Denzel Washington Opens ‘Fences’ On Broadway

Family, particularly fathers and sons. Can there be a more inexhaustible topic for great playwrights?

From Shakespeare (think all those “Henry” history plays) to Arthur Miller (consider “All My Sons” and “Death of a Salesman”), the subject has been potent dramatic fodder. And in “Fences,” August Wilson made his own unmistakable, powerful contribution to the genre in what is perhaps his most personal play.

First seen in New York in 1987 with James Earl Jones, “Fences” has now returned with an equally starry actor, Denzel Washington in the lead. Washington, last on Broadway in 2005 in a production of “Julius Caesar,” acquits himself well in this blistering revival, directed with a sure, steady hand by Wilson veteran Kenny Leon. It’s a big, bold performance in a big, bold play, rife with emotion-drenched soliloquies for its star about life, love, death and the devil.

The production opened Monday at Broadway’s Cort Theatre for a limited engagement through July 11.

Washington portrays Troy Maxson, a 53-year-old black sanitation worker who once had dreams of professional baseball glory. The time is the late 1950s, when black baseball players were beginning to make names for themselves in the major white leagues. Troy came along too soon, and his aspirations died hard but his anger never cooled.

Instead, he channeled his life into his family: wife Rose (Viola Davis) and teenage son Cory (Chris Chalk). The key word here is responsibility, a word Troy reveres above all else. That responsibility runs headlong into his son’s desire to play football and win a possible college scholarship.

A clash is inevitable, and the tension builds slowly as Troy reveals details about his past life — his volatile dealings with his own father, his time in prison (a stint that cost him his first wife) and the chance to be around hisoldest son (Russell Hornsby).
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Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey to Renew Their Vows … Again!

Via people.com

Renewing one's wedding vows is typically a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey prefer to do it a little more frequently than that – like every year!

"I encourage everybody to do it. If you are happy and in love, celebrate it!" Cannon, 29, said Friday on his New York radio show, confirming that he and his pop-star wife, 40, will renew their vows – for a second time – to celebrate their second wedding anniversary.

"Don't everybody do that?" the America's Got Talent host asked. "Don't, like, Heidi Klum and Seal do the same thing every year? It's just something fun to celebrate. We renew our vows and exchange gifts."

Sherehe za Muungano katika picha

Via blog ya jamii

7 Things You Should Say in an Interview

Today's job market is as competitive as ever. You need to be able to effectively communicate you skill set so that you will give yourself the best competitive advantage to secure employment. During the interview process, you want to highlight as many of your strengths as possible. An easy way to do this is by slipping a few simple phrases into your next job interview. Here are seven things you should say in an interview.

1. I am very familiar with what your company does.
Letting a prospective employer know that you are familiar with what a company does shows that you have a legitimate interest in the business and are not just wasting their time. Do your homework before arriving for an interview. Check out the company website for information about products and services. Search for the latest transactions and pertinent business news.

Be sure to let the interviewer know that you are familiar with the newest company acquisition or the latest product that was just developed. Explain how your skills and experience are a perfect fit for the employer.

2. I am flexible.
Work environments are always changing. Prospective employers are looking for candidates that are open to change and can adapt at a moment's notice. In today's fast paced business world, employees must have the ability to multi-task.

Stating that you are adaptable lets an employer know that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. This may mean working additional hours or taking on additional job duties in a crunch. Show your potential employer that you are equipped to deal with any crisis situation that may arise.
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Liyumba ainanga serikali

Amtupia mzigo marehemu Balali

ALIYEKUWA Mkurugenzi wa Utumishi na Utawala wa Benki Kuu, Amatus Liyumba (62), ambaye sasa anakabiliwa na shtaka moja la matumuzi mabaya ya ofisi ya umma, amedai serikali haijui itendalo dhidi ya kesi iliyomfungulia.

Liyumba ameiomba Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi Kisutu Dar es Salaam, izingatie ukweli wakati wa kutoa hukumu dhidi yake Mei 24 badala ya kuwasikiliza watu wasiojua watendalo.

Maneno hayo mawili ‘hawajui watendalo’ yanafanana na yale aliyotumia Yesu Kristo, anayeaminika kuwa ni Mwokozi wa waumini wa Kikristo wakati akieleza kitendo cha Wayahudi waliokuwa wakimsulubisha (Luka 23:34).

Mshtakiwa huyo jana alipanda kizimbani katika Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi Kisutu Dar es Salaam, kutoa utetezi wake mbele ya Kiongozi wa Jopo la Mahakimu Wakazi, Edson Mkasimongwa, aliyekuwa akisaidiwa na Lameck Mlacha na Benedict Mwingwa.

Kesi hiyo ambayo imevuta hisia za watu wengi ndani na nje ya jiji la Dar es Salaam ilifikishwa mahakamani hapo Januari 26 mwaka jana ambapo Liyumba alikuwa akikabiliwa na makosa mawili ambayo ni matumizi mabaya ya ofisi ya umma na kuisababishia hasara serikali ya sh bilioni 221.

Hata hivyo Aprili 9 mwaka huu, mahakama hiyo ilimfutia shtaka la kuisababishia hasara serikali baada ya upande wa mashtaka kushindwa kuthibitisha hasara kwa namba kama ilivyokuwa ikitakiwa.

Liyumba, aliongozwa kutoa ushahidi wake na wakili mahiri wa kujitegemea Majura Magafu aliyekuwa akisaidiwa na Jaji Mstaafu Hillary Mkate, Onesmo Kyauke na Hudson Ndusyepo huku upande wa mashitaka ulikuwa ukiongozwa na mawakili waandamizi Juma Mzarau, Ben Lincoln na Tabu Mzee.
Endelea kusoma habari hii............

Rihanna 'Okay' After Being Hospitalized For Injured Rib

Rihanna is feeling fine after being briefly hospitalized Monday night.

The singer, 22, who was taken to a private clinic after performing a concert in Zurich, Switzerland, "had an injured rib and went to have it looked at to be sure it was nothing serious, and it wasn't," her rep tells PEOPLE.

Rihanna continued the European leg of her "Last Girl on Earth" tour Tuesday night with a concert in Lyon, France, and is expected to play in Marseille on Wednesday, according to reports.
Source: People

'Nusu ya mawaziri wa Kikwete hawachaguliki'

Utafiti wawataja, waponzwa na kaulimbiu ya 'maisha bora'

Via Tanzania Daima

UTAFITI umeonyesha kuwa zaidi ya nusu ya mawaziri waliotajwa kuwa makamanda katika Serikali ya Awamu ya Nne wanaweza kupoteza nafasi zao za ubunge kwenye Uchaguzi Mkuu wa Oktoba 2010.

