JAMES KOMBE AZIKWA MWIKA MKOANI KILIMANJARO

Askofu Mkuu wa Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri Tanzania KKKT, kanda ya Kaskazini, Dkt. Martin Shao akiendesha Ibada ya Maziko ya  aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyefariki dunia Oktoba 21 mwaka huu, Jijini Dar es salaam na Kuzikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Kilimanjaro, Leonidas Gama akitoa heshima za mwisho katika Jeneza la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mkuu wa wilaya ya Hai, Novatus Makunga (wa kwanza) na Mkuu waWilaya ya Moshi, Dkt. Ibrahimu Msengi (wa pili) wakitoa heshima zao za mwisho katika Jeneza la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Kamanda wa Polisi mkoanbi Kilimanjaro, ACP-Robert Boaz akitoa Salamu za Rambirambi kwa niaba IGP Said Mwema katika ibada ya Maziko ya aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa majuzi Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mheshimiwa Jaji wa Mahakama Kuu kanda ya Moshi, Mkoani Kilimanjaro, Aisha Nyerere, akitoa heshima za mwisho katika Jeneza la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mke wa Marehemu, Maria Kombe (katikati) pamoja na watoto wake wakifuatilia ibada ya Maziko ya Mume wake, aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Kilimanjaro, Leonidas Gama (katikati),  Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoani Kilimanjaro, Robert Boaz (kulia) na Kaimu kamanda wapolisi mkoani Kilimanjaro, Moita Koka, wakitoa heshima za mwisho katika Jeneza la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mwili wa aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, ukiondolewa kanisani katika kanisa la KKKT, usharika wa Msae kuelekea Nyumbani kwake kwa ajili ya zoezi ya Maziko yaliyofanyika Jana, kijijini Msae, kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, Mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Askofu Mkuu wa KKKT kanda ya Kaskazini, Dkt. Martin Shao, akiweka Ua katika Kaburi la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Kilimanjaro, Leonidas Gama, akiweka Ua katika Kaburi la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Kamanda wa Polisi kilimanjaro, Robert Boaz na Kamanda wa Polisi Arusha, Liberatus Sabas (mwenye suti) wakiweka Ua katika Kaburi la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Mke wa Marehemu, Maria Kombe, akiweka Ua katika Kaburi la Marehemu mume wake, aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Wanafamilia wakiweka Ua katika Kaburi la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Watoto wa Marehemu Kombe, wakiongozwa na Kaka yao, Dustan Kombe kuweka  Ua katika Kaburi la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Jaji wa Mahakama Kuu kanda ya Moshi, Mkoani Kilimanjaro, Aisha Nyerere, akiweka Ua katika Kaburi la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, aliyezikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro.

Vijana wa Jeshi la Polisi, wakitoa Heshima za mwisho katika kaburi la aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama Barabarani, Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi, James Kombe, kwa Mujibu waTaratibu zaKijeshi. Kombe alizikwa  Nyumbani kwake, kijiji cha Msae, Kata ya Mwika, wilaya ya Moshi Vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro. Picha zote na Taifa Letu.com blog

 

MKUU wa Mkoa wa Kilimanjaro Leonidas Gama, amewaongoza Maelfu ya  waombolezaji katika mazishi ya Aliyekuwa Mkuu wa kitengo cha Usalama  Barabarani, Kamishna mstaafu, James Kombe (63), aliyefariki dunia  October 21 mwaka huu katika Hospitali ya Ocean Road, jijini Dar es  salaam baada ya kuugua kwa muda mrefu.

Kombe aliyeitumikia Jeshi la Polisi kwa muda wa miaka 24, katika  nyadhifa mbalimbali, alizikwa jana saa 9:40, alasiri, Nyumbani kwake  katika kijiji cha Msae, kata ya Mwika, Jimbo la Vunjo, wilaya ya Moshi  vijijini, mkoani Kilimanjaro baada ya ibada ya maziko iliyofanyika  katika Usharika wa Msae-Lyakrima na kuongozwa na Askofu Mkuu wa KKKT,
Dayosisi ya Kaskazini, Dkt. Martin F. Shao.

Akitoa Salamu za Rambirambi, Gama alisema serikali imeguswa na msiba  huo huku akimuelezea Marehemu Kombe kama mtu muadilifu, mwaminifu na  mtu asiyekuwa, asiyekuwa na ubinafsi na mzalendo aliyeitumikia Taifa  lake kwa nguvu zake zote hadi dakika za mwisho za uhai wake.

“Ni kweli mazingira yetu kikazi yanatofautiana, lakini ni wazi kuwa  kuna mengi ya kujifunza na kujivunia kutoka kwa Kamishna Kombe enzi za  uhai wake, Marehemu ameacha historia iliyotukuka nyuma yake, alikuwa  ni mtu mwadilifu sana, mwaminifu, mzalendo na mchapa kazi  aliyejitoleakulitumikia Jeshi la Polisi na Taifa kwa ujumla,” alisema
Gama.

Kuhusu swala la uwajibikaji na utendaji kazi, Gama alisema wananchi  wengi kwa sasa wanashindwa kufanya kazi za maendeleo hasa mkoani  Kilimanjaro katika maeneo ya Rombo, Marangu na Mwika kutokana na  kukithiri kwa vitendo vya Unywaji pombe holela ambapo aliagiza wakuu  wa wilaya kuhakikisha wanasimamia na kudhibiti hali hiyo.

Awali akiongoza Ibada ya Maziko, Askofu MKuu wa KKKT, dayosisi ya  Kaskazini, Dkt.  Martin Shao, aliwataka waumini wa dini ya Kikristo, wananchi pamoja na  watumishi katika Jeshi la Polisi kufanya yale yaliomema ikiwa kweli
wanataka kuenziwa kama ilivyo kwa Marehemu Kombe.

Dkt. Shao katika ibada hiyo alimuelezea Marehemu Kombe kama mtu  anayestahili kuenziwa daima kama anavyoenziwa Hayati Baba wa Taifa,  Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere kutoka na utendaji wake kazi  uliotukuka, uzalendo na Uadilifu pamoja na uwajibikaji katika  kuhakikisha Amani ya Tanzania na usalama wa Wananchi wake.

Kabla ya kifo chake, Kamishna Kombe, alikuwa anasumbuliwa na ugonjwa  wa Kansa ambao ulianza kumsumbua Juni mwaka jana na kutibiwakatika  Hospitali ya Rufaa KCMC mjini Moshi.

James Kombe, aliyezaliwa mwaka 1950, mwika Kilimanjaro ameacha mjane mmoja, Maria Kombe na watoto watano na kwamba alilitumikia Jeshi la polisi kuanzia Machi, mwaka 1970 na kulitumikia mpaka alipostaafu mwaka 2010.

