What's causing your headache?
Five surprising triggers
Everyone knows that alcohol and colds can give you a headache, but what else can act as a trigger? We reveal five surprising triggers which may be behind your headache.
Teeth grinding
If you suffer from morning headaches, your teeth might be to blame! People who grind or clench their teeth - known as bruxism - are three times more likely to suffer headaches than the rest of us. As most grinding takes place while you are asleep, you may not be aware you are doing it. Constantly grinding your teeth can cause the facial and neck muscles to tense, making a headache more likely. Other tell-tale signs of teeth grinding include jaw pain in the morning, facial and neck pain, worn away tooth enamel and sensitive teeth caused by roots being exposed as the gum recedes. If you think teeth grinding may be your headache trigger, then see your dentist as soon as you can. They can supply you with a mouth guard which can help to save your teeth and ease the headache.
The week-end lie in
People working flat out Monday to Friday may find themselves with a pounding headache come late Saturday morning. This can happen when stress hormones circulating in the blood drop when the body suddenly goes into relaxation mode. This causes a rapid release of neurotransmitters, the brain's chemical messengers which cause the blood vessels to constrict and dilate, leading to a headache. So try to fit in some kind of relaxation or exercise into your busy schedule during the week rather than waiting for the weekend. And limit your sleep to no more than eight hours. Too much sleep is also linked to headaches.
Your computer
Poor posture can cause the muscles of your upper back, neck and shoulders to tense, which increases your chances of getting a headache. Sitting in a slouched position for hours at a time or sitting with your head jutted forward should be avoided. Looking at a computer screen means the eyes have to focus at short distances, which requires the most effort by our eye muscles, and can cause eyestrain as well as headache. So take regular breaks from working at the computer and move around. Adjust your compute screen so that it's 20 to 30 inches away from your eyes and positioned at eye level. Avoid glare by making sure there is no direct sunlight on the computer screen. Try to use a headset rather than a phone when sitting at a computer. Cradling a phone between your head and shoulder will only increase muscle strain on your neck and shoulder muscles.
Your perfume
Perfumes are designed to stimulate the brain. When exposed to the air, perfume evaporates and the chemicals within activate nerve cells in the nose, which send signals to the brain. Unfortunately for some sensitive souls, these signals are strong enough to cause headache and migraines. Household cleaners, fragrance air fresheners, soaps and shampoos can all have the same effect. Ensure that your home and place of work are well ventilated, with a good supply of fresh air to help minimise your exposure to the offending fragrance. Make a point of letting work colleagues know how fragrances affect you, especially if they're the type who like to "splash it all over!" One remedy claims that you can fight smells with smells - apply a small drop of peppermint oil to your forehead - a study suggested that this can work as well as painkillers for a smell induced headache.
Painkillers
Tense, nervous headache? Are you reaching for painkillers? Perhaps you should stop and think again, because taking pain medication too often can itself trigger headaches. Around one in ten people are thought to suffer from "rebound" headaches caused by taking too many over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, codeine and paracetamol. Typically, rebound headaches happen after taking painkillers a few times a week for long periods of time. During this period, the headaches usually become more frequent and more painkillers are taken to deal with them and so a cycle is established.
If this sounds like you, then see your GP. They will advise you on how to come off the painkillers if necessary. Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, you should not take painkillers for headaches more than twice a week or two days in a row. Always should always go to your GP if you feel you need to regularly use OTC medicines. You could have an underlying health condition, so it's best to get it checked out.
The new Sodom and Gomorrah?
The squalid conditions in which the refugees live in IDP camps pose a huge risk to the social development of children, many of whom are forced to share the little space they have with their parents and, in some cases, even with total strangers. Lack of privacy within internal refugee camps is turning resident children into decadent imps. The young here record everything their parents do, then re-enact the same with their peers during play time. Urged on by their childish innocence, these children are teetering on the edge of a moral dilemma beyond imagination.
In 2007, Angel Kimani was a happily married mother of two, living comfortably in a two-bedroom house in the outskirts of Eldoret town. She had seen her children grow from meddlesome toddlers to disciplined youngsters who toed the Christian line she had weaned them on. She had every reason to believe that her children would grow up to become shining beacons of excellence. Then in December that year, Kenya went to the polls — and, soon after, to the dogs. As the political chieftains quarrelled in Nairobi over who had won the elections, Ms Kimani’s neighbours, people with whom she had co-existed peacefully, suddenly rediscovered a primitive, tribal militancy that had been hidden in their chests for decades. And when a gang of agitated youths knocked on her door that dreary January morning in 2008, she knew that she had to pack up and leave her comfortable abode or risk rape, plunder, and murder. That is how she found her way — her husband and their two children in tow — into the grubby tent camp of Yamumbi, which was set up to house the internally displaced victims of the post-election madness of 2007/8. It is now three years and Ms Kimani has settled down to the humdrum, commonplace emptiness of her humble existence. However, something disturbs her whenever she pulls her wooden stool outside her polythene structure to watch her children play. “Their little games, even in their innocence, are worrying,” she says. “Their is a lot of sexual expression in the simple things they do.” And she is right. Scenes of children climbing on each others’ backs, all the while calling each other pet names that are the reserve of lovers, are a common occurrence here. Ms Kimani says it is disheartening to watch seven-year-olds entwined in a sexual position in broad daylight, and blames it all on the lack of privacy within the tents.
“It’s unfortunate that this is the kind of generation the circumstances in this camp have forced us to bring up,” says Ms Kimani’s neighbour Mary Mwangi. “The only respite is that most of them are still young and do not understand what they are doing, but it is just a matter of time before they grow up, and then there will be no stopping them.”
A tall order
For parents, privacy during intimacy inside the tents is a tall order. As much as some have tried to re-structure their lifestyles to accommodate the inconvenience caused by the turn of events, the effects of alcoholism, a pastime for many here, have torn down the weak barriers that the tents can offer.
“When drunk, some men forget that their children are barely asleep a metre away. Some even reach out for their wives in full view of the children,” says Ms Mwangi. This, she adds, has led to social friction as women who can’t stand such drunken sexual exposure choose to seek refuge elsewhere to spare their children the shame. “It’s just a matter of time before all the youngsters are exposed to this sickening decadence,” says the IDPs’ North Rift secretary general, Mr Patrick Muchiri. “Just take your time and watch the kind of games children play out here. You will not believe it.”
Mr Muchiri says even grown up women are victims of the irresponsible behaviour men (and some women) exhibit when drunk. And the short-term solution, he adds, is to keep the young ones away from the tents as much as possible. Sending children away from the camps has been precipitated by reduced food rations from the government. Therefore, parents cart their offspring off to live with relatives or to eke out a living elsewhere... anywhere. “Four of my children have been taken in by relatives,” says a woman, only identified herself as Wanjiku, as she cuddles her fifth child, Samuel Mwangi, born in her tent and who turned one year last November 11.
Limited options
Although her other children are likely to miss out on the parental guidance and love she wishes she could offer them, Ms Wanjiku says her options are limited given the circumstances, and that life outside the camp is likely to mould them into better persons. “I can hardly meet their medical and dietary needs here, leave alone their schooling expenses. We have tried to cope with this strange arrangement for the three years that we have been here, and we hope the situation doesn’t stretch into next year,” she says. Her neighbour, Ms Anne Wambui, says even those who have partitioned their tents hardly get the privacy a couple needs, especially now that schools have closed and children spend the whole day running in and out of their polythene homes.
Respiratory complications
But life has to go on for the couples here. Mr Muchiri says more than 20 children have been born at the Yamumbi camp alone in the past three years. Four, however, succumbed to respiratory complications while still babies. The squalid living conditions, Mr Muchiri says, have been made worse by adverse weather conditions that have led to numerous pneumonia- and asthma-related cases. “People with respiratory disorders require a clean environment, but with these tents serving as bedrooms, sitting rooms, and stores, that is next to impossible here,” he says. The IDPs want the government to fulfil its promise and speed up the resettlement process. Mr Muchiri they may resort to the courts if the government does not offer them a solution by the end of this week. The minister for Special Programmes, Ms Esther Murugi, has indicated that the government has put in place structures to ensure that IDPs are resettled by the end of this year. The deputy provincial commissioner in charge of Eastern Rift Valley, Mr Wanyama Musiambo, has reiterated the government’s commitment to resettling the IDPs, saying the authorities in Nairobi were working on a scheme to ensure that no Kenyan was still living in an IDP camp by the end of this year. But the end of the year is just two days away and all is quiet in Nairobi. As the year ticks towards a close, the children of Yamumbi edge closer to moral decadence as their parents, scared and scarred into inaction, watch from the cold interiors of their crumbling tents. Video
The joy of Christmas in Pictures
Families enjoy at the Uhuru Park lake on December 25,2010 , most families decided to enjoy the Christmas festive season at the park which was full of revellers waiting to row the few boats at the park.
Women and their secrets
She is the epitome of a good wife or mother but behind the façade is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. With this woman, what you see is not what you get
A few weeks ago, we carried a feature on men who lead double lives. Many of our male readers complained that we were only hitting at them and yet there are women who also lead double lives. To balance the equation, this week, we shall look at women, who also live with skeletons in their closets. Many women harbour live with secrets that nobody, not even their partners or spouses know about. On the surface, they appear to lead normal lives going about their day-to-day routines – working, raising children and being good wives. A large number are devout church goers. However, what lurks beneath this seemingly perfect façade is probably in the realm of soap operas! With women, it is even more difficult to detect their secret lives, since, unlike me, they have perfected the art of pretence. But why would a woman want to live her life with a dark cloud over her head because sooner or later, the truth will out. Most psychologists pin this down to human nature. They maintain that everyone on the planet has a good side and a bad side: it is just the extent that makes the difference. But while nobody is perfect, some women are just plain sinister. Their dark side is often secretive and perplexing. Some partners react in utter shock when they discover that the woman they have loved and had children with has another life or is keeping a secret that is confounding. A few men we spoke to said the following situations were the most shocking things they discovered about the women in their lives:
Women who abandoned their babies
We read of these stories in the newspapers everyday. Hospitals abound with cases of abandoned newborns; where the mother gives birth and then sneaks away. Once they leave the baby in the hospital, they move on. They get married and have other children, and nobody ever knows about the baby. A more common occurrence is where the women do not abandon their babies, but they do not inform their husbands that they have a child somewhere. Upon the woman’s marriage, this child is often left with his or her grandmother or the woman’s relatives. And she or he will be passed off to the husband and his side of the family as a sister or brother to the woman.
