africa Breweries, Safaricom, as wll as our world class tea and flower farms. Our scholars have also placed us on the international map and inspired a new generation of Mashujaa. These include: Scientist Thomas Odhiambo, historian Bethuel Ogot, political scientist Ali Mazrui, author Ngugi wa Thiong’o, public health specialist Miriam Were, as well the Nobel laureate and environmentalist Wangari Maathai.

Fellow Kenyans,

Until Kipchoge Keino and Naphtali Temu won gold medals in the Mexico Olympic Games of 1968, we had never imagined that an African could win an Olympic gold medal. Furthermore, until a few years ago when Catherine Ndereba and Tecla Lorupe stamped their authority on the marathon circuit, we never imagined that Kenyan women would command global leadership in athletics. Today, Kenyans are dominating Olympic, Commonwealth and continental athletics and our rugby team continues to shine. These are some of our modern day Mashujaa. They are making us proud and confident that we have the ability, the will and courage to win. Indeed, we are a country of winners.  The Government is committed to honouring our national mashujaa. In this regard, we will establish a National Heroes Monument at Heroes Corner in Uhuru Gardens. We are planning to erect the monument by the end of next year.
 

Fellow Kenyans,
Two months ago, we promulgated our new Constitution. This Constitution creates the framework for an enabling environment for transforming our nation. We have created institutions of governance that have the necessary checks and balances to ensure that there is no abuse of power and human rights. The institutions will ensure that those in authority are accountable to the Kenyan people and that the public service is efficient and responsive to the needs of the population. For the first time in our country’s history, we shall have a truly devolved government where substantial resources will be distributed equitably among the 47 counties. These resources will be managed by the county governments. This will bring government nearer to our communities and empower the citizens. The new Constitution also provides a legal framework for gender equality and women empowerment.
 

Fellow Kenyans,
The Grand Coalition Government is working hard to develop all parts of our country. We are implementing Vision 2030 as a development strategy to transform Kenya into a middle-income country with a high quality of life within the next 20 years.  Over the last seven years, we have focused our attention on expanding and enriching our education system so that it is accessible to all Kenyans. Now, primary education is free. Moreover, day secondary education is free while those in public boarding secondary schools enjoy free tuition. We have more than doubled university admissions and created 13 university colleges. Our universities have opened campuses in many towns. This has made university education accessible to many of our people. The government is also funding, equipping and providing teachers to youth polytechnics with the intention of fully taking over the management of these institutions.  Our interventions in the education sector are driven by the realization that there is no greater investment that a country can make than in the education of its people.  I wish to thank teachers across the country for the great role they have played to ensure success in our education sector. In addition to education, we have invested heavily in the development of infrastructure especially improvement of the road network, electricity generation and distribution and telecommunication network. We are also modernising our airports and sea ports. These investments are intended to make our country globally competitive as well as a regional hub for investment, services and commerce.
 

Fellow Kenyans,
We are now focusing more on food security. In the past, we have been vulnerable during periods of drought that have become more recurrent. This is as a result of climate change which is a matter of global concern. The Grand Coalition Government is implementing an ambitious policy to lessen our dependency on rain-fed agriculture. We are currently building five big multipurpose dams and many more small ones for water storage and small scale irrigation. I appeal to all Kenyans to develop a culture of harvesting and storing rain water.  I also call upon Kenyans to reserve 10 percent of our land for tree cover as stipulated in our Constitution. With our concerted efforts, this target can be achieved with minimal effort. The Kenya Forest Service has been directed to expand its tree nurseries so that we have enough tree seedlings. Trees are not only important for water conservation and rainfall but they are also an important resource for domestic and commercial use. Trees are a source of wealth and I call upon more Kenyans to venture into this line of business. 
 

Fellow Kenyans,
Our industrial sector has not realised its full potential. No country can attain middle level economic status without growing its industrial base, especially the manufacturing and processing sector. It is important that we provide an enabling environment for the growth of investments in the manufacturing and value addition sectors. There is no limit for the market of manufactured products as long as they are of the right quality and price.  An example of Kenya’s industrial potential is the textile industry. Unfortunately, many textile mills are now idle. It is important that we revive this industry since it will serve as a market for our cotton farmers and will create jobs for our youth.  The ministries of agriculture and industrialisation should pay special attention to the cotton sector and proactively develop policy measures that will support the numerous linkages of the industry. It has now been confirmed that our country has substantial amounts of coal and iron ore deposits which can be processed commercially to provide a basis for the steel industry. A vibrant steel industry is one of the foundations of an industrialised nation. We must move with speed to exploit these resources. To further support our industrial base, we need to concentrate more on training design engineers in our polytechnics and universities. The training of engineers should also be linked to industries to enable students develop practical skills.

Fellow Kenyans,
Our urban population now stands at 32 percent and is rising rapidly. Consequently, the Government is paying special attention to the development of cities and urban areas. The challenge, however, is the rapid population growth in these areas which has outstripped available housing and utilities. We are providing incentives for housing development with the view of meeting the housing gap of about 100,000 units per year. I challenge our industrialists and property developers to be more innovative so that we have affordable and sustainable building materials. Our vision is to get rid of slums from our country by the year 2030.  To ease pressure in our urban centres, the Government is creating new growth centres. We are establishing special economic zones which are intended to create new investments in industrial and service enterprises to create jobs for our people. I also wish to emphasise that the Government is stepping up security in all parts of our country. Security is a cornerstone of development and measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the people and their property.

As a Government, we have also instructed all the relevant government agencies to take the necessary action against those engaged in acts of corruption. Corruption is a great impediment to good governance and we must all do more to effectively and decisively deal with this vice. In conclusion, I once again salute all Kenyans on this great day that shall forever be embedded in our nation’s history as the first Mashujaa Day. It is also our first national day after the promulgation of the new Constitution. Our new constitutional dispensation is the product of a Kenyan-driven process and is a fitting tribute to our founding fathers and freedom fighters. The new Constitution provides us with the framework for shared economic prosperity, social inclusion and political stability. Let us embrace this new order with courage and optimism.  Finally, I wish all students and pupils who are sitting for national examinations the best of luck. I especially note that the first group of students who have enjoyed eight full years of the free primary education will be sitting their exams in November. I extend my best wishes to you and God’s blessings in your future endeavours.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS KENYA. - CapitalFM

THE WORD OF TODAY

Proverbs 4:22-25

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health [1] to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward [2] mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

UK North-South life expectancy divide increases to 13 years

The life expectancy gap between the North and South is widening, figures showed on Tuesday 19th October, 2010. Residents of the richest parts of London will live about 13 years longer than those in the worst-off parts of Scotland. The postcode lottery is very marked and growing across wide regions, the Office for National Statistics says. A boy born in the South East between 2007 and 2009 is likely to live more than four years longer than a Scottish baby boy, to 79.4 years. The gap has grown by seven months since the early 1990s, which appears to reflect the faster-rising wealth of southern England and the healthier lifestyles it has made possible. Men in the better-off parts of England now outlive women in the worst-off regions of Scotland by almost seven years, reversing the usual trend that women live longer than men. Girls born between 2007 and 2009 in the South East are likely to live to 83.3 – 3.2 years longer than Scottish girls.   The shortest lifespans in Britain have long been recorded in Glasgow, where poverty, drug abuse and unhealthy diets symbolised by the invention of the deep-fried Mars bar contribute to earlier death. In Glasgow, boys are expected to die aged 71.1 and girls 77.5, compared to the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where English people live the longest and life expectancy is 84.4 for boys and 89.0 for girls. The most comfortable suburbs of the South East and East, the richest London boroughs and the retirement zones for the well-off in Dorset and Somerset have regularly noted the longest lives. However, yesterday’s figures show the gap is widening in a way likely to cause unease to politicians anxious to foster equality and unionists worried about Scotland’s pull towards independence. The ONS said its figures showed ‘inequalities persisting across the UK’.

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As Britain braces itself for biggest spending cuts since the war, minister's

gaffe reveals: One in ten public sector workers faces axe

George Osborne will usher in four years of pain today as he attempts to repair the battered public finances

One in ten public sector workers will lose their jobs in the bloodiest spending cuts since the Second World War.  Millions more will be told to take a pay cut or reduce their hours as George Osborne ushers in four years of pain today.  The Chancellor is pinning his hopes on the private sector creating hundreds of thousands of jobs as he sets out plans to repair the battered public finances.  State workers, who currently account for one in five of the workforce, are bracing themselves for compulsory redundancies, vacancies left unfilled and recruitment freezes.  The public sector, welfare, tax credits and the Home Office and Ministry of Justice will all take the strain of paying off Britain's record budget deficit in moves expected to include:

• A dramatic acceleration of the timetable to increase the state pension age;
• Entire areas of state activity handed over to businesses, charities and citizens;
• Further cuts to tax credits, removing them from middle earners;
• A reprieve for child benefit for 16 to 19-year-olds after a dramatic lastminute U-turn by Mr Osborne;
• Cuts of around 50 per cent to the housing budget in an end to 'a council home for life';
• The biggest sell-off of state assets since Margaret Thatcher to raise more than £20billion.

The action comes as the Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King last night warned that Britain's 'nice' decade of low inflation and solid economic-growth will now be replaced by a 'sober' decade.  As the Chancellor sharpened his axe, key details of the Government's radical deficit reduction plan were unwittingly revealed by Liberal Democrat Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander.  He was pictured in the back of a car in Downing Street reading a document predicting that 490,000 state employees would lose their jobs by 2014-15 as a result of cuts of more than 50 per cent by some departments.  It made clear the Government accepts forecasts on public sector employment from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. It predicts that by 2016, the figure for job losses will have reached 610,000, or one in ten of the bloated public sector workforce.

The secret to our happy marriage

A couple, Charles Githinji, right, and his wife Ann Nyambura read a copy of a constitution for their family. In the wake of men being beaten in Central province, Githinji, 35, a resident of Mweiga in Kieni, has resolved to write a constitution for his home.  There is nothing remarkable about the man we find busy re-painting the timber house, his navy-blue workman overalls splattered with paint. He is the kind of man who would effortlessly blend into any crowd. To be honest, we are somewhat disappointed because we had expected to come face to face with a man whose presence was nothing short of intimidating – burly, ferocious-looking and a booming voice that would put the fear of God into just about anyone. But no, Charles could be any other man walking down the street. He is of average height, average build and speaks and acts like most of the men you know. However, just a few minutes into the interview, we realise just how deceiving looks can be. Beneath the nondescript image that he projects, is a firm and no-nonsense administrator who rules his home with an iron fist.  As one would expect of a man of such characteristics, his wife Ann Nyambura cuts the perfect image of the submissive wife, content to do the house work, look after their children and let her husband do the talking. Looking at them seated side by side in their home in Mweiga, Central Kenya, one gets the impression of a couple that has already basked in the initial marital bliss, the honeymoon long gone, and is now immersed in the thick of the challenges that come with nurturing a family. -  FULL STORY

China's central bank surprises

China's central bank surprised on Tuesday 19th October, 2010 with its first increase of interest rates in nearly three years, a move that reflects concern about resurgent asset prices and could mark the start of a more aggressive phase of monetary tightening in the world's fastest-growing major economy. The People's Bank of China said it was raising benchmark rates by 25 basis points, taking one-year deposit rates to 2.5 percent and one-year lending rates to 5.56 percent. If there was ever any doubt about China's role in driving the stuttering global economic recovery, the impact was felt by markets across the board. Oil and gold prices tumbled, stocks turned negative in Europe and the dollar jumped. "The interest rate rise is entirely outside of market expectations," said Zhu Jiangfang, chief economist at CITIC Securities in Beijing. "The recent rise in headline inflation has put the real rate into negative territory. And I think that's why the central bank needs to raise interest rates in such a hasty way," he said. Some analysts said the rate increase also suggested a deal was in place between China and the United States to strengthen the yuan and put an end to worries about a currency war of competitive devaluations ahead of upcoming Group of 20 meetings. But others said just the opposite was the case -- with higher rates, Beijing can afford to rely less on currency appreciation to keep the economy on an even keel. Finance ministers of the G20 major economies will aim to tackle the currency strains in a meeting in South Korea starting on Friday. The country also hosts a G20 leaders' summit in November. Although announced by the People's Bank of China, the decision to increase rates would have received approval from the highest echelons of Chinese power, with Premier Wen Jiabao likely signing off on it. Once a consensus has been forged in Beijing to raise or cut rates, past experience shows that moves often come in bunches. In the view of some, it is about time for China to embark on a more aggressive tightening cycle. To date, it has relied on lending restrictions and banks' reserve requirements to keep growth from boiling over. "Fundamentally, policy rates are just too low for an economy that's growing around 10 percent. To avoid bigger distortions, China needs to start moving rates to more appropriate levels," said Rob Subbaraman, an economist with Nomura in Hong Kong. "China's economy looks as though it's decoupling from other major economies, and its policies should as well," he said.

"THINGS FALLING APART"

Safaricom slashes international call charges by 90 p.c.

Safaricom has cut its international calling rates by nearly 90 per cent in an effort to defend its market share after its rivals made similar reductions in a move that looks set to further pile pressure on its profitability. Kenya’s largest mobile telephony operator reduced its international call tariffs to Sh3 a minute from Sh25 for calls headed to USA, China and India, putting it at par with rivals Zain, Orange and YU. Zain Kenya threw the first salvo by reducing its international tariffs by 70 per cent to Sh3 per minute on October 1 to be followed by Essar’s Yu that reduced its by 98 per cent to Sh2.50 a minute on October 5. Orange followed suit on October 7 by lowering its charges for the three markets to Sh3 per minute from Sh8—putting Safaricom on the spotlight. US, China and India accounts for the industry’s largest international traffic, making calls headed to these market a key battle front for the operators. Analysts say the move by Safaricom will not hurt its earnings significantly given that international traffic accounts for a smaller share of its revenues. “Safaricom must have taken longer to negotiate with the rest of international operators for a termination rates, but we don’t expect the international price cut to significantly affect Safaricom,” said Eric Kimathi, senior research analyst at African Alliance Kenya. “The company must, however, protect its share of the market and be at par with the competition, and ignoring any front will be costly at this time.”  Safaricom’s rivals have operations in other markets and this made it easier for them to cut the international tariffs speedily compared to the market leader which only operates in the Kenyan market. Bharti Airtel — India’s largest mobile operator by subscribers — bought Zain Africa for $10 billion in June.  However, the operators have made minimal price cuts on traffic heading to Europe and Africa, save for Orange’s cut on calls for Sudan, hoping to tap into the growing traffic between Kenya and Juba—which now hosts a number Kenyan companies and business people.  Orange is charging Sh20 per minute down from Sh30, compared to Safaricom’s Sh50, Yu’s Sh40, and Zain’s Sh30.

Shaping up

Already, local tariffs have halved as the players race to grow and defend their market shares, and the operators warn that the price war is shaping up as the biggest threat to the industry’s earnings. The cost of voice calls fell by 50 per cent in August to Sh3 per minute and consumers can now send short text messages at a rock-bottom price of Sh0.20, more than halving each subscriber’s monthly budget for airtime. Safaricom is set to feel the biggest heat with the price wars gripping the voice market, since it is the biggest player and does not enjoy the benefits of its rivals who are active in bigger markets and can subsidise their Kenyan operations.  Safaricom draws about 75 per cent of its revenues from the voice market and is now diversifying to the data market to cushion its earnings from the volatile voice market. Analysts are expressing doubts on whether Safaricom can sustain its profitability in the face of a price war. Safaricom’s share price has fallen 14 per cent in the last three months—making it’s the biggest drop among firms listed at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) over the period— to Sh4.90, but is 29 per cent higher compared to past year. “In all likelihood, we anticipate a downward rating of our valuations for Safaricom on account of lower revenue targets, contraction in EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) margins and lower ARPUs,” said Kestrel in a September brief to investors. Falling revenues especially on voice calls that account for 75.5 per cent of the firm’s revenue would impact on ARPU (Average Revenue per User), a key financial measure used to evaluate performance in the telecoms industry. But Safaricom is putting a brave face in light of the market onslaught despite admitting that the turf wars are not sustainable. “Price wars erode value and eventually kill off industries and by extension, economies,” said the CEO Michael Joseph. “What we can say at this point is that all indications are that the results are likely to be in line with our expectations.” – Daily Nation.

