#Uganda Daily Monitor News | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thegrandimago · 4 years ago

Text

This time last April, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the world was coming to grips with the isolation of quarantine and the economic and travel slowdowns that defined the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even now, with the rollout of vaccines, the virus continues to affect our daily lives. And the toll keeps growing: 3 million dead and more than 140 million cases worldwide.

If anything, the worst public health crisis in a century has brought our understanding of our planet, and our place in the fragile yet resilient web of life throughout it, into stark relief.

Amid so much grief and loss and uncertainty, the biodiversity crisis paced ahead over the past year, becoming a much bigger theme on the world stage. The climate crisis worsened, too. Wildfires blazed. Ecosystems became even more fouled up than they already were.

At the same time, the marked reduction in human activity spurred by the pandemic — what some experts have dubbed the “Anthropause” — has afforded scientists and researchers opportunities to observe the natural world like never before. Coinciding with these unique observational windows has been an increase in attention on Indigenous knowledge and land stewardship as a way forward in combating ecological catastrophe.

In true Vox tradition, here are the 10 most concerning, intriguing, and — dare we say — hopeful things we learned about our planet since the last Earth Day.

1) We saw just how quickly ocean noise pollution can drop, and how much that can help marine life

For a moment last spring, things got very quiet in the oceans.

The drop in human activity that came with the pandemic resulted in drastic and voluntary sound reductions that ran the underwater gamut: from a drop in shipping noise, the predominant source of man-made ocean noise pollution, to decreases in recreation and tourism. All of it suddenly ceased.

In Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, the foraging grounds of humpback whales, the loudest underwater sounds last May were less than half as loud as those in May 2018, according to a Cornell University analysis. A May 2020 paper in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America found that underwater noise off the Vancouver coast was half as loud in April as the loudest sounds recorded in the months preceding the shipping traffic slowdown.

Chronic underwater ocean noise had been rising over the past few decades, to the detriment of marine life that have evolved to use sound to navigate their world. “There is clear evidence that noise compromises hearing ability and induces physiological and behavioral changes in marine animals,” reads an assessment of marine noise pollution research published in the journal Science in February.

The majority of ocean noise pollution is a byproduct of economic activity. But compared with massively complex issues like climate change, noise is relatively easy to turn down, at least a little. Silencing it at its source has an immediate positive impact: Famously, researchers studying right whales on the East Coast measured a drop in the animals’ stress hormones in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, after shipping traffic abruptly dropped. Even tiny fish larvae are better able to locate the coral reefs where they were born, which themselves emit sound, when the oceans get quiet.

Man-made ocean noise has since ramped back up and is now stabilized near pre-pandemic levels. But it fell silent for long enough last March, April, and May that a global team of scientists is actively scrubbing through audio recordings gathered by around 230 non-military hydrophones — underwater microphones — that monitor ocean noise around the world. They aim to study the “year of the quiet ocean” in the context of ocean sounds before, during, and after the pandemic.

2) A new study found that the Amazon is likely warming — not cooling — the planet

The world’s largest and most species-rich tropical forest, the Amazon, is home to billions of trees that not only provide refuge to a diverse assemblage of organisms but also store and absorb a huge amount of carbon dioxide.

That’s what makes the conclusion of a study published this spring so alarming: Due to human activity, the Amazon is likely contributing to — not offsetting, as one might expect— global warming. “The current net biogeochemical effect of the Amazon Basin is most likely to warm the atmosphere,” the researchers wrote in the paper.

While the Amazon is still absorbing loads of CO2, human activities in the basin, such as deforestation, are driving up emissions of CO2 and other more potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide across the basin.

Deforestation, for one, deals a double punch: It both releases gases into the atmosphere and removes CO2-absorbing trees from the equation. That equation now sees the Amazon generating more greenhouse gases than it emits, the study suggests. (It’s worth noting, though, this is all really complicated. For more, check out Craig Welch’s story in National Geographic or read the full study here.)

3) We discovered a bunch of new species

While humans have made a mark on all corners of Earth, we’ve only discovered a small fraction of the species that occupy it. In fact, that fraction could be smaller than 1 percent. And remarkably, not all of those species are tiny microbes and insects. They’re also fish, lizards, bats, and even whales. That’s right: Even giant mammals can elude scientists.

In January, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they discovered a new species of baleen whale in the Gulf of Mexico. (You can find the paper describing the discovery here.) Other teams of scientists are also on the trail of what could be yet another new whale species.

Last year, researchers documented scores of new plants and animals, from geckos and sea slugs to flowering plants and sand dollars, as Vox’s Brian Resnick reported. Our favorite? Brookesia nana, a thumbnail-sized chameleon native to northern Madagascar. It may be the smallest reptile on Earth; it’s certainly the cutest.

4) We got a much clearer picture of just how much wildlife we’re losing

The numbers aren’t good.

In September, the World Wildlife Fund published a report showing that the global populations of several major animal groups, including mammals and birds, have declined by almost 70 percent in the last 50 years due to human activity.

A separate report, published in Nature this year, found that populations of ocean sharks and rays have plummeted by more than 70 percent in roughly the same period. And one-third of freshwater fish have been found to be at risk of extinction.

A number of species were also declared extinct over the last year. Those include the smooth handfish, a bottom-dweller that rests atop human-like appendages on the seafloor. It was the first marine fish species to be declared extinct in modern history. (Environmental journalist John Platt has a list of recent extinctions in 2020 at Scientific American.)

5) Protecting plants and animals hinges on a thriving ecotourism industry

In the early days of the pandemic, the popular “Nature is healing” meme overshadowed a darker reality in many parts of the world: As travel ground to a halt, so did revenue from wildlife tourism, putting some wildlife conservation efforts at risk.

The fallout was most severe in Africa. According to a new collection of research from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a government and civil society group, more than half of the continent’s protected areas had to pause or limit field patrols and other operations to stop poachers in the wake of the pandemic.

“Parks have emptied out to a large extent and there’s no money coming in,” Nigel Dudley, a co-author of one of the IUCN papers, told Reuters last month.

Some communities are deeply reliant on wildlife tourism. Late last year, Vox’s Brian Resnick spoke to veterinarian Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, who is working to keep coronavirus-susceptible gorillas alive in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

When tourism dropped, “everybody was struggling,” she said. “The local economy suffered and poaching went up.” (You can read more of Resnick’s conversation with her here.)

6) Researchers uncovered more proof that a key system of ocean currents is weakening

Graphics that show changes in ocean temperature over time generally reveal one trend: The ocean is heating up. But there’s one critical exception. Just below Greenland lies a large patch of water that’s cooling off. And that patch has scientists concerned that we could be nearing a tipping point for the climate.

The cold patch, scientists say, signals that a network of currents that bring warm water to the North Atlantic — known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC — is slowing down, and the melting of ice on Greenland is likely a culprit. One paper, published in the journal Nature in March, suggests that the current AMOC slowdown is “unprecedented in over a thousand years.”

The AMOC shapes weather across multiple continents, so any major slowdown will carry major consequences that could include faster sea-level rise in some regions, stronger hurricanes, and other changes in weather, to say nothing of the impacts to marine ecosystems.

But to be clear, the science on this is new and complex. For a great run-down, check out this recent visual feature in the New York Times.

7) The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs gave rise to the Amazon rainforest

The massive asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago may be best known for driving non-avian dinosaurs to extinction, but it also transformed entire ecosystems.

It may have even given rise to the Amazon rainforest, according to a study published in Science earlier this month. The finding is based on an analysis of about 50,000 fossil pollen records and 6,000 fossil leaf records in Colombia from before and after the asteroid crashed into what is now Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

The data reveals two vastly different forests. Before the event, the forests were stocked with conifers and ferns, and the trees were spread out, with plenty of room for light to stream through the canopy. After the asteroid event, however, flowering plants started to dominate the landscape and the canopy became much more tightly packed, resembling the forest we know today.

“If you returned to the day before the meteorite fall, the forest would have an open canopy with a lot of ferns, many conifers, and dinosaurs,” study co-author Carlos Jaramillo of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama told New Scientist. “The forest we have today is the product of one event 66 million years ago.”

The idea here is that the asteroid impact somehow triggered a series of events that led to the modern Amazon rainforest. What were those events? One theory the researchers offer is that, before the asteroid, herbivorous dinosaurs prevented the forest from becoming dense by eating and trampling plants.

8) A review of more than 300 studies showed that the rate of deforestation is lower on Indigenous lands

The global conservation movement is pushing forward a plan to conserve 30 percent of the Earth by 2030 — an initiative known as 30 by 30 — and increasingly calling for Indigenous communities to be central to that effort.

These groups have historically been uprooted from land in the name of wildlife conservation. There is also greater evidence that forests fare better when they are governed by Indigenous and tribal territories.

A recent UN review of more than 300 studies found that forests within tribal territories in Latin America and the Caribbean have significantly lower rates of deforestation where land rights are formally recognized.

“In just about every country in the region Indigenous and tribal territories have lower deforestation rates than other forest areas,” wrote the authors of the report, which was published by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. “Many Indigenous territories prevent deforestation as effectively as non-Indigenous protected areas, and some even more effectively.”

9) Wildfire smoke can turn the sky an apocalyptic orange

If there was one day in 2020 that defined the climate emergency, it could have been September 9, when the sky above San Francisco turned completely orange.

Strong winds had carried smoke from fires burning across California to the atmosphere above the city. Particles of soot absorbed or reflected blue light from the sun, letting only orange-ish light through. (Wired has the details.)

But what made the image go viral wasn’t so much the science but what it symbolized: a growing climate catastrophe.

Climate change is making wildfires more frequent and severe, and 2020 provided more devastating evidence. Last year was California’s worst wildfire season on record. By the end of the year, nearly 10,000 fires had burned over 4 million acres — an astonishing 4 percent of California’s total land, according to the state.

10) Scientists finally solved the mystery of why wombats poop cubes

Sure, it may not have kept you up at night, but the mystery of the bare-nosed wombat’s poop puzzled scientists for decades. Why do these adorable, chunky marsupials, native to Australia and Tasmania, leave behind feces with six sides?

Thanks to a new study — published in the journal Soft Matter — we now have the answer.

Building on research published a few years earlier, a team of scientists found that wombat intestines have regions of varying thickness and elasticity that contract at different speeds: The stiffer regions contract relatively quickly, while softer sections squeeze more slowly, together forming a cube-like shape.

But there’s still a bit of mystery left: Why is their poop shaped like this? The jury’s still out, but some researchers believe it’s because wombats climb up on rocks and logs, and the cube-like shape prevents the feces from rolling away. This is key for wombats because they use piles of feces to communicate with other wombats.

