If you are just catching up on Clinton nuptial news, here is the scoop...

... information gathered from online sources:

• at around 5 p.m., guests began boarding the buses at the Delamater Inn for the wedding.
• the nuptials were set to begin around 6:30 p.m.
• wedding took place at Astor Courts, a secluded estate along the Hudson River built more than a century ago.
• said to be an interfaith ceremony conducted by Rabbi James Ponet and Reverend William Shillady.
• Chelsea was wearing Vera Wang, and Hillary was in Oscar de la Renta.
• Christopher Bailey designed groom Marc’s tuxedo and ties for the groomsmen and bride's father, Bill Clinton.
• they were whisked down River Road to the ceremony; the caravan included three black cars and a van that one state trooper said held Hillary Rodham Clinton. More than 400 guests were expected
• officials restricted airspace over the estate, and the area remained a no-fly zone until 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Roads were also blocked off. Inconvenienced neighbors were soothed with a complimentary bottle of wine.

Costs? - Details of the wedding were kept fanatically close to the vest, with shopkeepers, innkeepers, vendors and restaurateurs sworn to secrecy.

Chelsea Victoria Clinton, 30 year old, is the daughter and only child of the 42nd U.S. President Bill Clinton and current U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. She completed her master's degree in public health earlier this year at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

Marc Mezvinsky, 31 year old, a son of former U.S. Reps. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky of Pennsylvania and Ed Mezvinsky of Iowa, is a former Goldman Sachs investment banker, who now works at G3 Capital, a Manhattan hedge fund in New York.

Chelsea and Mezvinsky were friends as teenagers in Washington and both attended Stanford University.

PS: Looks like that Kenyan guy's dreams of marrying 'malaika' Chelsea will have to fade away... (see video)

...huota, likamea na kuchanua, aidha likachumwa ama likafika mwishowe na kunyauka kisha hutoweka.

Hii ni picha iliyonigusa moyo wangu, ijapokuwa sifahamiani na yeyote katika picha hii, nafsi yangu imepatwa na huzuni kubwa. Nimetamani nijizuie lakini hisia nzito zilizojaa simanzi zimeshinda ujasiri wa nafsi. Ninajua Mungu ataweka njia kwa ajili ya malaika huyu aliyeachwa mikononi mwa mzazi mmoja. Yeye aliyeruhusu Mama kutangulia wakati huu alipohitajika zaidi kwa mwenza wake na mtoto wake, atafanya njia. Mipango yake si mipango yetu, mawazo yake si yetu, tukimtumaini na kumtegemea, atatuonesha njia. Yeye aliyeruhusu yote kutokea kwa kuwa Yeye ni Yeye, tukikubali ama kupinga, bado anabakia kuwa Yeye.

Ni kwa picha hii naguswa kuwaombea faraja wale wote waliopoteza ndugu, jamaa na marafiki kifoni.

Mwenyezi, Yeye aliye mwingi wa rehema na neema, akupeni nguvu ya kutosha katika kipindi hiki kigumu.

Wimbo aliouimba Reuben Kigame na rafikize, 'Nitayainua Macho Yangu', uwe faraja kwenu nyote muaminio.

Wakazi wa Zanzibar wamejitokeza kupiga kura ya maoni juu ya mustakabali wa Zanzibar kuhusu hoja ya kuundwa kwa Serikali ya Umojwa wa Kitaifa kwa wagombea watagawana madaraka baada ya uchaguzi.

Vyama vikuu vya kisiasa nchini Zanzibar, yaani chama kinachotawala sasa, CCM na chama kikuu cha upinzani CUF, vinaunga mkono hoja hiyo kwa kuwa inalenga kumaliza ghasia zinazotokana na hisia za kuonewa, wizi wa kura na kutokukubalianana matokeo zinazojitokeza mara kwa mara baada ya chaguzi kuu kufanyika.

Watu walijitokeza na kupiga kura zao bila bughudha na hakuna visa vya uvunjifu wa amani vilivyoripotiwa tofauti na ilivyotarajiwa kuwa wale wanaopinga hoja hiyo wangezua vurugu.

Ikiwa wengi watapiga kura ya NDIYO, basi Zanzibar itaingia katika mfumo mpya wa Serikali ambao utakuwa na Rais na makamu Wawili wa Raisi. Makamu wa kwanza atatoka katika chama kitakachonyakua nafasi ya pili katika uchaguzi il hali yule wa pili atatoka katika chama kilichopata ushindi wa kumtoa Raisi wa nchi. Baraza la Wawakilishi nalo litabadilika katika mfumo huu mpya kwa kuwa na uwiano wa madaraka.

Baraza la wawakilishi la sasa litahusika katika kufanya marekebisho ikiwa kura ya NDIYO itashinda.