IT IS CELEBRATION TIME

Ladies from Victory Revival Christian Church in Oxford took to the floor on Saturday 16th October, 2010 during a graduation ceremony in Oxford. It was a colourful display as the ladies used new and old styles to crown the occasion - in one move on right displaying the Somalia Dance.

500,000 public sector jobs 'to go' in UK

The coalition expects nearly 500,000 public sector jobs to go as a direct result of its efforts to cut spending, it has been revealed. Details of drastic plans to tackle the deficit were accidentally exposed by Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander. Two pages of Wednesday's long-awaited Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) were visible on Mr Alexander's lap as he was photographed being driven away from his office. The document stressed that addressing the deficit was "unavoidable", and there would be an "inevitable impact" on state workers. The "overall value of the reward package" in the public sector had "remained generous in recent years", according to the document. Action on pay, such as the wage freeze already imposed by Chancellor George Osborne, and flexibility over hours would help minimise redundancies. But the draft made clear that the Government had adopted the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) forecast for a 490,000 reduction in the public sector workforce by 2014-15. It indicated that the coalition was pinning its hope on stimulating the wider economy, with policies designed to "facilitate a movement of jobs from the public sector to the private sector". Mr Alexander's slip-up came just hours after a similar mistake by David Cameron over the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) - sparking suggestions that ministers could be trying to soften the blow by leaking unpopular announcements. Mr Osborne is expected to deliver bad news to all sections of society as he spells out how the Government will eliminate the £109 billion structural deficit in four years.

Mrs. Anne Chege Kick starts her tour in Seattle, USA

Mrs. Anne Chege is currently in USA. Ann Chege's visit to Seattle Washington at the Kenyan Community International Church last Sunday 17th October, 2010 with members of the Church. It was a wonderful event, Mrs Chege bestowed blessings to the members and all the guests invited for the occasion. Mrs. Anne Chege's contact in USA is 205 401 1788.

THE FIRST GRADER: Premier: Leicester Square London: 26th October 2010

The story of Murage the Oldest Kenyan Student starring; Oliver Litondo – Kenyan actor and shot in Kenya.

The first grader will have a gala premier at the London Film Festival on Tuesday 26th October at the prestigious Odeon Theatre in Leicester Square. The lead stars, Kenyan actor Oliver Litondo and British-born actress Naomie Harris will be attending. The first grader is based on a true story set in a remote primary school in rural Kenya, where hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education promised by the new Kenyan government.

Oliver Litondo is a pioneer in broadcasting and film in Kenya. He studied Liberal Arts at the University of IOWA, pursued a Masters in Mass Communication at the University of Stockholm, Sweden, before eventually returning to the USA to study theatre at Harvard University before coming back to Kenya. Mr. Litondo has featured in other movies: Sheena queen of the jungle, The biggest bongo, the Elephant, Search for the Nile, Mrembo, Mlevi and The Wilby conspiracy.

This movie is a story about a Kenyan, it was shot in Kenya, and it depicts an inspirational real life story which happened in Kenya. Kenyans in UK are encouraged to go out and watch this movie and support Kenyan talent.

Click on this link for more information and go watch. the movie http://www.thecallsheet.co.za/daily_news/view/1610

By International Brand Manager: Brand Kenya.

LOISE NGUGI DVD LAUNCHING

 CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

Yahoo disappoints on revenue forecast

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc's fourth-quarter revenue forecast disappointed Wall Street, as the Web portal struggles to revitalize growth and stave off rivals such as Google Inc and Facebook.

Fox spends two days with watering can stuck on head

The RSPCA has rescued a fox which is believed to have had its head stuck in a watering can for two days. Two officers from the animal charity were needed to help the creature remove its head, prising out its fur a bit at a time. The alarm was raised after the fox was seen walking around a back garden in Solihull, near Birmingham, in a very distressed state. Despite the fox's terrifying ordeal, which meant it had been deprived of food and water for two days, it was in surprisingly good health. Officers immediately released the animal back into the wild but said the incident should serve as a warning about leaving items lying around. RSPCA inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe: 'I have no doubt that he would have died if we had not managed to get the watering can off, either from dehydration or from not seeing where he was going and so being killed by a car.' He added that it is likely the fox put his head in the watering can to get to a frog or a mouse sitting at the bottom. 'This only goes to remind people of the dangers such discarded items can pose to wildlife,' Mr Ratcliffe said. Research previously conducted by the RSPB found that foxes visit 26 per cent of gardens at least once per month.

Defence review: Cameron unveils armed forces cuts

David Cameron: "We expect to continue with the 4th largest military budget in the world"

Harrier jump jets, the Navy's flagship HMS Ark Royal and planned Nimrod spy planes are to be axed and 42,000 MoD and armed forces jobs cut by 2015. Unveiling the strategic defence review, PM David Cameron said defence spending would fall by 8% over four years. The RAF and navy will lose 5,000 jobs each, the Army 7,000 and the Ministry of Defence 25,000 civilian staff. Axing the Harrier and Ark Royal means no planes will be able to fly from British aircraft carriers until 2019. He said Britain would still meet Nato's target of spending 2% of GDP on defence and would continue to have the fourth largest military in the world and "punch above its weight in the world". But he said the country had to be "more thoughtful, more strategic and more co-ordinated in the way we advance our interests and protect our national security". There would be no cuts to support for troops in Afghanistan - which is funded separately from the Treasury's special reserve, the prime minister stressed in his statement.

Defence review at-a-glance

Prime Minister David Cameron has outlined the details of the UK government's first strategic defence review, since 1998. Here are the key details:

AIR FORCE

The Harrier jump jet and Nimrod reconnaissance planes will be scrapped. Some squadrons of Tornado jets will be saved, but Joint Strike Fighter and a modernised Eurofighter will form the basis of the RAF fire power and there will be extra money for unmanned planes. The air transport fleet will be upgraded with A400M and A330 aircraft, replacing the Tristar and VC-10 from 2013. Some air force bases will close and 5,000 RAF personnel will lose their jobs over the next five years. Extra 12 Chinook helicopters to increase flexibility.

ARMY

The Army will have to cut up to 7,000 personnel over the next five years, and lose 40% of its tanks and 35% of its heavy artillery. It will lose one deployable brigade out of six.

NAVY

The Ark Royal, launched in 1985, will be decommissioned almost immediately, rather than in 2014, as previously planned.The construction of two new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, will go ahead, as it would cost more to cancel the projects than proceed with them but one of them will be mothballed rather than entering service and the other will be fitted with equipment for the Joint Strike Fighter rather than the Harrier. The navy will lose 5,000 personnel and its surface fleet will be cut from 23 to 19. It will get a new fleet of Astute-class nuclear-powered submarines.

TRIDENT

The government says £750m ($1.2bn) will be saved over four years on the Trident nuclear deterrent missile system by cutting the number of warheads on each boat from 48 to 40 and reducing the number of missile tubes from 12 to eight. The UK's nuclear warhead stockpile will be cut from 160 to less than 120. The final "main gate" spending decision on Trident will also be delayed until 2016 - after the next general election.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

The Ministry of Defence will lose 25,000 civilian staff over the next five years. It will also have to renegotiate contracts with industry and sell-off "unnecessary" buildings and assets.

JUDY GG LAUNCHING HER CD ON SATURDAY 23RD

OCTOBER, 2010 IN OXFORD - ALL INVITED

Nairobi, Tuesday 19th October, 2010. Cabinet Minister William Ruto has been suspended from office. A statement from the President’s Press Service late on Tuesday said the action was taken following consultations between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. “Following consultations with the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, His Excellency the President has stood aside Hon. William S. Ruto, EGH, MP from Office of Minister with immediate effect pending conclusion of the Nairobi Chief Magistrates Case No. 973 of 2004 as allowed by the Nairobi High Court Suit No. 1192/2005 (0S). “ The statement added: “Consequently His Excellency the President has appointed Hon. Prof. Hellen Sambili, EGH, MP to act as Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology in addition to being Minister for East African Community. “ More to follow. -CapitalFM

William Ruto - out of cabinet

A gay Saudi prince today faces a life sentence for beating and strangling

his servant to death in the culmination of a campaign of "sadistic" abuse.

Victim and killer: Bandar Abdulaziz and Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud

Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud was found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering Bandar Abdulaziz in a "brutal" assault at their five-star hotel suite. The prince was fuelled by champagne and 'sex on the beach' cocktails when he bit the 32-year-old hard on both cheeks during the attack in February. They had just returned from a Valentine's Day night out when Saud launched the ferocious assault. When he was arrested he at first wrongly believed he had diplomatic immunity but his special status as a Saudi royal could not save him from British justice. The 34-year-old, a member of one of the world's richest and most powerful dynasties, was found guilty of murder today by the jury after just one hour and 35 minutes of deliberation. Saud showed no reaction as the decision was announced. The verdict means a lengthy jail term for the prince and the end to his luxury playboy lifestyle, funded by his wealthy family, in which he dined in fine restaurants and secretly entertained gay escorts in his plush hotel room. In court his lawyers tried to cover up evidence of his homosexuality. If he ever returns to his home country he faces the possibility of execution - not because of the killing but because being gay is a capital offence there. The murder of Mr Abdulaziz was the final act in a "deeply abusive" master-servant relationship in which the prince carried out frequent attacks on his aide "for his own personal gratification". Jurors heard that by the early hours of February 15, Mr Abdulaziz was left so worn down and injured - having suffered a "cauliflower" ear and swollen eye from previous assaults - that he simply let Saud kill him without a fight. The prince then spent hours on the phone to a mysterious contact in Saudi Arabia trying to work out how to cover up what he had done. He calmly ordered two glasses of milk and bottled water on room service as he set about dragging the body into the bed and trying to clean up the blood. It was only about 12 hours later, after chauffeur Abadi Abadella received a call from Saudi Arabia telling him to go to the hotel, that the body was discovered in room 312. The prince claimed he had woken in the afternoon to find he could not revive his friend - now stiff with rigor mortis - and explained his injuries by saying he had been attacked and robbed of 3,000 euros in London's Edgware Road a few weeks before. Detectives took him to the area to try to retrace the route but as they did so other officers were reviewing CCTV at the hotel - and found disturbing footage of Saud mercilessly attacking his aide in a lift on January 22.

When he was then taken to Paddington Green police station and arrested, Saudi officials tried to claim he had diplomatic immunity but this was scotched by a check of Foreign Office records. Saud tried to cover up the true nature of his relationship with his servant, claiming they were "friends and equals" but a porter at the £259-a-night Landmark Hotel where they were staying said Mr Abdulaziz was treated "like a slave". The prince also claimed he was heterosexual and had a girlfriend in Saudi Arabia, but he had booked appointments with at least two male escorts and one gay masseur, and looked at hundreds of images of men on gay websites. Photographs of Mr Abdulaziz in "compromising" positions were on his phone. Saud, who told detectives he was the grandson of the Saudi king, had denied killing his servant until shortly before the trial, before finally admitting that he had caused his death. But jurors rejected a claim by his barrister John Kelsey-Fry QC that he was only guilty of manslaughter. The prince was convicted of both murder and a second count of grievous bodily harm with intent relating to the attack in the lift. Sources said detectives in the case had received little help after requests for information were sent through Interpol to their Saudi colleagues. Saud was remanded in custody to be sentenced tomorrow. The defendant's father Prince Abdulaziz watched from the public gallery. The court heard the prince lived the life of a "suave" aristocrat, dispensing £50 tips as he and his aide visited fashionable bars and restaurants and indulged in shopping trips. He kept jewellery and 30,000 euros in cash in a safe at the Landmark hotel. The prince and Mr Abdulaziz had previously travelled to Milan, Budapest, Prague and Marrakech. Before coming to Britain on January 20 they had been in the Maldives where pictures of the pair were taken, later shown to the court, which seemed to be "perfectly ordinary holiday snaps". The prince was described by witnesses as polite, well-mannered, charming and generous, said Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting. Some assumed that he and the shy Mr Abdulaziz were gay lovers but none seemed to be aware of the sinister side of the prince's treatment of his aide.

Mr Laidlaw said: "Beneath the surface this was a deeply abusive relationship which the defendant exploited, as the assaults in the lift so graphically demonstrate, for sadistic reasons, for his own personal gratification. "The abuse extended beyond physical abuse. There was plainly an emotional element and psychological element to it." Those who had seen the victim described "how frightened he looked, how fragile he appeared, how timid he seemed", said Mr Laidlaw. Photographs of Mr Abdulaziz stored on a mobile phone "plainly proved" that there was also a "sexual element" to the abuse, he added. Mr Laidlaw said the assault leading to the aide's death "was a really terrible, a really brutal attack". "So worn down by the violence, so subservient and submissive had Bandar become that he was incapable of any effective resistance," he said. "He was killed without apparently ever having fought back because the defendant was completely unharmed, without any mark at all, when he was examined at the police station. Bandar appears to have let the defendant kill him." Mr Laidlaw described how after the victim's death, the prince had appeared "shocked and upset". "He cried out in apparent anguish when told Bandar was dead and he may have shed tears. He was provided with tea and with support. How appearances can deceive. It was a complete performance by him. He had killed Bandar." Mr Abdulaziz had suffered "a series of heavy punches or blows to his head and face" leaving his left eye closed and swollen, his lips split open and his teeth chipped and broken. There were also severe injuries to the neck consistent with "manual compression" as well as bleeding to the brain. Bite marks to his cheeks had an "obvious sexual connotation", said Mr Laidlaw, and were inflicted with "considerable force". The victim's back was deeply bruised, a rib was fractured, and he had also suffered stomach injuries caused by punches or kicks. Possible traces of the prince's semen were found on the victim's underpants and Mr Abdulaziz's blood was found on Saud's pants. When the body was found, he made up the story about his aide being mugged in Edgware Road and said he would try to help the investigation. "He wanted nothing of the sort," said Mr Laidlaw. "He wanted to save his own skin and he continued with that utterly misleading account of how it was that Bandar had suffered his injuries."

I'm the Euro lottery multi-millionaire: Pensioner claims

she won jackpot... but her husband binned £113m ticket

A pensioner claims that she is the winner of the Euromillions jackpot - but that her husband binned the winning £113million ticket. The elderly woman, from Coventry, Warwickshire, where the winning ticket is rumoured to have been bought, said her husband had taken the ticket off her for safekeeping - and then lost it. And she is naturally  furious with him for throwing away their chance of scooping Britain's biggest ever lottery jackpot. The woman, who is in her 70s, said she always notes down the lottery numbers she has played as her husband has a habit of losing tickets. She said: 'I was so angry with him when he told me he didn't have the ticket. I couldn't believe it when my numbers matched the winning ones. I told my husband to get the ticket out and double check. That's when he told me he had binned it.' The couple, who are both retired and have been married for more than 50 years, would be raking in £8,000 a day in interest if they had banked the mind-boggling jackpot. But thanks to her absent-minded husband, the couple are still scraping by on their state pension. The couple, who have been married for more than 50 years, would be raking in £8,000 a day in interest if they had banked the jackpot. The woman says she re-checked her notepad after reading about the mystery winner and found the numbers matched those she had jotted in her notebook. She told the The Coventry Telegraph: 'I went down to the newsagent and showed him my pad. He said: "My God! You're a winner!", but I said, "I'm not a winner – the ticket has been binned". 'I've turned the house upside down. I've looked in his pockets and in my bag and everywhere. 'I've said to my husband "You're never going to get another ticket off me." He loses everything I give him. Only last night I found a lottery ticket that had won £10 in the bin by luck.'