What a difference a year makes, truly.

323 notes · View notes

jobuganda · 2 years ago

Text

UBOS Jobs 2022 – 2 Fresher Communication / Public RelationsOfficers

UBOS Jobs 2022 – 2 Fresher Communication / Public Relations Officers

August 9, 2022 Job Title: 2 Communication / Public Relations Officers – UBOS Jobs 2022 Organization: Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Location: Kampala, Uganda Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Profile: Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) is a semi-autonomous agency of Government responsible for maintenance, coordination, supervising and monitoring of the National Statistical System to ensure the collection, analysis and dissemination of standardised statistical information. The Bureau is also mandated as the principal official statistics producing agency in the country. Roles and Responsibilities: - Document UBOS and other activities of interest by stakeholders in the National Statistical System through videography and photography. - Produce edited activity videos, video clips and documentaries for screening at different UBOS and related meetings, workshops, exhibitions and post on the UBOS You Tube Channel. - Collate and analyses media coverage and produce a daily press digest about UBOS and her activities as well as reports and application of statistics in the media. - Research, write and distribute press releases to targeted media. - Develop and maintain the UBOS digital photo and video gallery. - Maintain the UBOS social Media Platforms namely the Facebook and twitter accounts. - Prepare and supervise the promotional videos, photographs, films and multimedia programmes. - Devise and coordinate photo opportunities. - Take responsibility for the UBOS digital equipment. - Liaise with the media and secure or provide digital content of specific interest to the Bureau. - Call and facilitate media engagements including press conferences. - Develop and maintain a media partners’ database. - Write and edit in-house magazines, case studies, speeches, articles and annual report. - Design and produce artwork for the different publicity materials. - Maintain and update information on UBOS website - Prepare and supervise the production of publicity brochures, handouts, and direct mail leaflets. - Manage and develop programmes for the visiting missions from abroad. - Responsible for front operations including customer care - Develop and maintain a database for all visiting guests to UBOS - Manage all protocol issues including securing air-tickets, visas and confirmation of itineraries and travel for staff and visiting clients - Develop customer services policies. - Develop and manage a visitor’s data base for the bureau. - Provide technical input and handle participant relations at UBOS workshops, conferences and meetings. - Participate in various publicity and advocacy programmes of the Bureau Minimum Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree with honours Mass Communications, Journalism, or other related course. Experience: - Experience at least 2 years’ working experience in the area of customer care and protocol in a reputable organization - Demonstrated experience in writing, editing and production of advocacy and publicity materials including newsletters and bulletins Skills and Behavioral attributes: - Computer literate, able to use of Microsoft office Applications (MS Excel, MS Word, Power point) - Professionalism, Integrity, team spirit - Good communication skills - Objective and independent - Problem-solving skills - Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy when dealing with difficult situations - Creative thinking to be able to come up with new ideas - An ability to work under pressure - Organizational and planning skills - Report writing skills How To Apply for UBOS Jobs 2022 If you believe you meet the required profile, please see the job details on the UBOS Website and submit your application through the online application system available on the UBOS Website: Click Here Deadline: 19th August 2022 For similar Jobs in Uganda today and great Uganda jobs, please remember to subscribe using the form below: NOTE: No employer should ask you for money in return for advancement in the recruitment process or for being offered a position. Please contact Fresher Jobs Uganda if it ever happens with any of the jobs that we advertise. Read the full article

#communication #fresher #officers #public #relations

3 notes · View notes

mubahood360 · 5 years ago

Photo

Remittances to fall to $955m By MARTIN LUTHER OKETCH Remittances are expected to fall to $955.6m for the 2019/20 financial year, according to Bank of Uganda.

#asia #Bank of Uganda #Europe #Remittances #Uganda Daily Monitor News

0 notes

mubahood360 · 5 years ago

Photo

The must have telemedicine App during lockdown By PHILIP WAFULA In light of the presidential directive grounding public transport and regulating private vehicles to stem the spread of Covid-19, GOGP+, a telemedicine App has been designed to do away with physically visiting a hospital.

#GOGP+#lockdown #telemedicine App #Uganda Daily Monitor News

0 notes

ayittey1 · 6 years ago

Text

COCONUT CLASSICS

Fed up with the buffoonery and tomfoolery coming out of Africa. So I compiled a litany of the eccentricities and flat-out acts of buffoonery that I have come across in my research and work on Africa. Let me know which one you like the best. Enjoy.

In March 2017, Emmanuel Elibariki, a hip-hop artist, released a song in which he asked “is there still freedom of expression in Tanzania?” He was promptly arrested and his song banned from the airwaves. (The Economist, Oct 19, 2017; p.43).

The late president, Gen. Samuel Doe of Liberia summoned his finance minister – “only to be reminded by aides that he had already executed him” (The New York Times, Sept 13, 2003; p.A4).

In 2016, Uganda’s Parliament voted Shs68 million ($18,320) to cover the funeral expenses of each MP (Daily Monitor, Sept 15, 2016). Hand them over. I will bury them for FREE – with the Cutlass!

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda wants to ban oral sex “the mouth is for eating” https://bit.ly/2ILs3RV

"Corruption is everywhere -- in the villages, wherever", Zambia's Lands Minister Gladys Nyirango acknowledged at a major conference on graft in Africa. Hours later she was SACKED. (Sapa-AFP, March 4, 2007).

A former minister of finance was found hiding – where else? -- in a coconut tree: “Zambia’s former finance minister, Katele Kalumba, was arrested and charged with theft after the police found him hiding in a tree near his rural home. Mr. Kalumba, who had been on the run for four months, is being charged in connection with some $33 million that vanished while he was in office (The New York Times, Jan 16, 2003; p.A8).

In Zimbabwe, the anti-corruption czar, Ngonidzashe Gumbo, was himself a bandit, jailed for 10 years for defrauding the commission of $435,000 (The Herald, March 12, 2015). https://bit.ly/2UCre4b

Zambia President Edgar Lungu is buying a new Presidential Jet fitted with a cutting edge military grade anti-missile defense system which fires lasers at incoming heat-seeking missiles (Zambia Observer, Oct 12, 2018). https://bit.ly/2UyS9ho

In Feb 2019, “The First Lady of Zambia, Esther Lungu, travelled to the US with a 25-man delegation to receive four fire trucks, which the Los Angeles Fire Department, had RETIRED from service” (Punch, Feb 7, 2019). Hopefully they did not fly back with the trucks!

When two coconuts fight . . . https://on.wsj.com/2PlEVzd

RWANDA: “I have caught you supporting rebels to destabilize my government. Take that! The border is closed!” (Delivers a sharp left hook). UGANDA: “Wui! . . . No, it is you who is destabilizing my government. Take that!” (Delivers a stiff upper cut). AU (the referee) is snoring zzzzzzzzzz and awakes: “I APPEAL to both of you to end hostilities!” And goes back to sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzz https://bit.ly/2SO3Agh https://bit.ly/2UzW39K

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two journalists were arrested and charged with publishing false information for reporting that President Bingu wa Mutharika, had moved out of a new 300-room palace because he believed it was haunted. The two, Raphael Tenthani, who works for the BBC, and Mabvuto Banda of the newspaper The Nation, were reportedly taken in raids at their homes. Malawi newspapers and radio stations carried the ghost report over the weekend, quoting a senior official. Mr. Mutharika has angrily denied the reports, saying, "I have never feared ghosts in my life." (Agence France-Presse, March 16, 2005)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Insecurity challenges heightened in Bayelsa State following separate incidents of kidnapping of four policemen and six other persons along Nembe waterways by gunmen suspected to be sea pirates. Sunday Independent gathered that the gunmen also seized a gunboat belonging to the Nigeria Police in an incident that occurred on Friday. Sources said the gunboat was escorting a barge owned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) when the bandits struck (Daily Independent, October 26, 2014).

Coconut Eccentricities

Sudan

“Colonel Ibrahim Chamsadine was Sudan’s defense minister but was arrested and imprisoned in 1995 by Omar al-Bashir for opposing him. Later, the state claimed that he died in a plane crash on June 11, 2008. But he was found in a secret prison under a mosque in the Sudanese city of Omdurmanprison https://bit.ly/2YbKT9c

Mali

In March 1991, angry Malians took to the streets to demand democratic freedom from the despotic rule of Gen. Moussa Traore. He unleashed his security forces on them, killing scores, including women and children. But pro-democracy forces were not deterred and kept up the pressure. Asked to resign on March 25, he retorted: "I will not resign, my government will not resign, because I was elected not by the opposition but by all the people of Mali." Two days later, when he tried to flee the country, he was grabbed by his own security agents and sent to jail. From there, he lamented: "My fate is now in God’s hands."

Kenya

“President Daniel arap Moi has urged Kenyans to abstain from sex for at least two years to try to curb the spread of AIDS. . .Moi was speaking after the government announced plans to import 300 million condoms to fight AIDS” (The Telegraph, July 13, 2001)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Uganda

Uganda’s Agriculture Minister, Kibirige Ssebunya, declared that: “All the poor should be arrested because they hinder us from performing our development duties. It is hard to lead the poor, and the poor cannot lead the rich. They should be eliminated" (New Vision, Kampala, Dec 15, 2004). He advised local leaders to arrest poor people in their areas of jurisdiction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~n

Soldiers teach wealth creation

BUSHENYI- Soldiers implementing the newly established operational Wealth Creation program have urged farmers to stop being afraid of working with them, saying they are not a colonial army that used to force people to do community tasks. The appeal was made at a meeting for the program’s southwestern army coordinators in Bushenyi District last week. The project replaced Naads last year. The meeting was organized by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) aimed at harmonizing collaboration between UCDA and coordinators to improve the quality and production of coffee (Daily Monitor, Feb 24, 2015)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No fewer than 300 Nigerian soldiers FLED to Cameroon when Boko Haram insurgents overran Mubi, the second largest city in Borno State from security forces on Oct 30, 2014 (SUNDAY PUNCH, Nov 2, 2014).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kibaki

In May 2005, Lucy Kibaki, one of the two wives of President Mwai Kibaki, was hopping mad. She stormed into the Nairobi office of The Daily Nation, confiscated notebooks, tape recorders and pens. Brandishing a copy of the newspaper, Mrs. Kibaki, flanked by several security officers and the Nairobi police chief, Kingori Mwangi, demanded to know the whereabouts of a reporter who had written a story headlined “Shame of First Lady” that offended her. “I am here to protest, and I’m not leaving until I find the reporter who has been writing all these lies,” a witness said. Mrs. Kibaki then camped herself for much of the night at the desk of the newspaper's editor, unleashing a fury of broadsides at the staff. When a local television crew arrived, she slapped a cameraman. The problem was that she chose the wrong newspaper to unleash her full fury. It was the rival Standard newspaper that had printed the offending article, not the Daily Nation. (The Daily Nation, May 9, 2005). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nigeria