Tume ya uchaguzi ambayo ndiyo yenye kuratibu kura hiyo inatarajiwa kutoa matokeo hayo ndani ya siku moja baada ya zoezi la kupiga kura kukamilika. Unaweza kuperuzi tovuti ya tume hiyo kupitia: http://referendum.zec.go.tz

Mgombea kiti cha uraisi wa Tanzania kwa tiketi ya CHADEMA, Dk. Wilbroad Slaa, ameumia mkono wa kushoto baada ya kuanguka bafuni jana. Alipatiwa matibabu katika hospitali ya Bugando na hali yake inaendelea vizuri. Jioni ya leo anatarajiwa kuhutubia wakazi wa mkoa wa Shinyanga na vitongoji vyake.

Imetokea ajali mbaya mkoani Shinyanga iliyohusisha  basi la kubeba abiria la  Super Najimunisa lililokuwa likitoka Shinyanga kuelekea Dar Es Salaam pale lilipogongana uso kwa uso na lori aina ya Mitsubishi FUSO na kusababisha vifo vya watu kumi na sita na kuwaacha wengine arobaini na wanane wakiwa wamejeruhiwa.

Magari hayo yaligongana atika eneo la Masumbwe wilayani Kahama, Shinyanga majira ya saa sita u nusu za mchana.

Mkuu wa mkoa wa Shinyanga, Dk. Yohana Balele alikiri kufahamu kutokea kwa ajali hiyo na kwamba majeruhi walipelekwa katika hospitali za wilaya za Kahama na Bukombe kwa matibabu zaidi.

Abiria  mmoja aliyesafiri na basi hilo na ambaye ni mfanyakazi wa Kikosi cha Zimamoto na Uokoaji, Benjamini Jovin alizungumza na gazeti Mwananchi na kufahamisha kuwa, "Abiria wengi wamekufa, mimi nimeng'oka jino na kuumia mguu," alisema abiria huyo aliyelazwa kwa matibabu katika hospitali hiyo ya Kahama.

Baadhi ya watu waliokuwa kwenye basi hilo walisema kuwa magari yote yalikuwa kwenye mwendo mkali na na ndiyo sababu ya magari hayo kuharibika vibaya baada ya kugongana.

Hii ni ajali nyingine inatokea ndani ya mwezi mmoja kufuatia ajali nyingine zilizosababisha vifo vya makumi ya watu na majeruhi wengi zaidi.

Wakala wa barabara nchini (TANROADS) jana ametia saini katika mikataba nane ya ujenzi wa barabara kwa lengo la kuunganisha pwani ya bahari ya Hindi na pwani ya ziwa Tanganyika.

Mikataba hiyo ilisainiwa na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa TANROADS, Ephraem Mrema na wawakilishi wa makampuni matano ya wakandarasi toka China. Kampuni ya China ya Henan International Cooperation (CHICO) ilisaini mikataba mitatu kati ya minane.

Akizungumza baada ya kusaini mikataba hiyo, Mrema alisema barabara hizo zitajengwa kwa kiwango cha lami kwa fedha zinazotokana na mapato ya ndani na jumla ya shilingi bilioni 593.58 zitatumika kukamilisha miradi hiyo ya barabara yenye umbali wa kilomita 525.

“Ujenzi huu utaanza muda wowote kuanzia sasa na kubakiza kilomita 211 tu ambazo hazina lami za barabara kutoka Dar es salaam kupitia Tabora kati ya kilomita 1,253” alisema.

Mrema alizitaja barabara hizo kuwa ni Tabora hadi Urambo yenye urefu wa kilomita 42, Nyaguge hadi Musoma yenye urefu wa kilomita 85.50 na Kyaka hadi Bugene yenye urefu wa kilomita 59.10 ambazo  zitajengwa na mkandarasi China Henan. 

Barabara ya Manyoni, Itigi hadi Chaya yenye urefu wa kilomita 89.30 na Nzega hadi Tabora yenye urefu wa kilomita 56.10 zitajengwa na kampuni ya Sinohydro Corporation Ltd pia kutoka china.

Barabara ya Tabora hadi Nyahua yenye kilomita 85 itajengwa na mkandarasi  Chongqing Foreign Trade Economic Cooperation wakati ile ya Nzega hadi Tabora yenye urefu wa kilomita 56.10 itajengwa na China Communications Construction na ile ya Ndono hadi Urambo yenye urefu wa kilomita 51.98 itajengwa na mkandarasi China Civil.

credit: Muhidini Sufiani na Mwananchi

Mukesh Ambani, the 4th richest man in the world (according to Forbes.com, March 2010) has joined the race to buy the assets of the British Petroleum (BP) Company in Tanzania and three other African countries.

International industry sources said yesterday that Mr Ambani’s two firms, Reliance and Essar, had offered between $400 million (about Sh560 billion) and $500 million (Sh700 billion) for each of the BP Africa’s assets in Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia.

Should the bid succeed, it will consolidate the influence of the world’s fourth richest man in the local fuel market since Mr Ambani already does business in the country through Gulf Africa Petroleum Corp (Gapco). The acquisitions are bound to have far-reaching regional ramifications since Gapco also does business in Kenya and Uganda.