Akisoma historia ya Marehemu, Kamanda wa kikosi cha usalama Barabarani, Joseph Mwakabonga alisema Kamishna Kombe, alijiunga na Mafunzo ya awali machi 23 mwaka 70 na kumaliza Agosti 28 mwaka huo, huko Mopshi baada ya kuhitimu elimu ya sekondari mwaka 1969 nchini Uganda.

Alisema alipandishwa vyeo kama Mkaguzi wa polisi (1977), Kamishna msaidizi (1995), Mkaguzi wa polisi (1986), mrakibu mwandamizi (1991) na Kamishna Msaidizi wa Polisi (2002) hadi alipostaafu 2010.

Mwisho

Independent candidate pulls out of Buhweju elections UGANDA

EC boss Badru Kiggundu during a press conference. Left is his deputy Joseph Biribona.PHOTO/Mathias Mugisha -newvision

By David Lumu
An independent candidate in the Buhweju by-elections has pulled out in a move that sets the pace for a face-off between the ruling NRM and opposition FDC.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has issued tough guidelines for candidates in the race for district woman MP, which is slated for this week on Thursday.

EC Chairperson, Badru Kiggundu, told a news conference in Kampala that he received notice of the withdrawal of Alison Byamukama from the race.

“Please note that this notice [of withdrawal] was officially received on Monday, October 28,” he said.

“The commission advises the electorate not to cast a vote in favour of Alison Byamukama; a poster to notify voters about the withdrawal of the candidate will be pinned at each of the 120 polling stations in the district,” Kiggundu said.

Kigali Summit paves way for regional integration - RWANDA

Four Heads of State meeting in Kigali yesterday took concrete steps to fast track regional integration during the third edition of a joint summit where several ongoing regional projects were reviewed.

President Kagame hosts Presidents of Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan at the Integration Projects Summit – Kigali, 28 October 2013

Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Paul Kagame were joined by their South Sudanese counterpart, Salva Kiir Mayardit, in the summit that resolved to remove all remaining trade barriers with immediate effect.

President Kagame referred to the meeting as a “milestone” and said that he was encouraged by the progress.

“This third summit to review important integration projects has been very productive,” said Kagame. “I am pleased that the single customs territory is now operational. This is a critical milestone that will boost doing business between our countries and contribute to the growth of our economies.

“But we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be. However, we are encouraged by the advances we have made,” he added.

One of the major decisions was the creation of a Single Customs Territory that will see the reduction of the days a truck takes between Mombasa and Kigali from three weeks to eight days.

Transit trucks will now be weighed only once at the point of entry and would be fitted with electronic tracking tags to monitor their moving on the Northern Corridor.

By November 2013, Kenya will have shared design plans of a new Standard Gauge Railway with the other countries present in the meeting. Railway training schools in Uganda and Kenya will also be strengthened to become regional institutes.

Energy was also high on the agenda. Partner states were given a November 30 deadline to have deposited, in National Bank of Rwanda, their contributions towards a feasibility study for proposed oil pipeline that will link the countries.

Other key areas discussed was the implementation of a single EAC tourist visa and the use of national or voter IDs, as well as student identity cards as travel documents.

The meeting also resolved that by the end of November, officials will have drawn up a plan to scrap visa fees for African nationals, and seek ways to reduce the cost of air transport.

A short news conference was held after the summit where President Museveni denied there was any rift in the EAC bloc because of the absence of other members; Tanzania and Burundi.

He said the summit was discussing matters to do with the Northern Corridor and that there was no ill intentions.

He mentioned that one of the positive outcomes of the meetings was the reduction in the time it takes to transport goods across borders.

“We are doing this for our people. We want our people to do business and get our countries out of poverty,” Museveni insisted. “Who does not benefit from the reduction of days a truck takes from Mombasa to Kampala, to Kigali? If there are any delays, I don’t think they would be intentional; it could be for other reasons, that is why working together makes sense. You can always examine what is slowing the pace and work on it.”

Kenyatta, on his first visit to Rwanda since he was elected President of Kenya in March, said he was excited by the progress the three countries had made in a short a time.

“I am committed to continuing this process that we have started and to ensuring that we see its success. We are looking forward to November as we begin to break ground for the new standard gauge railway line from Mombasa that will connect us to Kampala, Kigali and through to Juba,” said the Kenyan leader
.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit said it was an honour to be invited to the meeting, adding that he regretted not attending the previous summit that was held in Mombasa because of other commitments. He commended his host for the major developments the county had registered so far.

“Rwanda has been an inspiration to the continent as it overcomes the legacy of the past and builds a better future, a task we have just begun in my own country,” he said.

President Kiir is also on his first visit to Kigali since his country became a sovereign nation in July 2011, effectively becoming Africa’s 54th and world’s newest state.

“There is much for us to learn from the way President Kagame has led the rebuilding of this nation after all the horrors of the civil war and the Genocide.”

The four Presidents will today be joined by several other African Heads of State for the Transform Africa Summit that is going on in Kigali.

The meeting will discuss the use of ICT as an engine of economic prosperity for the continent.

By Kennedy Ndahiro,The New Times

Tooro princess speaks out on failed marriage - UGANDA

The Princess of Tooro, Ruth Nsemere Komuntale, and her husband Christopher Thomas have over the last few weeks been talked about in the media, but the kingdom had not spoken out on what started as a rumour.

Ruth Komuntale and Christopher Thomas marriage is over

The Kingdom has now issued a statement concerning the desolution of the Princess Komuntale’s marriage to Christopher Thomas. Here is the full statement.

My fellow Ugandans, people of Tooro, dear friends and supporters around the world;

I greet you in God’s name. It is with sadness and sorrow that I regret to announce the parting of ways with my estranged husband Christopher Thomas.

It’s regrettable to see that our marriage with Thomas, an African American from St Louis, Missouri, has ended like a shooting star across a clear night sky.  Thomas struck me as my Prince Charming the moment I met him. He was irresistible and, when he asked for my hand in marriage, I could not say no.

I loved Thomas as my husband and respected him and our marriage vows until the end and it saddens to announce that our marriage has ended. When we wedded last year, it was our – and every body’s wish – that our marriage would last and stand the test of time, but inevitably this has not been the case!

It pains me to look back the indescribable euphoria of our wedding day. Life is a mystery; it doesn’t always work out the way you want but it’s all good. However, everything happens for a reason and we must learn from our mistakes.

Despite this being the end of our marriage, I love and respect Chris. We will always remain the best of friends, and continue to cherish our relationship based on the special love, integrity and respect we have always enjoyed.