Kwa mujibu wa asasi isiyo ya kiserikali, Nyota, iliyofanya utafiti huo katika kipindi cha miezi sita iliyopita, hali ni tete katika majimbo ya mawaziri hao.

Mawaziri hao wako hatarini kukosa ubunge kutokana na wananchi wengi wa majimbo hayo kukosa imani nao, baada ya kaulimbinu ya ‘maisha bora kwa kila Mtanzania’ kushindwa kuonekana kwa vitendo majimboni mwao.

Taarifa ya awali iliyotolewa na Mratibu wa asasi hiyo, Vincent Kornald Mkisi, ilisema kuwa mazingira ya mawaziri na manaibu hao kupoteza nafasi zao yalianza kuonekana tangu Januari mwaka huu.

Mkisi alitaja majina ya mawaziri walio katika hali mbaya kurudi bungeni kuwa ni pamoja na Profesa Peter Msolla ambaye anakabiliwa na upinzani mkali kutoka kwa aliyewahi kuwa Mbunge wa Jimbo la Kilolo, Venance Mwamoto ‘Motto’.

Duru za kisiasa zinasema kuwa Profesa Msolla alitarajia kudra za Tume ya Taifa ya Uchaguzi (NEC) kuligawa Jimbo la Kilolo na kuwa mawili, hivyo alijipanga kuwania ubunge katika eneo la Ilula ambako anakubalika zaidi kuliko maeneo mengine.
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Jela miaka 30 kwa kumbaka Bi kizee

Via Mwananchi

MKAZI wa Kijiji cha Kitowo Olele wilayani Rombo mkoani Kilimanjaro, Priscus Peter Kimario amehukumiwa kwenda jela miaka 30 baada ya kupatikana na hatia ya kumbaka bibi kizee mwenye umri wa miaka 87.

Hukumu ya kesi hiyo iliyovuta hisia za wananchi wengi wa wilayani hapa ilisomwa jana na hakimu mfawidhi wa wilaya ya Rombo, Aziza Temu ambaye aliamuru pia mshitakiwa kuchapwa viko 12 na kulipa faini ya Sh100,000.

Bibi kizee huyo, Lucia Lokela alifariki dunia Oktoba 17, 2007 hata kabla ya kutoa ushahidi wake lakini mahakama ikachukua maelezo yake ya awali kuwa ushahidi, kwa mujibu wa kifungu namba 34(D) cha sheria ya ushahidi.

Upande wa mashitaka ukiongozwa na Inspekta Richard Busimba ulidai kuwa Julai 2,2007 mshitakiwa huyo alimbaka bibi kizee huyo, kitu ambacho ni kinyume na sheria ya makosa ya kujamiiana.

Tangu mwanzo wa usikilizwaji wa kesi hiyo hadi hatua ya utetezi, mshitakiwa huyo alikuwa akikanusha kutenda kosa hilo ingawa alikuwa akikiri kwamba siku hiyo na muda huo alikuwa katika kijiji hicho kwenye sherehe ya kijadi.

Hata hivyo, Hakimu Temu alisema mashahidi wanne wa upande wa mashitaka katika kesi hiyo wameithibitishia mahakama bila shaka yoyote kwamba mshitakiwa huyo ndiye mshiriki mkuu wa tukio hilo.

“Mahakama inatupilia mbali utetezi wa mshitakiwa kwa sababu upo ushahidi kuwa alikamatwa red handed (alifumaniwa) akiwa amemlalia bibi kizee huyo ambaye kwa bahati mbaya sana sasa ni marehemu,” alisema Temu.

Kwa mujibu wa hakimu huyo, mahakama ilikubaliana na hoja ya upande wa mashitaka ya kutaka kutolewa kwa adhabu kali kwa kuwa vitendo vya ubakaji na udhalilishaji wanawake na watoto ambavyo vinazidi kuongezeka kwenye jamii.

Eternity Riddim 2010

Simba kiboko yao

Simba imefanya kweli baada ya kuifunga Yanga katika mchezo ambao ulikuwa ukisubiliwa kwa hamu kubwa na wapenzi wa timu zote mbili.
Kwa habari na picha za tukio hilo ingia hapa

Sophia:Nimejifungua watoto watatu sina cha kuwapa

 Via Mwananchi

"Hivi kama msaada upo ni ufahari gani kujitangaza kuomba wakati najua kwamba watu wengi kwanza watanicheka na wengine hata kunidharau lakini yote hayo mimi sijali, muhimu ninachoona ni kuinusuru familia yangu. Najua wenye moyo safi watanisaidia."

KAMA kuna jambo ambalo wanawake wengi duniani wanalitamani ni kupata watoto na hivyo ndivyo ilivyokuwa kwa Sophia Salum (28) mkazi wa Ukonga Mombasa, Dar es Salaam.

 Lakini baada ya kujifungua watoto watatu kwa mara moja, Sabra, Sabri na Swabri mnamo Februari 5, mwaka huu, maisha ya Sophia yamebadilika. Hivi sasa anaishi kwa mashaka makubwa, akipata chochote mchana, hana uhakika wa kupata kingine usiku au kesho yake.

 Licha ya kutokuwa na uhakika wa kupata lishe lakini hilo halimwondolei jukumu la kuwanyonyesha malaika hao na hilo ndilo lililomfanya kujitokeza na kupaza sauti akilia.

Nimeamua kuomba msaada kwa jamii, inisaidie kulea watoto wangu. Wanangu hawa watatu niliojifungua wana afya njema lakini sina maziwa ya kutosha kuwanyonyesha wakashiba hii inanipa simamzi nzito. Sina uwezo wa kuwanunulia maziwa ya makopo.
Endelea kusoma habari hii..............

Larry King Declares 8th Divorce

What a royal pain: ancient interviewer Larry King [pictured right]has filed for divorce from his wife of 13 years, Shawn Southwick, citing "irreconcilable differences." The L.A. Time's Ministry of Gossip blog noted that Southwick is King's seventh wife, but his eighth marriage because he wed and divorced wife Alene Akins twice.