About 6 firms, including Libya’s National Oil Corporation, have also expressed interest in buying the BP assets in the five countries. Kenya’s Kenol Kobil had also said it was keen to acquire the assets after BP announced early this year that it was quitting some of its African operations to concentrate only on a handful of markets.

The Tanzanian Government, which holds a 50 per cent stake in BP Tanzania, had also declared that it wished to acquire the oil giant’s business in the country. There have also been reports that Tanzania was considering teaming up with Zambia and Malawi in a joint acquisition, since the business would be a strategic investment to ensure reliable stocks of fuel in the three countries.

Yesterday, Energy and Minerals minister William Ngeleja said though the government had expressed interest in acquiring the business, BP Africa had not responded. He said that as a key shareholder, the government would have to be consulted before the BP assets in Tanzania are sold.

“We are still waiting for their offer. Despite having said they want to sell their shares, they have not yet communicated with us officially,” Mr Ngeleja told The Citizen by phone from his Sengerema constituency, in Mwanza Region.

Last March, Mr Ngeleja announced that buying the BP Africa stake in BP Tanzania would be one of the government’s business ventures. He also said that even if BP found another strategic investor, the transaction would not go on without the government’s approval. “No new investor will come aboard without our approval. This is according to the partnership deal that we have sealed,” he said.

Although the BP Africa asset sale was announced before the company’s oil leak disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that has cost it billions of dollars, there were no reports of the proceeds being used to help pay damages arising from the debacle in the United States.

The assets BP is selling include retail outlets, terminals and aviation fuel stations. According to industry sources, Reliance may be looking at supplying gas oil, gasoline and jet fuel to the East African markets from its twin refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat. Currently, the company is the supplier of oil to Gapco, which also owns retail outlets in Uganda and Kenya.

Sectoral experts say the acquisition of the BP assets would give a company a ready market for auto and aviation fuel with a scope for further expansion into neighbouring high growth countries. Besides selling fuel, lubricants and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), BP is the largest aviation fuel supplier in Tanzania, with about 70 per cent market share. BP Tanzania has for a long time held a 35 per cent market share in both the retail and service stations.

Tangu kufurushwa bila pointi na kichapo cha bao saba kwa bila katika mechi moya ya mashindanyo ya kinyang'anyiro cha kombe la dunia la mpira wa miguu, timu ya Korea Kaskazini imekuwa katika hatihati mbele ya kadamnasi tokea siku ya kwanza waliporejesha miguu yao nyumbani.

Kwa kawaida nchi ya Korea Kaskazini ina sheria kali katika kila nyanja ikiwemo ya sekta ya michezo. Wakati wa michuano hii, nchi hiyo haikuonesha michezo hiyo katika runinga moja kwa moja lakini baada ya mechi yao na Brazili ambapo matokeo yalikuwa Brazil 2:1 Korea Kaskazini, kiongozi wa nchi hiyo aliruhusu mechi inayofuata kuoneshwa moja kwa moja katika luninga. Mechi hiyo ilikuwa ni ile iliyochezwa kati ya Korea Kaskazini na Ureno ambapo matokeo yalikuwa 7:0 ushindi ukienda Ureno, na mechi ya mwisho ilikuwa kati yao na Ivory Coast ambapo walichabangwa bao 3:0 hivyo kusababisha waondoke katika mashindano hayo na kapu la mayai 12.

Sasa taarifa toka kituo kimoja cha redio huko barani Asia, 'Radio Free Asia' zinasema kwamba kufuatia matokeo hayo mabovu, timu nzima ya wachezaji pamoja na mejeja wao walihudhurishwa mbele ya umati wa viongozi wa Serikali wapatao 400, wanafunzi pamoja na waandishi katika ukumbi wa People's Palace of Culture na kuanza kupokea shutuma mfululizo kwa saa sita, toka Waziri wao wa Michezo Pak Myong-chol.

Wachezaji wawili wa timu hiyo Jong Tae-se na An Yong-hak, ambao wana asili ya Japan walikwepa aibu hiyo baada ya kuamua 'kutimkia' kwao ili kukwepa 'dhahama' ambayo walihisi ingewashukia.

Meneja wa timu hiyo, Kim Jong-hun amepewa adhabu ya kulazimishwa kufanya kazi ya ujenzi kwa kuwa kitendo cha timu kushindwa ilionekana ni usaliti wa moja kwa moja kkwa Kim Jong-un ambaye ni mtoto wa Raisi wa nchi hiyo, Kim Jong-il aliyekuwa akisimamia. Meneja huyo pia aliondolewa uanachama wake wa chama cha Wafanyakazi Wa Korea.

Inasemekana kuwa katika miaka iliyopita, iliposhindwa kufanya vyema katika mashindano hayo makubwa, timu nzima pamoja na kocha walikuwa wakiswekwa jela moja kwa moja bila utetezi wala kusomewa shitaka.