News on the CNN website reads, "Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the national soccer team from international competition for two years after their dismal performance at the World Cup."

"President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that Nigeria withdraws from international competition for two years to enable the country to put its house in order," spokesman Ima Niboro told reporters.

Nigeria's Sports Minister Ibrahim Isa Bio confirmed the decision in an interview with CNN. He said: "The government has taken a decision we believe is in the interests of Nigeria that we should for now, withdraw from international competition because our football since 1996 seems not to be growing.

"The government spends a lot of money to encourage football in Nigeria and we need to go back to the drawing board the way Ghana did two years ago.

"The president Goodluck Jonathan has endorsed this decision and the Nigerian people are excited about it.

"They are not happy with the performance [in the World Cup] and the Nigerian people believe the right thing to do is start all over again. We have informed FIFA of our intentions."

Earlier, Mr Isa Bio's spokesman, Olukayode Thomas, told CNN: "Nigeria is a sovereign state and has the right to take a decision aimed at improving the nation. It's a decision that was taken by all Nigerians. We can't stand back and watch our football decline because of FIFA rules."

Continue reading at the CNN.com

Utaratibu wa watumishi wa vituo vya afya vya umma kufanya kazi katika Vituo binafsi

Mheshimiwa Spika, Wizara itaimarisha huduma binafsi katika hospitali za umma hasa Hospitali za Kanda kama zinavyotolewa katika Hospitali ya Taifa Muhimbili na Taasisi 32 ya Mifupa Muhimbili. Wizara itahakikisha kwamba madaktari na wafanyakazi wengine katika vituo vya kutolea huduma za ya vya umma hawataruhusiwa kufanya kazi katika vituo vya kutolea huduma za afya za binafsi bila utaratibu. Pale ambapo mtaalamu atahitajika kwenda kutoa huduma ili kuokoa maisha ya mgonjwa kutoka pande zote mbili za umma na binafsi, itafanyika hivyo kwa makubaliano maalumu kati ya taasisi husika. Hata hivyo, wataalamu hawa watapewa fursa ya kuamua kubakia serikalini au kwenda kufanya kazi katika vituo binafsi vya kutolea huduma za afya. Utaratibu huu pia utawahusu wafanyakazi katika vituo vya afya na vyuo vya ustawi wa jamii.

UTAWALA NA UTUMISHI
Mheshimiwa Spika, kwa mwaka 2010/11, Wizara itaendelea kutoa ajira kwa watumishi wa Kada mbalimbali. Wizara itaajiri wataalam 160 na kuwapandisha vyeo watumishi 576. Aidha, Wizara itawapangia wataalamu wapatao 7,000 wa kada za afya katika mamlaka mbalimbali za ajira. Vilevile, Wizara itaendelea kuboresha mfumo wake wa kuhifadhia kumbukumbu. Pia, Wizara itatoa mafunzo ya maadili kwa watumishi wake wanaotoa huduma katika hospitali na pia itaandaa mkakati wa kupambana na rushwa.

UNUNUZI NA UGAVI
Mheshimiwa Spika, katika mwaka 2010/11, Wizara itanunua pikipiki 400 kwa ajili ya kubebea wagonjwa ili kutekeleza Mpango wa Afya ya Mama na Mtoto. Aidha, Wizara kwa kushirikiana na Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu, Tawala za Mikoa na Serikali za Mitaa itanunua mtambo wa kujenga Zahanati kwa gharama nafuu (Ultimate Building Machine – UBM).

Mheshimiwa Spika, katika mwaka 2009/10, katika mkakati wa kupunguza vifo vinavyotokana na uzazi, Wizara ilikamilisha taratibu za ununuzi wa pikipiki maalum 400 kwa ajili ya wajawazito wanapopata rufaa. Aidha, Wizara kwa kushirikiana na wadau ilinunua radio call 40 na magari 12 ya kubebea wagonjwa na kusambaza katika Halmashauri za Karagwe, Kasulu, Kibondo, Kigoma, Nachingwea, Kisarawe, Liwale, Ngara, Rufiji, Chunya, Ileje na Sumbawanga.

