2020 NEWS – KMAUPDATES

May242020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments

AFRICA: Ugandans develop a digital app for Covid-19 contact tracing.

As Covid-19 pandemic wreaks havoc worldwide, many scientists are looking for possible solutions to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the infection. Defining Technologies, a Ugandan firm, has developed a contact tracing app which alerts users and the Ministry of Health in case someone has been in contact with a Covid-19 positive person. “The public users can see if they have been exposed, privately log your location and completely control your data whereas the champions of this fight (public health officials) are offered with reliable contact tracing, map infections with accuracy and anonymously verify cases,” Mr Toskin Gregory, a cyber security analyst at Define Technologies, said on Thursday. Mr Gregory explained that the app uses smartphone technologies such as Global Po...

May242020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments

EUROPE: The UK Prime Minister makes a second Lock down trip, he faces fresh allegations.

COVID-19

He and the government had said he acted "reasonably and legally" by driving from London to County Durham while his wife had coronavirus symptoms. Reports say he was seen a second time in the North East, after recovering from his own Covid-19 symptoms and returning to work in London. No 10 said the story is "inaccurate". Ministers said Mr Cummings and his wife had chosen to self-isolate at a property adjacent to other family members in case they needed help with childcare. Speaking to reporters outside his home in London on Saturday, he said he would not be resigning and had done the "right thing" by travelling 260 miles with his wife and young son to be near relatives when she developed Covid-19 symptoms at the end of March. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps justified the a...

Mar92020 by ShafiqNo Comments

WORLD: Merck Foundation marks International Women’s Day through their Merck More Than a Mother campaign.

WORLD

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 7, 2020/ -- Merck Foundation’s ‘Merck More Than A Mother’ aims to empower childless women through access to information, health and change of mindset; Educating Linda aims to empower girls through education. Merck Foundation (http://www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck Germany marks the International Women’s Day themed #EachforEqual through their Merck More Than a Mother campaign. To mark IWD this year, Merck Foundation has also launched “Educating Linda” program to empower girls through education. Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President, Merck More Than a Mother explained, “We at Merck Foundation celebrate Women’s Day every single day! Merck Foundation has been empowering women and girls through...

Feb242020 by ShafiqNo Comments

HEALTH: A Healthy diet to healthier sperm count, greater fertility

HEALTH

A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open in February 2020 reports that Danish men who followed a healthy diet had the highest total sperm counts, and a better hormonal profile concerning hormonal regulators of fertility, compared to those on a Western or other less healthy types of diet. Male fertility trends and contributing factors Over the last few decades, fertility in men has gone down significantly. Recent studies show a 50% to 60% reduction in total sperm count over the years 1973 to 2011 in the developed nations of the world. This is merely the continuation of a trend that began to be seen in the 1940s. Other studies suggest that testosterone levels are also falling over time. The reasons for these changes are not clear but may have to do with endo...

Feb242020 by ShafiqNo Comments

HEALTH: What you need to know about the Coronavirus.

HEALTH, WORLD

Concerns are mounting about how long the novel coronavirus may survive on surfaces -- so much so that China's central bank has taken measures to deep clean and destroy its cash, which changes hands multiple times a day, in an effort to contain the virus.It is unknown exactly how long the novel coronavirus can linger on contaminated surfaces and objects with the potential of infecting people, but some researchers are finding clues by studying the elusive behaviors of other coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses common among animals. In rare cases, they are what scientists call zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Officials do not know what animal may have caused the ...

Feb212020 by ShafiqNo Comments

SPORTS: Uganda Cranes goalkeeper invites keepers to contest for his gloves

Sports, UGANDA

Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Dennis Onyango is not arrogant, just confident. He is not aggressive, just forthright - unless, of course, you are striker charging at him. The Mamelodi Sundowns no.1 believes so much in his abilities it’s inspiring. The other man that admirably believes in Onyango’s abilities is his coach Pitso Mosimane.Mosimane maintains Onyango – a one-time Africa Player of the Year (based on the continent) - is still the confederation’s undisputed between the sticks. Actually, Onyango is so good – he has been for quite some time now – he is running other goalkeepers scared in South Africa. Mosimane was asked by the media over a week ago about his aging players and the club’s succession plans. The Sundowns coach went about mentioning different areas on the pitch ...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

HEALTH: Working with communities to end Ebola.

AFRICA, HEALTH

Gaining community trust and acceptance has proven a critical armour in combatting the world’s second worst Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 20, 2020/ -- “In some places they threw stones at us, but in others community leaders became engaged and fought alongside us for the survival of their people,” says Dr Freddy Banza, an epidemiologist and public health specialist with World Health Organization (WHO).Gaining community trust and acceptance has proven a critical armour in combatting the world’s second worst Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Dr Banza who coordinated Ebola response operations in Mambasa, a small town in the northeast of the DRC is keenly aware that without c...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

BREAKING: Computer scientist Larry Tesler inventor of ‘cut, copy and paste’ dies at 74.