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has proposed to spend N5 billion on the procurement of anti-terrorism, chemical, bio-radiation and NUCLEAR weapon equipment and other new projects. Breakdown of the budget by Daily Trust reveals that N254.2m was proposed for the procurement of NUCLEAR weapon equipment, as well as N196.6m for the purchase of two BMW 900 RT, 374 Sinoki motorcycles, 200 bikes and 30 rider kits. Daily Trust, Feb 21, 2018 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zimbabwe

Three people have appeared in court in Zimbabwe, accused of stealing a suitcase containing $150,000 (£117,600) of cash from the country's ousted president, Robert Mugabe. The suspected thieves allegedly spent the money on cars, homes and animals. A relative of the ex-president, Constantia Mugabe, is among the accused, government-owned media report. She allegedly had keys to Mr Mugabe's rural home in Zvimba, near the capital Harare, and gave the others access. The other suspects were employed as cleaners at the time of the theft, which allegedly happened some time between 1 December and early January (BBC Jan 10, 2019) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46830960 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenya

In January 2000,Kenya’s ruling party’s (KANU’s) gang of thugs known as Jeshi la Mzee (“the old man’s army”), attacked a group of opposition leaders outside parliament who were protesting against the resumption of IMF assistance. When the police were called to restore order, “It was the protesters, not the thugs, who were arrested” (The Economist, Feb 5, 2000; p.42). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zimbabwe

"In Zimbabwe, the thieves are in charge and their victims face prosecution" (The Economist, March 16, 2002; p.18). In 2000, Zimbabwe's Supreme Court ruled that invasions of white commercial farmlands by "war veterans" did not constitute a workable form of land redistribution -- a position, which was affirmed by a Commonwealth agreement struck in Abuja, Nigeria in Sept 2001. But President Robert Mugabe tossed the agreement aside, reconstituted the Supreme Court by packing it with pliant judges who then ruled on Dec 6 2001 that the violent land invasions were legal (The Economist, Dec 8, 2001; p.45).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, was miffed in December 2017 when two Ugandan musicians suggested in a song that he should retire. The two were promptly arrested and charged with disturbing the peace of the president. “Singer David Mugema and music producer John Muwanguzi were accused of having composed and disseminated via the internet a tune titled “Wumula”, meaning “retire”, their lawyer Abdallah Kiwanuka told AFP” (Mail &Guardian, Dec 6, 2017).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DR Congo frees goats from prison

A minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo has ordered a Kinshasa jail to release a dozen goats, which he said were being held there illegally. Deputy Justice Minister Claude Nyamugabo said he found the goats just in time during a routine jail visit. The beasts were due to appear in court, charged with being sold illegally by the roadside. The minister said many police had serious gaps in their knowledge and they would be sent for retraining. Mr Nyamugabo was conducting a routine visit to the prison when, he said, he was astonished to discover not only humans, but a herd of goats crammed into a prison cell in the capital. He has blamed the police for the incident.(Thank God, he didn’t blame the colonialists). It is not clear what will happen to the owners of the goats, who have also been imprisoned. BBC Africa analyst Mary Harper says that given the grim state of prisons in Congo, the goats will doubtless be relieved about being spared a trial. There was no word on what their punishment would have been, had they been found guilty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Traffic Drives Nigerians Nuts, but a Trip to a Shrink May Go Too Far Enforcement of One-Way Rules in Lagos Tests Motorists' Sanity; 'A Lot of Cannabis'

LAGOS, Nigeria—You'd have to be crazy to drive the wrong way down a one-way street here. At least, that's what cops in the local Anti-One-Way Squad say.

Seeking to stem an epidemic of wrong-way driving, Lagos authorities have ratcheted up the standard $160 fine. Scofflaws now also face psychiatric evaluations. Contesting the charge can jack up the fine to $1,600—and you still get sent to a shrink. The legal logic is simple, says Sina Thorpe, spokesman for the Lagos state ministry of transportation: If you violate one-way rules, "you should have your head examined." Threatening errant drivers with psychiatric exams, which locals deem more bureaucratic than medical, is a twist in the rough road of Nigerian traffic. Lagos bigwigs have long paid on-duty local cops to speed them through jams by riding shotgun with machine guns and menacing other drivers with bullwhips. Cut-price motorcycle taxis use thunderous horns that sound like 18-wheelers to frighten others out of the way. (The Wall Street Journal, July 27, 2011; p.A1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zambia: Zambia's Transport Minister, Nkandu Luo, acting to "improve sanity in the transportation industry" ordered all buses and taxis to be painted in same uniform color: Blue and white. The United Transport and Taxi Association (UTTA) who were not consulted on the move, claimed that the imposition of the colors "amounted to the worst form of dictatorship." "If they think it is such a good idea to have a uniform color, why don't they paint all government vehicles in the same blue and white so that they lead by example," UTTA member Mr. Bwalya Chupa complained. Passengers were not impressed either. "The buses should have been repaired before being smeared with a coat of paint," commuter Juliet Sefu opined. Rather than bring sanity to the transportation industry, most Zambians believe the Transport Minister has brought even further insanity to their already beleaguered transportation infrastructure (African Business, May 2001; p.13).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sierra Leone: The Sierra Leone Government is urging people to stop jeering and throwing stones at former military leader, Captain Valentine Strasser. A government statement said Captain Strasser had been embarrassed by people throwing stones at him and booing him when he ventured out on the streets of the capital, Freetown. "It is a great concern to the nation," the statement said (Daily Graphic, Accra, August 18, 2001; p.5).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Uganda

Minister seeks to attract tourists: Uganda has sexy and curvy women . . . And coconuts too https://goo.gl/FXWsgi

Chad

The president built a moat around the capital to ward off rebel insurgency led by his relatives: “The government is digging a 10-foot-deep trench around the capital, Ndjamena, to prevent a repeat of an attack last month, when rebels in pickup trucks rolled in and fought two days of heavy battles. The ditch will all but encircle the city, slicing through neighborhoods and forcing vehicles to pass through fortified gateways, a security official said. The remaining trees that line the avenues of central Ndjamena are being felled. Residents say the rebels used trees knocked down by rocket-propelled grenades and cannon fire to block roads during the fighting” (Reuters reprinted in The New York Times, March 8, 2008). And who are the rebels? His own nephews and relatives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched a space agency, hailing it a "milestone" as he campaigns ahead of elections at the end of the month. The Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency will deploy earth observation satellites, global navigation satellite systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, geospatial and space technologies for better farming, mineral exploration, wildlife conservation, infrastructure management and disease surveillance, he said in Harare https://bit.ly/2GZCq3w

Coconut Combat on Corruption

In Feb 2014 when Lamidu Sanusi, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, reported that some $20 billion in oil revenue was missing, it was he, the governor, who was immediately sacked by ex-Pres. Goodluck Jonathan for financial recklessness and misconduct! (BBC News, Feb 20, 2014) https://bbc.in/2Kb8rsE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paul Biya Fights Corruption? Don’t snicker; my head it splitting already! The man is holed up in Switzerland watching over his Swiss bank accounts! Holds a cabinet meeting every 4 years. In Oct 2018 he won a 7th 7-year term without even campaigning. He has already been in power for 41 years https://bit.ly/2XWI4cG

Life in a coconut Republic

Liberia under Pres. Charles Taylor

“Wheel barrows serve as ambulances for the people. The public schools do not function; more than 70 percent of the population is illiterate. Yet, all government ministers have Ph.D.s – some even three or four – all purchased. At the University of Liberia, Charles Taylor offered 11,000 scholarships to his friends in 1997 but did not pay their tuition bills. Nor did his government pay the salaries of university professors and public school teacher . . . Liberia had a judicial system but Taylor named his friends who could not read or write to be judges and attorneys, and sentences were handed down on his orders . . . The capital has a fire building, painted bright red but its only fire truck has no tires, headlamps, or even a hose. Wires dangle from the engine. With no running water in the city, firefighters must jog or hitchhike to a creek three miles away to fetch water in buckets to put out a fire” (The Washington Post, Sep 9, 2003; p.A18). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nigeria

The late General Sani Abacha’s family thought they were smart. They hired Usman Mohammed Bello – a Sudanese from Karsala -- to look after their three children attending school in Amman, Jordan. Usman became a close confidante of Abacha with access to several coded foreign bank accounts opened by the late General. The family so trusted him that Abacha gave him diplomatic status in the Nigerian foreign office in Amman. He was also issued with both diplomatic passport number F317567 and a standard passport number A104786. Subsequently, Abacha was poisoned or died in 1998 from exhaustion from a Viagra-fueled sex orgy – depending on upon which version one believes. A short transitional government led to the election of President Olusegun Obasanjo in March 1999, who vowed to recover Abacha’s loot of about $5 billion from abroad. On October 1, 1999, Usman Bello vanished. A hysterical Abacha family appealed to Nigeria’s police and government for help in catching him! “Nigeria’s State Security Service from from (SSS) established that the Sudanese might have salted away millions of dollars entrusted to him by the Abacha family and may also be privy to other financial transactions of the family overseas, especially in the Arab world” (Weekly Insight, July 19-25, 2000; p.1). Only in a coconut republic would thieves appeal to the police to apprehend a thief! Even then, part of the Abacha loot that was recovered, was quickly re-looted! About $709 million and another ₤144 million were recovered from the loot the Abachas and his henchmen stashed abroad. But the Senate Public Accounts Committee found only $6.8 million and ₤2.8 million of the recovered booty in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (The Post Express (July 10, 2000).

