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| President Pierre Nkurunzinza |
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| Celebrations underway in the capital |
13 May, 2015
KARMA steps in for Burundi: COUP D'ETAT
16 January, 2015
Health Milestone: Cure for AIDS Discovered!!
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| AIDS patient |
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been the hardest
thing to treat because it inserts it’s genome into the hosts DNA making it
difficult to eradicate using conventional treatment approaches. For a long
time, antiretroval therapy has been widely used to stop the virus from
replicating in the body and thus prolonging the patient’s life.
However, this is set to change. The world is much closer to
treating HIV/AIDS. Scientists from Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia
made a breakthrough that will potentially save millions of lives across the
globe. In article posted in Medical News Today, the scientist managed to delete
the HIV virus genome from the Human DNA using a DNA snipping enzyme. The approach
was based on bacterial defense mechanism that protects against viral infection.
The enzyme, referred to as gRNA will be able to find HIV-1 viral
genome on human DNA and delete them. The
scientist successfully stranded and tested gRNA’s 20 nucleotides. The
preparation was then tested on cultured human cells infected with HIV-1 and,
guess what? The virus was gone.
The discovery will go through a few more tests before it is
cleared for clinical use. The next step is to find a way of ensuring that the
enzyme is delivered to all human cells that get infected with HIV virus.
Permanent cure for HIV/AIDS is now within reach.
10 January, 2015
The War that Kenyans Must Fight
We must not visualize a future united Kenya if we don't come to the realization that the typical poor Kenyan, whether Luo, Kikuyu, Luhya or Mijikenda shares 99.9% of the day to day difficulties facing ordinary people.
You who live in a one room shanty in Mathare, Kibera, Kawangware, or even in areas that a bit well off. Don't you have neighbors who represent other ethnic groups in Kenya? Don't they come to ask for some help when things are really bad? And don't you borrow from them when things aren't good on your side? Why then should they take insults for things they just saw in the press, same way as you?
I Know that 99.9% of you have never benefited because a member of your tribe was elected to head this or be part of this and that. Then why do you run to their defense when he or she errs?
You and I know that there is small clout of powerful Kenyans, who share resources among themselves, irrespective of their tribal affiliation. Just as you knock on your poor neighbor's house to borrow something without considering their tribe, so do the rich and powerful Kenyans interact.
If we have to defend our leaders then it must never be for the simple reason that we come from the same ethnic group. If they mean well for all of us and are doing all they can for the good of all Kenyans then what they deserve is praise, rather than condemnation, irrespective of their tribe. If they are doing the opposite then what they deserve is condemnation, irrespective of their tribe.
We must turn this war into a war that aims to achieve fairness for all ordinary people, irrespective of tribal affiliations. Otherwise, hatred begets hatred, and everyone should go to their ancestral lands and build their own country there if the objective of our struggle is to defend our tribe and condemn other tribes.
Patriotic Kenyan
09 January, 2015
How to spot a good woman
Apparently, discussions about the things to look for in a woman
as old as marriage itself but with changing times – equal opportunities, feminism
and all – the traditional qualities of good women have largely changed. So how do
you spot a good woman in the 21st century? Here are the 15 basic
things to look for, as advised by Yangki Christine Akiteng – A love Doctor.
- She does not try to change you (accepts you the way you are).
- She enjoys being around you always, not only when you are doing things to please her
- She does all she can to make you happy, often sacrificing her own time and effort
- She is contented with herself, does not always look for attention to boost her self-esteem.
- She will always be there for you, whether things are good or bad.
- She says something and sticks to it. There are no mind games with real good women.
- She knows that for a relationship to work, partners must contribute 50 /50 and she does exactly that.
- She respects you always, whether in public or private.
- She is nice to everyone, whether she has something to gain from them or not.
- She has a genuine desire to get into a relationship with you.
- You both have a liking for similar things.
- She is not embarrassed nor does she show too much pride in the fact that she loves you.
- She takes life positively and is happy with it.
- She makes you feel important, your faults and shortcomings notwithstanding.