The newspaper said it was withholding the couple's names and address for safety reasons. She added: 'I was so angry at first. My husband loses everything I give him. I've told him he's never looking after one of my lottery tickets again. 'There's no point being angry though really. What's done is done. I couldn't be angry with him now. My whole life is taken up with him.' The couple's daughter-in-law added: 'My mother-in-law plays the lottery every week and always checks her numbers on her pad. She is certain she had the winning ticket.' Camelot organisers are investigating the woman's claim. Spokesman Simon Horne said today: 'There's an ability for us to investigate lost and stolen tickets under our procedures.'It was reported yesterday that this would be in the West Midlands, with internet forums and blogs claiming that it was the Spar store in Daventry Road, Coventry. Camelot said the shop that sold the winning ticket would not have been informed 'as this could compromise the anonymity of the winner'.  But inside the store,  Jennifer Lawlor said: 'It's really exciting and it'll definitely put us on the map if it was bought here.  'I've been trying to think whether there are any regular shoppers I haven't seen in a week or so.' The winner beat odds of more than 76million to one to pick the numbers 9, 30, 35, 39, 46, with lucky stars 6 and 8 and scoop the £113,019,926 prize. They have 180 days to claim the money which makes them the 589th richest person in the country  -  wealthier than Robbie Williams, David Bowie or Rod Stewart. If it is not claimed the cash will go towards the lottery's good causes fund, where the prize's daily interest of £8,500 is currently accumulating.

TZ frustrating joint tourism plan

Nairobi, Tuesday 18th - Plans for the East African Community (EAC) to promote the region as a single tourism destination are being hampered by Tanzanian’s reluctance to discuss how the partner states can go about it. Tourism Minister Najib Balala on Monday accused his Tanzanian counterparts of refusing to cooperate with the other members to work out how they can address the various issues in the tourism sector. “I have been trying to bring the East African Council of Ministers together but it is not very easy. Tanzania is not cooperating. We have been having challenges with Tanzania not only on opening up the Serengeti-Maasai Mara border but also on just setting up meetings,” he complained. Correspondence to Tanzania’s Tourism Ministry has gone largely unanswered the minister who was addressing private sector players and ministers during the Prime Minister Round Table forum added. The continued closure of the border, despite the fact that the region is trying to implement the Common Market Protocol which envisages open borders not only affects the performance of the sector but the integration process, he went on. There are many issues that still remain unresolved chief among them the issuance of a single entry visa to their national parks, a situation which the minister said was frustrating him as it was working against Kenya’s interest. “When our drivers reach Tanzania, they get arrested yet when their drivers and tour buses come to Kenya, we treat them as if they are local drivers. I’m getting frustration particularly from (Kenya’s) Trade ministry that is accusing me of not taking action against this imbalance,” he said. The construction of a proposed highway through the Serengeti National Park, which conservationists have warned would have detrimental consequences on the two countries wildlife and tourism sectors, is another issue which is further expected to strain the relations between two countries.

Thousands 'traumatised' as London Tube power failure

forces passengers to escape through pitch black tunnels

and on right ordeal: About 2,000 people were forced to abandon trains after the rush-hour power failure and walk along tracks to safety

Thousands of London Underground passengers were forced to leave trains and walk along tracks during one of the biggest power failures in the Tube network's history. More than 4,000 passengers were affected when five Tube trains broke down, leaving many claiming they were traumatised by having to walk through pitch black tunnels. Commuters on three of those trains - about 2,000 people - were forced to abandon the carriages and escape on the track on the Jubilee Line lit only by the torches of staff, the Evening Standard reported. Many more were stuck underground for hours in cramped and airless conditions during one of the worst network breakdowns in the network's history at the height of rush hour this morning. Engineers were still working to establish what cause the fault this afternoon and said they hoped to get the lines running again this evening, but could not put a time on when that might happen. There are currently still severe delays on the Jubilee line and minor delays on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines. Three of the trains affected were stranded between Baker Street and St John's Wood, one was halted at Swiss Cottage and another was stuck at Westminster. Passengers stuck at Swiss Cottage and Westminster were simply asked to get off the trains after the drivers pulled into stations.  Amazingly, commuters on the Swiss Cottage train were made to pay for their journeys by touching out on their Oyster cards as they left the station. 'Traumatised': Commuters, dressed smartly in office clothing, are pictured walking along the Jubilee Line towards St John's Wood station. Other passengers suffered major delays and cancellations on the Central, District, Northern, Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines. A power supply fault at 8.50am brought both directions of the Jubilee line to a halt between Finchley Road and London Bridge, leaving the trains stuck in tunnels. Recruitment consultant Sarah Khan, 24, who was on the southbound Jubilee line train between St John's Wood and Baker Street, said people were getting more and more distressed and felt that there was 'not any air' on board.

EUROPEAN TAXES ON THE WAY

An audacious attempt by Brussels politicians to slap more crippling taxes on British citizens will be launched. European Union Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski is set to revive plans for a taxation system across all 27 member nations that could see hard-pressed British households being squeezed out of hundreds of pounds more each year. With astonishing timing, the move comes just a day before Chancellor George Osborne unveils a swingeing programme of austerity cuts in response to this country’s deficit crisis. Last night, senior Tory MP Bill Cash said: “The idea of an EU tax is utterly unacceptable.  “The people who decide the taxation of this country exclusively are those in the Westminster Parliament on behalf of the voters of the UK.” His fellow Tory backbencher Douglas Carswell added: “Yet again, the EU is demonstrating an insatiable appetite for power and taxpayers’ money.” He said the coalition Government had to show more than “wishful thinking” to defeat the latest onslaught from Brussels. Foreign Office insiders insist Tory ministers, including Foreign Secretary William Hague, are determined to oppose the direct tax plan, which will be discussed by senior European politicians today – the first step in a huge wrangle over the EU’s budget from 2014 to 2020. Mr Lewandowski is understood to favour cutting financial contributions from national governments and raising the tax directly from businesses and citizens instead. One Brussels official said: “He will present a list of eight options without necessarily picking one or the other.” Options expected to be proposed in an EU report today include levies on carbon emissions, air transport, financial transactions or bank profits.

There could even be extra taxes on petrol. UK Independence Party Euro MP Marta Andreasen said: “This tax will be an extra burden, however it is levied. “If it is slapped on banks, they will pass the cost to the customer. The taxpayer will always be the loser. The Commission is outrageous and deceitful.” EU bureaucrats, already braced for a massive backlash, have advised officials to avoid using the word “tax” because it would be “politically explosive”. Britain, France and Germany have already opposed the plan, but smaller economic nations including Spain and Belgium have suggested it might be worth exploring. French minister Pierre Lellouche described the move as “perfectly ill-timed”, arguing that the EU should be looking to make savings instead. The EU wants to raise its annual budget by 6 per cent at a time European national governments are making austerity savings. The move will be discussed as part of a debate on the EU budget. A vote is expected tomorrow – the day Britain’s coalition Government will reveal how it plans to cut spending by £83billion to bring down a record peacetime budget deficit.  EU chiefs have already indicated that they want to scrap the remains of Britain’s multi-billion pound annual rebate, won by Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Tory Europe Minister David Lidington said: “The European Parliament’s demand is outrageous. I do not think it can be in the slightest bit justified.” Adding that the European Parliament was “are getting out of touch with the peoples of Europe”, he went on: “I think they need to wake up and realise the kind of world that we are living in.”  Euro-sceptic Tory MPs last week fired a warning shot at the Government against any possible surrender of power to Brussels. More than 30 of them broke ranks by voting in favour of a cut in Britain’s contribution to the EU after a Government motion had proposed freezing the budget contribution.

GREETINGS TO KENYANS IN ALASKA

Do you now that several Kenyans lives in Alaska. Some have lived there for more than 10 years. It is summer time in Alaska. A friend of Mr. Seed in Alaska Mrs. Pouline Kariuki sent this video of a Moose visiting a house and started playing with a sprinkler. Thanks Pouline - how  is the end of the world? Can we have more photos of Alaska.  VIDEO

CUTS ‘SKIM OUR £8TRILLION DEBT’

A drop of water in the ocean

The  national debt has hit a mind-boggling £7.9trillion, a leading campaign group claimed on Monday 18th October, 2010. This huge sum, nearly 10 times that admitted by the Treasury, is equal to around £300,000 for every household. It suggests the £83billion in public spending cuts expected to be unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne tomorrow will barely make an impression on the vast debt mountain. The estimate by the TaxPayers’ Alliance compared with £890billion recognised by the Treasury. An Alliance report claimed the debt tripled in Labour’s high-spending decade, soaring from 230 per cent of Gross Domestic Product to 560 per cent.  Report author Mike Denham said: “The picture that emerges is highly troubling and underscores the urgency of attempts at closing the deficit.” He said the debt was the biggest in Britain’s history. He added: “The unchecked growth of debt places an increasing burden on taxpayers and poses a serious risk to our future prosperity.” The report included liabilities, such as potential bank liability following the part nationalisations and public sector pensions, that are left off the Treasury’s official balance sheet. The Treasury declined to reply.

In pictures: New world's shortest man

Nepalese teenager Khagendra Thapa Magar is set to become the world's shortest man as he celebrates his 18th birthday. Mr Magar, who comes from a remote village in central Nepal, is just under 66cm (2ft 2ins) tall. (Photos by Tom van Cakenberghe) and on right Mr Magar weighed only 600g (1lb 5oz) at birth. His mother, Dhana Maya, said he was so small that he could fit in the palm of her hand. “When he was older my husband used to carry him around in his pocket," she told the BBC.

Education Permanent Secretary James Ole Kiyapi is calling on all officers involved in this year's National Examinations to ensure that examinations are administered according to laid down regulations. Kiyapi says the strict measures are aimed at reducing cases of exam cheating and salvage the credibility and quality of the country's education.  "If our examinations are to retain their local and International credibility, no effort should be spared in ensuring that every facet associated with the administration of these examinations runs smoothly." Speaking during a meeting with the Kenya National Examination Council -KNEC members Monday, the PS said about 130,000 officers will be involved directly in the field administration of national examinations. "This year the National examination begins on 21st October 2010 and the number of personnel that will be involved directly in the field administration of these examinations will be about 130,000 for about 19 days." He said candidates should also be thoroughly frisked before entering the examination rooms. Candidates are from this year required to register for the examinations using their birth certificates and passport photographs to curb cases of imposters. This year the National examination begins on 21st October 2010. Last year 22 people were arrested and charged in court in connection with exam cheating.

Woman wore bra packed with sedatives to steal from men

Police have busted a robber who put her victims to sleep by using sedatives hidden in her bra. Detectives say at least one man died at the hands of Veronica Palmez after she spiked his drink.  The 35-year-old woman from Madrid has denied ever having known the 59-year-old man who died and claims she simply wanted to put her victims to sleep in order to steal their wallets. ‘We believe she targeted married men who were then too embarrassed to report what happened,’ said a police spokesman. We believe there are many more cases of people who woke up with a sore head and relieved of their possessions who did not report it. 'And in one case we believe a 59-year-old man who was one of the victims did not wake up at all.' Police said she had changed her appearance with various wigs for different victims and always had four of the bright blue liquid filled sachets at any one time in her bra.

Kirima family drama continues

The family of real estate tycoon Gerishon Kirima is at it again, this time there was confusion Sunday at the Kirima flats in Pipeline, Embakasi when the administration police clashed with the tenants. The police had been hired by Kirima daughters to evict those who had not complied with a directive to pay rent to them. The former Starehe MP third wife Mrs Teresiah Wairimu who had a fight with her step children in the presence of the tenants said she was the only one entitled to collect rent insisting that she owned the flats and that the police officers should not trespass private property.Mrs Wairimu and her daughters are on one side of the family feud over the control of property worth Sh750 million while her stepchildren from the first and second wives are on the other side. The Kirima children who had previously kicked out Teresia from her Nairobi's Kitusuru home in the company of the officers forcibly tried to throw out the tenants who were supporting Mrs Kirima claiming that they were the rightful owners of the property. According to Wairimu who received support from the tenants, she had built the flats with her hard earned money and that police should not be easily manipulated to harass the tenants. The residents claimed that the police were being used by the Kirima daughters to intimidate them to pledge their allegiance to them yet their loyalty was to Wairimu. Mr Kirima is reportedly in the UK, where he is undergoing treatment. The family has in the past defied orders by the court to resolve the matter at home. The court had also directed that rent from all of Kirima's properties be collected by two trustees - Ms Anne Wangari and Mr James Njuguna - the daughter and the brother of Mr Kirima. But On Wednesday, High Court judge Fred Ochieng quit the case and referred it to the civil court. This is after he was told by Mrs Kirima that they had failed agreed over the management of the vast estate. The Kirima family battle started first in court when his sons filed cases seeking to be given permission to manage his vast estate and since then the family has been fighting in the public glare.

Two students perish in dormitory fire

KIENI, Kenya, Oct 18 - Nine students are among ten people who have been arrested following an arson attack at a secondary school in Kieni where two Form One students were burnt to death on Sunday night, police said. A neighbour said to have helped the students purchase petrol from a nearby fuel station was also detained as investigations into the arson attack at Endarasha Secondary School got underway. “We have strong evidence to show that the suspects we have in our custody participated in burning the school and killing their colleagues. It is a murder case,” Central Provincial Police chief John M’bijiwe told Capital News on telephone. He said two of the students in custody had confessed that they torched the dormitory christened “Wambugu” at about 11 pm. Endarasha Secondary School is located about 40 kilometers from Nyeri town. “Our detectives are still interrogating the suspects who are very cooperative with us and we hope to get more of the students who participated in this,” he added. On Monday morning, the PPO and area PC Japhter Kiplimo Rugut visited the school and assured parents and students that those culpable would face justice. “We were there this morning with the PC and Provincial Education officials and we have assessed the situation; it is a very sad state. There is no doubt there is a problem in that school but that cannot be an excuse for students to burn each other,” Mr M’bijiwe said. The students had been protesting over high-handedness by the school’s management. Such incidents are not new in Kenya. In 2001, fire swept through a dormitory of the Kyanguli Secondary School in Machakos where 59 students were killed and more than 20 others wounded.

Kenyan tells how he killed family in US

Top from left: Justus Isaboke Ogendi who described in gruesome detail how killings were done and Bilha Omare who was clubbed after being accused of infidelity by the husband. Bottom from left: Kinsley Isaboke Ogendi who was held under water and drowned and Ivyn Bosibori Ogendi who was smothered with a pillow before being strangled.