Shawn Southwick, a former actress who is 26 years his junior, is now a part-time country singer under the stage name Shawn King. TMZ says she's claiming their family home in Beverly Hills as property separate from the marriage and notes that "Back in 2007, Shawn had bragged about being the only one of Larry's wives to have made it into 'the two digits.'"

"It's a very sad day in Larry's life and he hopes the divorce will be amicable," said King's attorney Susan Carter.

The couple has two sons, Chance, 11, and Cannon, 9. King is said to be requesting joint custody of the children.

Siasa na biashara kuzuiwa bungeni

WAKATI upepo wa Sheria ya Gharama za Uchaguzi ukiwa haujatulia hasa baada ya Mbunge wa Karatu, Dk. Wilbroad Slaa, kudai kuwa Rais Jakaya Kikwete alisaini sheria iliyochomekwa vifungu ambavyo havikujadiliwa au kupitishwa na Bunge, Muswada wa Sheria nyingine mpya ya Kutenganisha siasa na Biashara unaweza kubisha hodi katika mkutano huu wa Bunge, Raia Mwema, imeelezwa.

Sheria hiyo ya kutenganisha siasa na biashara inatarajiwa kuathiri maudhui ya Sheria ya Maadili ya Viongozi wa Umma ya mwaka 1995 iliyotungwa baada ya kuanguka kwa Azimio la Arusha, na hasa kipengele chake cha kutangaza mali kuendelea kufanywa siri na kuwa kosa la jinai kwa anayefichua siri hizo.

Tayari Waziri wa Nchi, Ofisi ya Rais-Utawala Bora, Sofia Simba katika mkutano uliopita wa Bunge aliweka bayana kuwa mkutano huu ulioanza wiki hii mjini Dodoma, utajadili na hata kupitisha Muswada wa Sheria ya Kutenganisha Siasa na Biashara ambao ni pacha na Sheria ya Gharama za Uchaguzi.

Muswada huo wa sheria hiyo ya siasa na biashara unakuja katika wakati ambao swali kubwa linalosubiriwa na wabunge wengi ni je, biashara gani ambayo kiongozi anazuiwa kuendelea kuifanya wakati wa utumishi wake kwa umma, ikizingatiwa kuwa viongozi wengi ambao ni pamoja na mawaziri ni wanahisa katika kampuni kubwa nchini. Hata hivyo, swali ambalo linajitokeza huku kukiwa na taarifa kuwa serikali tayari imekwishabainisha aina ya biashara husika.
Endelea kusoma habari hii............

 

Wabunge wauasa Ubalozi kuajiri wa Tanzania

Mwenyekiti wa kamati ya bunge ya mambo ya nje ya bunge la Tanzania Wilson Massilingi amezitaka balozi za Tanzania kutoa nafasi za ajira kwa Watanzania wanaoishi nje ya nchi hiyo na wenye vibali vya kuwawezesha kuishi na kufanyakazi katika nchi hizo.

Akizungumza katika mahojiano maalum na idhaa ya Kiswahili ya sauti ya Amerika VOA mjini Washington, Masilingi anasema itakuwa si busara kwa balozi za Tanzania kutoa ajira kwa wageni katika kazi ambazo zinaweza kufanywa na Watanzania wanaoishi katika nchi hizo.

Amewataka Watanzania kujitokeza pale inapotokea fursa ya nafasi ya kazi katika balozi za Tanzania zilizoko nje ya nchi hiyo.

Akiwa na wajumbe wenzake wa kamati ya bunge ya mambo ya nje Juma Kilimba na Khalifa Khalifa inayotembelea Marekani kukagua miundo mbinu ya balozi za Tanzania mjini Washington DC na New York mwenyekiti huyo ambaye pia ni mbunge wa Muleba mashariki amesema itakuwa ni kichekesho kwa wageni kuajiriwa hata katika kazi kama za uhudumu wa ofisi au udereva wakati wapo Watanzania wanaofanya kazi kama hizo katika nchi hizo.

  Aidha Masilingi ameitaka wizara ya mambo ya nje ya Tanzania kuangalia uwezekano wa kuongeza watumishi katika ubalozi wa Tanzania mjini Washington kutokana na ofisi hiyo kukabiliwa na uchache wa watumishi ukilinganisha na kazi zilizopo.
Source: VOA

Arobaini ya Saidaty Mfilinge, R.I.P

We love you but Allah loves you more.

Picha kwa hisani ya Yusuph Hamidu

Former NBA star in the poorhouse

It's not a good time to be a hyper-skilled forward who never really made the most of their considerable talent. First, it was Antoine Walker(notes), his casino debts, and a short stint in Puerto Rico. Now, it's Derrick Coleman, failed business investments, and fur coats.

According to the Wall Street Journal's Bankruptcy Beat, Coleman has filed for bankruptcy and owes creditors $4.7 million, most of which he lost in failed attempts to stimulate Detroit's struggling local economy. His lawyer Mark B. Berke explained the reasons for Coleman's financial struggles.

"Mr. Coleman was focused on investing in various communities throughout the city of Detroit by developing real estate, creating jobs and revitalizing business opportunities," Berke said. "Due to the state of the economy, including the decline in the real estate market, Mr. Coleman's investments could not be sustained."

According to Basketball Reference, Coleman made more than $87 million during his 15 year career with the Nets, 76ers, Hornets, and Pistons. But now he has only about $1 million in assets, including a 1997 Bentley convertible, five fur coats, and $3,000 in jewelry. Not exactly appreciating assets.
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Dallas Easter Party

JK ampa U-DC 'hasimu' wa Sophia Simba

Via Mwananchi

RAIS Jakaya Kikwete amefanya mabadiliko madogo ya wakuu wa wilaya nchini kwa kumfukuza aliyeshindwa kusimamia sera ya Kilimo Kwanza, huku akimteua tena Husna Mwilima, ambaye alijikuta kwenye uhasama na Sophia Simba katika kipindi kifupi alichofanya naye kazi kwenye Umoja wa Wanawake wa CCM.

Mwilima, ambaye alikuwa mkuu wa wilaya ya Hai mkoani Kilimanjaro, na Martin Shigela, aliyekuwa mkuu wa wilaya ya Lindi, waliteuliwa kuwa makatibu wa jumuiya za CCM za vijana na wanawake mapema mwaka jana, lakini Husna akajikuta kwenye mgogoro mkubwa ambao vyombo vya habari viliripoti kuwa ulitokana na tofauti kati yake na Simba, ambaye ni Waziri wa Nchi ofisi ya Rais (Utawala Bora).