- Her smile welcomes you and you can see its deep from her heart.
08 January, 2015
Did Paul Kobia Kill Fidel Odinga?
News doing rounds in social media circles allege that Paul Kobia, a controversial city businessman who was named in the UN report on the DRC gold smuggling syndicate and who was last September involved in gun drama with bodyguards of the Former Premier Raila Odinga, is behind the death of Fidel Castro Odinga (Raila Odinga's eldest son).
The allegations were made by Robert Alai on his blog kahawa Tungu
Her is the exact post on the blog
Paul Kobia was early this week heard bragging to some patrons and the owner of Buffet Park, Mr Muya that he killed Hon Raila Odinga’s son, Fidel Odinga. In one of the most stupid showmanship, the thug and runaway killer who has connections right inside State House confessed to the patrons that he killed Fidel because he organised his assault.
The confessions were heard by friends of Fidel who have revealed this to security officers. Kobia made the confession on Monday night at Buffet park. The security officers have refused to act because Paul Kobia enjoys State House protection. He moves around in a convoy of cars including police chase cars. Paul Kobia is also always armed with weapons including shotguns and pistols.
It is not clear why Paul Kobia enjoys such kind of state protection. He is known to be a friend of Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko who has constantly refuted this saying that he is not a friend of Kobia.
Friends of Raila are now demanding that Kobia be arrested.
Paul kobia has however been arrested and is assisting police officers with information on the allegations. It will be interesting to see how things turn on this one.
06 January, 2015
The National Assembly: Once Again a Myopic Rubberstamp Authority
By
Nyona Matende -- Opinionated
There is no doubt that President Uhuru Kenyatta, and
his deputy William Ruto, are admired for their charismatic style and expansive
worldviews, which are indeed considered to be essential for good leadership.
However, such admiration is fast fading as the government they head resorts to desperate
measures in a bid to deal with insecurity and other challenges.
For the past couple of years, the actions of
the Kenyan Government, whether in bad faith or not, have been interpreted by
some as a deliberate attempt to limit the hard-earned freedoms and rights of
Kenyans. The government is noticeably overwhelmed by its functions (provision of
basic rights to Kenyans), and has resorted to measures that are akin to
limiting the very rights and freedoms it’s required to protect.
As expected, the unorthodox methods the government
is advancing to solve Kenyan problems have received overwhelming support from
the pro-government National Assembly.
Quite a number
of legislative pieces have been advanced by or forwarded to the National
Assembly, a supposed oversight body that is quickly morphing into the Moi-era
rubberstamp authority it once was.
These unfortunate
grouping of Kenyans elected to represent KENYANS is finding it more reasonable
to advance their own interests and interests of their political masters due to the
selfish need to safeguard their political future. Who really elected you Mr MP?
The recent fist fights that were witnessed during
the passing of the controversial security laws is a testament of how impetuous the
house has become. The critical functions of the National Assembly have been
reduced to mere rivalry between Jubilee and Cord, and the chest thumping pro-government
majority is acting like a real government marionette in its rubberstamping
duties. They are hell bend on approving anything opposed by the opposition, even
in the face of legitimate concerns.
The opposition is not blemish free
The opposition group in the National Assembly is not
however made of saints either. Who doesn’t recall when they joined hands with
their pro-government majority to pass a bill that sought to raise their own
salaries, sparking the #OccupyParliament protests? They have also provided unwavering support in
the fight for power against equally or even more important institutions like County
Governments, The Judiciary, Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC), and The
Senate, picking up teenage-like squabbles at the slightest overlap of powers
and functions.
There is no time in history when leaders who are
honest to the needs of their people have joined hands with contrasting leaders
for a one time good-for-leaders opportunity. If the opposition has divergent
views on what is right for Kenyans then this should be seen in all their
undertakings in the house – not only when their interests are not taken care of.
What an excuse for a National Assembly
What were are seeing is unprecedented levels of immaturity,
and sycophancy motivated by the need for political survival and material success.