Coconut Elections

Tanzania

The losing candidate lambasted voters, not his own incompetence, for losing an election: “The candidate of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Augustine Mrema, did well in 1995 with another party, NCCR-Mageuzi, and less well with TLP in 2000. This time, he blamed the voters for betraying him. Mrema, a former home affairs minister who contested the 1995 elections as leader of his own party, chastised the voters for not choosing him previously. "I wonder why you have not given me votes to become president despite my impressive record as home affairs minister," he told a rally in Dar es Salaam broadcast live on radio and television. "I worked as deputy prime minister, which means I was boss to Mkapa and Sumaye, still you chose not to elect me president. Why? Some voters are hypocrites. They proclaim to support you but vote for other people. If you do not vote for me this time, you will have to explain." (Southen African News, Dec 16, 2005) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nigeria

To return Nigeria to civilian rule, the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, allowed only 5 political parties to be registered in 1996 and participate in the forthcoming elections. They all promptly chose HIM as their presidential candidate!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rwanda: On August 25, 2003, Paul Kagame, leader of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), won 95.05 percent of the vote. His challenger, Faustin Twagiramungu, found his campaign stymied at every turn by government security forces. His rallies were canceled, his workers arrested and his brochures seized. On the eve of the voting, “police arrested 12 of Twagiramungu’s provincial organizers, saying they were preparing election day violence” (The Washington Times, Aug 28, 2003; p.A19). “In Twagiramungu’s home town, soldiers reportedly looked at ballot papers and ordered those who voted the wrong way to try again” (The Economist, Aug 30, 2003; p.32). Faustin Twagiramungu, won 3.62 percent and a third candidate, Jean Nepomuscene Nayinzira, had 1.33 percent (The New York Times, Aug 26, 2003; p.A6). In the 2010 elections Kagame won 93% of the vote and in the 2017 elections he won 99.98% of the vote! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ethiopia: May 2015 election the opposition did not win a single parliamentary seat. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Ghana’s 1996 presidential election, opposition candidate, Col. Erskine did not win a single vote in his own constituency. In other words, he did not would vote for himself and neither did his wife and four children. He was livid. When he complained bitterly on a radio program, the electoral commissioner tossed six votes his way. Marriage breaker election. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Egypt

In Egypt’s March 2018 elections all of those who expressed an interest to contest either disappeared or were thrown into jail. The main challenger was arrested and his campaign manager beaten up. The only candidate allowed to run was Mousa Mostafa Mousa. He was a strong supporter of the president. In fact, his own party previously endorsed the incumbent, Abdel Fattahh al-Sisi, who won 97% of the vote. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe’s July 2018 election bore all the hallmarks of the long-ruling ZANU-PF party’s usual machinations. Voters included more than 1,000 people about 100 years old and older; four were even born in the 1880s. Emmerson Mnangagwa (the incumbent) won 50.8% of votes to 44.3% for opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. He scraped through by the skin of his teeth to avoid a runoff! Yeah right! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Congo DR The Mother of all Coconut elections took place in Congo DR on Dec 30, 2018 after being twice postponed. Vote in 3 opposition areas were postponed to March 2019. Rest of the country voted on Dec 30. The Electoral Commissioner declared Felix Tshisekedi, an opposition candidate, as the winner on Jan 15. There was widespread speculation that the incumbent, Joseph Kabila, had made a secret pact with Tshisekedi. The Catholic Church disagreed with the results, giving the nod to another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu, who declared himself president. A nasty political crisis erupted which wend its way to the Constitutional Court. Awoken out of its slumber, the African Union with indecent haste ordered the Court to hold off and wait for its high level and high profile delegation to come to Kinshasa to resolve the crisis. And the Chairman of the AU seeking to resolve an election dispute? Prez PAUL KAGAME of Rwanda who in Aug 2017 tossed his political rival, Diane Rwigara, into jail and won 99.98% of vote in presidential election https://goo.gl/URjASb The Court told the AU to butt out and mind his own business. It went ahead and confirmed Tshisekedi as the winner. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coconut Security Forces Mauritania

State news: Mauritania's president mistakenly shot by his nation's troops

(CNN) -- Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who came under fire from his own troops just hours before, took to his country's airwaves Sunday, saying the shooting incident was an accident. "I want to reassure all citizens of my well-being after the accident committed by an army unit on an unpaved road around Touela. ... Everything is fine," he said in an interview broadcast on official Mauritanian television. Troops shot the president late Saturday in what the government is calling a case of "friendly fire" -- though others believe it may have been an assassination attempt. Aziz's convoy mistakenly came under fire as it was heading back toward the capital of Nouakchott, the official AMI news agency reported. The gunshots came from a military unit stationed alongside the road in the west African country. http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/13/world/africa/mauritania-president-shot/index.html By Amir Ahmed, CNN, October 14, 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenya

In Africa, most of the police are highway robbers and judges, crooks. Tell a police officer that you saw a minister stealing the people’s money and it is you he will arrest! Asked to investigate the brutal murders of Robert Ouko and British tourist, Julie Ward, Kenya police issued this report: “Foreign Minister Robert Ouko was presumed to have broken his own leg, shot himself in the head and set himself afire. Two years earlier, Kenyan officials suggested that a British tourist, Julie Ward, lopped off her own head and one of her legs before setting herself aflame” (The Washington Post, April 20, 2001; p. A19). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghana

The security forces can unleash the full force of their fury on unarmed civilians with batons, tear gas, water canons and rubber bullets. But how really brave are the security forces? On 16 December 1998, Corporal C. Darko and Constable K. A. Boateng at a Police Station in Accra, Ghana, were instructed to go and arrest Samuel Quartey, who was reported to police for being involved in a theft case. "When the suspect came out brandishing a cutlass (a machete), the police officers took to their heels with the speed of lightning that could have made an enviable record had they been timed" (The Mirror, 2 Jan 1999, 1). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soldiers on guard duties at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation no longer guard an observation post behind the TV studios because of a ghost who slaps officers who go on duty there at night. In September, 1994, an officer on guard at that sentry came running to the head of security complaining of an invincible hand which had on two occasions pulled his helmet from his head and slapped him. The senior officer, unmoved by the soldier's story, decided to prove him wrong by manning the post himself. Within an hour, the senior officer fled to the office telling a similar tale, this time the ghost allegedly smacked him four times on the face (Ghana Drum, Feb 1995; p.33). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nigeria

On July 23, 1998, Colonel Anthony Obi, Osun State's military administrator, strutted pompously to deliver a speech at a state function at Osogbo in the southwestern part of Lagos, Nigeria. As the Daily Champion (24 July 1998) reported: "Panic stricken Nigerian officials ran for safety when first a rat and then a python, apparently drawn by the smell of the rat, made a sudden appearance. The officials leapt up from their seats when the rat, described as having a "long snout and offensive smell," appeared from beneath the carpet by the high table. Colonel Anthony Obi, Osun State's military administrator, and his entourage nervously returned after security agents intervened and killed the beast. (p.1) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenya

Ambushed by bunch of rag-tag cattle rustlers, Kenya’s elite presidential guards quickly surrendered. Johann Wandetto, a reporter for the People Daily, a newspaper in Kitale, Rift Valley province, submitted a story in the March 6, 1999 edition with the title: “Militia men rout 8 crack unit officers: Shock as Moi’s men surrender meekly.” Wandetto was immediately arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison on what the court described as an “alarmist report” (Index on Censorship, 3/2000; p.99). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congo DR

Nor can the security forces shoot straight. When civil war broke out in the DR Congo in 1997, Chad sent in troops to help the regime of Laurent Kabila stave off rebel attacks. What happened? “Congo rebels said 93 Chadian soldiers were killed in an ambush by Kabila government troops who mistook their identities. Chad, one of the nations allied with the Kabila regime, insisted the toll was lower” (The Wall Street Journal, Nov 12, 1998, A1). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sudan

And the mother of all security forces? When the African Union (AU) peacekeepers' base on the edge of Haskanita, a small town in southern Darfur, came under sustained rebel assault on Sept 29, 2007, they fled into the bush. “Ten were killed; at least 40 fled into the bush. The attackers looted the compound before Sudanese troops arrived to rescue the surviving peacekeepers” (The Economist, Oct 11, 2007; p.48) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hoisted by own petard

Ousted Mauritania leader in shock

The former president of the West African state of Mauritania has said he was stunned by the coup that ousted him from power. Army officers overthrew President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya in a bloodless revolt on Wednesday. Speaking for the first time since the coup, Mr Taya said he had been shocked to find out who was behind it. He was toppled by the former security chief and close colleague, Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Vall. "My situation reminds me of the old adage: 'God, save me from my friends, I'll take care of my enemies'," President Taya told Radio France Internationale from Niger. "I was stunned by the coup d'etat [...] and even more so when I heard who were the authors," Mr Taya said. President Taya, who survived a number of coup attempts in his 21-year rule, was returning from the funeral of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia when the coup took place. Col Vall, 55, has been director of national security since 1987 and, after played a key role in the 1984 coup which brought Mr Taya to power. Critics accuse the government of using the US-led war on terror to crack down on his opponents. Mr Taya had also prompted widespread opposition by establishing links with Israel, making Mauritania one of only three Arab states to have done so. The following presidents were removed by members of their own security forces: Ben Ali of Tunisia in 2011, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in 2011, Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria in April 2019 and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan in April 2019. They never learn and keep spending more and more on security forces. In the end they are booted out by members of their own security forces. Guinea

GUINEA: PRESIDENT ESCAPES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Guinea's leader, Lansana Conté, survived an assassination attempt, his security minister said, after unidentified men in military uniforms fired on his convoy. Mr. Conté, 70, a diabetic chain-smoker who has no obvious successor and is rarely seen in public, later appeared on state television. Military officials said his bodyguards returned fire and foiled the attack. Security Minister Moussa Sampil said that an unspecified number of people had been detained. In his television address, Mr. Conté spoke of "external manipulations" against him but added, "Personally, I only fear my close aides, who pretend they are with me while they are not sincere." (Reuters, Jan 20, 2005). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hundreds of marauding soldiers fired guns in the air in the streets of Conakry and other towns around the country on Friday, further threatening the ability of Guinea's beleaguered president Lansana Conte to govern. Banks, schools, markets and shops all closed at around 11.30am as news spread that heavily armed soldiers were marching into town, after talks between senior military officials and soldiers at a military base near the airport collapsed. "We want the leaders who stole our wages and betrayed us to step down," one of the soldiers marching in central Conakry close to the presidential palace, told IRIN on Friday afternoon. In the morning IRIN also saw presidential guards, distinguished by their red berets, in the center of the city. They were shooting in the air in what appeared to be an attempt to scare off the mutinous soldiers, but the presidential guards were outnumbered and eventually FLED! UN Integrated Regional Information Networks NEWS 11 May 2007

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.punchng.com/news/mubi-battle-300-nigerian-soldiers-flee-to-cameroon-again/

Boko Haram has seized control of a Nigerian town after hundreds of soldiers stationed there reportedly FLED across the border to Cameroon, a police source said. "Boko Haram fighters moved into Ashigashya" overnight on Monday, where they slaughtered three people in front of a church, a Cameroon police source told the AFP news agency on Tuesday on condition of anonymity. “Almost 500 Nigerian soldiers FLED the Nigerian border towns of Ashigashyia and Kerawa to take refuge from Boko Haram fighters on Cameroonian territory” (Al-Jazeera, Aug 26, 2014) www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/08/boko-haram-seizes-town-after-soldiers-flee-2014826181311739107.html

Islamist extremist group Boko Haram seized control of a Nigerian town of Malam Fatori, near the Niger border, after soldiers FLED, an official told the AFP. . . The fighting killed dozens and wounded about 30 people in the a commercial hub known for fishing and farming, the Anfani radio station in Diffa reported. “The town of Malam Fatori was taken by Boko Haram after violent fighting with the Nigerian army overnight,” said the official in Diffa. According to the official, 315 Nigerian soldiers FLED over the border to Diffa. Thirteen who were wounded were treated in a Diffa hospital, while the others have been repatriated (Today, Nov 10, 2014) HTTP://WWW.TODAY.NG/NEWS/315-NIGERIAN-SOLDIERS-FLEE-TO-NIGER-AS-BOKO-HARAM-RAIDS-TAKES-CONTROL-OF-ANOTHER-TOWN-IN-BORNO/

“NO fewer than 480 Nigerian soldiers have FLED into Cameroon following fierce fighting with Boko Haram insurgents. The Cameroonian Army Spokesman, Lt Col Didier Badjek, who confirmed this, said the troops had already been disarmed. (Cameroon Daily, Jan 20, 2015).