Mgogoro huo uliishia kwa UWT kutangaza kusimamishwa kwa Mwilima mwishoni mwa mwezi Februari ikieleza kuwa uamuzi huo ulifanywa na baraza kuu la umoja huo baada ya kuridhika kuwa kulikuwa na udhaifu katika utendaji wake, huku ikikanusha kuwepo kwa tofauti kati yake na Simba.

Lakini jana, taaaarifa iliyotolewa na Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu, Tawala za Mikoa na Serikali za Mitaa (Tamisemi) imeeleza mabadiliko yaliyofanywa na rais, yakiwemo ya kumrejesha Mwilima kwenye ukuu wa wilaya, yanalenga kuongeza ufanisi.

Akitangazwa kusimamishwa kwa Mwilima, makamu mwenyekiti wa UWT, Asha Bakari Makame alisema uamuzi huo ulifikiwa katika kikao cha Baraza la UWT kilichofanyika Dodoma Novemba 17 hadi 20 mwaka jana.

Alisema Baraza lilimsimamisha kwa kuwa msingi wa UWT ni maadili ya kiutendaji na ukweli, kwa kuwa jumuiya hiyo ndio mama na baba wa CCM.
Kwa habari zaidi ingia hapa.........

JK awapoza hasira wafanyakazi nchini

Via Tanzania Daima

RAIS Jakaya Kikwete amelisihi Shirikisho la Vyama vya Wafanyakazi Nchini (TUCTA) lisiitishe mgomo wa wafanyakazi kwa nchi nzima kama lilivyotangaza, bali wakae kwenye meza ya mazungumzo na serikali kwa lengo la kumaliza tofauti zao na kuboresha maslahi ya wafanyakazi.

Katika hotuba yake ya kila mwezi kwa taifa iliyotolewa jana, Rais Kikwete alisema ametishwa na kauli za viongozi wa TUCTA kuhusu mgomo ulioitishwa unaotarajiwa kuanza Mei 5, akisema iwapo utafanyika, unaweza kuwa na athari kubwa kwa taifa.

Aliongeza kuwa miongoni mwa mambo yaliyomshtua ni kauli za jazba na kejeli za baadhi ya viongozi wa TUCTA, jambo lililomfanya achelee kulizungumzia kwa hofu ya kuingizwa katika zogo la kutupiana maneno.

Hata hivyo, alionya kuwa iwapo mgomo huo utafanyika, shughuli zote nchini zinazofanywa na watu walioajiriwa zitasimama kwa muda usiojulikana kuanzia siku hiyo, jambo ambalo limemfanya awasihi wasitishe mgomo wao.

“Nawasihi viongozi wa TUCTA kuufikiria upya uamuzi wao, waachane na mgomo na wakubali kufanya mazungumzo na serikali na waajiri wengine kwa kutumia mfumo uliopo kisheria.

“Nawasihi tuchague kuzungumza sasa kuliko kuzungumza baada ya mgomo kwani kuna hatari ya mahusiano yetu kuchafuliwa na misuguano inayotokana na mgomo,” alisema.

Rais Kikwete alidokeza kwamba serikali inawajali na kuwathamini wafanyakazi wa sekta ya umma au binafsi na mara kadhaa kumekuwa na hatua za kuboresha maslahi yao.

Alisema tangu iingie madarakani, serikali imeongeza mshahara wa kima chini mara tatu kuanzia mwaka 2006 kutoka shilingi 65,000 hadi 104,000 sasa, na hivi sasa inajiandaa kuongeza tena katika bajeti ijayo.
Endelea kusoma habari hii..........

Wabunge wataka rais anunuliwe ndege nyingine

Via Mwananchi

WAKATI kelele kuhusu gharama za ndege ya rais zikiwa hazijapata majibu ya kuridhisha, Kamati ya Bunge ya Miundombinu sasa inataka mkuu huyo wa nchi anunuliwe ndege nyingine mpya kwa ajili yake na viongozi wengine.

Wabunge hao wanataka ndege hizo zitumike kwenye majanga ya kitaifa.Wabunge wa kamati hiyo walitoa ushauri huo licha ya kupewa taarifa fupi ya Wakala wa Ndege za Serikali (TGFA), iliyoeleza kuwa taasisi hiyo inaidai serikali deni linalofikia Sh6 bilioni.

Mwenyekiti wa kamati hiyo, Mohammed Missanga alibainisha hayo jana mbele ya waandishi wa habari kwenye ofisi ndogo za Bunge jijini Dar es Salaam ambako vikao vya kamati mbalimbali za bunge vinaendelea.

"Labda niseme 'observation', yetu (tulichokiona), sijui nisemeje lakini, haya ni ya ndani. Kwa kifupi tumeridhishwa na ufanisi wa wakala hasa suala la usalama. Kwa upande wa ushauri tumeishauri TGFA kuwe na helkopta itakayotumika na viongozi wa kitaifa, kuwezesha kutua hata pasipo na uwanja wa ndege," alisema Misanga.

Alifafanua kuwa pamoja na helkopta, tunashauri serikali inunue ndege mbili ili ziwe mbadala wa ndege nyingine mbili aina ya Fokker 28 na Fokker 50 ambazo ni za siku nyingi.

“Kwa mujibu wa taarifa ya TGFA tumegundua kuna ndege mbili za siku nyingi, Fokker 28 na Fokker 50, ingawa bado zinafanya kazi vizuri, ushauri wa kamati ni kuwa serikali inunue ndege nyingine ‘kureplace’ (mbadala wa hizo) hizo kwani zimetimiza muda wa kubadilishwa," alisema Missanga.

"Tunatahadharisha katika ununuzi huo isitokee kama ilivyokuwa kwa ndege ya rais. Zinunuliwe zinazoweza kutua viwanja vingi kulingana na mazingira ya nchi."

Taarifa iliyowasilishwa na ofisa mtendaji wa TGFA , Keenan Mhaiki inaonyesha kuwa Fokker 28, iliyonunuliwa mwaka 1978, ina zaidi ya miaka 30 na kwamba imeruka asilimia 48 ya saa zilizotarajiwa kitaalamu.
Endelea kusoma habari hii.........