Unfortunately, this was long predicted because many of the people Kenyans put
in the National Assembly during the last elections were first timers and now
they have tested power and are not sure on how to navigate the murky waters
that is Kenyan politics. So, naturally, sycophancy is the easiest way out. I think if we were to rate parliaments since
independence, this one will clearly emerge as the most rowdy, clueless, and loathsome.
In 2013, the slapdash house legislated and rubberstamped
a legislation in which media houses and journalists were to pay fines as high
as 20 Million Shillings (about $200,000) for “irresponsible” reporting. The
bill had no clear definition of what sort of reporting is considered ‘irresponsible
reporting’ and, therefore, it was more intended to limit media freedoms –
freedoms gained through blood and sweat.
It’s regrettable that the pro-government legion is the
one on the forefront in undermining the constitution. Isn’t it myopic to make
dangerous changes to the constitution just because you are on the right side of
the present day government? Anyone with
a shred of intellect will tell you that such changes will last beyond the
present day regime and, therefore, there are chances that the controversial pieces
of legislation may be used against the excited Mps who think that the
advantages they enjoy today will last for a lifetime.
As it has become a tradition, the controversial
pieces sanctioned by the National Assembly are heavily donned in legal jargon
to confuse the ignorant Mwananchi. As you may or may not be aware, many of our
MPs are lawyers who have perfected the art of scheming but no real experience
in honest and true representation.
Unqualified for the job
While Kenyans lament the incompetence of various
government agencies, I think it’s about time they drew their attention to the
most incompetent institution of governance– the National Assembly.
Why are they so incompetent?
Well, parliament is supposed to only play the roles
of representation, oversight, and law making. The national assembly is simply
an institution of governance in which the interests of the common mwananchi are
to be advanced by the people they have elected to represent them.
The constitution outlines the
agreement between the government and the citizens, and it’s the role of parliament
to ensure that laws provide the best conditions for citizens and not vice versa.
While previous parliaments have recognized this and advanced such courses, the
present day parliament is increasing being held by the balls to advance courses that are endorsed through party affiliations, whether good for mwananchi or not.
We wish to remind you that Kenyans
can live with an ineffective and weak National Assembly but will not seat back
and watch the same group play a leading role in reversing gains that were only
made possible through blood and sweat.
There are
many countries around the globe in which sycophancy as the only true road to
political success. Go there please. Kenyans just want honest leadership,
whether in parliament or the church.
Here is a challenge
If you are a
true leader do what is in the best interest of the people who elected you, even
if that puts your political future at risk, and leave KARMA to avenge the injustices
you face for being honest to your people.
05 January, 2015
3 People Confirmed Dead, 40 Rescued, one Row almost cleared in Huruma Building Collapse
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| A survivor being transferred to an Ambulance |
As of now, up to 40 people have been rescued so far, 3 confirmed
dead, including a woman and one day old infant.
According witness accounts, the building came down at 8pm, Sunday.
It is said that huge cracks begun to emerge at around 7.30pm and some residents
escaped when the building started shaking. Those already out screamed to other
tenants still inside to leave the building, before it came tumbling down at
around 8pm.
Rescue teams had trouble accessing the site due to crowds of
people milling around and police were forced to apply force in dispersing them.
Rescue is still
ongoing
The building had two rows, rescue teams are almost clearing
one raw before moving on to the next.
Some relatives have come forward to claim that they still
can’t find their family members. About 8 people are still missing according to
relatives’ accounts but the numbers could be higher.
The building is said to have collapsed on an adjacent
informal
mabati settlement and there are fears that residents of the informal
settlement could still be trapped under the rubble.
Rescue teams include the Kenya Red Cross, National youth
service, KDF, and Police. People are receiving emergency treatment before being
referred to various hospitals. About 28 people have been treated and
discharged.
Acting police Inspector General, Samuel Arachi, has said
that everyone involved in the construction of the building including Engineers,
Developer, Contractor, and Architect should come forward with immediate effect.
He has also hinted that they will be charged with murder. The same sentiments
were echoed by Evans Kidero, Nairobi Governor.