Much as I am a Tooro princess, I have my own human failings, and I reject sainthood, unless a “saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.” Many times, I have tried to make the marriage work through tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation. However, I have learnt with sadness that while turning the other cheek is saintly, it emboldened Thomas’ impunity against his wife.

I do not intend to go into the details of the causes of our separation, for that would require an elaborate paper. Suffice to say it is not worth the effort to spend one’s life in a futile marriage devoid of love, trust and faithfulness.

I would like to thank the media for the support you have shown Thomas and I.  In the recent past, the media has been awash with salacious tales of our tumultuous relationship. While Thomas has been keen to wash our dirty linen in public, I have remained dignifiedly silent on such supposed private matters.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who have stood by me at this trying period. I am eternally grateful for your support and encouragement. I cannot thank you enough.

I will dedicate my life to fulfil my dreams, including championing the cause of women and children, and other social responsibility in education and health. May God bless you, Tooro, and our country Uganda.

HRH Ruth Nsemere Komuntale

Kenya lauded for 50 million trees initiative

The United Nations has praised Kenya’s plans to plant 50 million trees as part of the Jubilee celebrations.

Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru

“The idea to plant one million trees to commemorate each year of independence is remarkable,” UN Deputy Chief Jan Eliasson told The Standard yesterday.

Eliasson spoke to The Standard during the Global South-South Expo where hundreds of high-level delegates from over 150 countries gathered to discuss development challenges by exchanging solutions created in the global south.

During the expo, African countries were urged to speed up efforts to eradicate poverty while at the same ensuring environmental sustainability.

Devolution Secretary Anne Waiguru said there is need to embrace a green economy for improved well-being and social equity.

“We can have sustainable growth with poverty reduction without endangering our environmental heritage today or in the future. Vision 2030 is based on a low-carbon, sustainable and climate resilient development pathway,” she said.

The Global South-South Expo being held for the first time in a developing country,  will showcase innovative local solutions to the complex challenges facing the South by over 70 exhibitors in interactive booths.

The event is being hosted by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

The expo is the first major international conference to take place in Nairobi since the Westgate siege.

During the event, Waiguru noted that Kenya is working on becoming a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive economy by heavily investing in geothermal, wind and solar power to reduce dependence on hydro-electric power.

“Africa is the most vulnerable region to climate change hence we must address growth side by side with an environmental sustainability model,   as well as greater regional integration,” she said.

Waiguru was speaking on behalf of President Uhuru Kenyatta who is currently in Kigali, Rwanda, attending the third tripartite Infrastructure Summit.

The Cabinet Secretary added that Kenya is keen on expanding cooperation with other countries in Africa, Asia, Pacific Latin America and the Caribbean.

Healthy balance

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero reiterated the need to sustain a healthy balance between the environment and the ever rising development needs.

He said since the global south bears the greatest brunt of climate change, the initiative to convert the threat into a promise of sustainable development must be domestic.

“Our pursuit of development must seek not to dominate nature and the environment but should instead be anchored on an unshakeable need for balance with the natural environment,” said Kidero.

He added that a green economy seeks to drive growth by shifting investments towards clean and efficient technologies, natural capital and social infrastructure.
By Abigael Sum and Nyambega Gisesa, The Standard

Ghost workers in line of fire - TANZANIA

President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr Jakaya Kikwete.

THE war against ghost workers in which millions of shillings of taxpayers’ money is swindled, has received a fresh boost. All the newly-appointed executives who were sworn-in in Dar es Salaam have pledged seriousness and collaboration with other ‘helping hands’ to root out the menace.

In an interview at the end of a colourful swearing-in ceremony that President Jakaya Kikwete officiated at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Public Service Remuneration and Productivity Board Executive Secretary Tamila Lutengano Kahesya, said her office would conduct an in-depth investigation on disparities related to salary payment anomalies for appropriate action.

“Ghost payment has been reported at different levels of public service delivery. The challenge can be addressed more effectively through concerted efforts.

The Civil Service Management Office has already drawn measures to end corruption-driven cheating,” Ms Kahesya explained.

She added that the nature of investigation to be conducted would also find out and verify whether payment of salaries was based on merit.

“There are highly-skilled and competent civil servants who are paid lowly, while there are others who might not be equally qualified but are graciously remunerated,” she observed.

However, the executive secretary was explicit on the basis of better remunerations, saying that commitment, honesty and patriotic spirit among workers remained pillars of individual success and subsequent nation’s development.

Payment to ghost workers, though consuming substantial amounts of public resources, remains a serious problem that seems to have defied all government efforts to tame it.

In March 2011, for instance, President Kikwete ordered a special audit in all government departments, following reports that 9bn/- had been wasted in salary payment to ghost workers in only three ministries.

The president also directed stern administrative action against officials who sanctioned the payment of the salaries to the ghost workers. Four senior civil servants took oath of office.

They included the newlyappointed High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Daniel Ole Njoolay, the newly-appointed Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Water, Mr Bashir Mrindoko, the Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Raphael Leiyan Daluti and Ms Kahesya.

Mr Njoolay, who has served the nation at different capacities such as lecturer at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) and Regional Commissioner for Arusha, Mwanza and Rukwa regions, said he would explore various opportunities for economic cooperation with host countries to expand horizons for socio-economic relations.

Being the new executive at the Ministry of Water, Mr Mrindoko admitted existence of challenges in the sector, but emphasised that he was not going to reinvent the wheel but work closely with water technicians and other authorities to make sure that the national water development policies were fulfilled accordingly.

“The challenges will not be resolved overnight but good coordination between responsible parties will make a difference. Different water sources will be protected, improved and developed. In places where rivers are the sources of water, improvement will be accomplished.

In places where ground water is the source, deep wells will be dug up to the convenience of the public,” Mr Mrindoko explained. On his part, Mr Daluti said deliberate efforts would be made to impart modern farming techniques to enable the sector to contribute more to the national income.

Barclays Premier League - Moyes tells Zaha to stay focused

Wilfried Zaha © Reuters Images

Manchester United manager David Moyes says that Wilfried Zaha will be given opportunities to prove his worth despite overlooking the England international winger in the season to date.

Zaha linked up with United during the close season after signing from Crystal Palace in a deal worth up to £15 million, but he has still to make his Premier League debut.

The 20-year-old could be handed a start against Norwich City in the League Cup later on Tuesday, but Moyes has admitted that he may be loaned out during the January transfer window.

"I just don't think we have had the right opportunity to get him on as much as would have liked," Moyes told the United website.

"We don't want to put him in too quickly. We want to make it the right time. I've said I would look at (a loan) in January as I wanted to have him here for six months to see how we work.