A Kenyan who confessed to killing his wife and two children in the US told investigators how he hit her with a golf club and strangled her with an electric cord. He described how he then laced the children’s drinks with drugs before drowning one and strangling the other.The horrific details were contained in a complaint filed on Friday when Justus Ogendi Kebabe appeared in a Ramsey County court charged with the murder of his wife Bilha Omare, 32, in Minnesota.He is also accused of killing their children, Kinsley Isaboke Ogendi, 12, and nine-year-old Ivyn Bosibori Ogendi. The bodies were found in the couple’s apartment on Wednesday night. The couple’s four-year-old child was found with Mr Kebabe when he was arrested.Mr Kebabe, who on Thursday tried to commit suicide by stuffing toilet paper down his throat, was granted bail of Sh240 million ($3 million) and placed on suicide watch with a guard checking on him every 15 minutes. The eight-page complaint obtained by the Daily Nation says Mr Kebabe, from Kisii, told authorities he had an argument with his wife on Monday over an alleged extra-marital affair he thought she was involved in. He then struck Ms Omare with a golf club and strangled her after she started screaming, says the complaint. The couple’s children returned home after school but, unaware that their mother was lying dead in the apartment, went to bed, according to the complaint. In the morning, the complaint says, Mr Kebabe prepared fruit juice for the children and added Tylenol PM pills (a pain and fever reliever) and gave to the children. He told investigators that when their eldest child, Kinsley went to take a bath, he followed him and held his head under water, drowning him as the boy screamed “Stop daddy stop!” He took the body into a bedroom and covered it with blankets before leaving the room and locking the door.

The complaint says Mr Kebabe told authorities he then went into Ivyn’s room, where the girl was lying on her bed as the drugs took effect, and smothered her with a pillow before strangling her to death. Mr Kebabe also told authorities that he tried committing suicide by taking several Tylenol PM pills and putting a plastic bag over his head. He abandoned this course of action after realising “he had no plans for the four-year-old girl and didn’t want her to go back to Kenya.” Mr Kebabe told the investigators that he typed notes on how his daughter should be taken care of but panicked and fled with her. Sheriff’s deputies found the three bodies after Mr Kebabe’s cousin, Mr Joseph Lister Nyaringo called from New Jersey. Speaking to the Nation from New Jersey, Mr Nyaringo said he called the sheriff’s office after he became concerned about his cousin’s suicide threats and emotional outbursts. Mr Kebabe was arrested that night by a Minnesota state trooper on a highway after his car ran out of fuel. He was taken to Rice County Sheriff’s office for questioning.  Mr Kebabe, who came to the US in 1996, faces 40 years in jail for each of the three counts of intentional murder if convicted. His next court date will be on October 29. – Daily Nation.

Investors seek to cash in on planned bypass

An artist's impression a bypass. Transport minister Amos Kimunya said the construction of the Dongo Kundu bypass would start before the end of the year.

The planned construction of a bypass linking Mombasa island and the South Coast is attracting investors seeking to cash in on the benefits of enhanced infrastructure. South Coast, whose main town is Diani, had been given a wide berth by investors due to ferry delays at the Likoni channel. Transport minister Amos Kimunya said the construction of the Dongo Kundu bypass would start before the end of the year. Mr Kimunya said that construction of the road, which will start at Miritini through Dongo Kundu and end at Lunga Lunga in South Coast, would commence after tendering is finalised. “The South Coast has great potential which needs to be exploited to the fullest. This will be made possible by this road,” the minister said.  Ministry of Roads PS, Engineer Michael Kamau, said bids for the construction of the multi-million bypass would be issued as soon as the minister endorses the plan.  He said the much-awaited project had been hit by a misunderstanding among different government agencies over the routing, a matter he added had been resolved for the 18km road that would also create special economic zones in Changamwe and the South Coast.

The UK government has set out a series of measures to tackle benefit fraud, as ministers spend the weekend finalising spending cuts. The steps would mean anyone with three convictions could forfeit their rights to benefits for up to three years. Chancellor George Osborne said welfare fraudsters were robbing taxpayers of billions of pounds a year, adding it was time to get "very, very tough". He will announce the results of the spending review on Wednesday. The chancellor said cheating the benefits system was "unacceptable at the best of times and totally immoral" when the UK had a huge budget deficit. He told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show it was necessary to be tough on those responsible because "we can't afford to go on like this anymore". Mr Osborne said state aid had "to go to the people who need it, and people who pay for it these days are going to demand no less". Under the new scheme every welfare offence - no matter how minor - would mean an immediate fine of £50. The government is promising to share more data with credit reference agencies to find patterns of offending. It is also recruiting 200 new inspectors, creating a mobile task force to go into areas with high rates of fraud and check every claim individually. The strategy, to be unveiled on Monday, will use hi-tech data tracking techniques between government offices and credit reference agencies.

'Tough punishments'

Welfare reform minister Lord Freud said: "Fraud and error is costing the government and the taxpayer £5bn a year - this is unfair and unacceptable. "We are reforming the system and stepping up our efforts to catch the benefit and tax cheats who are stealing money which is meant for the most vulnerable people in our society. "When people are convicted we will get back the money we are owed by introducing tough punishments and stripping the assets of criminal gangs - my message to them is that benefit fraud is a crime that just doesn't pay." BBC political correspondent Vicki Young said the key message from ministers as they approach the Spending Review was that the burden of cutting the deficit would be shared.Even at this late stage, there is speculation that child benefit could be restricted further - axing the payment for children over 16 would save the Treasury about £2bn a year.

In pictures: New world's shortest man

Nepalese teenager Khagendra Thapa Magar is set to become the world's shortest man as he celebrates his 18th birthday. Mr Magar, who comes from a remote village in central Nepal, is just under 66cm (2ft 2ins) tall. (Photos by Tom van Cakenberghe) and on right Mr Magar weighed only 600g (1lb 5oz) at birth. His mother, Dhana Maya, said he was so small that he could fit in the palm of her hand. “When he was older my husband used to carry him around in his pocket," she told the BBC.

"Wake up and untie your blessing. When God blesses you, nobody can "tunya" you. I was taught that by Mr. Seed" - Pastor Raphael, preaching at CCBC Swahili Service, London

Kenyan Business owner jailed in US over alleged threats

Indianapolis police have arrested the owner of a home health-care firm for allegedly threatening an employee. John Mwangi was jailed Tuesday after being charged with intimidation of health provider Kathy Phillips, Indianapolis. According to a police report, Phillips said Mwangi failed to pay her for 10 months and threatened her with injury. Mwangi, Indianapolis, opened Special Care and Amazing Care in 2009. He filed for bankruptcy in June, state reports show.

Another of the Seeds graduates in Oxford

Family and friends of Mr. & Mrs. Rukungu of Oxford joined hands celebrating the graduation of Esther Rukungu in Oxford on Saturday 16th October, 2010. Esther who is one of the Seed's family, graduated in Social Work. Victory Revival Christian Church in Oxford lead by their Pastor Francis Maina and his wife Beth, friends and the entire Seed's family joined the colourful occasion. Delivering a word of encouragement at the ceremony, Pastor Francis advised Kenyans in UK to take care of the education opportunities in the UK as this might come to an end soon. "An opportunity comes and goes, God has been good to you and you must take care of this opportunities. Support each other as family so that you can progress." the pastor explained. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Seed also advised Kenyans to take education seriously. He explained that if you are less than 30 years living in the UK and you don't make it to the university - you are wasting resources and you should never have come to the UK to waste time. "If you cannot make to the university you should get yourself a good skill in order to secure good jobs. We can no longer afford that your dad or mum is working in the factory and you as a child you again end up in the factory manual jobs. Borrow a leaf from Asians and Nigerians. Go for good causes like medicine, pharmacy, law, engineering and aviation among others. Parents should involve themselves with their children progress in school directly. Worst hit are most of Kenyan men who does not know which classroom their child is. I asked one Kenyan father which class his child is in and he told me the boy was in Standard 4.  We don't have standard four in UK." Mr. Seed explained. Above photo is Mr. Esther Rukungu and her husband Mr. Rukungu and their children.

"When God blesses you, nobody can 'Tunya' you"

Pastor Raphael of New Hope Church International, London was the guest speaker at the CCBC Swahili Church on Sunday morning 17th October, 2010 in London. The pastor who described himself as the 34th miner, but for him not from the Chile desert but from the detention camp in Cambridgeshire. "At the beginning of this year I prayed God to show me new grounds to preach and little did I know that the new grounds would be immigration detention in Cambridgeshire. I was taken and detained in the camp where I took time to preach to the inmates and many of them got saved including this friends of mine whom I met at the mine." Pastor Raphael explained. He preached from the book of Mark 11: where Jesus sent his servant to go and untie a donkey for him at the gates of a village. The colt was untied for the master's use. He explained that there are many issues in the world that have tied you and you need Jesus to untie you in your life. His message was entitled: "The Master has Need for You". He explained many have not married or got a job or certain needs in life because they have been tied in their life. You need Jesus to untie you. He jokingly explained that "when God bless you, nobody can 'tunya' you", this I was taught by Mr. Seed he explained as he concluded his message.

College in UK to introduce scheme that pays A-Level students £5,000 for FAILING their exams

 

A college has been accused of creating ‘a charter for dunces’ after it offered to pay £5,000 of taxpayers' money to every student who fails their A-Level exams. The principal says he is so confident in his staff and the commitment of his students that he is prepared to take the risk, claiming no-one would deliberately fluff their exams to receive the cash. The offer comes after average A-Level grades rose for the 27th consecutive year, suggesting the exams had got easier and easier for students. The Government has promised a major shake-up of the A-Level system after some independent schools announced plans to ditch it in favour of the international baccalaureate system which they said was far more rigorous. Today Blackburn College - which is the first in the UK to offer the cash offer - came under a hail of criticism. Campaigners for higher education standards accused the college of rewarding failure.

How brave Brendan Cole performed on Strictly Come Dancing just hours after his father's death

Secret heartache: Strictly's Brendan Cole learned of his father's death just hours before he took to the stage with singer Michelle Williams on Saturday night. Fiery Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole has been forced to take time off the show after his father died following a long battle with cancer. The bad boy of ballroom dancing - whose angry outbursts have kept a legion of fans enthralled - hid his secret anguish as he performed with his partner, singer Michelle Williams, on the BBC1 hit on Saturday night. He had only been given the news that his father Eddie had died earlier that day and this morning flew home to Christchurch, New Zealand, accompanied by his wife, model Zoe Hobbs and his brother Scott. Miss Williams, who rose to fame alongside Beyonce Knowles in girl group Destiny’s Child, will now be partnered by dancer Ian Waite for next week’s performance of the tango until Mr Cole’s return. A friend of Mr Cole’s told the Daily Mail: ‘Brendan is incredibly disciplined and always professional, so he went out on the dancefloor on Saturday night.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE! Rooney WILL quit United in January

Wayne Rooney will quit Manchester United following a series of explosive rows with manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Talks over a new contract that would keep Rooney at Old Trafford for the peak years of his career have broken down - paving the way for the 24-year-old England international to leave United in the January transfer window. The warring duo have barely spoken since Rooney returned from England duty last week. Club insiders accept that Rooney’s relationship with Ferguson is beyond repair after they clashed over recent revelations about the England international’s sex shame and the subsequent decision to leave the striker out of United’s team.

Oxford University under fire after admitting only one black Caribbean student during academic year

Oxford University has come under fire after it was revealed that it only admitted one black Caribbean student last year. The elite university recruited more than 3,000 students last year and almost 90 per cent of them were white. Trevor Philips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission described the record of recruiting ethnic students to the country's top universities as 'dire.' Suggestions have now been made that ethnic quotas should be introduced to insure more black and Pakistani students are given the chance to attend some of the best universities in the country. But Oxford have dismissed the idea and said they would continue to work to recruit more undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. Mr Phillips told The Daily Telegraph: 'I personally can't see that quotas are the answer but I am reluctant to rule out any possibility given that the situation is so dire and in some cases we appear to be going backwards.' According to the newspaper just five black Caribbean students were given places at Oxford in 2008. Mr Phillips said he believed more work needed to be to convince teenagers in state comprehensives to apply. 'Universities have to get themselves out of their comfort zones and look in directions that they are not used - look past the independent schools,' Mr Phillips added. Black Caribbean school pupils have some of the worst GCSE results of any ethnic group in England. Concerns have also been raised over ethnic segregation, after the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that less than 10 per cent of black students were enrolled at Russell Group universities, including Oxford.

Mountain goat 'kills hiker' in Olympic National Park

A hiker has died after being attacked by a mountain goat in the US state of Washington, officials have said. Robert Boardman was gored in the leg by the goat while out walking on Saturday with his wife and a friend on Klahhane Ridge in Olympic National Park. The 63-year-old was transported by US Coast Guard helicopter to a hospital in Port Angeles, where he was pronounced dead. Rangers later killed the goat, which was known for its aggressive behaviour. Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman, told the Peninsula Daily News that in the past rangers had tried "hazing" the ram - inducing it to be frightened of people - by shooting it with bean bags and throwing rocks. But there had been no reports of any incidents which would have warranted killing the goat, she added. Witnesses said Mr Boardman, his wife and friend had stopped for lunch on Klahhane Ridge when the ram appeared and moved towards them. Mr Boardman tried to shoo the animal away but it instead attacked him. After goring the hiker the goat stood over him, and had to be pelted with rocks by a ranger before finally moving away. Some 300 mountain goats live in Olympic National Park. Found only in North America, they usually stand about 3ft (0.9m) at the shoulder and can weigh up to 300lbs (136kg).

Islamic students at top university 'are preaching hard-line extremism,' terror experts warn
 

Radical Islamic extremism is being openly practised at a leading university campus, a report today claimed. Think tank Quilliam said they had evidence of hard-line Islamist ideology being promoted through the leadership of the university's student Islamic Society at City University in central London. The group had intimidated and harassed staff, students and members of minority groups, it was claimed. The counter-extremism think tank said they had evidence of the president of City University's Islamic Society, (ISoc) openly preaching extremism during prayers held on the campus during the 2009/10 academic year. They said the president - Saleh Patel, was recorded saying: 'When they say to us 'the Islamic state teaches to cut the hand of the thief', yes it does! 'And it also teaches us to stone the adulterer.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

A rider is thrown from a bull during a competition held in New York's Times Square and on right Lava continues to flow from a volcano on France's Reunion Island, a day after an eruption.

Mombasa, Saturday 16th October, 2010. It is the biggest floating ship hospital in the world. The ship arrived in Mombasa, Kenya a few days ago. Hundreds flocked the Koblenz hall in Mombasa for free screening and treatment aboard the largest floating ship, the Peace Ark at Mbaraki wharf along Likoni crossing.  The free medical camp which started on Wednesday and ends Saturday saw residents arrive as early as 6.00 am, awaiting screening and later treatment aboard the ship which is about three kilometers away. A medic who requested anonymity said the three day program is just a drop in the ocean and that many more camps will be held at various counties so as to ease the suffering of Kenyans. By Friday, almost 1000 patients have been screened for hypertension, tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid, ear, nose and throat complications, and treatment given. Some patients travelled from as far as Garsen in Tana River county, Garissa, Nairobi, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Kwale and Lamu, but most were turned away as only the first 300 were being treated. Awadh Omar, from Garsen town who had brought her three year old daughter who had an eye infection was disappointed after he failed to secure an appointment. "I heard about the medical camp through friends and decided to come so that my last born daughter will get treatment but it seems this is not possible and I may have to look for an alternative", he said. Mr. Omar said he will now be forced to stay with relatives until Monday next week so that he can visit the coast provincial general hospital eye clinic for medication. Osman Zedi said he had not been attended to yet he had camped at the hall the whole night. He said that only well connected people were able to access the medical treatment. Mkyamwina Hero, whose son came to get treatment for an ear infection asked the government to ensure that such camps were held in rural areas where they will benefit the needy. The Chinese vessel said to be the biggest hospital ship has 300 beds and more than 217 kinds of medical equipment, including anaesthesia ventilators and hyperbaric sterilisation cabinets. The "floating hospital" also has eight operation rooms, two ICU units each with 10 beds, six life boats and an ambulance helicopter. Kenya is the second leg of the trip of Peace Ark. The ship visited Djibouti late last month. It is the first time for a Chinese navy hospital ship to visit foreign countries and offer medical services to local citizens and servicemen.