Married women who double up as prostitutes
A recent news item on TV caused shockwaves as married women at the coast came out and confessed that they secretly work as commercial sex workers. They cited various reasons for doing so; some said they were bored, while others said they did it for the money. The married prostitute is not your usual brazen street girl variety. She is subtle and extremely secretive. It has been established that most lodgings, which conduct brisk business during the day often harbour married women going about their business.
They do it in the mornings’ or early afternoons because they have to be home early to prepare dinner for their husbands and families. Others have discreet affairs with their seniors at work in order to earn increments and speed up promotions. It is not uncommon to hear of women who have multiple relationships with bosses, suppliers and other influential parties for financial gain. There are cases of married women who travel to certain countries abroad purportedly to buy clothes and other goods for sale. While there, they engage in sex, for serious money with the local men in those countries, who pay premium rates for these trysts.
Women and witchcraft
This is one thing that is becoming increasingly common especially among middle class women. Look at the profile of women who visit witchdoctors and it will not be your regular slum dweller or rural woman but that neighbour with the posh house. The innocent-looking married women are frequent clients of the numerous witchdoctors who abound in every town. They visit them to obtain love potions to administer on their partners. These potions, they believe, are supposed to subdue the man and keep him under their control. For this reason, the witchdoctor trade is thriving that is why you will now see those numerous signs in the posh suburbs that proclaim the services of these witchdoctors. MORE
Observe noise law, warns Nema
Revellers in Havana, Cuba, admire a fireworks display on New Year’s eve last year. In Kenya, establishments that break the law on noise pollution will face the law if patrons usher in the New Year with excessive noise, Nema has said. Photo/FILE
Beware those who shout loudest on New Year. The national environment agency has launched a 48-hour campaign to monitor noise levels as Kenyans prepare to celebrate the New Year. A National Environment Management Authority official, Mr Wachira Bore, said the campaign was meant to make business owners and churches aware of the risks of playing loud music. He said they had teamed up with occupational health officials and security agencies to enforce the regulations. Mr Bore, who is the Central Province environment officer, warned that they would prosecute those who break the regulation. The official and the Nyandarua environment officer, Ms Lydia Njeri, served music shops, entertainment spots and supermarkets with notices on noise pollution.
Equipment confiscated
A sound level meter would be used to measure noise levels and those found guilty would be arrested and the sound equipment confiscated, Mr Bore warned. He added that they were investigating complaints against churches, and entertainment spots. Nema has given bar owners and churches in Nyamira County 21 days to comply with the law.
District environment officer Osiemo Ngira and district environment committee official Arnold Rasugu raided bars in Kebirigo, Konate and Nyamira trading centres on Tuesday night and served the owners with notices. Fearing arrest, some business owners stopped playing loud music or closed their premises. However, others declined to sign documents confirming receiving the notices to comply with the Noise Regulation Act of 2009. Mr Ngira said Nema was not against playing music in bars and use of public address systems in churches. “Those in-charge should ensure that noise emitted from such areas should not be heard beyond a radius of 30 metres,” he said. He added: “We are going to start arresting those who will defy these notices but in the meantime we are simply alerting them that we are on the way. They should know that the penalty of such offenders is prohibitive.” He warned churches mounting loud speakers for overnight prayers to beware the law was in force. Bar owners and patrons said the law on noise pollution and the new Alcoholic Act would drive them out of business. Most restaurants recorded low business during the Christmas weekend in the wake of restrictive laws on the sale of alcohol. Bars are allowed to sell alcohol between 5pm and 11pm on week days and 2pm-11pm on weekends.
Joanna Yeates' parents grieve at site of body discovery
The parents of Joanna Yeates have visited the site where her body was discovered on Christmas Day.
Joanna Yeates' family visit the site where her body was discovered. (PA)
David and Theresa Yeates, along with their son Chris and Joanna's boyfriend Greg Reardon, laid flowers at the scene, which is close to Long Ashton Golf Club in Failand, Bristol. The 25-year-old landscape architect had not been seen since she was filmed on CCTV on December 17th and her body was found two days ago by a couple walking their dogs. Police have said they are treating the case as suspicious. Results of the post-mortem are expected to be revealed tomorrow but the low temperatures in the UK have held up the investigation, as the body was found frozen. Speaking following the family visit to the site, Chief Superintendent of Avon and Somerset Police Jon Stratford outlined his intention to work as hard as possible to find out what happened to Ms Yeates. He added: 'I would appeal to anyone with any information whatsoever that can help this investigation to please come forward and help us provide Joanna's parents with the answers they so desperately want and need.'
Support for coalition government plummeting, new poll shows
A new study has found that less than 50 per cent of the UK population believe the coalition government is the correct way to run the country, marking a considerable change in Britons' political outlook.
According to the latest Guardian/ICM poll, just 43 per cent of respondents now think creating a Conservative-Liberal Democrat government was the right decision for Britain - down from 59 per cent who answered a similarly-worded question in May.
Less than 50 per cent of the population believe the coalition government is a good idea, according to new data. (PA)
Following the general election earlier in the year, only 32 per cent disagreed with the idea of forming this type of administration. In addition, the survey found there is rising support for the Labour Party across the UK, with Liberal Democrat support now at a five-year low of 13 per cent. The onservatives are backed by 37 per cent. The results of the survey follow comments from John Redwood, a former Conservative leadership contender, who suggested one of the reasons for dwindling support for the Liberal Democrats is 'the new narrative that Lib Dems have come into the government to bridle the instincts of Conservatives.'
Pictures: 2010 review in photos
Prince William and Kate Middleton pose in one of two official engagement portraits, taken by photographer Mario Testino in the Cornwall Room at St James's Palace in London on November 25, 2010. The prince and his fiancee, Catherine Middleton, are to get married next year, the BuckinghamPalace said last month, October 2010. More..
Road chaos warning as 14m drivers get set for Christmas getaway
As many as 14m cars will take to the roads today for the big Christmas getaway as the freezing weather keeps its grip on the country. Motorists heading home and out shopping face one of the busiest driving days of the year.
Heavy snow affecting the M5 in Somerset
Traffic is expected to peak later this evening as people try and get home before Christmas Eve and out for some last-minute bargains. Paul Watters from the AA said: 'We are building up for a problematic day on the roads.' Hold-ups at airports and on the trains have begun to ease, but critics are rounding on the UK's inability to cope with the cold snap. Much of Britain saw temperatures fall below zero overnight, prompting widespread warnings for icy roads. Most of the UK should stay dry but cold today, with slight snow showers in northern and eastern parts of the country. The AA responded to 21,000 call-outs yesterday, and Mr Watters said: 'We don't expect today to be any easier.' At Heathrow almost a full schedule of flights are expected to operate after days of cancellations. Owners BAA warned passengers it would not be an immediate return to normality though. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said BAA had 'very serious lessons' to learn from the chaos. BMI boss Wolfgang Prock-Schauer also claimed the airport 'did not have enough de-icing fluid' - something a Heathrow spokesman denied strenuously. The spokesman said: 'It is categorically untrue that we have either run out of de-icer, failed to order enough de-icer or accepted de-icer supplies from the Government.' Under-fire BAA chief executive Colin Matthews revealed he would forgo his annual bonus. Mr Matthews said: 'I have decided to give up my bonus for the current year. My focus is on keeping people moving and rebuilding confidence in Heathrow.' Weather forecasters predicted relatively mild weather in the run up to Christmas Day.
Time to get to grip with winter tyres?
Winter tyres are much more efficient for driving at very low temperatures
But with Britain experiencing its second harsh winter in succession – and more bad weather on the way – more and more motorists are preparing to bite the bullet in a bid to improve the traction of their cars on icy, treacherous roads. Winter tyres have never really caught on in the UK, though are commonplace in Europe, and indeed compulsory in some countries. There also appears to be some confusion as to what a ‘winter tyre’ actually is. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond caused dismay among manufacturers and safety groups by suggesting that winter tyres were not suitable for the UK.
He was probably referring to studded tyres which are used only in harshest, most extreme driving conditions. Cold weather tyres look similar to summer tyres which are commonly fitted to British cars but offer better performance in ice and snow – and indeed mud. Winter tyres are made from a softer compound. This makes them more effective when temperatures fall below 7C as they do not harden, ensuring better braking performance and less risk of aquaplaning. They also feature more complicated tread patterns featuring zig-zag cuts (called ‘sipes’) which provide more grip on snowy roads. They should last the same amount of time as summer tyres and those who rotate between the two sets should see more use out of the tyres. Tests conducted by the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association found that a car braking at 60mph on a wet road at 5C stopped 17ft shorter, equivalent to more than one car length, when fitted with winter-weather tyres.
On icy roads the difference was even more pronounced. The car equipped with winter tyres stopped 36ft sooner on ice and 27ft sooner on snow, from just 20mph.And this message finally seems to be getting through to British drivers. We are heading off in our droves to our nearest auto centre to have our cars shod with winter tyres – only to find there’s a nationwide shortage. Goodyear, which produces compounds for winter tyres at its Wolverhampton plant, sold only around 350 winter tyres in the UK last winter. This time round it has already boosted that figure by 567 per cent – and that was three weeks ago, before the worst weather started to bite. oodyear’s Kate Rock conceded: “There are supply issues across the UK, particularly for popular makes. We are pleased that the country is finally starting to take tyre issues seriously and are urging motorists to plan ahead and think about ordering their cold weather tyres early.”
It’s a similar story at tyre retail giant Kwik-Fit, which supplies five million tyres annually. Last winter it sold only around 2,000 winter tyres. This season the figure is expected to be closer to 50,000.
The UK supply problem has not been helped by a change in the law in Germany, which means it is now compulsory to fit winter tyres there. This means manufacturers have been sending their stocks to the continent, leaving fewer tyres for the UK. So, assuming you can find a retailer with some stock, how much will it set you back to fit winter tyres? It’s difficult to be too specific as there are some 2,000 different sizes and styles of tyre but let’s take a typical family car like a Citroen Picasso, with 15-inch wheels, as an example. To fit premium brand 185/65T Continental winter tyres at a national chain like Kwik-Fit, which has been running a winter tyres promotion, will cost £72.50 per tyre. You’ll need a full set as it is not advisable to mix them with summer tyres. It’s also worth inflating your tyres with nitrogen, at £1.25 per tyre, as this helps the tyre retain its pressure better than compressed air, leading to better fuel consumption and longer tread life. Tracking, balancing and valve costs will add a further £65 to the bill. Kwik-Fit even offers to store your summer tyres at its ‘tyre hotel’ (in reality, a warehouse in Corby – with no ensuite facilities) at a cost of around £40. If you don’t require the service, the alternative is storing your tyres in your garage over the winter.