"I told him we would try to get him minutes, but the competition in the wide areas we have with Nani, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, Adnan Januzaj and even Shinji Kagawa playing off the side means we are as strong there as anywhere.

"It's not that Wilf has done anything wrong, it's just that we have big competition and we have to try to make sure he gets some playing time.

"Unfortunately, we haven't done that with Wilf and, if it's still the case in January, we would look at it. But he is very much in my plans and in my thoughts all the time."
Sapa - AFP

RUGBY - Currie Cup Sunday Times score BLOOPS!

Currie Cup trophy (Gallo Images)

Cape Town - Western Province fans would've scarcely been able to believe their eyes when they opened their Sunday Times mere hours after Saturday's Currie Cup final against the Sharks at Newlands last weekend.

Having left the stadium dejected after their 33-19 defeat (true), the Sunday Times reported that the home side had in fact WON the match!

No doubt Sharks fans hearts would've skipped a beat and left them feeling non-plussed following their well-deserved victory.







 (via Mahala blog)

Cricket - Pakistan v SA (Winning start key - AB)

AB de Villiers (Gallo)

Sharjah - South African captain AB de Villiers vowed to attack Pakistan for a winning start at the opening one-day match in Sharjah on Wednesday despite his team being down two key playmakers.

The Proteas are missing both star batsman Hashim Amla and spearhead Dale Steyn for the first two matches of the five match one-day series.

But De Villiers insists his team are brimming with confidence, especially after they managed to square the Test series 1-1, winning the second showdown in Dubai by an innings and 92 runs.

"We didn't have much time for preparation so its really up for us mentally to get prepared but it's important to have a good start, get used to the conditions and adapt as quickly as possible and attack them in areas where they are not strong," said De Villiers on Tuesday.

"Dale needed some rest but hopefully he will join us in good stead," said De Villiers of the paceman who returned home for rest but will be available from the third match in Abu Dhabi on November 6.

Amla returned home after the first Test match to be with his wife following the birth of their second child. The 30-year old is ranked world number one in Test rankings.

The second one-day match will be played in Dubai (November 1) while the third and fourth matches are in Abu Dhabi (November 6 and 8) while the final takes place in Sharjah (November 11).

The two teams will also play two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai on November 13 and 15.

South Africa will be joined by one-day specialists Quinton de Kock, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, and Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

De Villiers said he hoped to find the right combination for an early lead in the series.

"We are tactically working on getting the right side which could give us the best opportunity to get a 1-0 lead.
I am looking forward to see the guys performing well in the greens," said De Villiers whose team lost their last one-day series in Sri Lanka 4-1 in July this year.

They were routed by Sri Lankan spinners Ajantha Mendis (ten wickets) and Rangana Herath (six wickets).

But despite their dismal showing against Sri Lanka, De Villiers insisted his team will be able to tackle Pakistan's spinners, especially Mohammad Hafeez.

"He is a world class player, no doubt about that and he surprised everyone with the ball over the last few years and was the top bowler in the one-days, we have seen a lot of them and we are looking forward to the challenges here," said De Villiers.

PGA Tour - Woods backs McIlroy for win

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods (Getty Images)

Macau - Tiger Woods believes Rory McIlroy is slowly getting his golf game back on track and predicted on Tuesday that the former world number one would claim a breakthrough first victory of the year by the end of December.

McIlroy was on top of the world at the end of 2012, having won the orders of merit on both sides of the Atlantic, but he has had a turbulent season this year on and off the course.

The Northern Irishman changed his clubs in January, a switch that was criticised by several pundits. He is also in the middle of a bitter court dispute with his former management team and, according to media reports, has split from girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki.

"He is playing better and swinging a lot better," 14-times major champion Woods told Reuters in an interview. "You can see that some of the stuff he and his coach are working on are starting to come together.

"He's starting to put together a few good rounds, now he just has to make a few more putts. I can definitely see him winning sometime this year because his game has come around."

World number one Woods had a close-up view of McIlroy when he lost to the twice major winner in a lucrative head-to-head exhibition match on China's Hainan Island on Monday.

The two golfers are both based in Florida and the 37-year-old American said he and world number six McIlroy had formed an excellent relationship.

"Rory has become a good friend of mine over probably the past year, year and a half," explained Woods. "It seems like every tournament we're paired together, we're also playing practice rounds together and we have really hit it off.

"He plays on both tours, U.S. and European, so we see each other at big events and when we do we try and play practice rounds whenever we can."

RECORD CHASER

Woods has taken full advantage of the 24-year-old McIlroy's form slump, returning to the top of the world rankings with five victories this season.

None of his 2013 wins have come in the big four championships but he left little room for doubt that he still yearns to break the 18-major record of compatriot Jack Nicklaus.

"It took him until he got to 46 to do it and this year I'll be 38 so there's plenty of time," said Woods. "A lot of guys have won a lot of majors post 40.

"The great thing about staying fit is we're able to play at a high level for a long period of time so hopefully I can compete at this level for a very long period of time."

Woods said his game was still improving and he could now plot his way around courses better than before.

"I don't necessarily have the same whooping power I used to ... but my understanding of how to play, how to manage my game around the golf course has got infinitely better," he added.

"I'm still hitting the ball plenty far but there's a next generation of kids out there that are taller, bigger, more athletic who absolutely annihilate it. The game has changed, a lot of guys are 6-foot-3 and above and hit the ball for miles.

"It's not too often you see shorter, smaller players who don't have power doing well. You've got to have power in our game now," said Woods.

The American is to miss the final World Golf Championship (WGC) event of the season in Shanghai this week but will compete in next week's Turkish Open.

ATP Tour - Dimitrov continues streak

Grigor Dimitrov (AFP)

Paris - Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov has continued his rich vein of form on Tuesday as he marched into the second round of the Paris Masters with a three-set win over Frenchman Michael Llodra.

The lanky 22-year-old lost the opening set in a tie-break before taking control and setting up a meeting against Italian 16th seed Fabio Fognini with a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3 victory.

The highly touted Dimitrov picked up his first ATP win last weekend when he triumphed in Stockholm and continues to impress since taking on Leyton Hewitt's former coach Roger Rasheed.

Llodra meanwhile, who is a two-time semi-finalist at Bercy, became the fifth Frenchman to be eliminated in two days of action.

"The difference was when I started missing my first serves. I've really had difficulties serving really hard lately, so if my first serve isn't perfect, then he returns well and it's tough for me," explained a dejected Llodra.

"He's very good in passing and he's extremely fast.

"He's extremely serious in training and I believe we'll see him soon go to the top." continued Llodra.