04 January, 2015
2 Dead, 40 Rescued, Dozens still trapped in Huruma building Collapse.
BREAKING NEWS: News just coming in indicates that a 7 storey building has
collapsed in Huruma’s Casanova area, Nairobi. The residential building was
still under construction and 5 floors had already been occupied.
The building collapsed at around 7pm, Sunday night, at time when
most residents were at home.
Many are feared dead or trapped and rescue teams are currently
rushing to the scene.
Update
As of Monday morning two
people were confirmed dead. A child’s body was pulled from the rubble while
another person died on the way to hospital, according to accounts given by an
official from Disaster Operation Centre.
Rescue teams have so far pulled more than 40 survivors out of the collapsed
building but it’s not clear how many are still trapped.
Most of those rescued have been admitted to local health
facilities.
It is now emerging that the building developed cracks last year but residents continued to live in it.
Nairobi Governor, Evans Kidero, has just held a press conference stating that the developer, contractor,and builders of the collapsed building will be arrested and charged. It is now emerging that the county government only approved a four-storey building but it was developed up to seven floors. Read the latest updates here 3 People Confirmed Dead, 40 Rescued, One Row Almost Cleared In Huruma Building Collapse
It is now emerging that the building developed cracks last year but residents continued to live in it.
Nairobi Governor, Evans Kidero, has just held a press conference stating that the developer, contractor,and builders of the collapsed building will be arrested and charged. It is now emerging that the county government only approved a four-storey building but it was developed up to seven floors. Read the latest updates here 3 People Confirmed Dead, 40 Rescued, One Row Almost Cleared In Huruma Building Collapse
Rather than Affect Your Health, the Chlorovirus ATCV-1 Makes you Stupid
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| Green Algae. Image Credit: Financetwitter.com |
Health -- Late
last year, scientists discovered that a virus that all along has been known to
attack green algae in rivers and lakes can also infect the human brain and make
one stupid. The Virus, Cholovirus ATCV-1 belonging
to the Phycodnavirdae family was
previously not known to infect humans or listed among viruses that can affect
humans.
According to findings of the study published in November
2013, scientists were surprised to recover the virus from samples extracted
from the human gut. The virus was accidently recovered from a throat swab during
the study, which included measuring the cognitive ability of participants.
Researchers in the U.S say that the virus can impair
learning and memory, cognitive activity, thereby making any infected person to
be less intelligent. Robert Yolken, a virologist at the John Hopkins Medical
School in Maryland, who participated in the study said that “This is a striking
example showing that the ‘innocuous’ microorganisms we carry can affect
behavior and cognition.” The virus is thought to inhabit the throat of infected individuals.
Participants who were found infected with the virus scored
up to 10% lower in cognitive tests compared to those not infected. The presence
of the virus was also associated with lower attention and “significant decrease
in visual processing and visual motor speed.” The virus is found in fresh water
and can easily be taken up by swimmers.
Further tests conducted by inserting infected algae into the
mouth of mice confirmed the cognitive effects of the virus. Infected mice took
10% longer time to make their way out of mazes and also took 20% longer time
exploring new objects, compared to uninfected mice.
Now human beings need to worry not only about
physical health risks associated with viral infection, but mental effects as well.
Plan Crash Lands at JKIA, No one is hurt
Kenya News --- A Fokker 50, arriving at the Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport (JKIA) was forced to crash-land after its landing gear
failed to drop. The plane was arriving from Wajir, Northern Kenya, with 6
passengers. No one was injured in the late morning incident.
The runway was sprayed immediately after the plane landed to
prevent any fire incidents.
Information from the Kenya Airports Authority indicate that
the runway is now closed and incoming flights have been diverted to Mombasa. It’s
not clear when the Airport will be reopened but this should be soon.
Photo Credit: Jambonewspot.com
Raila Odinga’s Son, Fidel Odinga, has passed on
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| Fidel Odinga, Wife and Son. Photo: Elvis Ogina |
BREAKING NEWS--- Kenya is in shock following the devastating news
that Fidel Odinga has died. Fidel was the eldest son of Kenya’s former Prime
Minister and leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Raila Odinga.