Meet the Kenyan baby with 28 teeth

Nyahururu, Kenya, Oct 16 – The woman who gave birth to a baby boy with 28 teeth has spoken of her shock and fear moments after she realised her newborn’s dental anomaly. 30-year-old Martha Muthoni of Ndunduri village in Nyandarua County says she noticed the baby’s teeth after she felt it biting her when breastfeeding. “I first saw his two front teeth,” she told Capital News on Friday 15th October, 2010. “When I told my husband what I had seen, his initial reaction was to brush me off. But when I insisted and showed him our baby’s mouth, he freaked out, handed the baby back to me and walked away!” she said. Three days later, the father had to report back to work in Nakuru which is quite a distant from Ndunduri village, leaving Ms Muthoni to take care of their new born baby James Mwangi. Ms Muthoni who has three other children took her ‘miracle’ baby to the nearby dispensary where the clinical officer verified the natal teeth and referred them to the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital for specialised check-up. “He advised me to bottle-feed the baby and I consented because baby Mwangi was now hurting my nipples with his teeth,” she said, speaking calmly to our correspondent. “This phenomenon has baffled us all; even my parents are shocked because such a thing has never happened in our living memory!” Neighbours have come forth to encourage Ms Muthoni although the entire village has turned its collective attention to her strange newborn. “At first I even feared to enter the house, as I did not know what other powers the baby had,” narrated one close neighbour. “But when I noticed how strong Muthoni was I decided to stand by her side. Now everybody is slowly coming to terms with the phenomenon and willing to accept baby Mwangi as one of us in this village.” One Brazilian study in 1998 showed natal teeth were more common among girls. Experts are still baffled as to what causes the anomaly but they say hereditary or family patterns do play a part. - CapitalFM - CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

DAVE KIHARA AND MAGGY HAVE LOST THEIR FATHER IN KENYA

The family of David and Maggy Kihara (above left) regret to announce the loss of our beloved father, Mr Eliud Irungu Munanu (above right), which occurred on Friday 15th October 2010. We will be holding prayers at 42 Roydon Court, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7PA on Sunday 17th October and funeral preparation meetings from Monday - Thursday beginning 6 - 8 pm same venue. We will all miss him dearly

Those wishing to donate can do so through, Barclays bank, Account Number 90009067, S/C 205411. 

For further information contact David Kihara (07920197416) or Maggy Thuku (07533212035).

Meet Miss Gichuki a tour consultant

Meet Miss Cleopatra Gichuki (left) a Tour Consultant from Nairobi, Kenya. If you want to book an air ticket for your family while abroad, she is the right lady for this. You want to book a tour in Kenya or anywhere else around the world? She is there for you. Miss Gichuku is in the UK to see her clients who are based in UK. She was accompanied in the tour by her mother Mrs. Teresia Wangui Gichuki a resident of Malindi, Kenya. Her company, Shique's African Safaris Ltd. located near Yaya Centre, Nairobi is a popular firm with many Kenyans travelling to USA and UK. She is organising a tour to Israel next year where she intends to connect Kenyans living in the UK with  their parents back in Kenya. The parents travel from Kenya and they meet in Israel for a 10-day tour in Egypt and Israel - "Follow the footsteps of Jesus"(more later). Originally from Njumbi, Kangema the family are Mr. Seed's in-laws. Their contact while in UK is 07952035582 or cleopatra@shiqueafrica.com and in Kenya 0720644873. For more information please visit www.shiquesafrica.com

The Kenyan man who killed his family but remained

 CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Vadnais Heights woman said in 2008 that her husband had abused her many times.

Bilha K. Omare lived in fear of her husband for years. According to a police report on a 911 call she made in late 2008, he had abused her and made threats on her life, crimes that earned him three days in jail and a year on probation. On Wednesday, police found Omare and two of the couple's three children dead in their Vadnais Heights apartment. Her body was in a bathroom; Ivyn Ogendi, 9, and Kinley Ogendi, 12, were in separate rooms with the doors closed. Their 3-year-old sister was found later, in a car with their father, Justus O. Kebabe, 43, who was arrested after running out of gas on Interstate 35 near Faribault. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said on Thursday that Kebabe told officers he had killed his wife and two children. Charges are expected to be filed on Friday. Kebabe's only prior contact with police was in December 2008, when he was arrested for misdemeanor domestic assault. The 2008 police report said that Kebabe came to the United States from Kenya in 1996 and that Omare followed in 2003.

Omare, 32, told deputies in 2008 that Kebabe "has threatened to kill her numerous times in the past" and "that Kebabe is more careful with the physical assaults in the USA than in Kenya. "In Kenya, he has beaten her unconscious," the report said. Six months after the 2008 assault, Kebabe pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct, served three days in jail and was on probation for a year. After completing a six-week domestic abuse class, he was discharged from probation last Aug. 25. Fletcher said a relative called on Wednesday concerned about Kebabe's "erratic behavior" and "worried that he was a danger to himself or others." Deputies went to the couple's third-floor apartment in the Willow Ridge Apartments in the 1200 block of County Road D at 11:45 p.m.

Fletcher said it appeared likely that Omare had been dead "for some time." The children appeared to have been killed more recently. Omare had not been at work all week; the children had been reported sick and were not in school this week, Fletcher said. Amanda Sjostrand, assistant manager of the apartment building, lived next door to Omare and Kebabe. She said the children attended Willow Lane Elementary School in White Bear Lake. Sjostrand said that she didn't know the adults well but that her children, 5 and 2, played with theirs. They were "just beautiful, beautiful, caring children," she said. "They were always taking care of my little one. They were just well-raised children. They had gorgeous hearts." Vadnais Heights Mayor Sue Banovetz brought a bouquet of flowers to the apartment building on Thursday morning. She said Fletcher called her at 3 a.m. Thursday to tell her what had happened. "I felt physically ill," she said, wiping away tears at a morning news conference. "It's a very sad day in our community for this family and for the loss of a mother and two of her children.

"I would plead with anybody who is suffering, even a small bit in a home where there's domestic violence, to please reach out for help," Banovetz said. 'Yelling and cursing' Omare had reached out for help on that December evening nearly two years ago. Kebabe apparently was upset that Omare had called him from work because her car wouldn't start. When he arrived, the car started, but he was "yelling and cursing at her" when she got home because "apparently she didn't get there soon enough," the 2008 police report said. Omare told deputies that Kebabe picked up a vacuum cleaner and threatened to hit her with it, the report said. When she went to call police, he grabbed her shirt and pushed her across the room. "Kebabe told Omare that she relied on the police too much and then stated, 'When I get home, I'll kill you,' " the report said.

"By what Omare describes, she is living with serious ... abuse on a daily basis," it said. Although the threat could have elevated the domestic assault charge to a felony, Paul Gustafson, a spokesman for the Ramsey County attorney's office, said on Thursday that there is no indication that the case was presented to county prosecutors. Vadnais Heights City Attorney Caroline Bell Becker said, "Somebody made the initial charging decision and determined it was a misdemeanor. "I know we had contact with [Omare]," Bell Becker said. "We had communication with the victim. We have to look at what the reports say, but also what the victim and any independent witnesses are telling us too."

"In 22 years of doing this, that's the first time I've lost a victim. It's not a good day," she said. According to the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women's annual "femicide" report, at least 12 women were killed in domestic abuse incidents in 2009. That number is down from 23 in the state in 2008 and 22 in 2007. "It's hard to believe this can still happen, but it does," said Rebecca McLane, operations manager for St. Paul Intervention. "We can't sit still. We need to be ever-vigilant."

“It was the biggest hand in the world”

Lui Hua can’t play the Nintendo Wii or Guitar Hero. He wants to but he physically can’t…. at least not yet. Why? Hua suffers from a rare condition known as macrodactyly. When he was hospitalized in Shanghai last month, his left thumb measured 10.2 inches and his index finger measured close to 12. “It was the biggest hand in the world,” said Chen Zuliang, a hospital official. “Liu’s fingers stopped growing in recent years so plastic surgery was at last possible to correct the malformation.” On July 20 surgeons undertook a seven-hour operation to reduce the size of Liu’s fingers and thumb. Doctors removed 11 pounds of flesh and bone in the procedure. A second surgery is scheduled to take place. Enlarged limbs can be caused by a number of medical conditions. Lymphedema is perhaps the most common cause and results in some extraordinarily enlarged limbs.

The U.S. Treasury's currency report delay

The U.S. Treasury's currency report delay suggests Washington wants to give diplomacy another chance to convince China it is in everyone's interest to speed up the yuan's rise. By delaying the report until after a Group of 20 leaders summit in Seoul next month, the United States can defuse some political tension. However, it also puts the onus on the G20 to deliver more than just rhetoric on foreign exchange rates. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner probably won't be winning many friends in Congress, where lawmakers from both political parties back taking a tougher tack on Beijing.

G20 LOOMS LARGER
* Currencies were already front and center at G20 talks after IMF meetings last weekend failed to ease tensions. Forging consensus in such a diverse group will be hard.
* There does not seem to be broad support for a "Plaza Accord" type of agreement on how best to realign exchange rates. European officials have stuck to well-rehearsed statements that excessive currency volatility is unwelcome.
* Geithner toughened his words somewhat last week, saying markets should determine exchange rates.

TAKING OUT THE POLITICS
* Waiting until after the G20 meeting means the Obama administration won't have to reveal its decision until after November 2 congressional elections.
* Although China's currency is not a hot-button issue for voters, it is a source of frustration for unions and manufacturing-heavy states which are typically Democratic strongholds.
* But the delay could spur Congress to act on legislation that would penalize China for keeping the yuan low. A bill that would punish China for its currency practices passed in the House of Representatives last month and two Democratic senators said on Friday Congress was prepared to move ahead with legislation.
* Geithner told lawmakers at a September 16 hearing on China's currency that he shared their frustration with Beijing's slow progress in allowing the yuan to rise. The delay may harden some lawmakers' view that Treasury is too soft on China. The yuan has been the focal point of relations that frequently see tensions over issues from Tibet and Taiwan to trade.

GREEN LIGHT TO SELL DOLLAR
* The delay does little to change the status quo for investors who will be happy to continue selling dollars and buying Treasuries in anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve pumping more dollars in the economy.
* It also leaves China free to allow only gradual yuan appreciation and puts upward pressure on the euro, yen and Australian dollar, which as free-floating currencies tend to absorb most of the dollar weakness.
* By managing its exchange rate, China has built up a massive store of $2.6 trillion in currency reserves and is the biggest holder of U.S. Treasury debt. Markets fear a move to label it a manipulator could spark retaliation, with a worst-case scenario involving China selling enough Treasury debt to provoke a sudden spike in U.S. interest rates.

Spending Review: Ministers agree MoD budget cut

Cutbacks in the UK's £37bn annual defence budget have been finalised ahead of the chancellor's Spending Review, the BBC understands. The reduction is expected to be less than the 10% the Treasury had been seeking, possibly around 8%. The Army is expected to have to cut personnel, although the Navy will get two new aircraft carriers. But it is thought the ships will have fewer new aircraft and the overall size of the Navy's fleet will be reduced. It is believed that the Joint RAF/Fleet Air Arm Harrier force may face the axe, while some squadrons of RAF Tornado jets could be saved instead - although some air force bases will close. The Army may have to cut up to 7,000 or so personnel over the next five years, while the MoD itself could face substantial cuts to its civilian staff. Sources say £750m will be saved over four years on the Trident nuclear deterrent missile system but it is not yet clear how those savings will be made. BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt says the MoD still has a £38bn black hole in its procurement budget - inherited from the previous government - which mean the cuts need to be deeper than the headline figure suggests.

Cash seized at London City Airport

Home Office, 15 October 2010

UK Border Agency officers have seized approximately £27,000 in cash from a British man as he was leaving the country at London City Airport. The officers discovered the money, which was in euros, when they stopped and searched the 26-year-old from Swindon just before he boarded a flight to Barcelona on Wednesday 13 October. The man claimed that he was going to live abroad, and said the money had been earned from cash-in-hand employment - for which no tax or National Insurance would have been paid. The money was detained under the Proceeds of Crime Act, and will only be returned if he can prove to a court that it came from a legitimate source. Anyone leaving the UK with more than £1,000 in cash must provide evidence if the source and intended use of the money, or it may be detained. This is to prevent the proceeds of criminality being hidden in bank accounts and other assets overseas, and to prevent the theft of money from the public purse through unpaid tax. At Crawley Magistrates Court on Thursday 14 October, the UK Border Agency was granted an order to hold the cash for a further 6 months while the investigation continues. Senior investigating officer Tim Fleming from our criminal and financial investigations team said:

'UK Border Agency officers are working hard at all our ports to prevent drugs, contraband or the potential proceeds of crime from entering or leaving the UK.

'Where we suspect that cash may be linked with criminal activity, we have the power to seize it, and it will only be handed back if it is later proven to be legitimate.'

Following a court order, money detained can be held for up to 6 months at a time while investigations are underway. It may then be ordered as forfeit and returned to the public purse if shown to be associated with criminal activity. In 2009/10, UK Border Agency officers seized £11.9 million from passengers at ports across the UK.

Breast cancer rates are more than four times higher in

the UK than in Eastern Africa, new figures show.

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, with 46,000 new cases each year

Some 87.9 per 100,000 British women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, compared to just 19.3 women per 100,000 in Eastern Africa. The statistics come from the World Health Organisation's global database of disease prevalence. Eastern Africa includes countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) said some of the difference is because British doctors are better at diagnosing and recording cases. However, it warned that British lifestyles - including a rise in obesity and excessive drinking - were contributing to high rates of breast cancer at home. Research has shown that around four out of 10 cases in British women could be prevented if women kept their weight down, drank less and exercised more. Women in Eastern Africa consume much less alcohol than British women and obesity is far less common.

COMMENTS ON THE ARTICLE:

I feel that it’s important to comment on the above article that was featured last month in this website. The article is important and timely because it opens debate about breast cancer within this community website that has become very popular beyond Kenya and the UK. It’s also absolutely relevant in that we are now in October- the Breast Awareness Month and therefore, crucially an announcement highlighting the need for every women and girl to be breast aware.

However, the data in this article must be cautiously interpreted. Firstly, although there is documented evidence that Britain has high rates of breast cancer a comparison between two populations where one is routinely screened and another without the same access of services is a serious flaw. While breast screening is routinely and freely provided to all women aged 50-70 years in the UK, women from East Africa as is the case of many from developing nations have no access to routine breast screening and worse still breast awareness is not high since public health programmes have tended to emphasise on more widespread problems like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria. Mammography (breast X-ray) is expensive, beyond the reach of most women and exceptionally done when there are established signs and symptoms. Breast Screening enhances early detection of cancer and certainly would increase the number of those being diagnosed than in a population that is not routinely screened.

Secondly, there is a risk of women from East Africa underestimating their perceived risk, the article may lead women to think of themselves as having some protective factors e.g. because they consume less alcohol and are less obese than the British women or literally because they are East Africans. While we know that excessive alcohol consumption and obesity are associated with not only breast cancer but  other cancers and major health problems,  the major risk factors for breast cancer are mainly three: being a woman, age  (risk increases with age) and family history. The information in the article may have negative implications such as reducing uptake of breast screening by immigrant women from East Africa and living in the UK if they perceive low risk. Already statistics from the Breast Screening National Screening Services indicate very poor uptake of screening among the black and ethnic minority women.