The home record was finally improved by Nicolas Mahut who fired down eight aces to subdue Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6 (8/6), 6-1.

Mahut, who played the longest match in history against American John Isner at Wimbledon 2010, won 93 per cent of his first serve points and broke the spirit of his opponent in the crucial opening set tie-break.
The 1.90m (6ft 3in), 25-year-old never dropped his serve while breaking his opponent three times in a one-sided finale to the match.

He can now look forward to playing 15th seeded compatriot Gilles Simon in an all-French second round tie, a player he met recently.

"Well, we played each other three weeks ago and I lost in straight sets," said Mahut.

"I have many regrets on that match. I had the feeling that I was doing some things well, and others I was not doing well. At 6-5 he was imposing his own game. He was able to make me play badly.

"But I'm going to use that match to do the same thing tomorrow (Wednesday), I hope I can win that match tomorrow." added Mahut.

Croatian Ivan Dodig scraped past Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin in a scrappy 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory as he moves on to oppose Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in the second round.

The big serving 25-year-old rained down 20 aces on his French debutant but nine double faults made life difficult before he eventually sealed only his second career win at Bercy.

Earlier, Poland's Michal Przysiezny broke his duck against veteran Jarkko Nieminen by defeating the Finn for the first time in four meetings 6-3, 7-6 (8/6).

The 29-year-old, who came into the week ranked 65 in the world will now face American 13th seed Isner for a place in the last-16.

Spaniard Pablo Andujar took full advantage of an injury suffered by Gael Monfils on the eve of his first round match against Canadian Davis Cup semi-finalist Vasek Pospisil.

The 'lucky loser' led all the way as he stepped in to face the world number 32 and while he needed five match points to close out the match, he got the job done 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Instead of heading bach home, he can now relish the prospect of a high profile second round tie against Czech sixth seed Thomas Berdych.

World number two Novak Djokovic makes his bow in the final match of the evening on Tuesday when he takes on French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Results from the Paris Masters Series tournament on Tuesday (x denotes seed):

First round:
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3
Michal Przysiezny (POL) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)
Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. (UKR) 7-6 (8/6), 6-1
Pablo Andjar (ESP) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Ivan Dodig (CRO) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4

English Premiership - Walker signs new Spurs deal

Kyle Walker (Getty Images)

London - Tottenham defender Kyle Walker has signed a new contract keeping him at the Premier League club until 2019.

Walker has become a key figure at right-back for Spurs since arriving from Sheffield United in 2009 and has also broken into Roy Hodgson's England team.

The 23-year-old was voted the Professional Footballers Association Young Player of the Year for 2012 and has made 112 appearances for the north London club.

"It's fantastic," Walker said on Monday. "When I first signed here at the age of 18, I always wanted to make it a long stay.

"The lads are fantastic as well as the manager and everyone surrounding the club - it just makes it a lot easier when they do offer you a contract to sign it.

"I'm very thankful to the chairman Daniel Levy for giving me an extension on the contract and hopefully I can repay him by putting the performances in on the pitch and getting that top four spot."

Walker made his Tottenham debut in a 2-0 win over Portsmouth in March 2010 but played just once in the following season before being sent to QPR then Aston Villa.

Having proved his credentials on loan, he forced his way into the Tottenham first team and stayed there for the duration of the 2011-12 campaign.

A month later he made his England debut at Wembley as a substitute against Spain and was handed his first start four days later in a 1-0 win over Sweden.

Walker has won nine caps to date, the last of which came in the 4-1 victory over Montenegro, and is vying with Liverpool's Glen Johnson for the starting berth at next year's World Cup.

Real demand Blatter apology

Sepp Blatter (Getty Images)

Madrid - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has labelled FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments on Cristiano Ronaldo's demeanour on the field as disrespectful.

The 77-year-old described the Portuguese as being "like a commander on the pitch" and joked he spent more money on his hairstyle than Barcelona rival Lionel Messi in an audience with Oxford University students last week.

Those comments have been met with fury in Madrid as Ronaldo aims to topple Messi to win the Ballon d'Or for the first time in five years after both men were nominated in the 23-man shortlist for the award on Tuesday.

And Ancelotti confirmed that Real president Florentino Perez has sent a letter to FIFA asking them to rectify Blatter's comments.

"It seems to me like a lack of respect," Ancelotti said on Tuesday.

"I haven't spoken with Cristiano about it.

"Today he trained very well as he always does.

"He shows every day that he is great player. He is serious, professional and respects everyone.

"I know that our president has sent a letter to FIFA."

On the field, Real have been boosted by the return of Xabi Alonso, who could make his first appearance of the season against Sevilla on Wednesday as Los Blancos look to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona at the weekend.

The Spanish international hasn't played since the Copa del Rey final in May as he was first sidelined by a groin problem and then a broken bone in his foot.

Alonso's presence was badly missed at the Camp Nou as Ancelotti resorted to playing central defender Sergio Ramos in the heart of his midfield, and the Italian recognises the importance that the former Liverpool man's return should have on the team.

"He is available. Tomorrow he could start on the bench and I will try to give him some minutes.
"Xabi has all the quality to be able to help the team play better.

"He has experience and quality in his passing. Moreover, he has a very good attitude defensively."

Gareth Bale is also likely to make his first start at the Bernabeu after starting for just the second time in a Madrid shirt against Barcelona.

The Welshman was largely anonymous during his 60 minutes on the field as he flitted between a central position and his more accustomed role on the wing.

And Ancelotti reaffirmed that he sees Bale as playing on the right side of Madrid's attack.

"Against Barcelona he could change his position with (Angel) Di Maria.

"I think his natural position is on the right and when he plays I think it will be there."

Alonso's return means that Ancelotti has his full squad available for the first time since arriving in June.

However, with Madrid midway through a run of seven games in 21 days, he admitted he will make a number of changes from the side that started against Barcelona.

Karim Benzema will return up front, whilst Spanish midfield duo Isco and Asier Illarramendi should also start after being surprisingly left on the bench at the weekend.

2 North West pupils drown after heavy rains - South Africa

(Duncan Alfreds, News24)

Johannesburg - Two school pupils from Potchefstroom in North West drowned during heavy rains in the area, police said on Tuesday.

A 7-year-old and a 12-year-old drowned in an overflowing furrow at Haaskraal farm near Potchefstroom on Monday, spokesperson Pelonomi Makau said.

They were walking home with a 10-year-old girl when the 7-year-old slipped and fell into the water. The 12-year-old tried to rescue her and also drowned.

The 10-year-old ran home to tell parents what had happened.

Police were called and a search conducted for the missing girls until Monday midnight without any success.