'Serikali hii kiziwi'

Via Raia mwema

UAMUZI wa Mbunge wa Kishapu, Fred Mpendazoe, kutangaza nia ya kujiuzulu ubunge na uanachama wa CCM na kujiunga na Chama Cha Jamii (CCJ) kama ilivyoandikwa kwa mara ya kwanza na Raia Mwema kwamba nyuma ya chama hicho kuna vigogo wa CCM, kimezidi kukitikisa chama hicho kikongwe nchini kinachozongwa na baadhi ya viongozi wenye tuhuma za ufisadi, ikielezwa orodha ya watakaohama ni ndefu na vigezo vinavyosubiriwa ni muda na ‘jukwaa’ muafaka.

Katika hatua yake ya kutangaza nia hiyo jana Jumanne, Mpendazoe aliita Serikali ya sasa kuwa ni kiziwi kwa kilio cha wananchi, ikibaki kusikiliza zaidi wafanyabiashara na matajiri haramu na wakati huo huo, akisema Kamati ya Rais Mstaafu, Ali Hassan Mwinyi ya kusuluhisha wabunge wa CCM ni upotezaji muda.

Lakini wakati hayo yakiendelea kwa upande wa Mpendazoe, Makamu Mwenyekiti wa CCM – Tanzania Bara, Pius Msekwa, katika hali isiyokuwa ya kawaida, amelazimika kuweka bayana kuwa kikao cha Kamati Kuu ya chama chake, kilichofanyika Ikulu, Dar es Salaam mwishoni mwa wiki hii, hakikujadili kumfukuza mwanachama yeyote, kwa sababu yoyote.

Mpendazoe alitangaza jana Jumanne, jijini Dar es Salaam katika ukumbi wa Idara ya Habari (Maelezo), mbele ya waandishi wa habari, uamuzi wake huo wa kujivua uanachama wa CCM na ubunge. Miongoni mwa sababu za kujiengua alizozitaja ni pamoja na CCM kupoteza dira, sababu ambazo ziliwahi kuzungumzwa na aliyepata kuwa Katibu Mkuu wa CCM, Horace Kolimba.

Kolimba alitoa kauli hiyo akiwa bado ndani ya CCM, kauli ambayo ilimgharimu kiasi cha kuitwa kujieleza katika Kamati Kuu ya CCM, ambako kutokana na sababu za kiafya, alianguka na kukimbizwa hospitalini na baadaye kupoteza maisha.
Endelea kusoma habari hii.........

SAKATA LA KUHAMIA CCJ: Mtoto wa JK ajitosa kwa Mpendazoe

HATUA ya mbunge wa Kishapu Fred Mpendazoe kukihama Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) na kujiunga na Chama Cha Jamii (CCJ) imekipa kiwewe chama hicho tawala baada ya makada wake kutoa kauli zinazoashiria kumkebehi huku Ridhiwan Kikwete akiwatoa hofu wanachama wa chama chake.

Umoja wa Vijana wa CCM (UVCCM), Katibu wa CCM Mkoa wa Shinyanga, Mohammed Mbonde, aliyewahi kuwa Mwenyekiti wa Wenyeviti wa mikoa wa CCM, Pancras Ndejembi, mtoto wa Rais Kikwete, Ridhiwan na wapigakura wa Jimbo la Kishapu jana walitoa kauli zinazotofautiana kuhusu uamuzi huo wa kihistoria.

Mjumbe wa Baraza Kuu la UVCCM, Ridhiwan Kikwete alisema kujiondoa kwa Mpendazoe kumeonyesha kuwa wananchi walikuwa na mbunge wa aina yake na kuwasihi wamwache aende zake.

Ridhiwan ambaye alikuwa katika ziara ya siku mbili mkoani Shinyanga kuhudhuria sherehe za kusimikwa kwa makamanda wa UVCCM wa wilaya, ziara ambayo imefanyika siku moja baada ya mbunge huyo kutangaza kuihama CCM na kujiunga na CCJ.

Alisema kuondoka kwa mbunge huyo kutoka CCM na kukimbilia CCJ ni kielelezo cha aina ya viongozi ambao wamekuwa mzigo kwa chama ambao wamekuwa wakipendekezwa na kuteuliwa kuongoza.

"Mwacheni aende Mpendazoe, kuondoka kwake kusitufanye kukosa raha sisi CCM, wapo wengi waliondoka na chama bado kipo imara, muhimu kusonga mbele,” alieleza.

Alisema Mpendazoe alikuwa akifanya mambo mengi kinyume na kanuni za chama na kuwaomba wananchi kutulia na kuangalia viongozi wengine, lakini akisisitiza kuwa walio makini na siyo wale wa kuja.

Ridhiwan alisema kuondoka kwa Mpendazoe kunapaswa kuwa fundisho kwao kuchagua viongozi wenye sifa za uongozi na wenye uwezo wa kuongoza na kutamba kuwa chama kinao wanachama wengi, hivyo wanaoondoka kwa sababu zao wajue kuwa CCM itaendelea kubaki pale pale bila ya kutetereka.
Endelea kusoma habari hii..........

Ricky Martin: ‘I Am A Fortunate Homosexual Man’

Via accesshollywood.com

After years of keeping quiet about his personal life, pop star Ricky Martin has announced that he is gay.

“I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man,” Ricky said in a message posted on his offical Web site. “I am very blessed to be who I am.”

Ricky said writing his memoir and thinking about his two twin sons led him to go public.

“To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where [sic] born with. Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen 5 or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment,” he wrote.

Though the 38-year-old kept his sexuality private throughout most of his career, Ricky said he drew strength from that time.

“These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed,” he continued. “What will happen from now on? It doesn’t matter. I can only focus on what’s happening to me in this moment. The word “happiness” takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment. Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.”


Earlier this month, Barbara Walters told The Toronto Star that her 2000 interview with the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer, where she grilled him about coming out, was a misstep on her part.

“In 2000, I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was,” she told The Toronto Star. “A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now, I feel it was an inappropriate question.”

Ricky also Tweeted a link to his coming out announcement on his Web site, simply writing, “my life.”

In an earlier Tweet on Monday, the singer posted a quote attributed to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. M.L.K.Jr.,” he wrote

Ndesamburo-Hata mchange bilioni moja nitawashinda

via Mwananchi

MBUNGE wa Moshi Mjini, Philemon Ndesamburo (Chadema) amejibu mapigo akisema hata kama CCM itaendesha harambee na kupata Sh1 bilioni bado haitaweza kumng’oa kwenye jimbo hilo .