TECHNOLOGY, WORLD

Mr Tesler started working in Silicon Valley in the early 1960s, at a time when computers were inaccessible to the vast majority of people. It was thanks to his innovations - which included the "cut", "copy" and "paste" commands - that the personal computer became simple to learn and use. Xerox, where Mr Tesler spent part of his career, paid tribute to him. "The inventor of cut/copy & paste, find & replace, and more, was former Xerox researcher Larry Tesler," the company tweeted. "Your workday is easier thanks to his revolutionary ideas." Mr Tesler was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1945, and studied at Stanford University in California. After graduating, he specialised in user interface design - that is, making computer systems more user-friendly. He wor...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: All illegal schools countrywide to be closed – Government.

AFRICA, EDUCATION, UGANDA

Ministry of education has said that they will start to close schools that have are operating without licences across the country. Mr Edward Ssebuchu, the commissioner of private schools at the Ministry of Education said they have received numerous intelligence about mushrooming private schools without licenses and they will close them starting this week. “There is always a tendency of some people opening up and starting schools at the start of the year to target the new entrants from primary seven and those going to senior five. We have already received information and we shall go around the country arresting and closing them starting this week,” Mr Ssebuchu said during a thanks giving ceremony of Maryland High School Entebbe.A school survey done by Ministry of Education in...

Feb192020 by ShafiqNo Comments

BUSINESS: Global Modernisation of Land Administration: Making Your Land Information System (LIS) a Success.

Business, WORLD

In 2015 the World Bank selected IGN FI to roll out an efficient, reliable and transparent Land Information System nationallyPARIS, France, February 19, 2020/ -- Between 2010 and 2014 IGN FI (www.IGNFI.com) carried out the design, supply and installation of a Land Information System (LIS) for 6 decentralised offices of the Ugandan ministry responsible for land administration affairs, and at the same time created a National Land Information Centre.In 2015 the World Bank selected IGN FI to roll out an efficient, reliable and transparent Land Information System nationally. The two phases involved in total:Roll-out in 22 districts,More than 800,000 property titles scanned and then indexed,More than 90,000 existing paper maps restored, scanned and then geo-referenced,Approximate...

Feb192020 by ShafiqNo Comments

WORLD: ‘2020 Commonwealth youth awards’ – Galabuzi Kakembo from Uganda among 16 finalists for prestigious.

Business, EDUCATION, WORLD

Four Africans are among sixteen innovators, activists and entrepreneurs from 12 countries that have been shortlisted for this year’s Commonwealth youth awards, organisers said. The awards recognise young people whose innovative projects have made a real impact in helping their countries achieve the United Nations' sustainable development goals and received more than 500 entries from 40 countries. All 16 finalists will each receive a trophy, a certificate and £1 000 to expand the scope of their projects. The winners in each of the award’s four regional categories will earn a trip to London to attend a ceremony on March 11 and receive another £3 000. The overall pan-Commonwealth winner will take home a total of £5 000. “With now only 10 years remaining to implement the ...

Feb192020 by ShafiqNo Comments

HEALTH: WHO urges calm as China virus death toll reaches 2,000

HEALTH, WORLD

The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak surged to 2,000 on Wednesday, as Chinese and international health officials warned against excessive measures to contain the epidemic. More than 74,000 people have now been infected by the virus in China, with hundreds more cases in some 25 countries. The situation remains serious at the epicentre, with the director of a hospital in the central city of Wuhan becoming the seventh medical worker to succumb to the COVID-19 illness. But Chinese officials released a study showing most patients have mild cases of the infection, and World Health Organization officials said the mortality rate was relatively low. The outbreak is threatening to put a dent in the global economy, with China paralysed by vast quarantine measures and...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

EAST AFRICA: Experts warn Ugandans about ‘Locusts’.

AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, UGANDA

The state Minister for Animal Industry Mr. Bright Rwamirama has noted that the locusts have been laying eggs and should the latest eggs hatch, Uganda may be faced with an outbreak. The minister made the remarks on February 18, while he was addressing the press at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala. According to Rwamirama, the swarms of locusts continue to spread to other districts in the region and laying of eggs is expected to continue while other locust swarms are still invading Uganda from Kenya. “It is worth noting that a female locust lays at least 300eggs in one sitting and will lay eggs three times in its lifecycle,” he said. Rwamirama said that the existing locusts have not caused significant damage to vegetation cover however, there’s is an imminent threat to f...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Breaking: Kenyan ambassador to South Sudan Chris Karumba collapses, dies.

AFRICA, KENYA

Kenya's Ambassador to South Sudan, Chris Karumba Mburu, is dead.Mburu, a former director at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), collapsed and died at his residence in the capital Juba on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says. In his condolence message, President Uhuru Kenyatta described the late Mburu as a distinguished career public servant and a great Kenyan diplomat who was committed to building strong bilateral ties between Nairobi and Juba.“Death has robbed us of a great public servant who served his country with distinction. Since his appointment as our envoy to Juba, Ambassador Mburu has worked hard to ensure free flow of trade and investment between Kenya and South Sudan,” the President wrote.The official cause of death had not been established by the time...