On Tuesday around 05:00 police found the bodies of the two girls about 3km from where they fell in.

Makau appealed to motorists and pedestrians not to cross overflowing rivers and dams.
- SAPA

Alleged Satanic killer opposes women abuse

 Kirsty Theologo (Picture: Beeld)

Johannesburg - The alleged mastermind of a Satanic plot that led to the death of Kirsty Theologo was opposed to women abuse, the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg sitting in Palm Ridge heard on Tuesday.

Psychologist Sunette van den Heever said Lindon Wagner claimed to hate violence against women, as he had witnessed his own mother being abused.

State prosecutor Karien Coetzee argued, however, that Wagner had injured three women during a Satanic ritual, and one of them died as a result of it.

During earlier proceedings, Wagner told the court he hit Theologo, 18, several times on the head with a rock, doused her with petrol and set her alight in a "soul-selling" ritual on a hill in Linmeyer, Johannesburg in October 2011.

He also assaulted Theologo's 14-year-old friend. Theologo died in hospital a week later while her friend survived the attack.

He had also helped to cut the hand of female co-accused Courtney Daniels, as they dripped their blood into a fire during the ritual.

On Tuesday, Van den Heever said the attack was isolated.

"The incident on the mountain was isolated. He gave Kirsty an ear, he wanted to protect her and even gave her a place to sleep when she needed it."

She said Wagner was isolated and lonely. His mother had refused to live with him because of his drug use.
Accused love Theologo

Wagner wore a black jersey and white shirt as he sat in court on Tuesday. He had plaited his long curly hair into braids.

During his testimony earlier, Wagner told the court he had loved Theologo. He said something had come over him when he performed the ritual with his co-accused. He admitted that he had hoped to gain power from selling his soul to the devil.

He and his co-accused were under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the attack.

Coetzee argued that Wagner and his co-accused planned the attack. They were not always intoxicated when they discussed the plan.

Wagner, Daniels, Robin Harwood and Harvey Isha are on trial for the murder of Theologo and the attempted murder of her friend.

Two others, Lester Moody and Jeremy King, confessed to the killing and were sentenced to 17 years in jail, five of them suspended.

The trial was adjourned to 4 November.

Women's Cricket SL and S. Africa: Weather beats them all

The Sri Lanka Women's Cricket team are taking on their South African counterparts in the third One Day International currently underway at Potchesfstroom in South africa.

Chasing a target of 165 runs , the  South africans were two runs for no loss in 1  over , a shortwhile ago.
The match was called off due to inclement weather.

Winning the toss , the South African women elected to field first. Chamari Atapattu and Yasoda Mendis opened the Sri Lanakn innings, however Mendis didnt trouble the scoreres as she was the first wicket to fall.

Jayangani went onto make a half century inclusive of 8 bouncaries before she was sent back to the dressing room by Dane Van Niekerek. Chamini Seneviratne scored 32 runs.

Dilani Manodara and Maduri Samududdika chipped in with 17 and 21 runs respecrtively.

The Sri lanka women were bowled out for 164 runs in their alloted 50overs thanks to Mazizanne Kapp who picked up three wickets for 38 runs.

Israel shoots down rocket fired from Gaza Strip

One of the rockets was shot down by Israel’s 'iron dome' interceptor system (pictured). Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images


No damage or casualties reported in pre-dawn attack on southern port city of Ashkelon, according to Israeli military

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets at a southern Israeli port city on Monday, one of which was shot down by Israel's "iron dome" interceptor while the other fell into the sea, a military spokeswoman said.

The pre-dawn salvo on Ashkelon, about seven miles (12km) north of Gaza, was unusual given the relative restraint of Palestinian militants since last November's war between Hamas and Israel.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the launches, which came as Hamas tips into financial and political crisis after being cut off from neighbouring Egypt by the new, military-led interim government in Cairo. Hamas has also been challenged at times by more radical, armed Islamists in Gaza.

Hamas has tried to mend ties with Egypt while appealing to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, whose administration holds sway in the occupied West Bank, to abandon US-sponsored peace talks with Israel.

It has also signalled readiness to fight again, taking responsibility last week for a tunnel which Israel discovered running into their territory from Gaza and said was likely intended for kidnapping soldiers or setting off underground explosives.

The Israeli military spokeswoman said a mortar bomb was fired across the border from Gaza on Sunday, but caused no damage or casualties.

US drone strike in Somalia kills top al-Shabaab explosives expert

 

Al-Shabaab militants launched a major assault on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi in September, in which 70 people were killed. Photograph: AP

Killing a further sign of intensifying US campaign against al-Shabaab after attack on Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi

A US drone strike in Somalia has killed two senior members of the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, including its top explosives expert, officials and residents have said.

The strike is a further sign of intensifying US military intervention against the al-Qaida affiliate in the wake of September's attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which left 70 people dead.

US officials confirmed there had been a counter-terrorism strike and said Ibrahim Ali, believed to be al-Shabaab's lead explosives expert, was among the dead, according to the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters. The New York Times quoted a US military official as saying Ali was known for his skill in building and using homemade bombs and suicide vests and had been tracked for a long time.

Witnesses to Monday's strike said the drone fired a missile at a car in the outskirts of Jilib town in the Middle Jubba region, some 75 miles north of the port of Kismayo in southern Somalia.

"This afternoon, I heard a big crash and saw a drone disappearing far into the sky. At least two militants died," Hassan Nur, a resident in the area, told Reuters. "I witnessed a Suzuki car burning, many al-Shabaab men came to the scene. I could see them carry the remains of two corpses. It was a heavy missile that the drone dropped. Many cars were driving ahead of me but the drone targeted this Suzuki."

An al-Shabaab member who gave his name as Abu Mohamed also told AP that one of those killed was the organisation's top explosives expert, known as Anta. A Somali intelligence official in Mogadishu said the attack took place as al-Shabaab members went to intervene in a clan dispute.

Earlier this month, US navy Seals raided a coastal Somali town in an attempt to capture a Kenyan al-Shabaab member but were forced to withdraw under heavy fire. The target was Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir, known as Ikrima, identified as the lead planner of a plot to attack Kenya's parliament building and the UN office in Nairobi in 2011 and 2012.

The heightened US activity comes as efforts by the UN-mandated African Union force, Amisom, appear to have stalled and al-Shabaab adapts to guerrilla warfare. Last week Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said: "In the face of these threats, and in the absence of enablers and force multipliers that would have permitted a sustained offensive against al-Shabaab, the Somali national army and Amisom have now assumed a largely defensive, static posture."