So the final cost, including tyre storage, is just under £330. For other makes, winter tyres start at around £40 for a 13-inch wheel which would suitable for a small city runabout like a Chevrolet Matiz. For a mid-range tyre suitable for a Focus, Golf or Astra-sized hatch you should be budgeting £75 to £85 per tyre. At the upper end of the market you’ll be looking at over £200 for a 19-inch ‘run-flat’ winter tyre suitable for one of the German premium brands like BMW or Mercedes-Benz.
Franchised dealers offer a similar service and you can expect to pay from around £950 a set for Volvo winter tyres. BMW, meanwhile, charges £1,800 for winter tyres/rims for its new X3 SUV. Since it started its winter tyre scheme two months ago it has sold an impressive 1,500 sets of tyres/rims.
Kwik-Fit’s marketing director Chris Bosworth has fitted winter tyres to his own car and reckons there’s plenty of potential for growing the market in the coming years. He would like to see up to a quarter of UKmotorists switching their tyres seasonally by 2015. “We are going to slowly change the face of winter motoring in Britain,” he pledges. Goodyear, meanwhile, would like to go even further and is lobbying for a change in the law to make the fitting of winter tyres mandatory.
Peter’s verdict:
While it may be difficult to justify the extra cost, the stopping distance figures speak for themselves and most motoring organisations have come out in favour of fitting winter tyres. Your summer tyres are going to last twice as long so it’s not really an ‘extra’ expense anyway. “Winter tyres will not be for everyone, particularly those who are well served by public transport, don’t cover a lot of miles, or change their car regularly. But the rest of us should seriously consider them – well next year, anyway.
KENYA: Africa can feed itself
STUDY: Calestous Juma
A KENYAN-born Harvard professor told leaders from five East African countries last week that the continent can feed itself within a generation if farmers embrace modern technology and governments expand infrastructure and harmonise regional markets.
Calestous Juma says in a new study being presented to leaders of the five-nation East African Community that policies over the last century have favoured exporting Africa’s raw materials and importing food, but Africa should now focus on agriculture as an engine for regional trade and prosperity.
PERCEPTION
“For most people who work in Africa and live in Africa the perception of the continent has always been that it is incapable of feeding itself,” Juma said in a phone interview. “Up until recently the reaction of African leaders to any famine has been to ask for food aid,” he said. “The general atmosphere both within Africa and outside is that Africa can’t feed itself, and you have institutions that reflect that attitude.” Juma told the presidents of Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania, as well as the prime minister of Rwanda and foreign minister of Uganda, that they must embrace modern technologies, including biotechnology, and continue to expand basic infrastructure like roads, irrigation canals and energy grids. Farm mechanization and food storage also must be improved, he said.
The UN says nearly one billion people around the world are undernourished. Nearly 240 million of those people are in Africa. About 70 percent of Congo’s population - or 42 million people - are undernourished. In Ethiopia, it’s about 41 percent - 31.6 million people, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). ‘Lack of food is not the problem. Enough food is produced in the world today for everyone to be properly nourished and lead a healthy and productive life,’ a recent report from the FAO said. Hunger ‘exists because there is not enough investment in the rural sector in many countries to support agricultural development.’ One small-scale farmer in Kenya who grows potatoes, carrots and cabbage said the country has the technology to grow more food, but that new ideas and information often don’t reach small-scale farmers. The farmer, Grace Kimani, also said farmers aren’t making as much money as they should.
CHEATED
“We are lacking access to markets, because in between there are so many middleman, and the farmer is always cheated. The farmer is not getting the right price,” said Kimani, who previously worked for the government funded Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. Juma, who grew up on the shores of Lake Victoria near the Uganda-Kenya border, said the East African Community needs to align its national and regional policies to maximise the agricultural industry. Roads have typically connected cities and not rural areas, but farmers need strong transport networks to quickly get food products to markets, Juma said.
SOUTH AFRICA: 'I don't like black people' author stripped of award
AWARD LOSS: Annelie Botes
A WIDELY acclaimed South African author has been stripped of a major writing award for saying she does not like black people. Annelie Botes, writer of the highly praised Thula Thula, has had her South African Literary Awards (Sala) trophy withdrawn after she made the remarks in a South African newspaper. Sala chairperson Zodwa Motsa said in a statement: ‘The South African Literary Awards is outraged by the alleged racist remarks that are part of Ms Annelie Botes' interview with the Rapport newspaper of 20th November 2010.’ Motsa added: ‘Sala's advisory board and its partners are concerned that Ms Botes' alleged racist remarks may disgrace the awards. It is therefore against this background that Sala hereby distances itself from such alleged racist utterances attributed to her.’ Botes, whose novel Thula Thula has the themes of incest and child abuse, was recently announced winner of the K Sello Duiker Memorial Award from Sala. According to a South African newspaper report, a letter was sent to her on December 7, a day before the awards banquet, to inform her it had now been withdrawn. The Afrikaans writer’s interview in Rapport newspaper caused controversy last month. Asked by the newspaper to name the people she doesn’t like, she replied, “black people”. “I am now going to be terribly honest. And let it shock this country. I do not like black people. I don't understand them... I know they are people like me, I know they have the same rights as me. But I do not understand them. And then... I don't like them. I avoid them, because I am afraid of them.”
Obama urges Kenya cooperation with ICC probe
US President Barack Obama has called on Kenyans to cooperate with the International Criminal Court investigation into the post election violence December 15, 2010. FILE
US President Barack Obama has called on Kenyan to cooperate with the International Criminal Court investigation into the post election violence. "I urge all of Kenya's leaders, and the people whom they serve, to cooperate fully with the ICC investigation and remain focused on implementation of the reform agenda and the future of your nation," he said in a statement Wednesday. President Obama said that those found culpable should not drag their community into their woes. "Those found responsible will be held accountable for their crimes as individuals. No community should be singled out for shame or held collectively responsible," he said. He said Kenya "is turning a page in its history, moving away from impunity and divisionism toward an era of accountability and equal opportunity". "The path ahead is not easy, but I believe that the Kenyan people have the courage and resolve to reject those who would drag the country back into the past and rob Kenyans of the singular opportunity that is before them to realize the country's vast potential," he said.
Ocampo names Kenya chaos suspects
'The Ocampo Six'
The names of suspected masterminds of Kenya's post election violence have finally been revealed.
The six include senior politicians in the Party of National Unity (PNU) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the main parties that battled it out for the presidency in the disputed 2007 elections. International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Wednesday that the prominent leaders bore "the greatest responsibility" for the violence that left 1,133 people dead and 650,000 displaced. Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta, his Industrialisation counterpart Henry Kosgey, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, the head of the civil service Francis Muthaura, former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali and journalist Joshua arap Sang will now receive summons to appear before The Hague- based court.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo was addressing a news conference after presenting before the ICC judges two cases, each involving three individuals. "The post election period of 2007-2008 was one of the most violent periods of the nation’s history,” said the Prosecutor. "These were not just crimes against innocent Kenyans," he said. “They were crimes against humanity as a whole. By breaking the cycle of impunity for massive crimes, victims and their families can have justice. And Kenyans can pave the way to peaceful elections in 2012.” Mr Moreno Ocampo said he considered Mr Ruto, Mr Kosgey and Mr arap Sang as the "principal planners and organisers of crimes against PNU supporters". He said Mr Muthaura used his position as the chairman of the National Security Advisory Committee to "authorise the police to use excessive force against ODM supporters and to facilitate attacks against ODM supporters". Major General Ali also faces the same charges. Mr Kenyatta is accused of mobilising the outlawed sect Mungiki to attack ODM supporters. Mr Sang used "his radio program to collect supporters and provide signals to members of the plan on when and where to attack," said the Prosecutor. He said that “perpetrators” cultivated by Mr Ruto, Mr Kosgey and Mr Sang began to execute their plan by attacking PNU supporters immediately after the results were announced. "On 30-31 December 2007, they began attacks in target locations including Turbo town, the greater Eldoret area (Huruma, Kimumu, Langas, and Yamumbi), Kapsabet town, and Nandi Hills town. They approached each location from all directions, burning down PNU supporters’ homes and businesses, killing civilians, and systematically driving them from their homes. "On 1 January 2008, the church located on the Kiambaa farm cooperative was attacked and burned with more than hundred people inside. At least 17 people died. The brunt of the attacks continued into the first week of January 2008." Mr Moreno-Ocampo accused government officials: Mr Kenyatta, Mr Muthaura and Major General Ali of planning and executing well coordinated retaliatory attacks. "On or about 3 January 2008, KENYATTA, as the focal point between the PNU and the criminal organization the Mungiki, facilitated a meeting with MUTHAURA, a senior Government of Kenya official, and Mungiki leaders to organize retaliatory attacks against civilian supporters of the ODM. "Thereafter, MUTHAURA, in his capacity as Chairman of the National Security Advisory Committee (“NSAC”), telephoned ALI, his subordinate as head of the Kenya Police, and instructed ALI not to interfere with the movement of pro-PNU youth, including the Mungiki. "KENYATTA additionally instructed the Mungiki leaders to attend a second meeting on the same day to finalise logistical and financial arrangements for the retaliatory attacks," he said. The documents he gave the court included the names of the six, the crimes they are alleged to have committed and the penalty that he will be asking for.
Kibaki, Raila in bid to rein in Ranneberger
The Kenyan government on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the US envoy as relations between Nairobi and Washington appeared to turn sour.