Feb172020 by ShafiqNo Comments

CRIME: Man threatens to sue the IGP over Police failure to investigate shooting of his colleague.

AFRICA, UGANDA

In a February 14 letter to Ochola and copied to the CID Director, KMP commandant and the Internal Affairs Ministry, Owen Kibirige says on the fateful day on January 4, 2020, while working as porters and mansions on a building at Kito-Kira , Kira Municipality in Wakiso district gunshots were fired aimlessly at them. “Gunshots were fired at whoever was nearby and in the process, Byaka Ashraf was shot dead and scores serious injured/maimed including myself after being shot in the leg and groin,”Kibirige says in his letter of intention to sue through his lawyers of Kikomeko, Kayiira and Company Advocates. Kibirige says that the information they got was that the operation was carried out by private guards from Start Corps Security, 7GS security and another group of “goons” in ...

Feb152020 by ShafiqNo Comments

HEALTH: Cannabis could make people more prone to false memories

HEALTH, WORLD

Lilian Kloft, Ph.D. — of the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Maastricht University, in the Netherlands — and colleagues set out to investigate the effects of cannabis consumption on memory formation. Cannabis is known to affect memory. Earlier studies have shown that “acute and chronic exposure to cannabis” impairs verbal memory, learning, and attention. The impact of cannabis on memory, explain the researchers, is a particularly important issue that has attracted a lot of interest, including from a legal perspective. Convictions often rely on the testimonies and memories of eyewitnesses, but memories are sometimes false. “Malleability” of memory refers to the fact that are we able to create memories of events that did not take place, alter details of past ex...

Feb152020 by ShafiqNo Comments

BUSINESS: Tips to help you boost your spa business.

Business, WORLD

The spa business is one of the most profitable businesses that you can run today. With the many tough and stressful moments that there are in the world today, there is a need for stress removal services, in places such as spas. However, like any other business, marketing the spa business is a must for you to make it successful. Additionally, unlike other businesses, you need to use different advertising techniques to help keep up with the current trends and keep your customers happy. Below are some of the ways through which you can promote your spa business and keep it running for long. Work On Your Online Presence More often than not, most of the target customers that you are looking for will been found online. When a customer is trying to get a new spa around, they ar...

Feb142020 by ShafiqNo Comments

EDUCATION: Americans join campaign to fight increasing school dropouts.

AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, EDUCATION, UGANDA

A delegation from Capital Brand Biz based in US led by Michael Broughton, Mark A. Hernandez Sr and Damiano as well as Veronica Gold Smith from Impact Brands Inc have partnered with Girl Child Initiative Uganda (GCIU) a registered Community Based Organization (CBO) in Wakiso District that champions the right to Education of children especially the girl child to see an end to school dropout rate. The team gave out scholastic materials to the needy children at Prainet Academy Nursery School located in Kabaganda, Nangabo Sub County in Wakisao district which is run by Girl Child Initiative Uganda (GCIU). GCIU Executive Director, Nixon Segawa appreciated the generosity extended to the children whose future would be in jeopardy if their education is not guaranteed. “The future ...

Feb142020 by ShafiqNo Comments

TANZANIA: Standard Chartered Bank arranges a US$ 1.46 billion financing to fund the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project

AFRICA, Business

The SGR Rail project will provide a safe and reliable means for efficiently transporting people and cargo to and from the existing Dar es Salaam PortDAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, February 14, 2020/ -- The Government of Tanzania Ministry of Finance has signed a facility agreement with Standard Chartered (SC.com) Tanzania for a US$ 1.46 billion term loan financing to fund the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project from Dar es Salaam to Makutupora.Running approximately 550 kilometres long, the SGR project is one of the country’s biggest projects connecting Dodoma to Dar es Salaam via Morogoro and Makutupora. Once complete, the SGR Rail project will provide a safe and reliable means for efficiently transporting people and cargo to and from the existing Dar es Salaam ...

Feb142020 by ShafiqNo Comments

AFRICA: Global Dialogues with Youth intensifies as Deputy Secretary-General Amina Muhammed engages young people in Nigeria

AFRICA

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Muhammed, on 11 February 2020, held a UN75 Youth Dialogue with young people in Abuja, NigeriaLAGOS, Nigeria, February 14, 2020/ -- Following the global launch of the UN75 initiative – the world’s biggest conversation on the future we want, by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 1 January 2020, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Muhammed, on 11 February 2020, held a UN75 Youth Dialogue with young people in Abuja Nigeria.The dialogue which was organised by the UN Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria, in collaboration with Channels Television, involved thirty-six young people reflecting the diversity of the Nigerian nation. To spark the engagement, the Deputy Secretary-General noted that the dialogue was part of the largest, mo...