Thirdly, this article may cause undue panic among the British women due to the flawed comparison. In this case every woman should know some facts about breast cancer:

Breast cancer is the most common cause of

cancer death among women aged 35-70

•         80% of breast cancer occurs in postmenopausal women

•         Incidence increases with age

•         One out of nine British women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some stage of their lives

•         All women are at risk

Women and girls should be ‘breast aware’. We all should be familiar with the ‘normal’ and be able to detect early changes.

Everyone is different – which is why ‘normal’ is different for every woman. Being aware of your breasts can help you notice changes more easily. Regularly checking your breasts will result in early detection – meaning a simpler, more successful treatment if diagnosed. You may even notice changes that are not cancer – 9 out of 10 breast changes are not cancer - but it’s always worth checking with your GP.

Breast awareness five-point code:

1       Know what is normal for you

2       Know what changes to look and feel for

* discharge from the nipple such as blood, pus

* change of skin colour

* Skin rash

* dimpling of the skin

* changes of the nipple e.g inverted nipple

* Breast lumps/swellings

3       Look and feel

4       Report any changes to your doctor without delay

5       Attend routine breast screening from the age of 50

Why go for breast screening?

Breast screening saves an estimated 1,400 lives each year in Great Britain. If your test results come back normal, another invitation will be sent in three years’ time. Of the few cases of cancer that are found during screening, most are at an early stage, which means they are treatable and that there is a good chance of recovery.

Please see the link for incidences of breast cancer: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_bre_can_inc-health-breast-cancer-incidence

Comments by:

Nelly Munga

RGN/Msc Health Promotion with Public Health

Chairperson, Kenya Nurses Association (UK)

Email: cathreenmunga@yahoo.com.

KILICHO NA MWANZO KINA MWISHO

Tickets for the London 2012 Olympics will start at £20 and rise to £2012 for the best seats at the opening ceremony.

Ruto faces Cabinet exit after judgement

Section 62 of the Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Act stipulates that “a public officer who is charged with corruption or economic crime shall be suspended at half pay, with effect from the date of the charge.” Such a suspended public officer continues to receive the full amount of any allowances, according the law. The law now requires that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga move to suspend Mr Ruto until the case against him is determined. The minister’s political career was thrown into a spin on Friday afternoon when a panel of three judges dismissed a petition he filed in 2005 seeking to stop court proceedings against him claiming that his rights had been infringed. Following the ruling, Mr Ruto through his lawyer asked for certified copies to enable him appeal. The court gave him permission to challenge their verdict but also directed the criminal case be mentioned on October 26.

Judges Jeanne Gacheche, Leonard Njagi and Roseline Wendoh said that they were not convinced that any of Mr Ruto’s rights had been infringed because he was still innocent until the trial court proved otherwise. Mr Ruto and four other persons face fraud charges over the alleged sale of a piece of land in Ngong forest to Kenya Pipeline Company Ltd for a total of Sh272 million. The minister allegedly received Sh96 million at various intervals during the alleged transaction. In the case, the Eldoret North MP and Berke Commercial Agencies, a company associated with him, Mr Joshua Kulei, a former aide of retired president Daniel Moi, Mr Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central MP) and two other firms were sued for allegedly obtaining money from KPC between August 6 and September 6, 2001.  The court observed on Friday that Mr Ruto was granted bail immediately he was charged and the allegation that his right to liberty had been infringed was not true. The judges said in the ruling that Mr Ruto’s attempts were only meant to pre-empt the criminal charges yet the Minister will have a chance of mounting his defence before the trial magistrate. In the petition, Mr Ruto had filed eight objections as to why the case before the chief magistrate in Nairobi should be terminated. Other than infringing on his constitutional rights, Mr Ruto alleged that the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) was discriminatory in prosecuting him.  He argued that many persons had been involved in alleged allocation of the land, its transfer and subsequent sale and was wondering why others were left out. According to him, the State left out 16 government departments and offices that facilitated the transfer of the land.

Through lawyer Katwa Kigen, Mr Ruto said officers such as the chief lands registrar, the director of survey, chief valuer, the director of physical planning and the city council staff had been left out. “All these offices played a role in confirming that the land was available for allotment,” Mr Kigen had said. Further, Mr Ruto questioned why other persons who had been allocated land in similar manner had not been prosecuted.  But in the judgment, the court said that no evidence had been tabled before them to show the others persons Mr Ruto was referring to. The Judges said it was difficult to ascertain Mr Ruto’s allegation. Mr Ruto moved to the High Court in 2005 soon after he and four other persons were charged before a magistrate court with defrauding KPC of more than Sh272 million in the sale of the plot which was part of Ngong Forest. In the petition, Mr Ruto maintained that he did not receive any money from the sale of land measuring 1.754 hectares and that he was a stranger in the case. According to him, the plot was sold to Kenya Times Media Trust where Mr Ruto was a trustee. Mr Ruto was charged with receiving Sh9.9 million, saying he was in a position to sell the land, belonging to the ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. He is alleged to have been paid another Sh57.8 million and Sh28 million for land in the same forest. In the dismissed petition, however, Mr Ruto argued that he read malice and “senior officials in the government wanted to finish him off politically” and that he had been warned of the charges in 2003 immediately the Narc government came to power.

According to him, the charges were fabricated to punish him. The court, however, dismissed the allegation saying that Mr Ruto was voted in overwhelmingly — as Eldoret North MP — in 2007. Further, the MP claimed that senior officials in the government had made unfair comments against him regarding the case hence he would not face a fair trial.  The judges said that it was common for ministers and other politicians to make comments before cases were concluded in court. They added that Mr Ruto and his co-accused would be tried by a competent court and he was free to raise the same issues before the trial magistrate but not by filing a constitutional application. Mr Ruto had also claimed that the charges were defective but the same was dismissed by the judges saying the application should have been raised before the trial magistrate. Mr Ruto and his co-accused filed a constitutional reference after he and his co-accused were charged before the Chief magistrate court, Nairobi. Chief Justice Evan Gicheru had to appoint a bench to hear the case. The case was concluded in December last year and a ruling date set. His co-accused appeared as interested parties in the petition and supported Ruto’s arguments. Mr Ruto had also questioned why it took long for the prosecution to prefer the charges against him. He argued that the allocation was done in 1995 and the sale was allegedly conducted in 2001 while the case was filed 10 years later in 2005.  Lastly, Mr Ruto asked for compensation now that the land had been taken back by the State but the court told him he cannot benefit from an illegality.  – Daily Nation

Pelican makes pigeon dinner out of poor bird
 

This luckless pigeon takes a final look at the world before vanishing into the pelican’s cavernous throat. The little bird had been eating crumbs near a lake in St James Park, London, when it was scooped up by the hungry predator. Adults and young children gasped as the pigeon tried desperately to escape for 15 agonising minutes. At one point it looked like it was going to break free as the pelican opened its beak, allowing the pigeon to gaze out to the distance. But the startled creature missed its opportunity and, after running out out energy, was swallowed whole. Photographer Paul Mansfield, 44, captured the remarkable scene while on a day trip to the capital with his family. He said: 'I noticed a small crowd gathered at the side of a lake that was "ooohhing" and "argghhhing". 'On closer inspection I could see what all the fuss was about. 'On the grassy bank a pelican had managed to gobble up a pigeon and an ongoing wrestling match was in full flight - taking place inside the pelican's beak or pouch. 'The pigeon was fighting for his life. 'The pelican would gulp and the pigeon would be sucked down and almost immediately the pigeon came up flapping its wings manically. 'The pigeon was wriggling this way and that, sometimes placing its head outside of the beak. 'The crowd was willing it to escape, with shouts of "Come on, you can do it!".'

New requirement for Tier 1 and Tier 2 applicants

submitting postgraduate certificates or diplomas

Home Office, 15 October 2010

From 12 October 2010, the UK Border Agency has introduced a new requirement for applications to work in the UK under Tier 1 (General), Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) or any Tier 2 category of the points-based system.

If you are submitting a postgraduate certificate or diploma awarded by a UK listed body in order to score points for your qualifications or English language skills, you must include a letter of equivalency issued by UK NARIC with your application.

If you do not do this, the decision on your application may be delayed and/or a negative decision may be taken.

2012 London Olympic Games ticket prices released

Ticket prices for events at the 2012 London Olympic Games have been released, with the coveted men's 100m final costing up to £725. Organisers London 2012 also revealed tickets for the opening ceremony would cost between £20.12 and £2,012. Of the 8.8 million tickets available, 75% will be sold to the public from March 2011. And 125,000 tickets are being set aside to be given to schoolchildren who will have to achieve something to earn them. There is wide range of prices for the 39 disciplines and 649 sports sessions. London 2012 said 90% of tickets would be £100 or less, two-thirds less than £50 and 2.5 million tickets £20 or less. The cost of viewing the men's 100m final is from £50 to £725, while tickets to see the women's 100m final range from £50 to £450. Other premium events, such as the cycling finals, will range from £50 to £325 and the diving finals will cost between £50 and £450. Parts of some events such as the marathon, road cycling and the triathlon will be free. From March, people can register an interest in an event and, if it is over-subscribed, they will be entered into a ballot. So far 1.7 million people have registered their interest with London 2012. The organisers have said they are acting to ensure there will not be a repeat of the scenes of near-empty stadiums at some of Commonwealth Games' events in Delhi this month. London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe described it as the "the daddy of all ticket strategies" adding: "We have three clear principles for our ticketing strategy: tickets need to be affordable and accessible to as many people as possible, tickets are an important revenue stream for us to fund the Games, and our ticketing plans have the clear aim of filling our venues to the rafters."

Liverpool takeover completed by US company NESV

US company New England Sports Ventures, owner of the Boston Red Sox, has completed its takeover of Liverpool FC.  The move comes after former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett removed the temporary restraining order blocking the £300m sale on Friday morning.  "I am proud and humbled," said NESV head John W Henry. "I can't tell you how happy I am. We're here to win."  Hicks and Gillett may now take legal action in England to secure damages after dropping a claim lodged in Texas.  The claim in the Dallas court was for £1bn in damages, with the American pair claiming the deal was "illegal" and an "extraordinary swindle".  "We believe that once the English court finally has a chance to hear all the facts, a very different picture will be painted," said a statement from law firm Fish & Richardson attorney Tom Melsheimer. Still, there was an air of relief as news of NESV's completed purchase emerged - a move that will allow major creditors Royal Bank of Scotland to be paid the £237m it is owed on Friday.  A club statement revealed: "The transaction values the club at £300m and eliminates all of the acquisition debt placed on LFC by its previous owners, reducing the club's debt servicing obligations from £25m-£30m a year to £2m-£3m."  That, in turn, means Liverpool's holding company is unlikely now to be put into administration, a move which could have resulted in a nine-point penalty in the Premier League.

Council's £24,000 payout over Jim Rodgers 'tomato jump'

A Belfast City Council worker who was dressed as a tomato when she was injured by the then lord mayor has agreed a settlement of £24,021.75. Lorraine Mallon suffered a slipped disc when Jim Rodgers' knee accidentally hit her head as he tried to vault over her.  Ms Mallon had been dressed as a tomato to launch a gourmet garden event in Botanic Gardens in September 2007.  A spokesperson for the council said: "We can confirm that a settlement has been made in that case." The case was heard by Mr Justice Stephens at the High Court in Belfast, with the settlement agreed on Tuesday. The council must also pay the costs of the action, which was brought against it on the grounds of negligence and breach of statutory duty. After the incident, Mr Rodgers, an Ulster Unionist councillor, said he attempted the act of athleticism at the request of photographers. "I have been absolutely devastated over what has happened," he said. "There had been three false runs and I think Lorraine thought this was just another one. "I just caught the top of her head and unfortunately I injured her." Mr Rodgers said he was confident he could have made the vault. He said: "I'm very fit and look after myself, but it was just one of those unfortunate things."

KEY STAGES OF MARITAL LIFE

(Hatua za maisha ya ndoa) - Apostolic Church, Kenya

WITH BISHOP PETER GATIMU

Kile mme anatarajia katika mke wake

Kupendwa kama mtoto (tenderness)

What if parliament adopts the report on the controversial acquisition of embassy property in Japan? Over the years parliamentary watchdog committees have spent millions of taxpayers' money probing issues and made recommendations, which the executive has ignored and as Linda Ogutu reports, it's likely to be another double loss for the taxpayer. - VIDEO

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1919 - Rika rîa Kîmiri (Kind of of a disease)

Kenyans attend Non Violent communication in Germany

Annie Njoki Pover (UK) joins 3 other Kenyans in a Non Violent Communication workshop in Germany.  The workshop was organised by the The German Arche Noah Foundation.  Non Violent Communication (according to Marshal Rosenberg) is for people working with street children. The workshop was for people from all over the world who are sort of interested in this subject and who want to spread this method within their work.  Among those who attended were Eunice Obala (VSF), Lydia Mumbi (Can open based in Nairobi, and Annie Njoki Pover. They were joined by Kennedy Muriu Heta, a young man who lived most of his life in the streets.  Kennedy has now changed his life and wants to help others. Other participants were from Philippines, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, United Kingdom, Columbia, Ethiopia, Zambia and South Africa. On right photo is from left Lydia Mumbi, Annie pover, kennedy Muriu, Eunice obala.

Asylum seekers last in the housing queue: Britain's biggest

council decides to put its locals first

The largest council in the country is to stop providing homes for asylum seekers – so it can offer the properties to locals. Birmingham City Council said last night that it ha seen a surge in the number of existing residents who found themselves homeless in the aftermath of the economic slump.  Currently, nearly 200 homes are handed to asylum seekers who have been sent to the city while their applications are being processed by the UK Border Agency.  But the council is to cancel its contract with UKBA so the homes can instead be given to those who hail from the city.  Councillor John Lines, Birmingham’s cabinet member for housing, said the decision was ‘in the interests of local people’. He explained that the council expects nearly 8,000 applications for homes this year alone. ‘Over the last year, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of homeless people in Birmingham and we must help the citizens of this city first and foremost,’ he said.  ‘With a long waiting list for homes, we really need all our properties for our people in these difficult economic times. I believe the UK Border Agency should find somewhere else to carry out their duties.’ Mr Lines said delays within UKBA meant hundreds of asylum seekers were obtaining British citizenship while they waited for their cases to be decided. ‘When they have been given citizenship the city of Birmingham has to treat them as citizens and give them one of our rare homes,’ he added.  I’m putting hundreds of Brummies in bed and breakfast, local people who possibly through no fault of their own are homeless. I couldn’t sit here and allow the situation where Birmingham people have had to tolerate that whilst the border agency has got up to 200 of my homes for people who have come here for political asylum.’ Under the five-year contract, the council provided 190 properties to asylum seekers, but with turnover it meant up to 1,000 staying in the city every year. The contract - which also involved Wolverhampton, Dudley and Coventry councils - comes to an end in June next year and will not be renewed, Mr Lines said.  Wolverhampton council is also expected to follow suit and stop housing asylum applicants, he added. Birmingham is run by a joint Liberal Democrat and Tory coalition, and is seen as indicating possible policy directions for the Government.  The UK Border Agency’s Regional Director for the Midlands and East of England, Gail Adams, said: ‘We’re disappointed by Birmingham City Council’s decision to withdraw from the West Midlands Consortium. The Consortium’s existing contract will continue until June next year. UKBA will manage the transition to new accommodation in accordance with the terms of the contract.’