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga warned ambassador Michael Ranneberger they would not tolerate his activities in the country. This comes in the wake of reports that Mr Ranneberger has been funding youth groups to influence Kenya’s political direction. The envoy has also described the Kenyan leadership as steeped in corruption and incapable of reforming the country in leaked secret cables. Addressing Jamhuri Day celebrations, the president, prime minister and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka took issue with Mr Ranneberger for questioning the leadership’s commitment to reforms and labelling the Cabinet corrupt. “We have nothing to fear. Wherever we have reached nobody can threaten us. Those trying should go elsewhere,” President Kibaki said. He asked Kenyans not to worry about the WikiLeaks reports. The Big Three also criticised Mr Ranneberger and other envoys dishing out money to youths on the pretext of empowering them to take over leadership. “If they think because of money given to a few youths they will destroy Kenya, then they are dreaming as we have enjoyed independence for 47 years and there’s no way they will take us back. Anyone who is worried (about WikiLeaks) should be assisted. Let us continue with our work,” President Kibaki said in one of his major swipes at foreign countries. For the first time, the President started his address with an off the cuff speech before reading his official statement. Normally, the President addresses the public in Kiswahili or dwells on other issues after reading his official statement. He said the government was aware of “three, four or five” people going around the country distributing money and inciting Kenyans. “We have seen them. They are visitors and when they leave, you will remain with nothing,” he said. The President said Kenya wants to relate well with all countries “but will not allow people who want to come to Kenya and incite the people.
“Who do they think they are? We are ready to fight them,” he declared. Mr Odinga kicked off the attack, saying the government appreciates support from donors but it’s for Kenyans to run the country. “Diplomats should respect Kenyans. One should not come and pretend to be governor. We have no governors. The last one was MacDonald and left in 1964 and went back to his country. As visitors, diplomats should respect Kenyans,” the PM said. The PM cautioned young people against being misused. He said a true friend should always tell the truth. Mr Musyoka said Kenyans fought for the independence they are enjoying and foreigners should respect them. “As stated in our National Anthem Kenyans require respect. We fought for the independence we are enjoying and were not just given,” Mr Musyoka said. The principals said the government was committed to implementing the Constitution in a timely, efficient manner. While Mr Odinga assured Kenyans that the process would not stall in Parliament, President Kibaki appealed to MPs to approve the nominees to the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution “to ensure that we stick to the agreed Schedule.” “The Grand Coalition government is committed to ensuring that our proposed laws are enacted with integrity and fidelity to the Constitution. We do appreciate that there will be challenges in the process of implementing. As a government, we are committed to engaging in consultation and dialogue for the sake of our nation,” President Kibaki said.
Police could use water cannon to disperse rioters, Theresa May says
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has opened the way for water cannon to be used on the British mainland for the first time if future demonstrations escalate into uncontrollable violence.
Riot Control Truck(Water Cannon Vehicle) left, and Police using water cannons on the rioters, right.
Ministers will not stand in the way if senior officers wanted to use it, she said. And in the wake of last week’s shocking scenes in central London’s West End Mrs May warned that future demonstrations needed to be policed “robustly.” The sight of an out-of-control mob vandalising parts of Westminster has led to accusations that the Conservatives are weak on law-and-order. In the UK water cannon has only been deployed in Northern Ireland, at various points throughout the Troubles, and its use has been resisted until now by senior police officers elsewhere in Britain. However, it is widely used as a crowd control tactic abroad. In a sign that the introduction of water cannon to the mainland is being seriously discussed in Whitehall, the Home Secretary, when asked about it, said she did not want to “give the game away about anything that might be done in the future.” She told Sky News: “Whether or not they choose to use water cannon is an operation issue. I think it is right that we look across the board at all the options that are available. “It is a matter for them to decide which tactics they wish to use. They (the police) will look across the board at the powers that are available to them, at the operational things that they can do and make decisions to ensure any future demonstrations that take place are also policed robustly.” At last week’s demonstrations in central London police appeared either powerless or reluctant to tackle violent demonstrators who vandalised the Supreme Court, HM Revenue and Customs as well as desecrating Sir Winston Churchill’s statute and other monuments in Parliament Square. Privately, some police officers have said it could be time use water cannon rather than allow a mob to run amok. Ministers have previously ruled out the use of water cannon, instead remarking that traditional British methods of crowd control should be maintained. The Metropolitan Police has trialled water cannon but has never used it. Similarly, it has officers trained to use baton rounds – plastic bullets – but has also never deployed that tactic. One Met officer who was in a mock mob as part of a trial for water cannon told the Daily Telegraph: “It is very effective. The truck simply comes up, a plate goes over the nozzle and it sprays, rather than jets. “It is like being in a power-shower times 10 and it takes the air away which makes it difficult to breathe so you have to move. After last week it may be time that a method which gets people away from an area quickly has to be looked at seriously.” Rank-and-file officers feel senior commanders lack the will to use new methods of crowd control. Sir Paul Stephenson, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said in an interview two weeks ago that he was not “very keen” on using water cannon on London streets. However, Sir Paul is now under severe pressure after a series of student protests in the capital have ended with the police appearing to lose control. Last month he was forced to apologise to David Cameron after inadequate policing allowed Conservative headquarters to be attacked and vandalised. In the wake of Thursday’s violence which saw the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall attacked in their car Sir Paul has had to again apologise, this time to the Prince. Sources at Scotland Yard say the Commissioner “considered his position” after the events of last Thursday. Sir Paul said that one reason they have not been used is that the Met does not own any. However, it was reported last year that senior officers in the capital had considered buying six water cannon at a cost of around £5 million. Cost constraints in the wake of Whitehall budget cuts would, therefore, also be a major consideration.
But Labour yesterday came out against the possibility of using water cannon. Ed Balls, the shadow home secretary, said: “I am very sceptical about the use of water canon or rubber bullets because every time in the past you then have a minority who seek to force the police to use that kind of technique.” Mrs May also confirmed that Camilla had come into "contact" with the mob who surrounded the car in the West End as she and her husband were driven to the Royal Variety Performance. Asked to confirm that Camilla had been jabbed in the ribs with a stick by one of the protesters, the Home Secretary replied: "I am not sure about the term poked with a stick. I understand there was contact made. This is an incident that needs to be looked at by the Metropolitan Police." Mrs May will make a statement to MPs on the tuition fee protests on Monday.
Weather Warning For Christmas Getaway
Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures are expected to make a timely return - for the Christmas getaway.
The weekend has brought milder weather but forecasters are warning Brits to prepare for a cold week ahead. And by Friday - as most schools break up for the festive holiday - we can expect heavy snow showers and arctic winds. Sky weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said things will start to get cooler tomorrow. "We'll start to drag in a Northerly air flow bringing in the cold arctic air. "For the latter part of the week temperatures will really take a tumble and there will be the risk of heavy snowfall, especially in the East.'' Met Office Chief Forecaster, Bob Wilderspin said: "Colder weather is expected to return next week. "Northerly winds are predicted to bring a return to cold days and significant overnight frosts." An AA spokesman said he hoped motorists would be better prepared for the bad weather after the recent treacherous spell. "Scotland was pretty much paralysed and if the next spell is going to be as bad, then you've got to ask, what are they going to do differently this time?"
'Koran burning' pastor maybe banned from UK
Home Secretary Theresa May has said she was "actively" considering whether to ban a controversial US pastor from entering Britain to share his views on Islam with far-right activists.
Terry Jones sparked condemnation around the world when he threatened to burn the Koran on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. He intends to preach "against the evils and destructiveness of Islam" at an English Defence League rally in Luton, Bedfordshire, on February 5. Mrs May told Sky News' Sunday Live: "Of course the home secretary has the right to exclude people who are not conducive to public good or on national security grounds. Pastor Terry Jones has been on my radar for a few months now." A statement on the pastor's website said: "During the protest, Dr Terry Jones will speak against the evils and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight against the Islamification of England and Europe." However, Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary of Unite Against Fascism, accused Mr Jones of coming to Britain to "whip up Islamophobia and racism".
Wikileaks: corruption could push Kenya into violence
Kenya could descend back into violence worse than during the crisis that followed the 2007 election unless reform is speeded up and corruption tackled, a US cable released by WikiLeaks has claimed.
Michael Ranneberger, the US ambassador to Kenya, reported in a dispatch in January that the "old guard" at the highest levels of the political elite was hindering progress. "While some positive reform steps have been taken, the old guard associated with the culture of impunity continues to resist fundamental change," he wrote in the cable, revealed in the Guardian newspaper. "Most key reforms are yet to be carried out, and the future of the constitutional review process is uncertain." He added: "Failure to implement significant reforms will greatly enhance prospects for a violent crisis in 2012 or before - which might well prove much worse than the last post-election crisis." The ambassador singled out the country's president and prime minister as being part of the group which was resistant to change. "Most of the political and economic elite (to greater and lesser extents) compose the vested interests that benefit from and support impunity and the lack of accountability with respect to governance, state resources, and the rule of law," he wrote. This included President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Rail Odinga - former rivals who signed a power-sharing agreement after the post-election crisis - and most members of the cabinet, he wrote. The violence which broke out after the disputed presidential poll of December 2007 was Kenya's worst since independence and left more than 1,500 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
WikiLeaks release: Why law is powerless to stop WikiLeaks from publishing
The structure of WikiLeaks makes it practically impossible for governments and other organisations embarrassed by its disclosures to make legal challenges against it.
PRQ, a Swedish internet hosting company linked to the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay, has said it provides Wikileaks with server space from a base in the Stockholm suburbs
Mr Assange told a conference in July that Wikileaks passes its data through countries that offer relatively strong legal protection to people who leak information, including Sweden, Iceland and Belgium. PRQ, a Swedish internet hosting company linked to the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay, has said it provides Wikileaks with server space from a base in the Stockholm suburbs
Mikael Viborg, the owner of PRQ, said Swedish authorities were aware of the servers’ location but had not made any attempt to shut them down. He said Wikileaks also had backup servers in place in other countries that were ready to be activated if their primary servers were shut down. Reports have also claimed some Wikileaks servers are 30 metres underground, in a Cold War nuclear bunker that was carved out of a large rock hill in Stockholm. After Wikileaks released its Iraq war logs earlier this year, it emerged the organisation was also “mirroring” the data on US-based servers, in a move seen as a deliberate taunt to the Pentagon and US authorities.
Injuries As Coach Overturns Off M40
Thirty-five passengers and a driver were taken to hospital after a coach overturned on a motorway slip road.
Injuries as coach overturns Off M40
Four people had surgery for injuries including broken bones, with 13 others needing emergency treatment after the crash near Thame, Oxfordshire. The single-deck vehicle flipped on its side just before 11pm yesterday on the north-bound slip at junction seven. All the casualties were taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and several have already been discharged. Thames Valley Police said no other vehicle was involved in the incident, and it is not yet known what caused the crash.