Jipakulie nakala kwa ajili ya kusoma hotuba ya Waziri kwa kubofya maandishi yanayosema 'Download'

Serikali imeongeza muda wa usajili wa simu za viganjani ili kuwezesha Wananchi wengi waweze kujisajili baada ya kusikiliza kilio chao cha kutaka muda zaidi wa kujisajili. Hayo yamesemwa Bungeni na Waziri wa Mawasiliano, Sayansi na Teknolojia, Profesa Peter Msollla wakati akiwasilisha hotuba ya makadrio ya mapato na matumizi ya fedha ya Wizara hiyo. (sikiliza taarifa ya habari hapo chini kumsikia Waziri akitoa tamko hilo).

"Serikali ya Chama Cha Mapinduzi ni sikivu imesikia kilio cha wananchi wengi. Imeongeza muda wa usajili wa simu za viganjani hadi Julai 15, mwaka huu baada ya hapo simu zote ambazo hazijasajiliwa zitafungwa,” alisema Profesa Msolla.

Baada ya muda uliotengwa awali kuonesha kuwa watu wengi hawakuwa wamesajili laini zao, mamlaka ya Mawasiliano nchini Tanzania, TCRA, iliongeza muda wa miezi sita, yaani Januari - Juni 30, 2010 kwa wananchi wote wenye simu kuwa wamesajili laini zao za simu kwa makampuni husika.

credit: Margareth Kinabo na Benjamin Sawe/Maelezo-Dodoma via: GPL

The head of football's world governing body, FIFA, Sepp Blatter has apologised for the refereeing mistakes in the ongoing World Cup 2010 tournament in South Africa and hinted that the sport's rule makers will discuss video replays when they meet next month - "It would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology."

There are some of the quoted words when briefing the media Tuesday June 29, 2010, in Johannesburg:
- "Concerning the International Football Association Board, naturally they will take on again the discussion on technology."
- "They will have a first opportunity when the business meeting of the Board of July is meeting in Wales."
- "We will start with a new concept, how to improve match control in high-level competition."
- "We are going forward and we will come out at the end of October, beginning of November, with this new approach because something has to be changed."
- "After having witnessed such a situation..." "...we have to open again this file, definitely."

He said the current system could not be changed during this World Cup.

Blatter witnessed mistakes on Sunday between England and Germany and between Argentina and Mexico.

In the first match, England's goal from Frank Lampard would have tied the score at 2-all before half-time, but officials did not see his shot bounce across the goal line and rebound out after hitting under the crossbar. The score remained 2-1 and Germany went on to win 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.

In the second match, officials missed a clear offside against Argentina's Carlos Tevez whose header gave his team an early 1-0 lead over Mexico. The Argentines won 3-1 and also advanced.

Football fans and analysts for years have called for the introduction of video replays to allow referees to review controversial calls. Others have called for adding more officials to the one referee and two linesmen currently in use. But Blatter and many in the football governing hierarchy have opposed such changes, saying they halt the free-flowing movement of the game and do not eliminate all mistakes.

In 2008, Blatter said soccer should be left with errors and that officiating should be left to "a man, not a machine", but in 2010, he has said "It would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology."

Pakua nakala yako kwa kubofya kifute cha "Download".

Chama cha waandishi wa Habari za Sanaa na Utamaduni Tanzania (CAJAtz) kimeshtushwa na kusikitishwa na uamuzi wa Bodi ya Biashara ya Nje (BET) wa kupiga marufuku maonyesho ya Muziki na Ngoma za Utamaduni katika Maonyesho ya Biashara ya Kimataifa yanayoendelea jijini Dar es Salaam.

Kupitia waraka wake uliotolewa na Utawala, BET imepiga marufuku maonyesho yote ya sanaa za Kitanzania ikiwemo ngoma, muziki na maigizo kwa madai kwamba ni kelele. Wa huohuo muziki unaosikika kwenye spika kubwa (katika viwanja hivyo) ni ule wa wasanii kutoka nje ya nchi.

CAJAtz inatambua thamani ya sanaa na Utamaduni wa Taifa hili na inaamini kwamba sehemu kama hizo ndiyo muafaka hasa katika kutangaza shughuli za sanaa na Utamaduni wetu.

Tunaamini pia kwamba katika maonesho hayo ya biashara makampuni na asasi mbalimbali huwatumia wasanii katika kufikisha ujumbe wao kwa watu mbalimbali hasa kwa kuamini katika nguvu ya sanaa. Tunashangaa leo hii kuona BET inawakataza wasanii kutumia fani zao kutoa ujumbe kwa watu licha ya kuwa makampuni na asasi hizo zimetumia pesa kuwakodi wasanii hao.