UK Border Agency seizes hallucinogenic drug sent in post

Home Office, 08 October 2010

A dangerous hallucinogenic drug has been stopped from reaching the UK's streets by UK Border Agency officers based at a major postal sorting office in Coventry. Fifteen separate packages of DMT, (also known as Dimethyltryptamine) totalling over 125kg and worth around £13 million, have been seized in the past few months. The parcels were sent from countries in South America and were destined for addresses across the UK. Local police forces are now taking forward investigations. Home Office Minister James Brokenshire said: 'DMT is very dangerous which is why it is banned as a Class A drug.

'As I saw in Latin America recently, I know that our drive to tackle drugs doesn't stop at the border. Police and border staff are working day in day out to stop illegal drugs like DMT coming to Britain's streets.'

Chris Bagley, in charge of operations for the UK Border Agency at Coventry International Postal Hub, added:

'We are determined to protect society from activity which can have a destructive impact on local communities and individuals.

'We will continue to prevent drugs being smuggled into the UK and will pass on intelligence to the police and other enforcement agencies to ensure that the smugglers are put behind bars.'

UK Border Agency officers based at the UK's postal hubs use a combination of hi-tech scanning equipment and intelligence to spot drugs, weapons and other contraband being smuggled into the UK through the post. Dimethyltryptamine is a powerful hallucinogenic drug and its effects can come on rapidly and can be very intense. Users report unpleasant emotional effects lasting for days afterwards and people with mental health problems can be particularly vulnerable to its negative effects.

A Naivasha Court was on Thursday 14th October, 2010 morning treated to chilling details of how the so-called ‘Naivasha Vampire' drugged his victims before sexually abusing them for days. The court presided over by Naivasha Senior Principal Magistrate, Mrs. Thripsisa Wamae heard that the accused who was arrested in August 2008 drew the blood of his victims into a glass and drunk it every time he got thirsty. The ‘vampire' Geoffrey Njoroge Matheri alias Fongo also allegedly bit one of his victims in the back and "ate the flesh". Fongo who is facing a murder charge in the High Court in Nakuru kept smiling in court even as the victims and police narrated his escapades to the court. It was claimed that the accused would entice his victims to his hideout where he drugged and raped them before murdering some of them. He is also facing six charges of abducting two women, raping and assaulting them for over four days. Fongo is charged that on the 8 August 2008, he abducted a mother of two in Naivasha town and raped her for several days. The woman told the court that she had left her house in County Council estate at around 7.30pm on the fateful night but was abducted by four men who took her to the house of the accused who claimed to be the leader of the outlawed Mungiki sect in Naivasha. She said she was locked in the house in Kihoto where the accused sexually abused her for four days. The woman told the court that she found another woman who was naked in the same house with wounds all over her body. She described the walls of the house as being covered in blood. The accused who was unrepresented by a lawyer was charged with three other similar charges allegedly committed on August 9 2008 at Kihoto estate after kidnapping a different woman. In one of the incidences, the accused allegedly forced his victims to take drugs that left them weak and drowsy. The first woman told the court that when she attempted to escape the accused caught up with her and stabbed her on the back with a sharp knife. She said that on the day that she was rescued by police, the accused had threatened to kill her and throw her body in a borehole but police moved in and saved her.  The three arresting officers told the court the accused was found with drugs, a knife and whip at the time of his arrest. Corporal Tanui Keitany said the accused was arrested on August 15 2008 in a hotel near Nakuru bus terminus in Naivasha town while carrying an assortment of crude weapons. He allegedly openly confessed to having killed several of his victims and drunk their blood and even implicated a church pastor in the gruesome rituals who was arrested and later released for lack of evidence. Police at the time found a mutilated body of a woman who had gone missing in his house. The hearing of the case continues.

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Top Foreign Affairs ministry officials ignored land offered by Japan at the request of President Kibaki that could have saved the country loss of Sh1.1 billion. Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations discovered that President Kibaki had requested Japan to provide a suitable land in which Kenya could erect its chancery and ambassador’s residence. He made the request when he met Japan’s member of the House of Councillors, senator Tetsuro Yano, in July 2008. According to the committee’s report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, there were “long negotiations with the government of Japan with presidential intervention during a meeting with senator Yano”. President Kibaki’s intervention led to the government of Japan providing a plot in a place called Minato Ku. Foreign Affairs ministry did not consider the plot but instead went to buy new property. Cabinet minister Moses Wetang’ula told the committee they could not consider the plot offered by the Government of Japan because it was “irregularly shaped rendering it unsuitable for construction of a chancery and an ambassador’s residence”. The committee said Mr Wetangula’s explanation differed with that given by an architect who advised that the plot allowed more floor space and a tall structure whose offices could be rented to other diplomatic missions. The minister also said there was a caveat on the land that allowed the Government of Japan to, at any time, excavate for archaeological materials.

The team faulted the ministry and called the rejection of the land identified by Japan an embarrassment to President Kibaki “considering the long diplomatic negotiations (over 18 months) by the mission through the ministry of foreign affairs of Japan and the political intervention of President Kibaki.” The team said the government lost close to Sh1.1 billion in the transaction and proposed that measures be instituted to recover the money. It also called on the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the deal — a move already requested by Mr Wetang’ula. The team concluded the property bought in Tokyo was not suitable as it “does not reflect Kenya’s strategic importance and stature in regional and international diplomacy”. It proposed that the chancery move to the plot the Government of Japan offered. The mission can then build a modern multi-storey building for a chancery, ambassador’s home, staff houses and lease space to other African states. The team said “there was deliberate disregard of professional advice given by professionals within and outside of government”. It established that there was no valuation done by a Japanese firm on the property before it was bought, as is the practice in buying property. “Use of a professional Japanese valuation firm could have given the ministry the right price for the property and therefore value for money.” By the time the property was bought, the MPs report said, land prices in Japan were on the downward trend following the world financial crisis that began in 2008. They also raised questions as to why payments were made before the property was transferred to the government of Kenya. Some 85 per cent of the payment was effected before the transfer of the property.

The committees said it was “amazed” to discover that two different government officers had signed two different sale agreements on the same property, on the same day.  One was signed by the head of mission, Kenya embassy in Japan, Mr Allan Mburu, while the other was signed by PS Thuita Mwangi. Mr Mwangi, the team observed, was never in Japan on the day he was said to have signed the agreement. “Involvement of the Ministry (of Works) could have guided in determining the suitability of the structures and consequently the price,” it said. The team called for punitive measures against Mr Wetang’ula, Mr Mwangi and Mr Mburu and any officer involved in the deal. It recommended that the Foreign Affairs ministry urgently put a strategic plan on property acquisition and disposal. It should also explore the option of purchasing floors in safe and suitable already-built up buildings as was the case with some western countries instead plots or stand-alone buildings. This, the report said, will save funds in constructing or purchasing stand-alone structures. It calls for an audit to ensure that property for Kenya missions abroad is legally acquired and owned. The team proposed that Mr Wetang’ula takes political responsibility and step aside to pave the way for investigations by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission. If found guilty, the minister should be barred from holding any State office in Kenya. – Daily Nation.

The Kenya Embassy in Tokyo deal which costs Kenya government KShs. 1.1 billion was signed by the head of mission, Kenya embassy in Japan, Mr Allan Mburu, while the other was signed by PS Thuita Mwangi. Mr Mwangi, the team observed, was never in Japan on the day he was said to have signed the agreement.

Kenyan in US has killed his family

A Kenyan living in Minneapolis, Minnesota allegedly murdered his wife and two children on Thursday, and then committed suicide. Justus Ogendi Kebabe allegedly killed his wife at their apartment in Minneapolis, Minnesota and poisoned his daughter and son, according to the deceased man's cousin Joseph Lister Nyaringo who lives in New Jersey. It was a gruesome scene: a mother and her two children, ages 8 and 10, dead in a Vadnais Heights apartment building late last night. Justus Ogendi Kebabe, 43, has already confessed to killing his wife and kids. The mother hadn't shown up at work this week, and her children hadn't attended Willow Lane School, in White Bear Lake, since Monday. A family member called Ramsey County for a welfare check because Kebabe had apparently been behaving erratically.  When deputies paid a visit to the Willow Ridge Apartment building at 1255 County Road D at about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, they found three bodies in three separate rooms. It looks as though the mom may have been dead longer than her children, and that the kids might have been living in the apartment with their dead mother for several days, Fox9 reports. Minnesota State Patrol officers got a call of a motorist out of gas around 10:30 p.m., more than an hour before the report of the murders came in. Troopers came to Kebabe's assistance on I-35 near Faribault. But instead of being glad for the help, Kebabe ran from them, leaving a third child, a 4-year-old, behind in the car. Troopers arrested him for driving with a suspended license, and booked him into Rice County Jail. Only later was the connection to the homicides made. Kebabe has already confessed to the murders, the Strib reports.

Kenya's John Kelai led from the front as he won the men's marathon on the last day of action at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi

Nyahururu, Kenya, Thursday 14th October, 2010. Residents of Ndunduri village in Nyandarua County are in shock after a woman gave birth to a baby boy with 28 teeth. The news quickly spread that Martha Muthoni, 30, had safely delivered a bouncing baby boy named James Mwangi. The mother of four was alone at home at the time of delivery. According to a local clinical officer at the Ndunduri Dispensary, Peter Mumero, the woman was brought to the health facility by neighbours after they learnt of the news that she had delivered without complications but to their astonishment delivered an in infant with teeth. The officer referred the mother and her son to Nakuru Provincial general Hospital for specialised treatment. One Brazilian study in 1998 showed natal teeth were more common among girls. Experts are still baffled as to what causes the anomaly but they say hereditary or family patterns do play a part. - CapitalFM

The Very Hungry Mouse and a Leopard

Who is the boss?

The extraordinary scene was captured by photography student Casey Gutteridge at the Santago Rare Leopard Project in Hertfordshire. The 19-year-old, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, who was photographing the leopard for a course project, was astounded by the mouse's behavior. He said: 'I have no idea where the mouse came from - he just appeared in the enclosure after the keeper had dropped in the meat for the leopard. 'He didn't take any notice of the leopard, just went straight over to the meat and started feeding himself. 'But the leopard was pretty surprised - she bent down and sniffed the mouse and flinched a bit like she was scared. 'In the meantime the mouse just carried on eating like nothing had happened...but even a gentle shove does not deter the little creature from getting his fill.

'It was amazing, even the keeper who had thrown the meat into the enclosure was shocked - he said he'd never seen anything like it before.' Project owner Jackie James added: 'It was so funny to see - Sheena batted the mouse a couple of times to try to get it away from her food. 'But the determined little thing took no notice and just carried on.' Sheena was brought in to the Santago Rare Leopard Project from a UK zoo when she was just four months old. She is one of 14 big cats in the private collection started by Jackie 's late husband Peter in 1989. The African Leopard can be found in the continent's forests, grasslands, savannas, and rainforests… but even a gentle shove does not deter the little creature from getting his fill. 'It was amazing, even the keeper who had thrown the meat into the enclosure was shocked - he said he'd never seen anything like it before.' Project owner Jackie James added: 'It was so funny to see - Sheena batted the mouse a couple of times to try to get it away from her food. 'But the determined little thing took no notice and just carried on.' Sheena was brought in to the Santago Rare Leopard Project from a UK zoo when she was just four months old. She is one of 14 big cats in the private collection started by Jackie 's late husband Peter in 1989. The African Leopard can be found in the continent's forests, grasslands, savannas, and rainforests.

...so the mouse continued to eat the leopard's lunch and show the leopard who was the boss.

 
Many lessons to be learnt:

·         No one can push you around without your permission – remember the “let’s not be victims anymore and wait for things to happen to us”…. The leopard is doing exactly that in the story above while the mouse has refused to die of hunger!

·         If you are determined, you can achieve results no matter the size of the challenge faced.

"Ûyû nîwe ngatigîra ûnene Mûnene"

EURO MILLIONS WIN NOT YET CLAIMED

Despite the fact that the EuroMillions jackpot of £113,019,926 was won on Friday 8 October by a single ticket bought in the UK, no player has yet come forward to make their claim. This might sound unusual, but in fact it isn’t nearly as uncommon for players to take their time in claiming prizes as most people think. And why is that? Well, there are several good reasons why a EuroMillions winner might not make their claim straight away, or even within a few days of winning their prize, and in this article we thought it would be interesting to identify a few of the most common ones…

Lack of Knowledge
A EuroMillions winner can only claim their prize if they are aware of the fact that they have won in the first place. Those who play EuroMillions online are notified of any win automatically, but those who buy their tickets the old-fashioned way need to check the EuroMillions results against the numbers that they entered to realise that they have won. If such players don’t check their tickets, they won’t be aware of their win and obviously won’t come forward to claim their prize.

Absence
Closely related to l

ack of knowledge is absence. It has sometimes been the case that a EuroMillions winner has been aware of their success but has been unable to make a claim for practical reasons. For example, they could be absent from the country in which they purchased their ticket, perhaps because they are on holiday. Or maybe the winner is physically unable to make a claim for some other reason, such as a temporary illness.

Shock
Winning a EuroMillions jackpot can be a big shock, and some jackpot winners feel physically unable to make their claim until they have allowed this initial sense of shock to subside a little. Some players wait just a few hours to come forward, but others wait days or even weeks. This might be frustrating for other EuroMillions players who are keen to find out who has won, but there is no rule which states that winners must make their claim immediately, so they are free to claim when they please – as long as it is before the official claims deadline in the country concerned.

Sense of Drama
One more reason why some EuroMillions winners don’t claim their prize straight away is simply because they have a sense of drama and like to keep people guessing. We don’t think that many winners belong to this ‘dramatic’ category, but there are definitely a few that seem to have waited for the media to get into a frenzy before coming forward, so it warrants inclusion here.

Quite why the latest EuroMillions winner hasn’t yet come forward is something that we will no doubt discover in due course, but the chances are good that it is for one of the reasons stated above. And the next time you wonder why there has been no EuroMillions claim, you now have several good reasons to consider.

12th October 2010

Bishop/Dr. Wilfred Lai for Milton Keynes this weekend

Enforced returns to Zimbabwe will resume

Home Office, 14 October 2010

Following a written ministerial statement today by the Minister for Immigration, the UK Border Agency will be resuming enforced returns of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe. Enforced returns to Zimbabwe were suspended in September 2006 because the unstable political situation in the country meant that their safety could not be guaranteed. But since the formation of the Inclusive Government in 2009, the country is now considered stable enough to receive returnees. This means that all Zimbabweans living in the UK illegally now face enforced removal. Damian Green, the Minister for Immigration, said:

 

'We have today announced the resumption of enforced returns to Zimbabwe for failed asylum seekers judged by the independent courts to have no right to remain in the UK. 'This decision reflects the improved stability in Zimbabwe since 2009 and the UK court's view that not all Zimbabweans are in need of international protection.

'Those facing return will join the hundreds who have returned voluntarily, responding to calls by Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to return home and help rebuild their country. 'The British government takes its international responsibilities seriously and will always grant protection to those in genuine need, and continue to monitor events in Zimbabwe.' You can find the written ministerial statement under 'Related documents' on the right side of this page. The UK Border Agency has helped hundreds of Zimbabweans to return home voluntarily since 2006. These packages will continue to be made available.
 

What is a quango?

London, Thursday 14th October, 2010. The UK government has announced that 192 quangos are to be axed, but what exactly is a quango?

What does quango stand for?

Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation.

And what does that mean exactly?

It is an organisation that is funded by taxpayers, but not controlled directly by central government.

Sounds harmless enough, why the controversy?