HTTP://WWW.CAMEROONDAILY.NET/2014/08/480-NIGERIAN-SOLDIERS-FLEE-TO-CAMEROON.HTML

Mercifully there is the Coconut Cure

In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, there is a place called "the magic corner," where all and sundry, including politicians, come to be relieved or cured of their problems. "Even those top leaders of the government come to that tree," said Shabuni Haruni, a private security guard. "Yes, during the election." Upon the payment of a small fee, a traditional healer ("witch doctor") would take a patient to a huge baobab tree, reputed to be the abode of ancestral spirits. Patients remove their shoes, kneel in front of the tree with their eyes closed. At one session described by The Washington Post correspondent, Karl Vick, "Rykia Selengia, a traditional healer, passed a coconut around and around the head of her kneeling client. The coconut went around the man's left arm, then the right, then each leg. When she handed the coconut to the client, Mussa Norris, he hurled it onto a stone. It shattered, releasing his problems to the winds." (The Washington Post, Nov 12, 2001; p. A21).

3 notes · View notes

newstfionline · 5 years ago

Text

Headlines

In 1919, driving cross-country was a crazy idea. An Army convoy set out to show it could be done. (Washington Post) A long line of nearly 100 vehicles stretched out along the White House Ellipse on the morning of July 7, 1919, replete with heavy troop carriers, light trucks, sidecar motorcycles, reconnaissance cars, field kitchens, blacksmith shops and one Renault light tank. Though an armistice had brought peace to Europe the previous year, the military had given itself a new mission: driving a convoy across the country. The Army’s road trip got off to a rocky start, with several vehicles breaking down that afternoon on the hilly roads leading out of the District. The party made camp the first night in Frederick, Md., where a brevet lieutenant colonel joined the group as a last-minute observer for the Tank Corps. Dwight D. Eisenhower, then 28, was there “partly for a lark and partly to learn,” he wrote later, because “nothing of the sort had ever been attempted.” In the weeks ahead, engine troubles plagued the convoy, which progressed at an average pace of less than 6 mph. On Sept. 6, 1919, the vehicles limped into San Francisco, where the daily log appreciatively noted “fair and warm” weather and fine “paved city streets.” Twenty-one of the doughboys had suffered injuries or fallen sick over the course of the journey. The heavy vehicles had damaged or destroyed 88 bridges and caused 230 road accidents. One Army captain described the weeks on the road as “comparable to those generally experienced in the advance zone of battle operations.” In his final report to the chief of the Motor Transport Corps, Eisenhower reflected that “extended trips by trucks through the middle western part of the United States are impracticable until the roads are improved.” Years later, he would see the possibilities of a national highway building program firsthand while leading mechanized Army forces on the autobahns of Nazi Germany.

Trump approval rises, but a majority also see him as ‘unpresidential’ (Washington Post) President Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest point of his presidency, though a slight majority of Americans continue to say they disapprove of his performance in office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

DMV databases become part of unprecedented surveillance infrastructure (Washington Post) The FBI and ICE have turned state driver’s license databases into a facial-recognition gold mine, scanning through hundreds of millions of Americans’ photos without their knowledge or consent, newly released documents show.

21 hurt in shopping plaza blast: Gas lines found ruptured (AP) A vacant pizza restaurant exploded Saturday in a thundering roar at a South Florida shopping plaza, injuring more than 20 people as large chunks of concrete flew through the air. The blast flung debris widely along a busy road in Plantation, west of Fort Lauderdale. The restaurant was destroyed, and nearby businesses and cars were damaged. Though firefighters found ruptured gas lines afterward, authorities said it was too early to determine a cause.

U.S. Says Trade Talks Resuming as China Demands End to Tariffs (Bloomberg) The Trump administration said trade talks with China are starting up again as Beijing reiterated that it’s essential the U.S. removes all existing tariffs for a deal to be reached. Negotiations between the world’s two largest economies collapsed in May after U.S. officials accused China of backtracking on draft commitments, and amid key sticking points like China’s demand that the U.S. lift all the punitive tariffs put in place since the trade war started almost a year ago.

From Libya to Texas, tragedies illustrate plight of migrants (AP) They are trapped in squalid detention centers on Libya’s front lines. They wash up on the banks of the Rio Grande. They sink without a trace--in the Mediterranean, in the Pacific or in waterways they can’t even name. A handful fall out of airplanes’ landing gear. As their choices narrow on land and at sea, migrants are often seen as a political headache in the countries they hope to reach and ignored in the countries they flee. Most live in limbo, but recent tragedies have focused attention on the risks they face and the political constraints at the root of them. A record 71 million people were forcibly displaced around the world in 2018, according to a report last month by the U.N. refugee agency, in places as diverse as Turkey, Uganda, Bangladesh and Peru. Many are still on the move in 2019, or trapped like thousands in detention in Libya, where an airstrike on Tuesday killed at least 44 migrants and refugees locked away in the Tripoli suburb of Tajoura.

Macri and Rivals Launch Campaign Ads for Presidential Election (Reuters) Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his rivals in the October election launched their campaign ads on local TV on Sunday, targeting undecided voters who will be key to choosing whether his policies remain in place another four years.

BA Faces $229 Million Fine Over Breach of Customers’ Data (AP) The U.K. data regulator is fining British Airways 183 million pounds ($229 million) over a breach that compromised information on half a million customers.

San Fermín: Three gored during annual Pamplona bull run (BBC) Three people have been gored during the first bull run at the annual San Fermín festival in Pamplona. Two others were taken to hospital with head injuries and a total of 48 others were treated by the Red Cross. Injuries at the event are common and at least 16 people have died taking part since 1910, when records began.

Greece: Exit polls give win to conservative party leader (AP) Exit polls in Greece’s general election indicate conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis won a comfortable victory Sunday over left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The vote was Greece’s first parliamentary election since the end of its international bailouts and came as the country gradually emerges from a brutal financial crisis that saw unemployment and poverty levels skyrocket and the economy shrink by a quarter.

Bus Falls From Highway Bridge in Northern India, Killing 29 (AP) A speeding bus smashed through the boundary wall of an expressway bridge and plunged into a drain in northern India early Monday, killing at least 29 people on board, an official said.

Hong Kong protesters seek to tell mainland Chinese visitors about their struggle (Washington Post) Visitors from China accustomed to high end hotels and luxury stores were handed Hong Kong newspapers detailing the upheaval in the city over the past weeks. News in China has been highly censored since massive student-led pro-democracy demonstrations at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989. Chinese Internet users attempting to find information about the ongoing Hong Kong protests have found their queries blocked. State media has instead published stories that show widespread support in Hong Kong for mainland China, often completely false.

Strong Quake Causes Panic in Eastern Indonesia (AP) A strong subsea earthquake late Sunday night caused panic in parts of eastern Indonesia and triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted. There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.

Australia Tracks Chinese Warship Headed Towards U.S.-Australia War Games (Reuters) Australian defence officials said on Monday they were tracking a Chinese surveillance ship that is expected to position itself just outside of its territorial waters to monitor military exercises between Australia and the United States.

Iran steps further from nuke deal, adding pressure on Europe (AP) Iran increased its uranium enrichment Sunday beyond the limit allowed by its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, inching its program closer toward weapons-grade levels while calling for a diplomatic solution to a crisis heightening tensions with the U.S. Iran’s move, coupled with earlier abandoning the deal’s limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile, intensifies pressure on Europe to find any effective way around U.S. sanctions that block Tehran’s oil sales abroad. But the future of the accord that President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. from a year ago remains in question. While Iran’s recent measures could be easily reversed, Europe has struggled to respond, even after getting a 60-day warning that the increase was coming. Meanwhile, experts fear a miscalculation in the crisis could explode into open conflict, as Trump already has nearly bombed Iran over Tehran shooting down a U.S. military surveillance drone.

Libya’s Mitiga Airport Resumes Air Traffic Following a Missile Strike (Reuters) Air space re-opened at the Libyan capital’s only functioning airport, Mitiga, on Sunday after it was halted following a fall of missiles, according to a post on the Mitiga airport authority’s Facebook page.

#headlines

1 note · View note

csnews · 6 years ago

Photo

Are we watching a real-time extinction of southern resident killer whales?

Randy Shore - October 9, 2018

Images of the orca J35 Tahlequah carrying her dead newborn for a heartbreaking 17 days over 1,600 kilometres were seen around the world. Canadian and American veterinarians and biologists then joined forces in dramatic fashion to diagnose and treat the ailing three-year-old J50 Scarlet from the same pod, but failed to save her life. Three deaths this summer — including the young male L92 Crewser, which disappeared in June — have focused the world’s attention on the difficulties facing southern resident killer whales like never before.

Now, the world will watch as we bring the 74 remaining community members back from the brink, or witness their extinction. Biologists and conservationists hope the celebrity of the Salish Sea’s orcas can be used to save them.

“They are a symbol for a lot of species that share their ecosystem and some of them are doing poorly, too,” said Vancouver Aquarium veterinarian Marty Haulena. Sea stars, chinook and sockeye salmon and rockfish populations are all in distress, but considerably less photogenic than orcas.