Fidel Odinga was found dead this morning in his
Karen home. According to police sources, the cause of death is yet to be
established but it is alleged that Fidel was out with friends on Saturday night
and only came home Sunday morning.
The youthful Odinga was a businessman and an
aspiring politician and his sudden death has stunned Kenyans. He is survived by
his wife and one year-old son.
Police are now investigating what could have caused
the death and their first course of action is to establish where he was last
night and those who were with him.
At the time of writing, the family was preparing to
transfer the body to Lee Funeral Home.
Messages of condolence are streaming in from Kenyans
of all walks of life, particularly through social media platforms.
A group of Senators and members of parliament have
arrived at the home of Raila Odinga to support the family during this trying
moment.
More
to come
Iran's Elite Guards have foiled Mossad’s Assassination attempt against a Nuclear Scientist
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| An Iranian Elite Guard. Photo Credit: t |
World News --- On Saturday, a senior Iranian security official
reported that the Country’s Elite Revolutionary Guards Corps saved one of its nuclear
scientist from a Mossad assassination attempt.
Col. Ya’qoub Baqeri, the deputy chief liaison officer
of the Flight Guards Corps, told the Iranian Fars News Agency that “In the last
two years, the Zionist enemy was trying hard to assassinate an Iranian nuclear
scientist, but the timely presence of the IRGC security forces thwarted the
terrorist operation,” adding they are “duty-bound to protect the lives of the
country’s nuclear scientists”.
Israel has never admitted that it’s behind the
killings of Iranian Nuclear Scientists, a campaign that has been going on for
years. While the U.S remains a key ally of the Zionist state, the two have
openly differed on a number of issues, one of them is the assassination
campaigns. A report published on CBS News last year, showed that the U.S is not
happy with Israel’s assassination campaign against Iranian Nuclear Scientists
and was pushing it to stop.
The Mossad, Israel’s renowned spy agency, is said to
conduct the assassinations in an attempt to stop Iran or slow down the
development of Nuclear Weapons in Iran. At least five nuclear scientists have been
assassinated in Iran, mostly with car bombs.
According to the CBS report, the Mossad had admitted
that the assassination campaign had become too dangerous for its spies. This
comes as the U.S tries to reach a nuclear deal with the Iranian government.
02 January, 2015
Top 10 New Year Resolutions for 2015
It’s not easy to rank New Year resolutions. Why? Because
individuals are unique to their habits, experiences and desires – which are
then used to inform decisions, choices and resolutions taken. Consequently, any
resolution is important as it reflects an individual’s circumstances and, most
importantly, the desire to change things for the better.
Nevertheless, there
are habits and conditions in life which similarly affect millions or perhaps
billions of people. For instance, most people desires to have a better job or
more money. As Aristotle put it, it’s the nature of desire not to be satisfied
and most people just live for the gratification of it. Simply put, it’s not
strange that two people, one earning $100 a month and the other earning
$100,000 a month, all want a better paying job in 2015.
Without wasting much of
your time KEKneejerk will rank the top 10 resolutions based on perceived importance or impact on humanity. If any of them reflects exactly what you feel you should do for
yourself then go ahead and note it down in the first pages of your 2015 diary.
- Volunteer personal time and effort to help others
- Quit smoking, and other drug abuse
- Quit drinking or drink less
- Start investing for the future
- Spend wisely
- Be honest and true to others
- Play active role in controlling stress, bad feelings, and reaction to negativity
- Lose weight
- Start exercising regularly
- Start eating healthy foods
29 December, 2014
Tweets that Defined the Outcome of KOT Vs. South Africa Twitter War
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| Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) |
Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) are an emerging voice and defender
of the interests of Kenya. In June 2012, CNN
warned surfers to be aware of KOT, terming it “an influential and vocal
group on Twitter, using common hashtag and blazing keyboards to ensure their
African country is discussed fairly and with respect”. A few months down the line, the same CNN was
forced to apologize after finding itself on the wrong side of KOT.