Thirty-three passengers and the driver were initially taken to hospital, with two others needing treatment at the scene before they were moved. Police closed the slip road while they investigated what happened, but the motorway remained open in both directions. Six ambulances from South Central Ambulance Service attended the crash scene. "The hospital is working well with its partners and relatives are being contacted," a spokeswoman for John Racliffe said.
Royal protection officers 'seconds from drawing their guns on mob' after Camilla was HIT in ribs by thug through car's open window
A yob (left) attacks the Rolls-Royce, on its way to the Royal Variety Performance, as Camilla and Charles (right picture) stares at himhorror.
The Duchess of Cornwall was jabbed in the ribs with a stick through an open car window as she and Prince Charles were surrounded by a baying mob in the worst royal security breach in a generation.
The full extent of the 'stupid and reckless' blunder which left Camilla, 63, cowering on the floor of the royal Rolls-Royce became clear last night as MPs called for a full inquiry. Sources said the Duchess, who has not made a formal complaint to police, was 'very scared' when a yob leaned into the car and prodded her with the stick. One of the car's rear windows was opened in error as rioters chanted 'off with their heads' and 'Tory scum'. The Duchess, 63, was said to be recovering well from her ordeal yesterday - but questions were mounting for Scotland Yard, over why the couple were 'sitting ducks' for the mob. A senior government source said: 'It is completely ridiculous that they were driving there at that time in a vintage Rolls-Royce.' Read more:
Britain hits the shops as snow looms
Spending spree: Shops are expecting the public(left) to brave the cold weather this weekend
Britain’s big freeze has blown holes in store profits in the last fortnight. An estimated half of all Christmas shoppers have been forced to stay at home because of the treacherous road and pavement conditions. Snow and ice finally began melting yesterday as temperatures stayed above freezing. Relatively balmy temperatures of 4C-9C (39F-48F) are expected today and tomorrow. But they will drop to 2C-5C (36-41F) on Sunday. ‘The south will still be chilly this weekend, although not as cold as recently, while the north will see temperatures several degrees milder,’ said forecaster Brian Gaze, of The Weather Outlook. Next week will see an increasing chance of snow in the south and east with gales possible towards the end of the week. Temperatures will be cold or very cold with severe overnight frosts and freezing fog in places. That weather looks likely to cost shops hundreds of millions of pounds in lost revenue on December 18-19, the last weekend before Christmas and traditionally the busiest shopping days of the year. About £1.1billion was blown in just ten shopping hours on the same Saturday last year. British Retail Consortium director general Stephen Robertson said: ‘The extreme weather has undermined sales. Retailers hope the disruption eases so sales lost early in the month are made up.’
Tube strike to hit Bakerloo and Northern Line on December 17 and 18
A fresh walkout by workers on the London Underground is set to cause fresh disruption to commuters using the Tube.
Travellers face more misery on the Tube
Services on the Bakerloo and Northern line will be hit between Friday December 17 and 8.59pm on Saturday December 18. The 24-hour action comes as a result of r two separate disputes involving a drivers' health and safety rep at Elephant and Castle and a driver at Morden. Crews at the Bakerloo depot at Elephant and Castle and the Northern line depot at Morden have been instructed by the RMT not to report for work in this period. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said both disputes were 'clear-cut cases of victimisation on the grounds of trade union activity'. London Underground said only 19% of RMT's Northern line staff had voted for strike action, while it was 'utterly outrageous' for the union to threaten action 'in support of someone dismissed for a serious breach of safety rules on the Bakerloo line'.
New hospital superbug found that resists all drugs
A superbug resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics has been confirmed in a hospital.
Jun Byung-yool, a senior official at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announces that a super bacteria has been discovered in South Korea (EPA)
The bacteria, known as NDM-1, was found in two patients in the South Korean capital Seoul.
The superbug can exist inside different bacteria, such as E.coli, which makes it resistant to carbapenems - one of the most powerful groups of antibiotics, experts claimed. They fear it could jump to other strains of bacteria that are already resistant to many other antibiotics. One of the infected patients was a middle-aged man suffering from lung disease, while the other was a woman in her 70s who was undergoing long-term treatment for diabetes. Two other patients at the hospital are also suspected of contracting the bacteria, which usually occur in people with chronic illnesses whose immune systems have been weakened. ‘There is nearly no possibility that healthy people can be infected with the bacteria in their daily activities,’ said Jeon Byung-ryul at the South Korean health ministry. At least 50 cases in Britain were discovered earlier this year and similar infections have been reported in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the US, according to the World Health Organisation.
Millionaire Holloway pensioners face retrial over alleged £130k benefits scam
Blackfriars Crown Court
An elderly brother and sister accused of pocketing £130,000 in state handouts despite having a combined fortune of around £4 million are facing are facing a retrial..
Shefali Scholefield, 67, allegedly played landlady while Raymond Martin pretended to be her tenant at the flat they jointly owned in Freegrove Road, Holloway, during the 15-year housing benefit scam.
The Indian-born siblings are both disabled and had been representing themselves at the trial which began last week at Blackfriars Crown Court heard. But the jury was discharged after Scholefield suffered a fractured hip in a fall. Following news of Scholefield’s accident, Judge Peter Clarke QC adjourned the case until August 8 next year. The court had heard the pair were living together in the valuable Victorian conversion flat in Holloway when they started the scam in July 1991. Scholefield also owned Coppers, a £3.5million four-bedroomed detatched house in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, while the pair claimed £100,000 in Martin’s name, jurors were told. The sister is also said to have falsely claimed another £30,000 of housing benefit for herself while purporting to live at another address she owned in Great Ormond Street near the famous children’s hospital. The money was received from Camden and Islington councils until Scholefield’s ownership of the Kingston property came to light, the jury heard. Martin and Scholefield, whose address is listed with the court as a correspondence address in Hornsey Park Road, Wood Green, jointly deny 14 counts of false accounting between July 17, 1991 and July 11, 2006. Scholefield denies a further 14 like charges between December 7 1998 and February 11 2004.
Bexley 10-year-olds to run 5K for charity
Henry and his friend Josh pictures
Two 10-year-old best friends will dress in Father Christmas outfits to run 5K for charity after their run was cancelled because of snow. Henry Summers, of Wansunt Road, Bexley, and Josh Coleman, of Danson Mead, Welling, have known each other since they were 10 weeks old and have so far raised a staggering £1,800 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The pair were set to run in the Santa Dash in Greenich Park on December 5, but it was cancelled because of snow on the ground. It has only spurred on the two determined friends to take part in the run this Sunday (18) in Danson Park, Welling, where they will don their Santa outfits and run the five km alone. Henry’s mother, Michelle Summers, 35, said: “They were really disappointed because they were really looking forward to it. “We had banners and everything to support them. Henry dropped notes through neighbours mail boxes asking for donations. “We had bags of coins arriving at our door and lots of people wishing him well.” Two thousand people were due to participate in the Santa dash in Greenwich Park and the two friends would have been among the youngest taking part. Mrs Summers added that it was amazing that the boys were so enthusiastic about raising money for the charity after a family friend was diagnosed with the progressive neurodegenerative disease which has no cure. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/henrysummers10
Havering Council goes top of the class for its children’s services
Cllr. Paul Rochford
HAVERING has good schools, fewer obese teenagers, high standards of child protection and less bullying than other parts of the country. This is just some of the glowing praise from Government inspectors this week as they gave the borough the top grade for its children’s services. However, assessors also noted there was a worrying increase in teenage pregnancies in the borough, and that re-offending by young people in Havering had increased and remains worse than similar areas. In its annual inspection, Ofsted rated Havering Council’s Children’s Services as “performs excellently” – the highest ranking that can be granted and marks an improvement from “performs well” awarded last year. Inspectors visited a number of sites and services, from primary schools to safeguarding services, and said that the majority rated as good or better. In particular inspectors highlighted the strong examination results achieved by students at primary and secondary schools. “The achievement of children and young people in Havering is very high throughout the time they are at nursery and school,” Juliet Winstanley, divisional manager of Ofsted’s Children’s Services Assessment, said. However, it was noted that work needed to be carried out to improve secondary schools so that more achieved an overall good or better rating. The council was praised for its safeguarding processes, where staff morale was high and there was a strong commitment to improving services. Assessors highlighted that relatively low numbers of children were admitted to hospital because they had been injured, either accidentally or deliberately. In addition, fewer children reported that they had been bullied than in similar areas in the rest of England. Other observations included the improved attendance at primary and secondary schools, a reduction in obesity in 11-year-old children - though not in five-year-olds - and activities to raise awareness of young people of the consequences of anti-social behaviour. Cllr Paul Rochford, cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “We are very proud of the services that we offer to children and young people in the borough and I am delighted that these have been recognised by Ofsted. “Along with the inspectors we recognise that there is more work we need to do in some areas and will be working with our partners to address these issues. I am especially pleased that the work we have done to improve safeguarding, and the academic achievements of our children, had special recognition.
Ouko killed at State House, says report
The then minister for Labour Dr Robert Ouko addresses the crowd during Madaraka Day in June 1984. Photo/FILE
A parliamentary report prepared five years ago sensationally claims former Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Ouko was killed at State House, Nakuru. The report, prepared by a team of MPs led by former Kisumu Town East’s Gor Sunguh, says Dr Ouko was assassinated after he fell out with a powerful minister in the regime of retired President Moi during a tour of the United States. The report was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. It proposes that key personalities in retired President Moi’s government, who were involved in the disappearance and killing of Dr Ouko, be investigated.
The committee zeroes in on four individuals including Mr Nicholas Biwott, a former minister, for their role in the murder. The report claims that Dr Ouko had already been sacked and his security detail withdrawn a week before he disappeared. Dr Ouko is said to have fallen out with Mr Biwott, a powerful ally of Mr Moi, while on a tour of Washington with the former president. The two were involved in a confrontation on the visit after Mr Biwott sarcastically referred to Dr Ouko as “Mr President”. The report says that the committee received evidence to the effect that Mr Biwott and former Nyanza PC Julius Kobia were present as Dr Ouko was abducted by police and intelligence agents. It further alleges that he was bundled into Mr Kobia’s car and driven to State House, Nakuru, where he was killed in the presence of Mr Biwott among others. His body was then dumped near his Koru home. A herdsboy identified as Mr Shikuku discovered the body at the foot of Got Alila, on February 13 and the matter reported to the Provincial Administration. However, the report says the government announced the “discovery” on February 16 — three days later — “allowing for the burning of the body and interference with the scene”. The report says that the trip to Washington worsened relations between Dr Ouko and the former president and his attempts to see the latter over the issue were futile. Dr Ouko finally secured an appointment with Mr Moi at State House in Nairobi on February 5, eight days before his disappearance. “Dr Ouko visited State House and met the former president who gave him off-duty and directed him to rest at his Koru farm; apparently Dr Ouko had already been sacked,” says the report. The report adds that Dr Ouko’s official car was withdrawn and returned to the ministry and his bodyguards were also recalled. His passport had been withheld at the airport after the Washington trip, the report claims. The Parliamentary Committee recommended that the government investigates the incidents and people at the ministry at the time, naming former PS Bethuel Kiplagat and a Mr Malacki Oddenyo. The report claims Mr Biwott was among people who should be investigated over their role in Dr Ouko’s death. Others are Hezekiah Oyugi who was Internal Security PS and has since died, Mr Kobia (also dead) and former Nakuru DC Jonah Anguka. The report claims that the Got Alila scene of crime was tampered with and items brought there to simulate suicide. More..