“Hopefully the southern residents have the star power to get some attention,” said Haulena. Orcas have strong family bonds, they play, and apparently grieve their losses, making them uniquely relatable.

“That is why we take their deaths so hard,” said Mark Leiren-Young, director of The Hundred Year Old Whale and author of The Killer Whale Who Changed the World.

“The photos of a baby orca leaping through the air that went viral — captioned ‘learning to fly’ — that was J50 Scarlet,” he said. “She was the symbol of a baby boom, the symbol of hope. And this is the whale that we just watched die.”

Scientists who study the West Coast’s killer whales identify individuals by their dorsal fins and a unique white saddle patch. Each gets a number and then a name, and hence a public persona. Vets and biologists are now gearing up to provide personalized medical attention to the southern residents.

Veterinary researcher Joe Gaydos of UC Davis, working with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has created individualized health records for every member, like you and I have with our family doctor.

“We need to know a lot more about the individual health of these animals,” said Haulena. “We can’t treat them as a population anymore. We have so few left that we need to know why every individual has died. And we don’t.”

Gaydos has adapted an approach developed for a closely monitored group of mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda.

“(The gorillas) each have a health record, they are all vaccinated, and they are treated medically when something goes wrong,” Haulena said.

American researchers are able to collect feces, breath samples and “snot” from the southern residents, and use darts to collect samples of skin and blubber, according to Lynne Barre, southern resident killer whale recovery co-ordinator for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“We slice and dice these samples and cross-reference it with other data in every way we can think of to get a full picture,” she said.

The physical condition of the whales is assessed from photographs and video taken from the water’s surface and from aerial drones.

“So we watch and listen and sometimes even smell their breath,” she said.

Blubber samples in particular reveal the presence of toxins, from long-banned DDT and PCBs to newer threats such as PBDE flame retardants.

“Some of these are endocrine disrupters that are persistent in the environment and accumulate over time, affecting reproduction and the immune system,” said Barre.

A study published last week in the journal Science found that southern residents are moderately affected by PCBs compared to killer whale groups in Brazil and Europe, yet the contamination is predicted to negatively affect their ability to reproduce.

PCBs accumulate and concentrate in fish-eating fish such as chinook.

One sign of hope is that the whales continue to mate and conceive.

Females from J, K and L pods are showing signs of pregnancy and in mid-September the southern residents from all three pods merged into a super-pod near Race Rocks on Vancouver Island.

“We heard that there was a lot of social activity going on,” said Barre.

Time for action

The southern residents that make their summer home in the Salish Sea between the Fraser River and Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island haven’t successfully produced a calf in three years.

Three members died just this summer, including the male L92 Crewser, who was declared missing in June. He was just 23 and in his prime.

Just a decade ago, surviving calves were being born at a rate of three, four or five per year. But since November of 2015, not a single one has survived.

Forty surviving calves have been born to the group since 1998. Over the same period, 73 southern residents have died.

Most cetaceans have a higher mortality rate in the first year of life, said Haulena.

But many of the other 17 orcas that perished since 2012 were in their prime — 13, 18, 20 and 23 years old.

“Orcas in their prime absolutely should be surviving,” he said.

A 27-year-old male, K25, has recently showed signs of decline in aerial photos, which Barre characterized as a “warning signal.”

Evidence points to a lack of food — mainly chinook salmon — as a threat to the orcas’ survival. Underwater noise from shipping, ferries, commercial and recreational fishing boats, and whale watchers interferes with their ability to locate what little prey is available.

Six groups, including the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the David Suzuki Foundation, asked the courts on Sept. 5 to compel the federal government to issue an emergency order under the Species at Risk Act to protect the southern residents and their main food source, chinook salmon.

The chinook are themselves in deep crisis. The Columbia River chinook are listed as endangered in the U.S., and last week Fisheries and Oceans Canada released data showing this season’s chinook returns in the Fraser River were well below the historical average.

The southern residents, too, are listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act. The next status after endangered is “extirpated,” meaning they are reproductively non-viable, or dead. Ottawa is taking public input on the Species at Risk Act recovery strategy for northern and southern resident killer whales until Nov. 3.

Earlier this year the litigating groups asked Ottawa to curtail sport fishing and whale watching in critical feeding areas. The government responded by reducing the chinook catch by 25 to 35 per cent and increasing the buffer zone for whale watching to 200 metres.

Parts of the most important foraging areas in the Gulf Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca were closed to all fishing and partial closures were implemented at the mouth of the Fraser River.

“Since the death of three whales, including J50, we have upped our ask,” said Misty MacDuffee, a biologist for Raincoast. “Now we want the closure of all marine-based commercial and sport chinook fisheries.”

The groups are also calling for a full ban on whale watching for the southern residents.

Up to two dozen whale-watching vessels follow the group daily in their main feeding areas on the Salish Sea, she said.

Whales or oil?

The plight of the southern residents is now central to the progress of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

In overturning the pipeline approval, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the National Energy Board should have considered the impact of increased tanker traffic on southern resident killer whales.

Federal Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson hinted this week that further protections for killer whales could come before cabinet decides whether to approve the pipeline again, after the National Energy Board’s do-over review is complete.

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would increase the number of large vessels entering the Port of Vancouver by about six per week. The port currently serves 3,200 vessels a year.

Ottawa’s $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan — created in advance of Trans Mountain’s original approval — included plans to improve prey availability for the whales and to reduce underwater noise that interferes with the their ability to communicate and locate prey.

The government will invest an additional $167 million over five years in the Whales Initiative, supporting research, enforcement and education, and adding fisheries officers to ensure compliance to new regulations by anglers. Aerial surveillance over critical habitat has been increased by 30 per cent, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is spending $9.5 million on chinook habitat restoration on the Fraser, Thompson and Skeena Rivers and salmon streams on Vancouver Island, much of it in collaboration with First Nations.

A $150-million industry-funded oil spill protection plan was suspended when the pipeline approval was overturned.

A recent study published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology suggests that a major oil spill near the orcas’ summer feeding grounds could affect up to 80 per cent of their critical habitat.

Animals such as orcas that spend a lot of time at the water’s surface are most likely to suffer from contact and ingestion of diluted bitumen, the main product to be exported by the proposed pipeline expansion, the authors said.

The port has implemented two programs aimed at reducing the impact of shipping on the southern residents.

Vessels travelling through the Strait of Juan de Fuca have been asked to shift their route as far south as possible within the shipping lane to create more distance between the ships and foraging areas.

In its fourth year, Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation is a voluntary program in which ships are asked to reduce their speed through the Haro Strait to reduce underwater noise.

Underwater microphones installed in the Haro Strait found that noise created by slower vessels was “significantly” reduced, by about 6 to 11 decibels.

“We asked vessels to slow down to 11 knots,” said Carrie Brown, the port’s director of environmental programs. “We’ve had 87 per cent participation by ships in the current slowdown period.”

The program doesn’t have a specific threshold or goal for the level of underwater noise; instead it operates on the notion that any reduction in noise will be of benefit.

American authorities are considering dramatic action to improve chinook stocks and there is real public pressure to demolish four Lower Snake River dams.

Washington Governor Jay Inlee’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force has just released draft recommendations that include expanding hatchery programs, real-time orca monitoring to close active fisheries when the southern residents are in the area and removing barriers from a river system that has 14 hydroelectric dams.

After the removal of a dam on the Elwha River in 2014, chinook are returning to spawning areas above the former dam site, according to the Klallam Nation.

A massive increase in local populations of harbour seals and sea lions is also contributing to prey scarcity, because they also selectively eat chinook, according to recent research published by the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

The report also contemplates “management actions” to control the number of harbour seals in Puget Sound. Earlier this summer, the U.S. federal government authorized a cull of sea lions in the Columbia River.

“If we don’t increase the availability of chinook and lessen the toxic load in the chinook population then we are watching (the southern residents) vanish,” said Leiren-Young.

#news #wild #orca #killer whale #srkw #extinction #conservation #whale #dolphin #cetacean

16 notes · View notes

drokelley-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Okelleys in Tenwek 2019

Since returning from Africa, my wife Dana and I have found it difficult to respond when asked how our trip was. “Good” or “great” is the usual one-word response but many more adjectives come to mind, as it was a trip filled with a mixture of different encounters, experiences, and emotions. And somehow just one or two words do not suffice. It would definitely be accurate to say that it was eye-opening.

We came to this particular place because of the Many family. Most folks know of our long-term friendship with them, so I won’t elaborate here, but it was wonderful to visit them and experience what life is like for them at Tenwek. I believe they are where the Lord wants them to be, but like life anywhere, Tenwek has its share of happiness and hardships. We had learned what we could ahead of time about Kenya and Tenwek from materials provided by Samaritan’s Purse who took care of all the logistics of our trip, as well as from conversations with the Many’s and also from our daughter Claire, who had visited with them for several months in 2015. But nothing really could prepare us for a place that is so different from our everyday experience back home.

Our drive to Tenwek hospital took us 4-5-hours from the airport in Nairobi on a rough road that had become paved only 5 years prior. Tenwek is located in the rural highlands of southwestern Kenya which has no large or modern cities nearby, yet the population in the general area is quite large. In addition, patients are referred from long distances for treatment at Tenwek which is one of Africa’s largest mission hospitals. As you might expect in a developing country, the people there do not have most of the things we take for granted. Clean water, reliable electricity, passable roads, and adequate sanitation are still hard to come by there, and there would be no access to adequate healthcare without Tenwek Hospital. It is a 300-bed teaching facility with a long evangelical-centered mission to provide the best healthcare possible. 72 of those beds are designated to the maternity service, where I spent my time working as a member of the “OB service”.

Most women in this area give birth at home. There are smaller clinics in the area which provide very basic care but lack the ability to handle most emergencies. So, women who come to Tenwek either arrive from their village, or are referred by these smaller clinics with little or no prenatal care and are either high-risk or suffering some sort of complication related to pregnancy or childbirth. The maternity service delivers about 3-400 babies per month, and also receives a large number of patients who have delivered elsewhere and are experiencing complications. The single delivery room holds 3 delivery beds or “couches” and is used for deliveries, triage, and labor exams. There is a 5-bed “labor” ward for laboring patients, inductions (of which there were usually 4-5 daily), and any high-risk antepartum patients. Of course, this ward stays full and often spills over to the other rooms on the unit, which normally accommodate lower risk antepartum, postpartum and post-operative patients. Healthy newborns stay with their mothers. Mothers whose babies are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay until their babies are discharged. The NICU has a capacity of about 45. So, the halls are normally crowded with patients, visitors, and staff, and it is not unusual to have 2 mothers assigned to the same bed or 2 babies assigned to the same isollete due to overflow. There is one O.R. in maternity for cesarean sections, or other minor procedures, but it is only available from 9 AM to 4 PM. Outside these hours an emergency cesarean section must be done in the main O.R. or “theatre”, which is in another building.