Kauli ya Ndesamburo inatokana na taarifa zilizowakariri viongozi wa CCM mkoani hapa wakisema kuwa Mei mwaka huu wataendesha harambee kubwa ili zipatikane Sh500 milioni kwa ajili ya kampeni za uchaguzi mkuu.

Sehemu kubwa ya fedha za harambee hiyo ambayo mwenyekiti wa CCM,Jakaya Kikwete anatarajiwa kuiendesha, zimepangwa kuelekezwa kwenye Jimbo la Moshi Mjini ambalo Ndesamburo amekuwa akilishikilia tangu mwaka 2000.

Lakini Ndesamburo aliwaeleza waandishi wa habari jana kuwa jitihada hizo hazitaweza kumng'oa hata kama watachangisha fedha zaidi ya hizo walizopanga.

“Nawaambia hao CCM hata wakikusanya Sh1 bilioni na viongozi wao wote wakahamia Moshi, bado hawataning’oa; nawaomba wananchi wajiandae kula fedha hizo kwa sababu ni jasho lao,” alisema Ndesamburo.

Ndesamburo alimuomba Rais Kikwete kutoingia katika mtego huo hasa ikizingatiwa ndio kwanza amesaini Sheria ya Udhibiti wa Fedha katika Uchaguzi ambayo pia inalenga kudhibiti ushawishi wa kutumia fedha kwa wananchi wakati wa uchaguzi.

Naye mbunge wa viti maalumu (Chadema), Lucy Owenya alionyesha kushangazwa na hatua ya CCM kutafuta Sh500 milioni za kampeni wakati hali ya huduma katika Hospitali ya Mkoa ya Mawenzi ni mbaya.
Endelea kusoma habari hii..........

Beyoncé and Jay-Z Not Expecting a Baby

Via people.com

Fans who can't wait to see Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z start a family will have to be patient.

Despite an online report that the singer is pregnant, Beyoncé's rep tells PEOPLE the story is "not true."

In the past, Knowles, 28, has spoken about her desire to start a family with her husband, 40. "I hope that those things will just happen naturally," she told Allure magazine for its February issue.

The pair, who were married in a secret ceremony, celebrate their second anniversary April 4.

Arenas avoids jail

Suspended Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas was ordered Friday to spend 30 days in a halfway house for his conviction on gun charges stemming from a locker-room confrontation with a teammate.

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin also sentenced Arenas to 400 hours of community service, which cannot be conducted at basketball clinics, and a $5,000 fine.

Arenas apologized in court for his actions, saying, "Every day, I wake up wishing it did not happen."

Arenas pleaded guilty to violating the city's gun laws in a Dec. 21 incident at Verizon Center. After an argument over an unpaid gambling debt, Arenas brought several guns to the team locker room and set them in front of Javaris Crittenton's locker with a sign telling him to "PICK 1."

"The evidence is that both of you felt disrespected," Morin told Arenas of the dispute over a few hundred dollars' debt from a poker game. "Rather than acting like mature adults, you escalated the incident" by bringing guns to practice.

In court papers, prosecutors said Crittenton had a legitimate reason to believe Arenas' threat was genuine.

Prosecutors wanted Arenas to go to jail for at least three months. They said he lied repeatedly about why the guns were in the locker room and even tried to cover up what had happened. They also said he knew bringing guns into D.C. was illegal and has a prior gun conviction.

U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh wrote in court papers that "if any other individual -- without the fame, power, and the wealth of this defendant -- brought four firearms into Washington, D.C., for the purpose of a similar confrontation," they would surely go to jail.
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Annan hajaridhishwa na hatua za viongozi wa Kenya

Via VOA News

Katibu mkuu wa zamani wa Umoja wa Mataifa bwana Kofi Annan, amesema anasikitika kwamba serikali ya Kenya pamoja na bunge la taifa zimeshindwa kuunda mahakama nchini humo kusikiliza kesi za walohusika na ghasia zilizotokea baada ya uchaguzi mwaka 2008.

Akiwahutubia waandishi wa habari muda mfupi baada ya kumaliza ziara yake ya siku 3 mjini Nairobi, bwana Kofi Annan amesema kufikia mwishoni mwa mwezi huu majaji wa mahakama ya kimataifa ya uhalifu-ICC huko The Haque, wanatarajiwa kutoa uamuzi wao ikiwa uchunguzi utaanzishwa rasmi dhidi ya washukiwa wa mauaji na ghasia hizo ambazo zilipelekea watu kukosa makazi.

Amesema kile anachoelewa ni kwamba majaji wanatoa uamuzi wao wiki ijayo na tutapata habari kamili juu ya nini kinachoendelea. Bwana Kofi Annan ambaye alitekeleza wajibu mkubwa kuwapatanisha viongozi wakuu nchini Kenya, Rais Mwai Kibaki na Waziri Mkuu Raila Odinga, punde tu baada ya uchaguzi huo uliokuwa na utata.

Muungano wa upinzani washinda kura Iraq

Via BBC

Muungano wa vyama vinavyomuunga mkono aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu wa Iraq Iyad Allawi vinaongoza kwa idadi ya viti katika uchaguzi wa ubunge.

Muungano huo umepata viti 91 dhidi ya 89 vya chama kinachoongozwa na Waziri Mkuu wa sasa Nouri Maliki.

Matokeo hayo yamewashangaza wengi na kumwacha Bwana Maliki akinung’unika akisema sharti kura zihesabiwe upya na kwamba ataendelea  na mipango yake ya kuunda serikali mpya.

Tayari mjumbe wa Umoja wa Mataifa nchini Iraq ameyataja matokeo hayo kuwa ya kuaminika na akawahimiza raia wa Iraq kuyakubali.

Itambidi Bwana Allawi kuunda serikali ya muungano huku kukiwa na wasiwasi kwamba huenda matokeo hayo yakazusha machafuko.

Muda mfupi kabla ya matokeo hayo kutangazwa, kulitokea milipuko miwili ya mabomu kwenye mji wa Khalis na kuwaua watu wapatao 40.

Happy days are here again

Via NBA.com

The 'D' is for development. Not demotion.

"It's right there in the name," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said of the NBA Development League. "I don't know why more teams don't use it to help players develop."

That's what the Grizzlies did when they shipped 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet out to the Dakota Wizards of the D-League for a brief stint. What they got back to their lineup was a rookie who played with more power, more energy and perhaps a better understanding of what it's going to take to one day succeed in the NBA.