The US army operates drones from bases in Dijbouti and in Arba Minch in southern Ethiopia and has reportedly carried out several strikes in recent years. Al-Shabaab said in January 2011 that a missile launched from a drone had killed Bilal el-Berjawi, a Lebanese fighter who held a British passport. Another missile killed four foreign militants south of Mogadishu in February 2012.

Al-Shabaab, which lost control of the capital in 2011, promised more attacks on Kenyan soil unless Kenya withdraws its troops from Somalia.

Egypt kung fu champion suspended for wearing pro-Mohamed Morsi T-shirt

The yellow Rabaa sign is a four-fingered salute that honours the hundreds of Islamists killed during August’s Rabaa al-Adawiya massacre in Cairo. Photograph: Reuters

Mohamed Youssef wore shirt with yellow Rabaa logo widely used by supporters of deposed president at medals ceremony
        Patrick Kingsley in Cairo

Egypt's kung fu champion has been suspended by his national federation for wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a symbol associated with opposition to the Egypt's army-backed interim government.

Mohamed Youssef is the latest Egyptian to be censored for wearing the yellow Rabaa sign – a four-fingered salute that honours the hundreds of Islamists killed during August's Rabaa al-Adawiya massacre – as authorities attempt to stamp out opposition Islamist movements.

Youssef wore the T-shirt as judges presented him with a gold medal at an international championship in Russia. In response, a spokesman for Egypt's kung fu association told state media that Youssef had been flown home early, suspended from competition and barred from taking part in a kung fu tournament next month in Malaysia.

Egypt's establishment appears to be deeply irked by the Rabaa symbol, which has been drawn on walls across the country and displayed by supporters of the deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi since the August massacre. Three men were arrested in September for creating T-shirts carrying the symbol, while a schoolboy was later photographed being detained while forming a version of the logo with his right hand.

The sign has gained currency among Islamists across the world, with many overseas supporters of Morsi displaying it on their social media profiles, or in person at protests. Turkey's Islamist president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has also been pictured displaying the four-fingered salute. In Jordan, an ally of Egypt's new secular-minded regime, three protesters were arrested for carrying a version of the symbol – an act, a Jordanian official said, "that would harm Jordan's relations with a brotherly Arab country".

The non-religious nature of the Rabaa sign has been perceived as an attempt to appeal to secular opponents of Egypt's military-backed government, but so far it used almost exclusively by Islamist supporters of Morsi.

The government crackdown on displaying the symbol has been interpreted as part of a wider campaign to drive Morsi's backers from the public arena. More than 1,000 of his supporters have been killed by state officials since his overthrow in July, and thousands more have been arrested and detained without charge.

Only a handful of the leaders of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood operate openlysince the group's activities were banned by government order in September.

Under the current interim government, police have also raid the offices of several well-known secular activists, and others have been smeared by state newspapers.

On Tuesday, Egyptian media reported that the attorney general had launched an investigation into the country's best-known television satirist, Bassem Youssef, only four days after the comedian returned to the airwaves for the first time since Morsi was ousted.

Bassem Youssef's spokesman told the Guardian there had been no official confirmation of the news, but should it be confirmed, it would mark a much swifter censorship of the comedian than under Morsi. Youssef was also investigated during Morsi's tenure, but the former president's prosecutors took months to enact the procedures.

Two new science satellites are being prepared to join a fleet of robotic Mars

 1 of 2. Technicians work on NASA's next Mars-bound spacecraft, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft, as it is displayed for the media at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida in this September 27, 2013 file photo.

Credit: Reuters/Joe Skipper/files
By Irene Klotz
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida |

(Reuters) - Two new science satellites are being prepared to join a fleet of robotic Mars probes to help determine why the planet most like Earth in the solar system ended up so different.

India's Mars Orbiter Mission, the country's first interplanetary foray, is due to blast off on November 5 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

Billed as a pathfinder to test technologies to fly to orbit and communicate from Mars, the satellite follows India's successful 2008-2009 Chandrayaan-1 moon probe, which discovered water molecules in the lunar soil.

The Mars Orbiter Mission has ambitious science goals as well, including a search for methane in the Martian atmosphere. On Earth, the chemical is strongly tied to life.

Methane, which also can be produced by non-biological processes, was first detected in the Martian atmosphere a decade ago.

But recent measurements made by NASA's Mars rover, Curiosity, show only trace amounts of methane, a puzzling finding since the gas should last about 200 years on Mars.

India's Mars Orbiter Mission also will study Martian surface features and mineral composition.

Also launching in November is NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft.

MAVEN will focus on Mars' thin atmosphere, but rather than hunting methane, it is designed to help scientists figure out how the planet managed to lose an atmosphere that at one time was believed to be thicker than Earth's.

"MAVEN is going to focus on trying to understand what the history of the atmosphere has been, how the climate has changed through time and how that has influenced the evolution of the surface and the potential habitability - at least by microbes - of Mars," lead mission scientist Bruce Jakosky, with the University of Colorado at Boulder, told reporters on a conference call on Monday.

MAVEN is due to launch on November 18 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and reach Mars on September 22, 2014 - the day after India's spacecraft arrives.

They will join two NASA rovers, two NASA orbiters and a European Space Agency satellite already studying Mars.
(Editing by Kevin Gray and Sandra Maler)

Leaders of South African 'Boer Army' plot receive long jail terms

Mike (R) and Andre du Toit attend their trial at Pretoria High Court on October 29, 2013 (AFP, Alexander Joe)


JOHANNESBURG |
(Reuters) - Five leaders of a "Boer Army" white supremacist plot in South Africa to assassinate Nelson Mandela and drive blacks out of the country were sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday after a trial lasting more than 10 years.

A Pretoria High Court handed down sentences ranging from 20 to five years to others of the 21 defendants of the "Boeremag", a rag-tag militia of apartheid loyalists accused of a botched 2002 coup attempt in Africa's biggest economy. This had including charges of causing explosions.
Some of the sentences were suspended. Nine of the accused walked free after being held for 11 years behind bars during the trial, National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Medupi Simasiku told Reuters.