CAJAtz inaamini kwamba sanaa ni biashara hivyo kwanza ilipaswa kuachwa ili ijitangaze kupitia maonesho hayo. Pia BET inapaswa kufahamu kwamba kwa miaka yote ambayo wameilezeza kuwa na mafanikio makubwa katika maonesho hayo, sanaa hizo na ngoma vilikuwa vinatumika sana katika kusherehesha, kutoa ujumbe na kuelimisha wananchi juu ya mambo mbalimbali ya washiriki.

Kwa kitendo cha kupiga marufuku maonesho ya sanaa, BET imekosa Uzalendo wa utamaduni wetu na pia imebana ajira ya wasanii wengi walikuwa wameajiriwa na makampuni kwa ajili ya kufanya shughuli za maonesho kwenye mabanda yao.

Kwa msingi huo, sisi wadau wa masuala ya sanaa na Utamaduni hapa nchini, CAJAtz, tunalaani vikali zuio hilo ambalo halina tija na limeegemea zaidi ulimbukeni na kasumba ya watu wa kuthamini sanaa za nje na kuwatukuza wageni wachache kwa visingizio visivyo na maana.

Iweje sanaa za Kitanzania iwe kelele na hizo za magharibi iwe burudani?

Tunaiomba Serikali kupitia Wizara ya Habari, Utamaduni na Michezo kulishughulikia suala hili haraka iwezekanavyo. Pia tunomba BET kutafakari upya zuio hilo.

Hassan Bumbuli
Katibu Mkuu CAJAtz

The Minister of State in the President's Office for Public Service Management, Ms Hawa Ghasia, has confirmed that the chief executive officer of the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), Ephraim Mrema, was unlawfully appointed to the post.

"Since laws and procedures were breached ... it is clear that Mr. Ephraim C. Mrema was appointed through a dubious process and not based on merits," said Ghasia in a letter to the Minister for Infrastructure Development, Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa.

In the document dated October 22, 2008, just a year into Mrema's hugely controversial appointment, Ghasia advised the Ministry of Infrastructure Development to ask the Chief Secretary at State House, Philemon Luhanjo, to appoint a probe committee to investigate the matter.

"If the committee establishes that his (Mrema's) professional conduct is questionable or his appointment affects the agency's (TANROADS') efficiency, the President should be advised to annul his appointment," said Ghasia.

Former deputy finance minister, Kilontsi Mporogomyi, declared in Parliament that Mrema was not competent for the job and his appointment had been dubious. This came after the recruitment exercise was abruptly hijacked from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), which was initially commissioned by the government to conduct the search for the CEO in a transparent and competitive manner.

1. Mrema did not meet any of the four selection criteria as advertised in local newspapers in 2006, including the requirement for a post-graduate degree in civil engineering, transport economics, or highway engineering, as well as senior management credentials. The committee also firmly established that the incumbent CEO lacked the minimum 20 years experience in road sector operations and 10 years of successful performance at top management levels required for the job.
2. Mrema was appointed by a "search committee" in a highly secretive manner.
3. Mrema was appointed chief of the government's roads agency by the former Minister of Infrastructure Development, Andrew Chenge, on June 4, 2007. According to his appointment letter, he was to serve as CEO of TANROADS for a period of three years. This means that his tenure was scheduled to officially end on June 3, 2010.
4. Mrema signed up for a five-year renewable contract for the same position.

Read more at ThisDay.co.tz

After 25 years as a host of "Larry King Live," the centerpiece of CNN's prime-time lineup, the 76-year-old Lary King has announced on Tuesday that he will be leaving the program this fall.

This is a  statement from Lary King:

" Before I start the show tonight, I want to share some personal news with you. 25 years ago, I sat across this table from New York Governor Mario Cuomo for the first broadcast of Larry King Live. Now, decades later, I talked to the guys here at CNN and I told them I would like to end Larry King Live, the nightly show, this fall and CNN has graciously accepted, giving me more time for my wife and I to get to the kids’ little league games.

I’ll still be a part of the CNN family, hosting several Larry King specials on major national and international subjects.

I’m incredibly proud that we recently made the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest running show with the same host in the same time slot. With this chapter closing I’m looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring, but for now it’s time to hang up my nightly suspenders. "

King will not be retiring completely: He signed a new contract to host specials on the cable news channel.
You can follow Larry King on @kingsthings on Twitter or become a fan on his Larry King Facebook page