The experience helped a lot," Thabeet said. "Just to be able to go out onto the court and run with the guys and get into the rhythm of a game situation. When they sent me to the D-League, I was on a mission."

The Grizzlies' mission was to finally jumpstart Thabeet's game and get more out of the player they had selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 Draft.

Through the first 49 games that he played this season, Thabeet had been underwhelming and sank to third on the Memphis depth chart at center. He was not aggressive enough around the basket and, of greater concern, had demonstrated a work ethic that was often lacking.

We worked with Thabeet all summer, all fall, then we go to training camp and we're forming our team and trying to win and rookies don't normally play well," Hollins said. "So on nights that he plays well, he gets more minutes and on nights that he doesn't, he doesn't. It comes to a point where they go into a shell and they don't do anything right and you need to sit them.

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WIZI KWENYE MABENKI: Watu kumi wanaswa kwa wizi wa kimafia

Via Mwananchi

WAKATI habari za wizi wa kimafia wa Sh300 bilioni zikiwa zimeistua serikali, watu kumi wamekamatwa kwa tuhuma za wizi mwingine wa aina hiyo uliohusisha Sh360 milioni za benki moja nchini.

Kukamatwa kwa watu hao kumetokea siku moja baada ya gazeti la Mwananchi kuripoti wizi huo mkubwa unaotumia teknolojia ya mawasiliano ya kompyuta ambao ulifanyika kwenye benki nne kubwa nchini, taarifa iliyofanya Mamlaka ya Mapato (TRA) kuanza uchunguzi.

Mbali na taarifa za kukamatwa kwa watu hao, vyombo vya habari pia vimeripoti kukamatwa kwa  mfanyabiashara mmoja aliyekuwa akifanya jaribio la kuiba kimafia Sh221 milioni kutoka benki ya NBC.

Taarifa kutoka vyanzo mbalimbali vya habari ambazo zilithibitishwa na msemaji wa Jeshi la Polisi, Kamishna Msaidizi Abdallah Msika zinasema watu hao walikamatwa kati ya Februari na Machi, katika msako wa jeshi hilo kwenye mikoa ya Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga na Zanzibar.

Kukamatwa kwa watu hao kumetokea wakati benki zimekuwa zikihaha kubadili na kuboresha mifumo yake ya kuchukua na kutoa fedha kwa njia ya elektroniki kwa lengo la kukabiliana na uhalifu uliokithiri unaofanywa na watu walio ndani na nje ya nchi.
Endelea kusoma habari hii.......

Janet Jackson: Tyler Perry Was There for Me After Michael's Death

via people.com

Janet Jackson says film director Tyler Perry was a major source of support when her brother Michael died unexpectedly last June – repeatedly checking on her and even halting work on the movie they were making together.

"He actually stopped production and was there for me," Jackson, 43, told PEOPLE on Monday at the New York premiere of Perry's new film, Why Did I Get Married Too? "[He was] constantly calling me, making sure I was OK, making sure that there wasn't anything that I needed or my family needed."

He is "such a sweetheart," she added, "so giving and so loving."

Perry, 40, asked Jackson if she wanted to take a few weeks off, but in the end she returned to the Bahamas set the day after Michael's funeral. "Once I spoke to her and found out that she was at a place of strength and going to be with her family, I felt safe enough to know that she was going to be OK," he told PEOPLE.
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Son leaves note at Ted Kennedy's grave

Rep. Patrick Kennedy told his father, the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, the news that his lifelong pursuit of health care reform had been accomplished. On a note left at his father's grave, the Kennedy wrote "Dad, the unfinished business is done."

Rais wa Namibia Hifikepunye Pohamba akimkabidhi Nishani ya juu ya Taifa la Namibia, Mama Maria Nyerere kwa niaba ya Marehemu Baba wa Taifa Mwalimu Nyerere kwa kutambua juhudi za Mwalimu katika ukombozi wa Bara la Afrika ikiwemo Namibia katika hafla maalumu iliyofanyika Windhoek juzi, Kushoto ni mtoto wa Mwalimu Makongoro(Picha na Fredy Maro)

Obama signs health care bill into law

President Barack Obama, greeted by applause from enthusiastic backers of his health care reform legislation, said, "Today after almost a century of trying, today after over a year of debate, today after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America."

Could MJ deal turnaround music industry?

Throughout the 1990s, as CDs flew off the shelves, record labels routinely signed big artists to multimillion-dollar recording contracts. Some of it was vanity: labels paid a premium to keep a big-name artist rather than risk a few wisecracks in the press for letting a star go to a rival.

And despite the precipitous drop in album sales in the last decade — about 50 percent fewer albums were sold in 2009 than in 2000 — major deals continued apace, often with bad endings. Mariah Carey’s five-record, $80 million deal with EMI in 2001 lasted one record before the label paid the singer $28 million to get out of the contract.

“If you went back 10 or 20 years ago, you could afford to do a deal that was a little outrageous,” said Russ H. Crupnick, a senior entertainment analyst at the NPD Group, a market research firm. A label’s midlevel acts could sell enough albums to cushion the financial blow. But as the number of platinum-selling albums has dwindled, from 179 in 2000 to 45 in 2009, the labels have little padding left.

“These days, it’s hard,” Mr. Crupnick said. “You can’t afford to be as generous as you might have just to have a name on the roster.”

Nevertheless, early last week Sony’s Columbia Epic Label Group, which worked with Michael Jackson for more than 30 years, announced a deal with the pop star’s estate worth up to $250 million, perhaps the largest in history.
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Sitta apuuza tuhuma dhidi yake, adai ni mchezo mchafu

BAADA ya kurushiwa tuhuma kadhaa, Spika wa Bunge la Muungano, Samuel Sitta amejitokeza na kudai kuwa amebaini kuna ni mchezo mchafu wa kutaka kumchafua katika kipindi hiki cha kuelekea uchaguzi mkuu.


Sitta, ambaye ameliongoza Bunge katika kipindi ambacho kashfa nyingi zimeibuliwa dhidi ya serikali na watendaji wake, amesema baada ya kubaini hilo sasa hatajibizana na kila mtu anayeibuka kumshambulia.