The evil son of blood thirsty dictator Idi Amin has been booted out of Britain.
Left, Bragadier Idi Amin Dada, his son Faisal Wangita, cntre, and Idi Amin and colonialism in Uganda, right.
Faisal Wangita, 29, was put on a one-way flight to his native Uganda by Border and Immigration officials. Wangita, one of Amin's 43 children, was jailed for five years for GBH and violent disorder in 2007 after the horrific murder of a student. He was part of a gang that chased down Somalian Mahir Osman, 18, who was knifed more than 20 times in Camden Town, North London. Wangita left Britain on November 25. He had been due for deportation last April but authorities had to wait until he was cleared of an attack at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, Berks. Immigration Minister Damian Green said last night: "This should be a warning to foreign criminals - we will arrest, jail and remove you." Thug Wangita came to the UK in 1999 and joined a gang after being granted leave to stay with his mother, Amin's fifth wife Sarah, in Tottenham, North London. He was born after the dictator - linked to the deaths of 400,000 people - was exiled to Saudi Arabia. Sarah left Amin and he died in 2003.
Camden school pupils stage 24-hour sit-in protest at tuition fees increase
Sixth formers at Camden School for Girls are taking part in a 24-hour sit-in protest on tuition fees
London, Wednesday, 8 December, 2010. One Camden school has closed and sixth formers at another are staging a 24-hour occupation, to protest against the coalition government’s plans to increase tuition fees, ahead of tomorrow’s vote. Acland Burghley secondary in Tufnell Park announced on its website that it was sending pupils home at 2pm today after it emerged they were planning a sit-in protest at the government’s plans to increase tuition fees. A message on the school’s website from the headteacher Jo Armitage states: “An occupation of the school is planned in protest against university tuition fees. As this has been widely publicised it is likely to attract large numbers of students and the general public and I cannot ensure students’ safety in school. “All parents/carers have been sent texts. Year 10, 11 and Post 16 students will be allowed to leave at lunch time. “Year 7, 8 and 9 students will be allowed to leave only if we receive parents’ permission.” It is understood that sixth formers with ID are being allowed to stage a peaceful protest in the assembly hall, but they have been informed they must be off the premises by 6pm today. Meanwhile, a group of sixth formers at Camden School for Girls are planning to stay at the school through the night as part of a protest against the coalition government’s plans to raise tuition fees. MPs will vote in the House of Commons tomorrow on whether to allow universities to increase tuition fees from the current level of £3,290 a year to £6,000 and in some cases £9,000 per year, amid huge cuts to higher education funding. Up to 150 sixth formers at Camden School for Girls, aged 16-18, took to the internet to rally support and encouragement as they staged a sit-in inside the school’s sixth-form building. Labour MP John McDonnell, the Green Party leader and MP Caroline Lucas and university students have sent them messages of support. Ms Lucas told the Camden pupils: “A new movement is being born and is determined to show that another world is possible – thank you for being part of that and I hope you know that you are making a real difference.” The sit-in was timed to coincide with a further day of student protests across the country over education cuts ahead of tomorrow’s vote in Parliament on tuition fees. A spokesman for the sixth formers said: “We’re protesting against the proposed rise in tuition fees and the cutting of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). We want to show solidarity with the rest of the student movement. Another pupil added: “The teachers aren’t as happy as they could be, but they’ve been alright.” Camden School for Girls declined to comment.
Now it's cyber war: Army of hackers target MasterCard and PayPal in revenge for them pulling the plug on WikiLeaks
Computer hackers sent one of the world’s biggest credit card companies into meltdown yesterday in revenge for cutting off payments to the WikiLeaks website. The attack was launched by a shadowy international group called ‘Anonymous’ which said MasterCard had been targeted for freezing the account of the whistleblowing site. The devastating blow to MasterCard, as well as the online payment network PayPal and a Swiss bank, came on one of the busiest online shopping days of the year.
Attack: MasterCard's website has been taken down by online activists after they banned donations to WikiLeaks - as have Visa and PayPal
The stoppage, which lasted around six hours, is thought to have affected hundreds of thousands of shoppers worldwide and highlights how vulnerable the world’s computer systems are to attack.
It is thought just a few dozen ‘hacktivists’ launched the electronic onslaught, which was taken up by other supporters. The ‘distributed denial of service’ (DDoS) attack involved around 2,000 computers bombarding the website’s host computers with requests for information, causing them to crash
WikiLeaks has been publishing classified U.S. diplomatic cables, to the fury of Washington authorities. They have lobbied to cut off all support for the website which they are desperate to shut down. Yesterday a spokesman for Anonymous, calling himself ‘Coldblood’, a 22-year-old based in London, said: ‘Websites that are bowing down to government pressure have become targets. Read more:
WikiLeaks cables: Rampant corruption 'could push Kenya back into violence'
Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki, left, and the prime minister, Raila Odinga.
Kenya could descend into violence worse than the 2008 post-election crisis unless rampant corruption in the ruling elite is tackled, the US ambassador to Kenya has warned in a report to Washington. Michael Ranneberger's cable, written in January, is scathing about efforts to reform the political system in the country. "While some positive reform steps have been taken, the old guard associated with the culture of impunity continues to resist fundamental change," he wrote. That culture has existed since independence, he said, adding that President Mwai Kibaki, prime minister Raila Odinga and "most members of the cabinet and leaders of the political parties" are part of it. He cited, but did not name, "a person at the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission ... [who] blocks progress on high-level investigations and has ties directly to State House. He also described a senior policeman as having close links with the president but "allegedly closely associated with the 'kwe kwe' death squad responsible for extrajudicial killings." "Failure to implement significant reforms will greatly enhance prospects for a violent crisis in 2012 or before – which might well prove much worse than the last post-election crisis," he wrote. In 2008, chaos followed the release of election results which many claimed were rigged by the government. About 1,500 people died in the ensuing violence and more than 300,000 were forced to flee their homes. After weeks of talks between Kibaki's ruling party and Odinga, the opposition leader, a deal was struck which left Kibaki as president and made Odinga prime minister. However, most of Kenya has remained a divided society, with thousands of people still unable to return to their homes and very little justice for the perpetrators. Describing Kenya as an important strategic partner of the US, Ranneberger described the battle against the ruling elite as a game of chess. "While we are no mean chess players ourselves, it is very difficult to anticipate their next move or the motives behind 'reform' steps." He said that although "the grip of the old guard political elite on the levers of state power and resources remains largely intact, hairline fractures are developing in their edifice which – if we continue to work them intensively – will develop into broader fractures and open up the potential for a peaceful process of implementation of fundamental reforms." Read more..
BREAKING Fees: Lib Dem Ministers To Vote Yes
'Liberal Ministers must back fees or resign', says Nick Clegg, left, while Lib Dem president, Tim Farron, right, is understood to be against the proposals
All Liberal Democrat ministers will vote in favour of higher university fees, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has declared. The Lib Dem leader said all 17 of the party's government ministers will vote in favour of the policy, as it is the fairest way of ensuring world-class universities for years to come. "I've listened to the debate, I've listened to the protesters, I've listened to my party," Mr Clegg said. He said the plan to almost triple fees was the "best and fairest possible way to ensure we have world-class universities for generations to come". But he acknowledged many of his backbenchers could rebel and urged MPs who serve as Parliamentary private secretaries to ministers to abstain rather than vote against. Mr Clegg's comments come after he spent several hours in a last-ditch meeting with his MPs. Aides for Mr Clegg said he told them he would rather they "walk through the fire" together by all abstaining in the key vote on Thursday. During a 20-minute talk, he insisted "to govern was to choose" and he would rather prioritise spending on early years of education. He praised his MPs for the way they had dealt with a "difficult" situation without animosity and acknowledged there had been a "lot of pressure" from protesters and the media. Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said some Lib Dem ministers may choose to quit rather than tow the line. It comes as three Conservative MPs confirm they will rebel against the Government. Philip Davies, who represents Shipley, and Dr Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East, are the latest to confirm they will vote no. Dr Lewis said he was concerned about social mobility. They join former shadow home secretary David Davis who revealed on Monday he would not support the policy which will see some fees almost triple. Mr Clegg's meeting lasted for at least two hours and he sat next to deputy leader Simon Hughes throughout. The Deputy Prime Minister insists that the Government's policy is the "fairest way" to reform higher education funding as payments are deferred until students start earning £21,000. He is understood to have offered to abstain when the House of Commons votes on Thursday - but only if Lib Dems who want to vote "no" also agree to hold back. Mr Clegg hoped to see off a three-way split among his own MPs and also stop a bid by backbencher Greg Mulholland to postpone the vote so a public debate about funding for higher education can take place. Writing in the Financial Times Mr Clegg said the argument has "generated more heat than light", as students and young people are so angry. "The Government's proposals are controversial," he wrote. "But I am convinced that they are the fairest way to keep Britain's higher education sector strong, even as we cut the deficit that endangers our economy."
He added: "The uncomfortable truth is that the growth in the university population in recent years has done little or nothing to boost social mobility. "The student population has become more middle-class dominated. The coalition is intent on making our universities more effective engines of social mobility." Mr Clegg and Business Secretary Vince Cable had already indicated their instinct was to support the policy, despite a pre-election pledge to vote against the proposals. Under the terms of the Coalition agreement with the Conservatives, Lib Dem MPs are allowed to abstain on the vote and many of the 57 members have suggested they will. But prominent MPs including ex-party leader Charles Kennedy and Lib Dem president Tim Farron have suggested they intend to vote against increasing fees. Transport minister Norman Baker has said quitting remains an "option", but sources suggest it is unlikely he will resign. If the Lib Dems all abstained, the Government's proposals would almost certainly pass, as they have more MPs than Labour, the opposition. However, if enough Lib Dems vote against it, the outcome is much less certain. Further protests are expected nationwide on Wednesday, as students attempt to keep their opposition to the policy in the public eye. The National Union of Students also plans a day of lobbying on Thursday and is calling for supporters to contact their MP before the crucial vote.