There is nothing controversial about the concept of quangos - they have been around for a long time. Some of Britain's best-known organisations are classified as quangos, including national galleries and museums, bodies such as the Forestry Commission and the British Council and, according to some groups, the BBC. The problem, according to politicians of all persuasions who are always threatening to axe them, is the sheer number and how much they cost to run.

So how many quangos are there?

Those "non-departmental public bodies" on the Cabinet Office list total 742 across the UK. However, Wales and Scotland have devolved responsibility for some of their own which are not on the list. A pressure group, the Taxpayers' Alliance, claims the figure is actually 1,162

What do quangos do?

They can deliver public services, give advice or regulate behaviour. Quangos can range from tiny committees that meet a few times a year to organisations with multi-million pound budgets and thousands of staff. There are several different types: Those with executive powers to actually do something. Examples include the Environment Agency, Regional Development Agencies, national galleries and museums, regulators such as Ofcom. Advisory bodies which give independent, expert advice to ministers on a range of matters - such as the Committee on Standards on Public Life, Boundary Commission. Watchdogs that set standards and regulate behaviour, such as bodies which look at prisons, immigration removal centres etc.

And how much do they cost?

Estimates of the cost vary between £34bn and about £60bn.

How many are being axed?

The government reviewed 901 bodies - 679 quangos and 222 other statutory bodies. Of those 192 will be axed or their functions taken over by other bodies. The future of other bodies is still under consideration but 380 will definitely be kept.

Are there any high profile casualties?

There are a handful of well-known organisations, such as British Nuclear Fuels, The UK Film Council, the Audit Commission and local development agencies, but the vast majority are less well-known committees or watchdogs, with names such as the Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate or the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee.

How much money will the cull save?

It is hard to say. The government says a "substantial" sum, but stresses that the main purpose of the exercise is not to save money but to increase accountability. Labour say the exercise might end up costing more than it saves, once things such as redundancy payments have been taken into account.

How many jobs will be lost?

The government has not put a figure on it. Probably not as many as you might think from the headline figures on how many bodies are being axed, as many organisations will transfer their work back into central government or transfer it to the charitable sector.

Who will do the work currently being carried out by the doomed quangos?

No one, in some cases. About 16% of the axed quangos will be absorbed by central government, with their work handed to civil servants in government departments, 17% will be taken over by other committees, 4% by charities, 2% by local government and 2% by the private sector.

Why are there so many quangos?

Labour presided over a big expansion in the public sector. The Conservatives and Lib Dems accused it of effectively setting up a "quangocracy" - a tangle of self-aggrandising, free-spending organisations with little accountability and, in some cases, little real purpose. But all governments have found it useful to set up arms-length bodies which operate independently from ministers. The coalition has already set up a few quangos of its own, including the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Why set up a quango?

Previous governments have had a love/hate relationship with quangos. They bring a degree of independence, offer expertise - and government can pass the buck when things go wrong. A good fall-guy example is the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) which frequently comes in for fierce criticism over its decisions on what drugs to fund.

How long have they been around?

Dan Lewis, research director at the Economic Research Council and author of the Essential Guide to British Quangos 2005, says they have a long history. The first one - Trinity House, the lighthouse service - was set up in 1514. "Setting up quangos has just become the accepted way of doing things. They are doing something the civil service could be doing but politicians are loathe to do," he says.

What happens when they are axed?

The work that they do is normally absorbed back in to their parent government department. But the coalition government wants charities and voluntary groups to do some of the work, as part of its vision of the "Big Society". Quangos can be tenacious beasts and have a habit of re-emerging under different titles - successive Conservative and Labour governments have promised to take an axe to them with limited success.

Will anyone miss them?

Many of the more obscure ones will, no doubt, disappear without a trace. But has proved highly controversial. The abolition of the UK Film Council provoked howls of protest from the arts world, even though the government insists its job will be done by other bodies. Labour is also angry about the abolition of regional development agencies, which it says could harm recovery and cost future jobs. Many of the quangos on the doomed list are watchdogs and there is a concern that public safety could be compromised.

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Mrs. Anne Chege arrives in Seattle, USA

Mrs. Anne Chege of New Hope Orphans Home, Uplands Kenya arrived in US on Wednesday 13th October, 2010. He has been in the UK for the last one month where she had gone to fundraise for the 140 children in her home in Kenya. The will be travelling to several states in the US. This weekend she will be in Seattle, WA where she will be having two functions. She will be attending a church service at Kenya Community International Church (Rainear Beach), 9656 Waters Avenue, South Seattle, WA 98118 as from 4.00 p.m. A fundraising event has been organised for her at ACAFE (next to Quest Church, 3223 15th Avenue, W. Seattle 98119 earlier on the same day as from 12.30 to 2.00 p.m. For more information about this fundraising please contact ANNE 205 401 1788, BRIANNA 650 888 8460  or MARIA 206 434 5979. Mrs. Anne Chege's contact in USA is 205 401 1788.

Another Kenyan Councillor wins in Sweden

A Kenyan has won a council seat in Sweden. Finally Daniel Mwaura Njuguna is a new councillor in Sweden. Confirmed today (12th October, 2010) the only Kenyan to sail through in this Scandinavian country. After winning, Councillor Mwaura had this to say: "I would like to sincerely thank Misterseed for helping through the publicity and Councillor Kangethe for all the encouragement and support. With God all things are possible.  My family is over the moon. Misterseed, you must attend my party to celebrate this doing of the Lord" he councillor concluded. Councillor Elizabeth Kangethe and all of the Seeds team would like to congratulate Diwani Mwaura Njuguna for this a competitive council seat in a foreign country.  Mzee Richard Kangethe and his wife all the way from Ngewa, Githunguri, Kiambu were not left behind to congratulate the councillor. To congratulate Cllr Mwaura call him on 00146736694039 or email mwaos20@hotmail.com.

BDC "Dances to Connect" with Kenyan performers

October 14, 2010 - New York City-based Battery Dance Company (BDC) are promoting international cultural engagement through workshops and performances in Nairobi that started on Tuesday the 13th.  Through its Dancing to Connect program, BDC’s dancers will spend several days in Kenya training two groups of young performers (Bone Marrow and the University of Nairobi’s GOMAD group) in the process of creating their own dances.  Local dance teachers have partnered with BDC, sharing their knowledge of Kenya and learning the skills of Dancing to Connect.  Three of the company's dancers arrived in Kenya on October 12 from Algeria where they worked with local performers.  They are headed to the DRC and Namibia following their Kenya tour. Since the launch of its 35th Anniversary Season on July 1, BDC has performed and taught in Germany and Japan and produced its 29th Annual Downtown Dance Festival.  The Company has previously toured 40 countries on five continents around the world. Workshops have been underway since Tuesday at The Go Down from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and at the National Conservatoire of Kenya from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.  On Saturday, October 16, the BDC professional dancers, the two Nairobi-based dance groups, a newly formed Pokot acrobatic troupe, and the dynamic Iddi Achieng will perform at the U.S. Ambassador's residence.  The performance will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE LATE HELEN

A Kenyan lady, has passed away in London. The late M/s Helen Njeri Kanyagia passed away at Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead Heath, on Sunday 3rd October, 2010 after a short illness. She was the mother to Anorld Wambugu Kanyagia, wife to the late Fred Kanyagia Wambugu of Nakuru, daughter to Rosemary Wanjiku Mwangi & the late Joseph Mwangi Muthuita of Thika, sister to Jane Gathiru Mwangi (Kenya), Jemimah Muthoni (Mson) of London, Joyce Nyambura Mwangi (Kenya), John Macharia Mwangi (Kenya), Stephen Irungu Mwangi (Meja) of Atlanta USA, Ben Irungu Mwangi (Kenya) and Peter Irungu Mwangi (Kenya). Sister in law to Mary Wambugu (UK), Judy Wambugu (Croydon, UK), Auntie to Stacey Njenga (Bromley, UK) & Stephen Karanja Kanyatte (Harrow & Wealdstone, UK).

The memorial service will be held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church on 729 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 8AG on Thursday 14th October, 2010 as from 6.00 p.m. The late Helen will be laid to rest in  Mugoiri, Murang'a in Kenya on the 21st of October 2010. She was worshipping at The Glory of Jesus Christ International Ministry, South Woodford. Family and friends  are meeting daily for prayers from 7pm until 9pm at her home in London 1 Broomfield Court, Broomfield Road, N13 4NL. Those wishing to help financially can do so through  Barclays Bank, M/s J. Kanyatte, Sort code 20-37-21 and A/C: 10962775. For more information please contacts: -Mson: 07949536921/07865471552,  Edu: 07748536632 or Mary: 07939036464.

Rare pink hippo snapped in Kenya

A rare pink hippo has been snapped in Kenya, marking the first time such a creature has been spotted in the African country.  Wading through the muddy waters, the rare pink calf looks uncertain and almost shy in the company of his family. British wildlife photographer brothers Will and Matt Burrard-Lucas captured the images in Kenya's Masai Mara, Kenya last week. ‘It was a young one as it is much smaller than the other hippos and always stayed close to its mother,’ said Will, 26. ‘It was nice to see the other hippos treated it no differently to any other. It was also very shy and after spotting us it hid behind its mother before disappearing into the water.’ Pink hippos are leucistic, where the pigmentation cells fail to develop properly. ‘Usually leucistic and albino animals do not survive in the wild as they are very visible to predators and they get serious sunburn,’ said Will, from London. A handful of pink hippos have been recorded in Uganda but never Kenya.

Bizarre Baggage Of Animal Smugglers

The UK Border Agency has cracked down on animal smugglers, after a series of bizarre finds. Among its top 10 unusual seizures was m re than 40 dried seahorses, like these being sold in Beijing, were detected on a passenger travelling from Shanghai. The tiny creatures are ground up and used in Chinese traditional medicine.

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The population of the City of Nairobi has gone up to 3.1 million residents

A Kenyan man has been struck and killed by a train in UK

George Muthee passed away when he was struck by a train at Clapham Junction station in south London on Monday 20th September, 2010. He is the son of the popular Kenyan musician Sam Muthee who composed the song (Ndereva, chunga maisha). The man died after losing his footing on a platform and falling under a train. George Muthee from Fairfield Avenue, in Fareham, near Portsmouth, UK had been in London when he slipped over and hit his head at Clapham Junction train station. The 20-year-old toppled onto the tracks and was hit by a passing train on its way from London Waterloo to Basingstoke. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Georges sudden death, just after 6.30pm on Monday, has shocked his friends in Fareham and Gosport. His family are now trying to raise the money to send his body back to his native Kenya so he can be buried. Friends of the popular former Bridgemary Community Sports College pupil are determined to help out and are banding together to help his family in their fundraising efforts. Leighanne Seath, 21, and Hayley Mitchell, 21, both from Gosport, went to school with George. Leighanne said: I couldnt believe it when I heard about it. I just started to cry. There are so many people who knew him. Everybody loved him. He was brilliant, just so cheeky and he always had a smile on his face. He was just lovely. One of music-lover Georges favourite hobbies was rapping, and his friends believe that was why he was in London in the first place. Tributes have poured in from Georges friends on Facebook, with his best friend Pete Slade, 21, saying: Even though you are gone we are still a team and always will be mate. You were like my brother but most importantly my best mate. Thanks for everything, see you at the other end. Hayley said: He loved his parties. He was always the class joker and always tried to be a bit of a ladies man. It just doesnt seem real that he has gone. Id urge people to help his family pay to send George back to Kenya. Its where he is from and his family want that to be the place where he is buried. They are keen to do it as quickly as possible but it will take them quite a while to raise the money. Friends have already put donation pots in the One Stop shop in Green Crescent and plan to put more in convenience stores across the area. Leighannes mum Maureen Kildea, 38, added: No parent should have to bury their child. George was such a lovely boy, Id ask people to help out if they can. His family need as much help as they can get.

Fisherman's 'inseparable relationship' with crocodile

A fisherman in Costa Rica has been explaining his unusual relationship with a crocodile called "Pocho", who he plays with like a pet dog. Chito says he found the reptile with a gunshot wound 20 years ago on the banks of the Parismina river and nursed him back to health at his home. He says he released Pocho into the wild but he followed him back, and the pair have been inseparable ever since. - VIDEO

THE WORD OF TODAY

Romans 13:10-15

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, [1] as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

FORWARDING AND CLEARING

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NAKURU WIDOW OCCUPYING HER HOUSE IN JULY 2010

Help The Seeds family settle this widowed lady

The construction started on 15th September 2009

The house construction now remains roofing and plastering and this will make a difference to Mrs. Lucy Wanjiru Maina (right) - a mother of six

It all started in a fellowship in London several years ago. A visiting preacher from Nakuru, Kenya was preaching in a Kenyan family house in London where they had lost their parent in Kenya. As the preacher was preaching she narrated the meaning of the word "poverty". "You people, you don't know what poverty is. When I talk about poverty you might not exactly understand but I can narrate what poverty is all about with an example of a widowed lady who was left by the husband with 6 children. The children do not go to school and the family is like nomads. They have been evicted from their rented houses for more than 9 times. They rent house, at the end of the month they cannot afford to pay the rent hence they are evicted. You are evicted until you don't know which estate you belong." the preacher explained. After the fellowship Pastor Jane Njiiri, the wife of Mr. Seed, enquired from the preacher about the woman and her where abouts. She contacted the lady and immediately she started to educate her children. It has been all along the desire of Pastor Njiiri and her family to build a home for this poor widow to make a difference in her life. Whenever Mr. Seed's family are in Kenya they always contact the lady who always join them in their family tour and she has become like a part of their family.

If you would like to help her in any way please contact her through Mrs. Lucy Wanjiru Maina on 0727307672 -  FULL STORY

HOUSEHOLD GOODS NEEDED FOR THE THREE BEDROOMS HOUSE

 You can donate whatever you like AND the Seeds family will buy whatever will not be donated.

1)  4 BEDS  (4 x 6 @ KShs. 7,000 each) -  4 MATTRESS @ KShs. 5,000 each

2) 2 SOFA SETS @ Kshs. 20,000 each

3) Cooker (gas) Cylinder @ KShs. 5,000 – Cooker KShs. 4,000

4) Cooking Sufurias (8)

5) Cups - 1 dozen

6) Plates - 1 dozen

7) Glass (water) - 1 dozen

8) Blankets (10)

(9) Bed sheets (10)

(10) KPLC Power connection from main (KShs. 42,000) we have done all the wiring)

(11) Coffee table (3)

(12) Spoons (table and tea) - 1 dozen of each

(13) Wardrobe (2)

(14) Table and 6 chairs (for children study)

(15) Kettle - one electric and one ordinary one)

(16) Sugar dish, salt holder, knifes,

(17) Radio (1) old or new

(18) Television set (1) Old or new

(19) Stools (6)

(20) Cooking pan (1) Toaster (1) new or used

Whatever someone is touched to donate is highly welcomed. The Bible says in Proverbs 19: 17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Thanks

God Bless.

Mr. Seed  - London

www.misterseed.com - mistereed@hotemail.co.uk - Tel: 07951220695.

IKO NINI BWANA SEED ARCHIVE

ANNOUNCMENT!

NEW BRISTOL OFFICE LOCATION

Kesom Freight International Limited are pleased to announce the opening of their OWN office in Bristol.

Kesom Freight International Ltd,

Next to Beauty Queen Cosmetics

229-231 Stapleton Road

Bristol

BS5 0PG

Office Tel:      0117 951 6161

Mobile:          07930508058/07932450835'

 This office can offer a full Freight forwarding service, including Imports, Exports by air & sea worldwide plus receiving & handling of cargo for our KENYAN consolidation service

www.kesomfreight.com

IKO NINI BWANA SEED ARCHIVE

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