Spika Sitta ametoa kauli hiyo katika kipindi ambacho amekuwa akishambuliwa na watu mbalimbali huku sakata la utoaji wa zabuni ya uzalishaji umeme wa dharura kwa kampuni ya Richmond Development LLC likitafsiriwa kuwa linatokana na tofauti baina yake na waziri mkuu wa zamani, Edward Lowassa.

Huku uchaguzi mkuu ukikaribia, katika tuhuma za karibuni, Sitta amejikuta akituhumiwa kufanya matumizi mabaya ya ofisi yake, ikiwa ni pamoja na ununuzi wa samani za ofisi pamoja na kujipangishia nyumba kwa gharama kubwa.

Lakini Sitta alipuuza hoja hizo akisema kuwa zinatolewa kwa lengo la kumchafua, huku ofisi yake ikitoa ufafanuzi wa tuhuma zote katika majibu ya maswali iliyotumiwa na gazeti hili.

"Aaa nimebaini kuna ni mchezo mchafu tu dhidi yangu, mambo mengi yanayosemwa tayari yalikwishafafanuliwa na ofisi yangu," alisema Spika Sitta, ambaye ni mbunge wa jimbo la Urambo Mashariki.
Endelea kusoma habari hii........

Congress passes landmark health care reform bill

President Barack Obama won a historic victory in the struggle for health care reform Sunday as the House of Representatives passed a sweeping bill overhauling the American medical system.

The bill passed in a 219-212 vote after more than a year of bitter partisan debate. All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats.

The measure, which cleared the Senate in December, will now go to Obama's desk to be signed into law. It constitutes the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago.

A separate compromise package of changes expanding the reach of the measure also passed the House over unanimous GOP opposition, and is now set to be taken up by the Senate.

The overall $940 billion plan is projected to extend insurance coverage to roughly 32 million additional Americans. It represents a significant step toward the goal of universal coverage sought by every Democratic president since Harry Truman.

Most Americans will now be required to have health insurance or pay a fine. Larger employers will be required to provide coverage or risk financial penalties. Total individual out-of-pocket expenses will be capped and insurers will be barred from denying coverage based on gender or pre-existing conditions.

The compromise package would add to the bill's total cost partly by expanding insurance subsidies for middle- and lower-income families. The measure would scale back the bill's taxes on expensive insurance plans.


Numerous House members insisted they would not vote for the Senate bill without a clear promise that senators would approve the changes.

"This is what change looks like," Obama said shortly after the votes. The passage of health care reform is "not a victory for any one party. ... It's a victory for the American people and it's a victory for common sense."
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Bilioni 300 zaibiwa kimafia Dar

WATU wasiofahamika wameghushi nyaraka za malipo na kuiba zaidi ya Sh300 bilioni katika benki tatu kubwa nchini na kusababisha mtikisiko mkubwa katika sekta ya fedha, uchunguzi umeonyesha.

Kwa mujibu wa uchunguzi wa gazeti hili, fedha hizo ziliibwa mwishoni mwa mwaka jana na mwanzoni kabisa mwa mwaka huu, kwa njia ya mtandao wa kompyuta na kuhusisha wezi wa kimataifa ndani na nje ya nchi.

Tukio hilo ambalo ni kubwa kuwahi kutikisa sekta ya fedha nchini tangu uhuru mwaka 1961, limetokea katika kipindi cha takribani miaka miwili tangu serikali ianzishe kitengo maalumu cha Intelejensia cha kufuatilia Mzunguko wa Fedha chafu (FIU).

Licha ya kuwepo FIU, ambayo iliundwa pamoja na Sheria ya Kupambana na Fedha Chafu ya mwaka 2007, uchunguzi wa Mwananchi, umebaini kutokea wizi huo mkubwa katika benki hizo.

Uchunguzi huo umebaini kwamba, taarifa za awali zinaonyesha fedha hizo ambazo ni mara tatu ya zile za EPA zilizoibwa katika Benki Kuu Tanzania (BoT), zilihamishwa kwa njia ya kompyuta kwa kughushi malipo kwenda kwa wahusika wa mtandao huo katika nchi za Hong Kong, Uingereza na Marekani ambako Polisi wa Kimataifa wa nchini na wenzao wanahaha kuzichunguza.
Endelea kusoma habari hii......

Mkurugenzi wa Upelelezi wa Makosa ya Jinai (DCI) Robert Manumba, alipoulizwa ofisini kwake jijini Dar es Salaam mwishoni mwa wiki, alithibitisha kuwepo taarifa za uhalifu huo, lakini akaweka bayana, hakuna ushahidi wa kiwango maalumu kilichoibwa hadi sasa.

Chris Rock: I Do Not Have a Secret Love Child

Chris Rock was spotted on Monday leaving New York City’s Trump International Hotel with his 5-year-old daughter Zahra with wife Malaak Compton-Rock, a nanny and an unidentified little girl.

Her unknown identity prompted tabloid speculation that Rock, 45, who has another daughter, Lola, 7, also with his wife, had fathered the girl out of wedlock.

Tabloids also drew a connection between a 2007 paternity suit filed by a Georgia woman, Kali Bowyer, who claimed Rock was the father of her then-13-year-old son. DNA tests later proved that was not the case.

According to Rock's rep, "The child in the photograph with Chris Rock that appeared in the New York Post is the daughter of a family friend from South Africa whom [his wife] Malaak Compton-Rock met through her charity endeavors over the years. She visits often and when here is a joy to the Rock family."

Rock and his wife met in 1994 and married in 1996.
Source: People

Jordan calls owning Bobcats 'dream come true'

A relaxed Michael Jordan broke into a wide smile as he sat at his desk Thursday night amid his whirlwind week of realizing a longtime goal of becoming an NBA owner.

Soon, though, that steely resolve that defined his superstar playing career peeked through as he fielded a question about his commitment to turn the Charlotte Bobcats from a money-losing, non-playoff team into a winner in both areas.

"It's motivating," the six-time NBA champion said of the naysayers who joke he'll be more worried about tee times than season ticket renewals. "I've never been asked to be out at the forefront of an organization. I never had the financial commitment to do that. Now I have. Now I'm involved. How can I not, when I'm owning 80 percent of the basketball team, not put my face on the organization?"

Jordan's $275 million purchase of the club from Bob Johnson was approved by the rest of the league's owners on Wednesday. The North Carolina native spent his first full day on the job insisting he's ready to "dive in with my sleeves rolled up" to turn around the six-year-old franchise, while downplaying the significance of becoming the first former player to own an NBA team.
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