To say that the conditions in the hospital are different than what I normally have available at home would be an understatement for sure. That being said, Tenwek provides excellent care for maternity patients considering their limited resources. Nurses manage all labor patients and perform all uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. They have medications such as Pitocin and magnesium sulfate for inductions and treatment of preeclampsia but do not have infusion pumps. They also have available the usual medications to treat postpartum hemorrhage. There is no continuous fetal monitoring available including for patients on Pitocin or with other high-risk indications. There is no epidural service available. Intermittent fetal monitoring and a vaginal exam (VE) usually are performed by the nurses every 4-6 hours on all labor patients. Inductions are performed with misoprostol, Pitocin or Foley balloon. Patients are not screened for group B strep but antibiotics are available to treat infections and are given preoperatively. Patients with one previous cesarean are allowed to “TOLAC” (trial of labor after cesarean). Everything is in short supply, and items we normally consider disposable in the U.S. are “repurposed” until they are no longer usable, such as Bovie pens and laparoscopic trocars. O. R. packs included cotton drapes and towels, which are sterilized and reused.

2-3 nurses cover active labor patients and inductions in 12-hour shifts, and 2-3 to cover postpartum, gyn post-op, etc. There are another 2-3 in the nursery caring for the newborns who are sick or premature. As I mentioned, the nurses perform the labor checks, non-stress-tests (NST’s), and routine deliveries and call the intern or physician for complications. The only patients directly under the supervision of the OB team are antepartum admissions, post-surgical patients, and patients with complications. During my time there were 2 medical officers (completed one year of post-medical school training), and 1-2 Ob- gyn’s, depending on who is available on a given day. The Ob-gyn doctors are currently Americans including Dr. Cheryl Cowles and Dr. Angela Many, but there is a new Kenyan Ob/Gyn starting soon who had just completed residency training in Uganda. There were also 2 clinical interns and 3 medical interns. Clinical interns have similar training and background to physician assistants in the U.S., whereas medical interns have completed medical school and will be medical officers at the end of their internship. Night and weekend call are divided among the Ob gyn doctors, medical officers, and family practice residents; however, the Ob doctors are always on the hook if needed to help with complicated cases. The interns take call also, and work pretty much like interns in our training programs back home, which is to say “hard”. On the OB service during my visit there was also a 1st year family practice resident and a 2nd year surgery resident. The daily rounding list included post-op, antepartum, ICU, and any other patients with complications and usually had 40 or so names on it. There were usually 10 or more new admissions every day. Many patients presented with “LAPS” (lower abdominal pains) and were full-term or post-dates based upon their last menstrual period but had no prenatal care and no ultrasound to confirm their due-date. There is one portable ultrasound machine on the maternity ward used by OB physicians and medical officers for performing scans. Typically, these patients would receive an ultrasound, NST, and a VE and were either induced, kept in the hospital for observation, or discharged undelivered and given a follow up appointment in the clinic in 1 week with the prayer that they would keep that appointment or return in labor and deliver a healthy baby.

So, between daily rounds, clinic, scheduled surgeries (non-emergent surgeries are booked on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the main theatre), new admissions, and emergencies, the OB service kept very busy. In fact, the number of patients and seriously ill patients was more than I had ever encountered in one place. The diagnoses on our rounding list resembled the contents section of an obstetrical text book. Tenwek mothers are also chronically anemic and that is a bad thing in obstetrics, where the potential for rapid blood loss is high. We ordered more blood transfusions during my 2 weeks than I have in over 10 years and possibly my entire career. Family members were required to donate, and nursing students, medical staff and missionaries were also called upon often to give blood in order to address the critical need. OB patients occupied 3 out of the 6 ICU beds in the hospital the first week I was there. Unfortunately, 2 of the 3 did not survive their illnesses. We also had several babies born premature and several stillbirths and most of these outcomes could have been prevented if they had gotten to the hospital earlier in their illness. I often thought of how back in Knoxville I would transfer such seriously ill or preterm patients somewhere else for their care, but at Tenwek there is no such thing as “somewhere else”. I took call 4 nights in 2 weeks including an entire weekend. I lied awake at night waiting for the beeper to go off and it usually did. I was able to take call from “home” (our small apartment at the guesthouse which is a 5-minute walk away), but they were not particularly restful nights.

Tenwek is a teaching hospital. So, we would begin “teaching” rounds every morning between 7 and 8 am, just like back in medical school and residency. This took some getting used to since I had not done this in 30 years, but I did enjoy the interaction with clinicians in training. Of course, acting as first assistant and helping an intern learn to perform a cesarean section requires patience, but this is critically important at Tenwek as the goal is to train more Kenyan nationals to provide for the healthcare needs of their country. There were daily conferences such as grand rounds, and “M&M” (morbidity and mortality), just like in any traditional academic setting. But there is also a clear spiritual emphasis here that cannot be missed; one that is related to the spiritual well-being of the interns, residents and ultimately the patients. The motto at Tenwek is, “we treat, Jesus heals”. Prayers are said for the patients before rounds and before every surgery. These prayers became a great source of comfort and strength to me personally as we cared for many seriously ill patients. In addition, a morning team devotion preceded rounds each day, and there is a devotional meeting for the entire medical staff every Wednesday morning in the hospital auditorium. In the evenings there are small group meetings for Bible study and fellowship in the homes of the missionaries for medical staff, interns, and students.

As you might gather from my description, the daily conditions, work load, and severity of illnesses which I encountered during my time at Tenwek was almost overwhelming. And yet I was humbled and amazed by the ability of the medical staff and missionaries to carry on tirelessly with great compassion and concern for their patients. Before the trip, I read a book entitled “Miracle at Tenwek”, which describes how the mission of Tenwek began and has since remained focused on seeking God’s leadership in sharing the gospel through medical missions. I believe that the success of Tenwek is due to the fact that the focus is still the same today. “They still do it right”, was an assessment I heard from a returning missionary in describing Tenwek in it’s mission to train individuals to provide compassionate care for the physical as well as the spiritual need of their patients.

So, to find one word to describe our trip to Kenya is difficult. It was a trip filled with joy, kindness, and beauty as well as suffering, sorrow, and poverty. But if I had to choose one word, I would use the word that another visiting physician kept saying: “amazing”. It’s a good word to describe Africa, Kenya, the Kenyan people, and the missionaries who work at Tenwek. But it is also a great word to describe God, whose hand we saw in every aspect of our trip.

1 note · View note

jobuganda · 2 years ago

Text

Finance Trust Bank Uganda Jobs 2022 – RelationshipSupervisor Institutions

Finance Trust Bank Uganda Jobs 2022 – Relationship Supervisor Institutions

August 21, 2022 Job Title: Relationship Supervisor Institutions – Finance Trust Bank Uganda Jobs 2022 Organization: Finance Trust Bank Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Finance Trust Bank Profile: Finance Trust Bank was licensed as a Tier 1 Commercial Bank on 11th November, 2013, taking over the financial services business of Uganda Finance Trust Limited (MDI). Today Finance Trust Bank is a fully-fledged Commercial Bank serving a clientele of over 400,000 depositors and over 23,000 borrowers, through a network of 35 branches country wide. The Bank offers a variety of Products and services including; Savings, Current accounts, Loans, Money transfer services and Bills payments to its target market which comprises of micro, small and medium entrepreneurs, salary earners and youth. Job Summary: To drive acquisition and management of the Private Sector Business at the Bank that should translate into growth of the bank’s deposits and loan assets. Roles and Responsibilities: - Drive acquisition of risk assets and liabilities from the private sector (Institutions/ SME’s, SACCO’s, and Associations) bank wide in order to grow the deposits and loans. - Drive profitability of the Private Sector Business segment by mining the value chains for optimal value to both customer and the bank. - Develop and maintain a list of all value chains and their contacts throughout the Bank. - Manage all Private sector / Corporate business relationships with the Bank e.g arranging meetings/calls and presentations as well as attending to customers’ enquiries. - Monitor daily activities on accounts of private sector business partners and generate activity/progress reports on new prospects regularly. - Ensure that private sector customers and their value chains have access to a full range of Bank Products and services by attaining a cross sell ratio of at least 2 (products utilization):1(customer). - Work in partnership with Treasury team, branch management teams, regional managers and other functions in mobilization and execution of customer requests. - Serve as the private sector client’s chief sponsor within the bank to assure high levels of client service, appropriate lines of credit, and resolve documentation issues that could arise. - Keep abreast of financial market developments of relevance to clients for efficient provision of financial services - Drive acquisition of risk assets and liabilities from the private sector (Institutions/ SME’s, SACCO’s, and Associations) bank wide in order to grow the deposits and loans. Minimum Qualifications for Finance Trust Bank Uganda Jobs 2022: - A Bachelor’s degree from a recognized University. - Three (3) years’ experience in a similar position in a busy profit oriented Organisation. - A high level of business acumen and understanding of business relationship management. - Good understanding of sales management and - Good understanding of banking business. - Good computer skills i.e MS office. How To Apply for Finance Trust Bank Uganda Jobs 2022 Suitably qualified candidates should address their application to Head, Human Resource, Finance Trust Bank, Plot 115 & 121, and Katwe. P.O. Box 6972, Kampala, Uganda, and email it to [email protected] . As well as photocopies of academic testimonials, and a CV. The CV should include telephone contacts and email addresses of three referees, one of who should be the most recent employer. Deadline: 22nd August 2022 For similar Jobs in Uganda today and great Uganda jobs, please remember to subscribe using the form below: NOTE: No employer should ask you for money in return for advancement in the recruitment process or for being offered a position. Please contact Fresher Jobs Uganda if it ever happens with any of the jobs that we advertise. Read the full article

#finance #institutions #relationship #supervisor #trust #uganda

0 notes

hicginewsagency · 3 years ago

Text

Media Story about Report on Toutured Journalists Fake says Uganda Permanent Representative at United Nations in an Interview with HICGI News Agency