In the course of the prolonged case, witnesses testified that the Boeremag planned to assassinate anti-apartheid hero Mandela, who was South Africa's first black president, by planting a bomb along a route he was due to travel.
Their plans however were thwarted when the world-famous statesman, now retired, aged 95 and convalescing at home in Johannesburg, travelled to his engagement by helicopter.
Several of the Boeremag members were charged with causing nine explosions at various sites in Gauteng, South Africa's richest province in October 2002, with most blasts taking place in the sprawling township of Soweto, south of Johannesburg, where one woman was killed.
Racial tensions persist almost 20 years since the first democratic elections ended apartheid rule in South Africa. But groups like the Boeremag and the Afrikaner Resistance Movement of murdered far-right leader Eugene Terre'blanche have little backing from the country's almost 5 million whites.
The alleged mastermind of the Boeremag, former university lecturer Mike du Toit, was the first to be convicted last year for high treason, and was among those given a 35-year sentence.
According to prosecution testimony, the Boeremag's plot, concocted around barbeques and at fast food outlets, had suggested driving South Africa's black majority of about 40 million out of the country and into Zimbabwe by lining a major national road between the two countries with food parcels.
It had also proposed sending the 1.2 million Indians in the country back to the subcontinent by boat.
(Reporting by Peroshni Govender; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)

Storm death toll rises as wind, rain batters northern Europe

A man watches stormy seas in strong winds as waves crash on the harbour wall at Brighton marina in south east England October 28, 2013. REUTERS-Luke MacGregor

Waves crash against a lighthouse during storms that battered Britain and where a 14-year-old boy was swept away to sea, at Newhaven in South East England October 28, 2013. REUTERS-Luke MacGregor
 

A tree that fell on and killed a woman along a street, lies on a car next to the Herengracht canal in Amsterdam October 28, 2013. REUTERS-Cris Toala Olivares

Emergency services work at the scene of a fallen tree at Bath Road in Hounslow, west London October 28, 2013. REUTERS-Toby Melville

A lone commuter walks past the notice board at London Bridge Station showing all trains cancelled during rush hour in London October 28, 2013. REUTERS-Dylan Martinez

A lone commuter walks past the notice board at London Bridge Station showing all trains cancelled during rush hour in London October 28, 2013. REUTERS-Dylan Martinez


By Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Anthony Deutsch
LONDON/AMSTERDAM |

(Reuters) - Hurricane strength winds battered northern Europe on Monday, killing more than a dozen people, cutting power and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and train journeys.

At least seven people died in Germany while there were four deaths in Britain and fatalities in the Netherlands, Denmark and France as the storm brought down trees, blew roofs off houses and turned over trucks, causing chaos across much of the region.

In Germany, falling trees killed several drivers, at least one man drowned and a 66-year-old woman died when a wall collapsed on her, German media reported.

The storm had barrelled in overnight, with gusts of up to 99 mph (160 kph), leaving a trail of damage across parts of southern Britain, before heading eastwards into mainland Europe.

A 17-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell onto her home while she slept in Kent, southeast of London, while a man in his 50s was killed when a tree crushed his car in the town of Watford, just north of the capital.

A man and a woman were found dead in west London after several houses were damaged in a suspected gas explosion on a street where the storm blew a tree down. London police said the tree may have damaged gas pipes, causing the explosion.

A crane smashed into the Cabinet Office, a ministry in the heart of London, forcing Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to cancel a news conference.

Thin volumes on London's financial markets suggested many traders had been stuck at home, along with millions of commuters who would normally head into London but were thwarted by train and Tube lines being shut by toppled trees and power failures.

London's Heathrow airport said 130 flights were cancelled.

WAZIRI WA UCHUKUZI AFUNGUA MKUTANO WA 7

WA MAPITIO YA UTENDAJI WA SEKTA YA UCHUKUZI (JTSR 2013) UNAOFANYIKA KATIKA UKUMBI WA MIKUTANO WA JENGO LA GOLDEN JUBILEE (PSPF BUILDING) ,JIJINI DAR ES SALAAM TAREHE 28-29 OKTOBA 2013

 

 Waziri wa Uchukuzi, Dkt. Harrison Mwakyembe akitoa hotuba yake wakati wa ufunguzi wa mkutano wa 7 wa mapitio ya utendaji wa sekta ya Uchukuzi leo asubuhi katika ukumbi wa mikutano uliopo kwenye Jengo la Golden Jubilee(PSPF BUILIDNG). Mkutano huo wa siku mbili unakutanisha wadau wa taasisi mbalimbali za sekta ya uchukuzi kujadili njia mbalimbali za kuboresha sekta ya Uchukuzi.

 

 Washiriki wa mkutano wa 7 wa Mapitio ya Utendaji wa sekta ya Uchukuzi, wakijitambulisha kabla ya mkutano huo wa siku mbili kuanza katika ukumbi wa mikutano wa Jengo la Jubilee. Mkutano huo  wa 7 unawakutanisha wadau mbalimbali wa sekta ya Uchukuzi kujadili changamoto mbalimbali zinazoikabili sekta na kuzitafutia ufumbuzi.

 

Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Uchukuzi, Dkt. Shaaban Mwinjaka akitoa hotuba wakati wa ufunguzi wa Mkutano 7 wa mapitio ya utendaji wa Sekta ya Uchukuzi(JTSR 2013), unaofanyika katika ukumbi wa mikutano Jengo la Golden Jubilee tarehe 28-29 Oktoba 2013. Mkutano huo wa 7 unawakutanisha wadau

mbambali wa sekta ya uchukuzi kujadili changamoto mbalimbali zinazoikabili sekta ya uchukuzi na kuzitafutia ufumbuzi ili kuboresha Uchukuzi nchini Tanzania.

Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Ujenzi Mhandisi Alhaj Mussa Iyombe, akitoa hotuba yake wakati wa ufunguzi wa mkutano wa 7 wa mapitio ya utendaji wa Sekta ya Uchukuzi leo asubuhi katika ukumbi wa mikutano katika Jengo la Golden Jubilee.

Waziri wa Uchukuzi, Dkt. Harrison Mwakyembe (wa tatu kutoka kushoto waliokaa), akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na Mabalozi, wahisani wa Miradi ya Maendeleo na wajumbe mbalimbali waliohudhuria mkutano wa 7 wa mapitio ya utendaji wa sekta ya Uchukuzi, Unaofanyika tarehe 28-29 Oktoba katika ukumbi wa mikutano wa Jengo la Golden Jubilee. Wa kwanza kushoto waliokaa ni Naibu Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Uchukuzi, Mrs. Monica Mwamunyange, kulia kwa Waziri Mwakyembe ni Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Uchukuzi, Dkt. Shaaban Mwinjaka.

 

Mkurugenzi Msaidizi wa Sehemu ya Usimamizi, Ufuatiliaji na Tathimini wa Wizara ya Uchukuzi , Bw. Aunyisa Meena, akiwasilisha mada kwenye mkutano wa 7 wa mapitio ya utendaji wa sekta ya

Uchukuzi, unaofanyika Tarehe 28-29 Oktoba katika ukumbi wa mikutano wa Jengo la Golden Jubilee. Mkutano huo utajadili maswala mbalimbali yanayohusu sekta ya Uchukuzi.

Habari na picha na Kitengo cha Mawasiliano Serikalini-Uchukuzi)