Pagan prisoners to get four days free of work a year
Offenders who claim to follow the Pagan or Wicca faiths – immortalised in the 1973 film The Wicker Man – will be given the same religious rights as Christian or Muslim inmates. Pagans and druids will even be allowed to have ‘wands’ or ‘sticks’ in their cells. They will be able to chose to take off four out of the eight Pagan festivals, which also include Beltane on May 1 when believers celebrate the Sun God with ‘unabashed sexuality and promiscuity’. Inmates may be able to hold apple bobbing contests for the Halloween festival of Samhain. Pagans regard apples as ‘the food of the underworld’. Last night, the Prison Officers’ Association warned some prisoners would simply ‘jump on the bandwagon’ to gain extra privileges. General secretary Steve Gillan told Metro: ‘I don’t know how this fits in with the 40 hours of work the justice secretary wants prisoners to do.’ The Ministry of Justice said the new guidelines come into force on January 1 and all prison governors must be made aware of Pagan festival dates. Tory MP Robert Buckland said: ‘I think a lot of Pagan themselves would say once you’re in prison a different set of rules apply. I think a lot of people will be bemused by this.’ But Chris Callender, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: People sent to prison lose their liberty – they should not lose their right to freedom of expression.’
A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'The Prison Service issues annually a list of religious festival dates for the year ahead - this includes key dates on which prisoners registered in that affiliation can be excused from work. 'Across faiths, it has been policy for many years to not force prisoners to work on key festival days." Read more:
Mobile phone risk to babies
There is a risk-wave of mobile phones and terminal box or wi-fi for the health of your unborn baby. Regarding the mobile phone, it is advisable not to use it during the 9months of pregnancy or while using it a minimum.
Mums-to-be could put their babies at serious risk by using mobile phones, according to research. Professor Madeleine Bastide, at the University of Montpellier, has published her conclusions following a two-year study. The tests used fertilised chicken eggs which hatched after a three-week period. During this time, one batch of eggs was exposed to prolonged use of a mobile. The results shocked the scientists while the control group of eggs had a normal death rate of 10 pc, the death rate of chicks exposed to mobile phone radiation rose to between 60 pc and 75 pc. The experiment was carried out repeatedly during the two-year study always producing the same results. The French team is now hoping further research will be commissioned to find out the dangers to humans. 'The chicken egg, like the human embryo, is in a protective bag as it grows. I believe pregnant women should not take the risk of using mobile phones - if we were applying the same rules we use for medication then mobile phones would be withdrawn immediately,' says Professor Bastide. 'It is not yet possible to define exactly what is dangerous about mobile phone radiation. A lot will depend on how you use the phone, for how long and where you keep it when it is not being used. However, in the inside pocket of a jacket is worrying because of its proximity to the heart,' says Professor Bastide. She also advises on limited use in cars and confined places until further data is available. A spokesman at Britain's National Radiological Protection Board, the NRPB, says: 'We are concerned about the professor's findings and they will be studied by the new Mobile Phone Working Group. Clearly there is a need for more research.'
Leaked cables claim Kenya sent tanks to South Sudan
Kenyan military officers inspect some tanks after they were offloaded from the mv Faina, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia. Photos/GIDEON MAUNDU
The mystery surrounding Russian-made tanks that the government denied were destined for South Sudan last year has been unravelled by a secret diplomatic cable. A 2009 cable released by whistleblowing site WikiLeaks says a senior State Department official produced satellite images that appeared to show that the tanks unloaded in Kenya were trans-shipped to South Sudan.
The evidence contradicted claims by Kenyan officials that the hardware imported from Ukraine was intended for the Kenyan military. A bill of lading and manifest of the hijacked MV Faina, which was seen by the Nation when the ship was released by pirates showed that its cargo consisted of more than 812 tonnes of ammunition in addition to 33 T-72 tanks from Ukraine.
Other weapons on the ship included unpacked spare parts for the T-72 tanks, Soviet-made anti-aircraft guns and rocket propelled grenades. The Chief of General Staff, Gen Jeremiah Kianga, laid claim to the cargo insisting that the tanks and assorted arms belonged to the Kenyan military after pirates released the vessel they had captured off the coast of Somalia after ransom was reportedly paid.
However, satellite photos released by Wikileaks show that the T-72 tanks’ actual destination was in South Sudan. The photos, the cable says, were presented by a US deputy assistant secretary of state, Vann Van Diepen, during talks in the Ukrainian capital in September 2009. The Ukrainian side is said in the document to have repeatedly insisted at the talks that the weapons were intended for the government of Kenya. The Ukrainians stuck to that position even when Mr Van Diepen presented a copy of a contract that listed the actual recipient as the government of South Sudan.
A Ukrainian official “questioned the authenticity of the contract, and asked if the US had any better evidence,” states the cable marked “secret.” The document dated November 9, 2009, was published on the website of London’s Guardian on Monday but a search of WikiLeaks’ own site on Tuesday did not reveal a link to the cable. “Van Diepen, regretting that the GOU [government of Ukraine] had forced him to do so, showed the Ukrainians cleared satellite imagery of T-72 tanks unloaded in Kenya, transferred to railyards for onward shipment, and finally in South Sudan,” the Guardian’s version of the cable states. “This led to a commotion on the Ukrainian side.” Mr Van Diepen then warned that “there was nothing for Ukraine to gain from lying and a lot to lose.”
He told the Ukrainians that the US would have to consider imposing sanctions as a result of the arms transfer to South Sudan in violation of international agreements. “A factor in US deliberations would be whether the GOU told the truth,” the document added. The Ukrainian side still “asserted that Ukraine only had a relationship with Kenya, and did not have a relationship with South Sudan,” the cable continued. “Ukraine could not be held responsible for the actions of a third country.”
The Ukrainians however did promise to “study this situation in the light of a partner relationship so that the US knows that Ukraine is a reliable partner,” the cable said. The document gives no indication of whether the United States raised the matter with the Kenyan government. Such a discussion might be recounted in US Nairobi embassy cables that WikiLeaks indicates it has obtained but has not yet released. A ship carrying the weapons reached Mombasa in February 2009 after a $3.2 million ransom was paid to Somali pirates who had hijacked it five months earlier.
Clegg urges unity over tuition fees
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, 3rd right (left picture) is preparing a last-ditch appeal for his MPs to avoid a split over tuition fee hikes while the Transport Minister Norman Baker, right, has hinted he could quit government over the tuition fee reform row .
London, Tuesday, December 7, 2010. Frantic negotiations have been continuing as some members of the Government, including transport minister Norman Baker, appeared willing to quit rather than back the controversial proposals. Mr Clegg will hold a crunch meeting with his parliamentary party later at which he is expected to urge them to present a united front. Lib Dem grandee Lord Ashdown has also appealed for MPs not to breach the coalition agreement by voting against the plans on Thursday, while Downing Street warned that ministers are still subject to the principle of collective responsibility. However, there are signs that opposition within the party was hardening despite efforts to strike a deal. Senior Tory David Davis will also vote against the rise in fees, his office has said. The former shadow home secretary, who stood against David Cameron for the Conservative leadership in 2005, will rebel over the coalition's policy.
Tension as Narok lands rights crusader is executed in cold blood
Tension gripped the Mau Narok area in Molo after a Maasai land rights activist was executed in Nakuru town on Friday night.
Moses ole Mpoe, Maasai land rights activist,was executed in Nakuru town on Friday
Moses ole Mpoe was shot dead at point-blank range by a gunman riding on a motorcyle at a traffic jam at Soilo Junction on the Nakuru-Eldoret Road, just hours after other gangsters had killed three policemen in Nairobi in two separate incidents. In what is turning out to be a Black Friday, the gunman also killed a wheat farmer who was in the same Ford Ranger double cabin vehicle and injured a third person in the 7pm incident. He is fighting for his life at a Nakuru hospital. So vicious was the attack that when the thunder of the deadly assault gun went silent, the vehicle was bullet ridden and the police recovered seven spent cartridges and an AK-47.
"The gunman sprayed the vehicle with bullets and after making sure he was dead, jumped on to the motorbike and sped off towards Nakuru town," said an eyewitness. The vehicle was later towed to Nakuru Central Police Station.
Mpoe was a vocal crusader for the return of land taken away from the Maasai community during the colonial period. He was also working as a supervisor of the controversial Muthera Farm in Mau Narok, owned by the family of former Kenyatta Cabinet minister Mbiyu Koinange. Yesterday, local leaders mobilised locals to protest at the execution, even as the Government deployed a heavy presence of the General Service Unit, regular and Administration Police to maintain peace at the Tipis area. Area Police Commander Johnston Ipara said two suspects had recorded statements with the police. "We are yet to establish the motive behind the killings". The officers patrolled the trading centre and surrounding villages, thwarting any attempt by Maasai leaders to convene a meeting.
Villagers who had gathered at Tipis Trading Centre to protest against the killing dispersed on realising the heavy presence of armed security personnel mobilised from Nakuru, Molo, Njoro, Mau Narok and Narok.
Yesterday, leaders called for the bringing to book of Mpoe’s killers. Heritage Minister William ole Ntimama condemned the killing and asked for speedy investigations. "We don’t want to believe that his killing had anything to do with his crusade to have all farms that were forcibly taken away from the community returned," said Ntimama. Adding his voice, too, was a Nairobi don, Mr Mpitanaei Ololdapashi. "Mpoe was one of our leaders and he was at the forefront in the fight against land injustices in Maasailand. We will not be cowed," he said over the pursuit of their land rights. Yesterday, Ololdapashi and another leader recorded a statement with the police in Narok over Mpoe’s killing. Last month, Mpoe was among hundreds of Maasai men and women protesting at the proposed resettlement of internally displaced persons on a 2,400-acre land bought by the Government in Mau Narok.