By E K Benj @Kivumbi Updated at 0322 EAT on Wednesday 11 May 2022 Uganda’s Permanent Representative at United Nations has refuted publication by Uganda’s News Paper “Daily Monitor 09th May 2022” about a report in defense by Uganda to United Nations Human Rights Comitee over tortured journalists. Adonia Ayebare, (born 18 October 1966) is a Ugandan journalist and diplomat who currently serves as…

View On WordPress

#Adoniya Ayebare #Ashraf Kasirye #Culton Scovia Nakamya

0 notes

pearlofafricavacations · 3 years ago

Photo

UTB Deputy CEO, Bradford Ochieng is currently leading a team of UTB Officials, communication representatives from Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities-Uganda and 15 media houses on a documentation of tourist attractions in the districts of Amuru and Gulu. Documentation and dissemination of information on key attractions in Uganda is key to UTB’s mandate to market and promote Uganda’s tourism to Ugandans and abroad. The team has so far visited the Amuru hot springs and the Lamogi Site on the Guru Guru Hills in Amuru District. Additionally the team visited Fort Patiko and Ajuru Hills found in Gulu District. The trip will be concluded by a media training on digital and responsible tourism reporting facilitated by consultants St. Muhereza Kyamutetera and John Birungi Babirukamu. Great thanks to UBC TV, NBS Television, NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, The New Vision, The EastAfrican, Gugudde TV Uganda, Bukedde TV, Capital FM Uganda, The EastAfrican, for joining us as we continue to promote Uganda’s tourism together. #Amurutourism #visitugand #visitthepearl #domestictourism #destinationuganda www.pearlofafrica.travel https://www.instagram.com/p/CTmbdQpI0FB/?utm_medium=tumblr

#amurutourism #visitugand #visitthepearl #domestictourism #destinationuganda

0 notes

covid19updater · 3 years ago

Text

COVID19 Updates: 07/30/2021

Australia: JUST IN - Australia will not reopen its borders for travel until 80% of the population is vaccinated - Prime Minister Scott Morrison

World: Holy Mother—the worst CDC #DeltaVariant report ever: MORE CONTAGIOUS than Smallpox* DOUBLE transmission of Wuhan 1.0* MORE SEVERE than ever* Vaccinated can transmit* & breakthrough viral loads ~ unvaxxed.

Japan: Japan Medical Association fears medical system will collapse if Covid-19 surge continues

Florida: BREAKING: AdventHealth hospital system puts Central Florida Division on code black due to surge in coronavirus patients

Florida: COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida have reached the highest level since August. At the current rate it will reach the all-time high within 7 days

California: Los Angeles Unified School District, the 2nd-largest in the U.S., says all students and employees will have to wear masks and be tested weekly, regardless of vaccination status

US: U.S. COVID update: More than 96,000 new cases, biggest one-day increase since February - New cases: 96,085 - Average: 71,092 (+4,459) - In hospital: 44,245 (+1,635) - In ICU: 10,874 (+411) - New deaths: 398. NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 44,000, highest since April

California: Los Angeles County reports 3,248 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase since February (Note: CA has one of the highest vax rates in the US)

US: CDC Director Walensky says new masking advice was largely based on soon-to-be-published data showing that virus can thrive in the airways of vaccinated people, even if they're asymptomatic - NYT

US: BREAKING: Biden orders vaccine mandate for all 1.5 million members of the U.S. military - NYT

Japan: *JAPAN PM SUGA TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE AT 7PM JST

Japan: JAPAN'S TRADE MIN. KAJIYAMA: JAPAN PROPOSES EXTENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN TOKYO AND OKINAWA OVER COVID-19 UNTIL AUGUST THE 31ST.

Philippines: PHILIPPINES REIMPOSES LOCKDOWN IN CAPITAL FROM AUG. 6-AUG. 20

South Korea: South Korea: Daily virus cases over 1,700 as infections grow amid summer vacation season

Florida: Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, warns that its hospitals and emergency rooms are at maximum capacity.

Texas: BREAKING: Only 13 ICU beds are available in Central Texas across 11 counties. 2,375,407 people live in the Trauma Service Area O. That’s only 2% of ICU beds available in Central Texas. This is the lowest level of ICU beds since the START OF THE PANDEMIC.

Arkansas: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday declared a public health emergency amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and announced a special legislative session to change a law that prevents public schools from requiring masks:

Malaysia: #COVID19 Malaysia recorded 16,840 new positive cases with 134 deaths.

Illinois: CDC COVID risk map: Cook Co. to issue mask rules as data shows 'substantial' COVID-19 transmission - WLS-TV

Kenya: The Kilimani Street Festival has been postponed following the COVID-19 briefing by CS Mutahi Kagwe, and restriction of public gatherings. It remains our primary responsibility to ensure we comply with the above directive, and help in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Malaysia: Malaysia busts another ceiling with record 1,055 patients in ICU for Covid-19 today | Malay Mail LINK

RUMINT (US): BREAKING: Six passengers on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas cruise ship (which I am sailing on) have tested positive for COVID-19. Four are vaccinated, two are unvaccinated children. Passengers have not yet been notified. Story to come.

Vietnam: Vietnam confirms 8,622 new COVID-19 cases and nearly 300 deaths LINK

Massachusetts: 91 vaccinated Mass. residents have died from COVID-19 as breakthrough cases surpass 6,000 This is why the Biden Admin is freaking out. MA is a leading indicator. LINK

US: This new change doesn't seem to be getting the attention it deserves.... The C.D.C. now says fully vaccinated people should get tested after exposure even if they don’t show symptoms. LINK

US: Op/Ed: As a pediatrician I'm going on record saying that allowing kids to be freely infected with a novel disease that has unknown long term consequences is the worst idea of 2021 despite being a pretty crowded field so far #COVID19

Arkansas: 'It's going to be dark days here in the next couple of weeks,' said UAMS Chancellor @drcampatterson. @NBCNews @shaqbrewster said that's scary to hear him say. "I've haven't said that before," Patterson replied. #covid19ark LINK

UK: Covid infection rates in England are STILL going up, random testing reveals: ONS figures show an increase despite dramatic plunge in daily infections - adding to fears that people are hiding symptoms to avoid being 'pinged' LINK

RUMINT (Florida): My mom lives in Florida and works at a medical clinic near Melbourne. She said her whole office is worried. "We are getting emails from admin that they may be sending some of us out of the clinic to help at the hospital and that includes me. They want us to work 12 hour shifts too." "My employer owns a lot of hospitals and the one closest to hear is near full capacity. They said the nursing staff is at the breaking point there." She is 65 years old and is high-risk with diabetes and some heart issues. Trying to make her work in a hospital for 12 hours shifts?!?!

World: Vaccination alone won't stop the rise of variants and in fact could push the evolution of strains that evade their protection, researchers warned. They said people need to wear masks and take other preventative steps until almost everyone is vaccinated. LINK (LOL)

World: * WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HEAD TEDROS SAYS HARD-WON GAINS IN FIGHTING COVID-19 ARE BEING LOST

NYC: BROADWAY AUDIENCES WILL NEED PROOF OF VACCINATION AND MASKS - NYT

US: As of July 23, there have been 11,940 deaths, 11,198 life-threatening adverse events, 12,808 cases of permanent disability, and over 106,000 hospitalizations and emergency room visits following Covid vaccination reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System #CovidVaccine

Florida: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to issue executive order to give parents the right to decide whether their children will wear a mask at school

US: NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 45,000, highest since March

US: (READ) CDC: 74% who got Covid-19 and most who were hospitalized in recent analysis had been fully vaccinated. LINK

Massachusetts: Vaccinated people made up three-quarters of those infected in a massive Massachusetts covid-19 outbreak, pivotal CDC study finds

US: Walmart will require employees in high COVID-19 transmission areas to wear masks again LINK

US: FDA, UNDER PRESSURE, PLANS ‘SPRINT’ TO ACCELERATE REVIEW OF PFIZER’S COVID-19 VACCINE FOR FULL APPROVAL – STAT NEWS

Louisiana: Masks, face coverings now required in all East Baton Rouge library buildings LINK

Uganda: #Uganda: PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ON COVID -19 Schools remain closed. Learning to continue virtually. Burials, weddings and other marriage ceremonies restricted to 20 people. Inter district movement of private vehicles allowed but with a restricted number of passengers.

UK: JUST IN - SAGE, the UK's health "expert panel," warns next Covid "super mutant variant" could kill up to one in three people, and the "vaccine roll-out may even speed up mutant strain's emergence." (Daily Mail)

US: JUST IN - More than 110,000 breakthrough cases in the US (Bloomberg)

UK: Sewage monitoring has shown there was a "widespread increase" in the concentration of COVID-19 in England throughout June LINK

UK: NEW: NHS secretly drew up plans to withdraw hospital care from people in nursing homes in the event of a pandemic

US: Breaking: COVID-19 just released a rare statement. "Thank you for not learning anything from the past 16 months. I really can't believe it's this easy to keep the pandemic going. See you at Sturgis!"

Hawaii: BREAKING: Hawaii reporting high number of 622 new #COVID19 cases statewide today - caveat: that includes getting caught up from electronic reporting backlog - but 3 day average now over 300 cases per day @KITV4

Florida: BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 cases continue to be on the rise in Florida as the state reported more than 100,000 cases in the past week. The state’s new case positivity rate also surged to 18.1%. LINK

US: Walmart requires that headquarters staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4, while Disney gives workers at all U.S. locations 60 days - MarketWatch LINK

US: JUST IN - U.S. House adjourned for a 6-week August recess without passing an extension of the eviction moratorium which expires Saturday, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.

US: FDA okays Regeneron COVID-19 antibody as preventive in high-risk settings LINK

California: #BREAKING: Coronavirus cases have spiked yet again in San Diego County, reaching a new daily high total since Feb. 5, county officials confirmed Friday. LINK

Arkansas: NEW: Arkansas reported 2,544 new COVID-19 cases today. Hospitalizations increased by 32. LINK

Missouri: How a Tiny Town With an Anti-Mask Mayor Caused COVID Chaos LINK

Missouri: ‘What’s your breaking point?’: Over 300 hospitalized in SW Missouri — including kids LINK

US: U.S. CDC chief says there will be no federal mandate on COVID-19 vaccine LINK

Florida: The reigning Florida of America… is still… Florida. If no mask or mitigation, then FL is headed towards a burn through. That’s like a forest fire that fizzles out when it runs out of wood/bushes/grass to burn. God save the good people of Florida. #COVID19

South Africa: Refusing a Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa could now drive up your life-insurance premium similar to other risk factors such as smoking, a South African insurer said this week, in a move that is likely to be watched closely by other industry players LINK

0 notes