Dramatic metro station rescue caught on camera
A Spanish man has an off duty policeman to thank after he was saved from the path of an oncoming train. CCTV footage of how the dramatic events unfolded have been released. The video shows the 41-year-old man falling from the platform at the Puerta del Angel station. Passengers are then seen to be screaming and waving their arms to try to warn the conductor of a train which was just about to pull into the station. The 30-year-old police officer scrambled across the tracks and pulled the man to safety. The train narrowly misses both of them. The off duty police officer only graduated from police academy two months ago.Video
Food shelves empty and petrol running out as icy roads make deliveries impossible... but the weekend will be slightly WARMER (although it won't last)
Two pensioners die after collapsing in their gardens and Short-haul flights from Gatwick cancelled until 5pm. Some petrol forecourts run dry as deliveries are held up and the Rail networks cancel services for the third day running.
Left, areas affectected heavily by theweather chaos and on the right this 'No fuel' sign was stuck on top of a traffic cone at a garage near Almondbank in Perthshire today
Petrol forecourts were today running dry and food stores were struggling to replenish their shelves as icy conditions halted deliveries. ‘Critical’ shortages of petrol have been reported by the RMI Petrol Retailers Association, with remote areas being particularly badly affected. Some fuel stations have also been accused of ‘cashing in’ on the crisis by increasing their prices – with one garage in Surrey putting up the cost of diesel per litre from £1.24 to £1.28 within the past four days.
Left, Railway tracks lie buried under a foot of snow at Buxted Station, Uckfield and emerging from through the fog, two trains make their way through the snowy conditions today in Weybridge, Surrey.
The news came as snowfalls eased but temperatures plummeted even further, dropping -20.1C in Scotland and -7C in London and Birmingham overnight. There is due to be some respite from the freezing conditions over the weekend. Temperatures are set to plunge overnight, to a low of minus 7C in Scotland, but tomorrow will see a milder start with highs of between 5C and 8C expected in southern England and 4C in the Midlands and East Anglia. It will feel colder again on Sunday as daytime temperatures dip slightly again to 2C to 5C in the south and 0C to 4C in northern England and Scotland. The freezing temperatures make the country colder than Antarctica where the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula recorded a temperature of 0C. Fears have also emerged today that the chaos to the transport network could mean thousands of children might not get their toys in time for Christmas. Thousands of tonnes of toys, games and clothes ordered on the internet and due to be delivered from the Far East are being held in shipping containers as ports into Britain struggles with a backlog. Read more...
Officers killed in deadly Nairobi attacks
Administration Police officers at the crime scene in Eastleigh (left) and a street view of Eastleigh, Nairobi where an Administration Police vehicle has been blown up by an unknown device in the sprawling estate on December 3, 2010.
Three police officers were on Friday killed and another injured in two separate attacks. In the first attack at 7:45am in Eastleigh, gunmen targetted a government vehicle held in a traffic jam. In the second attack at about 4pm, two assailants on a motorcycle shot two traffic officers at the Roysambu roundabout — about 100m from Kasarani police station. One died on the spot while the other died on the way to hospital. Nairobi provincial police boss Anthony Kibuchi said police pursued the two assailants and shot them. A grenade that one of the slain attackers was carrying exploded killing him.
In Eastleigh, one of the officers was blown and his colleague seriously injured. The explosive was described “as being within the hand grenade range”. AP Commandant Kinuthia Mbugua described the attacks as indication of terrorist presence in the country.
Mr Mbugua said that there was an explosion near the vehicle at about 7:45am, injuring the two APs. One was pronounced dead in hospital while the other is recovering. The vehicle had just dropped off two other APs in Buru Buru estate and was passing through Kimathi estate into Eastleigh Section III, inhabited by several CID officers. The officer, an escort to Embakasi DC, and the driver were held in a traffic jam at the Eastleigh First Avenue and Eighteenth Avenue junction, when an explosive believed to be a hand grenade, was allegedly thrown into the vehicle by a smartly dressed man. A team of detectives led by the officer in charge of operations at the Criminal Investigations Unit, Mr Francis Njiru and deputy officer in charge of the Bomb Disposal Unit, Mr Eliud Langat, visited the scene and began investigations. According to an eyewitness, Mr Salim Muyuka Sangoro, two smartly dressed men and a woman dressed in a burqa approached the vehicle then one of them threw the explosive inside and fled.
“I had just alighted from a matatu when I saw two men and a woman throw something into the vehicle and then it exploded after which I fled,” the eyewitness said. Another eyewitness, Mr Francis Mugo, said that one of the officers had tried to jump out of the vehicle but did not make it in time.
The injured driver then sped off to the nearby Eastleigh South Chief’s Office where he sought help before the two were taken to Nairobi Hospital. Mr Mbugua, who visited the scene along with his deputy Omar Shurie and officer in charge of logistics Fredrick Mulandi, asked residents to be wary of strangers. “People should be wary of strangers because there are people who are bent on causing terror. Nobody is safe from terror activities. Bad elements appear to have infiltrated parts of the country,” he said. The Nairobi provincial CID boss Peter Muinde said that police were investigating the incidents.
Panic as ICC warns on alleged threats to witness families
Left, the ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo during the just-concluded forum on reforms and reconcialiation in Nairobi. He moves to the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC on December 17, where six prominent Kenyan suspects are expected to be exposed, and on the right, the suspended Higher Education minister, William Ruto, saying to the journalists that he is ready to face ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo in court if he believes he has enough evidence to implicate him.
Kenya was yesterday reeling from the dawning reality that in slightly over a fortnight, some of its elite leaders would be international outlaws. Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s most emphatic statement yet - that December 17 will mark a turning point in the quest for justice over the 2007 post-election violence and that the leaders will face trial in 2012, thereby effectively locking them out of leadership - has created unprecedented anxiety and panic. From the top offices in the land to the grassroots where the ordinary man and woman have been yearning for justice, the word on everyone’s lips was the identity of the six prize targets of the ‘celebrity’ prosecutor, whose scalps have included Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir and some Congolese leaders. And from The Hague itself, there was concern over the safety of the families of witnesses who are allegedly being threatened following Moreno-Ocampo’s declaration on his course of action. But the ICC Prosecutor said the threats would not stop the presentation of the cases.
"The Prosecutor is identifying those who are organising such threats and will eventually request arrest warrants for individuals who persist," said the terse statement last night. "Those who believe they may be suspects should defend themselves in a court of law, not by threatening or interfering with witnesses," it added. Also concerned was former UN Secretary-General and Kenya mediator Kofi Annan, who defended the ICC over accusations that it was being used to end the ambitions of some politicians while creating an easy path to State House for others. Annan said the politicisation of the process would not detract the court from "punishing criminals who masterminded the post election violence".
He asked who would address the plight of the violence victims if the ICC did not act now. "How will they get justice if we cow and let the perpetrators go scot-free?" he posed. Focus shifted to the expected indictment of six prominent Kenyans as 16 MPs held a press conference at Parliament Buildings where they reacted to Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s parting shot to Ocampo not to forget that the chaos were triggered by rigged elections. Cabinet Minister Beth Mugo led another group of MPs from President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) who demanded that Raila must be included in the list of suspects "to spare the country from more trouble". They disputed the PM’s version that the violence was caused by the rigged 2007 presidential election, and instead contended that it was ODM’s mass action call that led to the killings. At the same time, it has emerged that security chiefs who served during the post-election violence period have moved to The Hague for orders stopping Moreno-Ocampo from seeking indictments of suspects. The Standard On Saturday learnt that nine of the Provincial Police Officers and Provincial Commissioners who were in office at the time filed an application at the ICC, The Hague, seeking to stop Ocampo from appearing before the Pre-Trial Chamber II. They also want three judges sitting at the Chamber to stop an ICC process in Nairobi that seeks to interrogate them beginning Tuesday over the violence that led to 1,300 deaths.
Yesterday, 16 MPs from Rift Valley and Central provinces warned of the likelihood turmoil and promised to move a Motion in Parliament to discuss the issue. But the ICC prosecutor has repeatedly vowed to press on and "make Kenya an example to the world on how to fight impunity". The MPs dismissed investigations by Ocampo saying they were flawed and marred by political interests. On Wednesday, Ocampo told Kibaki and Raila in closed-door meetings that he was ready to file two cases targeting six prominent persons over crimes against humanity. At Parliament Buildings, Nithi MP Kareke Mbiuki claimed the ICC process was a "weapon" to eliminate some leaders from the political field. The angry MPs took issue with Ocampo’s remarks, with MP Sophia Abdi declaring that the ICC Prosecutor had "no business in our country and we want him to keep off". She said the ICC investigations had attracted political interests and intrigues aimed at eliminating certain people. Chepalungu MP Isaac Rutto accused Ocampo of behaving like a politician by making outbursts and issuing threats to the Kenyan leaders. But former Justice Minister Martha Karua dismissed the MPs’ sentiments, saying Ocampo should be allowed to continue with his work. "The country failed to establish a local tribunal and hence Ocampo should prosecute perpetrators of the violence," said Karua.
We've run out of salt - again, admits transport secretary Philip Hammond
Transport secretary Philip Hammond has admitted Britain had not stockpiled enough salt – despite being warned after running out last winter.
A Hampshire County Council gritter lorry is righted using a crane after it turned over on the ice on the A3 (F Stop Press)
Having just two weeks ago insisted he was ‘pretty confident’ the government had enough salt in reserve, he yesterday claimed the stockpile was almost 150,000 tonnes short of the recommended level. An independent review published in March warned that 250,000 tonnes of salt were needed for the start of winter – but Britain currently holds 107,000 tonnes as a buffer.
Mr Hammond was asked by shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle why the Winter Resilience Review’s findings were not implemented. ‘You are failing to recognise the scale of the weather event that is occurring. A significantly bigger snowfall than occurred earlier this year which gave rise to the events which caused my predecessor to implement this review,’ Mr Hammond told the Commons. His admission came as roads in Britain ground to a halt for the third day running.
Major roads affected include the A66 across the Pennines, which was closed between Bowes and Brough, as well as parts of the M20 in Kent. The AA said it dealt with 1,150 calls an hour – fewer than Wednesday as people stayed at home. Mr Hammond ordered another urgent review of the chaos. But Labour MP Luciana Berger said: ‘Why are we having review after review after review instead of just getting on with the job?’ Salt supplies ran out within a week of heavy snowfall during last winter. London mayor Boris Johnson, in Zurich for the World Cup bid, insisted Britain was sitting on a ‘salt mountain’ when asked why he was away as commuters faced travel misery.