In a period of about
six years, KOT has expanded tremendously and reaffirmed its resolve to defend
Kenya against whoever and whatever – be it other countries, unfair reporting, parliamentarians,
incompetent cabinet secretaries – and push for courses that are seen to be
important or beneficial to Kenyans. Activists are now using KOT to spread their
message and gain support.
In 2013 court mercilessly crushed helpless opponents including
Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria reminding them to respect KOT because it rules
Africa. Call it trivial or petty, but be sure KOT will never stop until an
opponent is beaten properly. However, most of the tweets are usually humorous.
There is no doubt that KOT is the most dangerous Cybergang
on the continent, if not the world, having beaten two worthy opponents in 2014
and 2013 – Nigeria and South Africa.
KOT vs. South Africa
The KOT vs South Africa duel on Twitter was sparked after
South Africa’s Sport and Recreation Minister, Fikile Mbalula made an off-topic
comment that South Africa would not be like Kenya and send athletes to the
Olympics to “drown in the pool”. Here
how KOT responded. The hashtag used here was #SomeoneTellSouthAfrica.
Don't forget to share on your favorite social media!
Colorado: The Pot Smoker’s Paradise
In November 2012, Colorado enacted the Colorado Amendment 64 which allowed adults aged 21 and above to
grow , legally possess marijuana while on the move within the state, and even give
some as gift to other adults aged 21 and above. The consumption is basically controlled
the same way as alcohol.
Several bills
implementing the Amendment 64 were
signed into law in May, 2013, and by September the same year, the Revenue Department
had adopted regulations for recreational marijuana and implemented the retail
Code for pot to be used across the state.
The first Marijuana store opened in January and tourists
began to flock in almost immediately, prompting the state to post more police
in Denver and limit the use of the spiritual herb in ski resorts. Anyone in Colorado and aged 21 and above (resident
or not) has a constitutional right to consume cannabis, and as things stand now
– it’s a booming business.
Colorado is experiencing a record number of ski visits, thanks
to the marijuana incentive. According to industry insiders, the numbers shot to
ski arrivals stood at 12.6 million in the 2013-2014 season, a 10% rise from the
previous season.
While it’s prohibited to smoke marijuana in hotels and ski
resorts, there are “420-friendly” lodgings that allow tourists to puff away
their weed. Many music venues and bars also allow outdoor smoking within their
compounds.
There are tens of marijuana
dispensaries catering to the needs of the booming tourism. Charter buses are
arriving from neighboring states. People are arriving from as far as Japan and
Saudi Arabia to experience how it feels to smoke legal weed.
Consumption and Revenues up
The consumption of marijuana is on a steady climb in
Colorado and so are the tax revenues collected from sales. In August 2014, pot
worth $34 million was sold, with $3.4 going straight to the taxman. It is
estimated that the state will make up to $ 30 million this year alone.
Crime rate goes down
It’s not only business and tourism that have improved, what
has baffled many is the fact that crime rates have gone down in Colorado since
pot was legalized. Crime rates have dropped by an impressive 15% while murder
has dropped by 42%. These findings are likely to spur debate and calls for
marijuana legalization in other parts of the States, and the world as whole.
There seem to be a connection between the legal status of
marijuana and the effect on individuals or society. Psychologists should help
here.
27 December, 2014
Doping Allegations Unlikely to Dim Kenya’s Long Distance Running Prowess
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| Rita Jeptoo |
The Kenyan populace have been subjected to an upsetting
Christmas treat, thanks to the revelation that some of the country’s priced,
world-beating athletes, might be involved in doping.
This bad dream is first becoming a reality, particularly
after the country’s cherished, three-time Boston Marathon and two-time Chicago
Marathon winner, Rita Jeptoo failed her B sample. The Kenyan empress failed her
first sample sometimes in September, during an out-of-competition test by the country’s
very own athletics federation.
This prompted the sending of her B sample to the World
Ant-Doping Agency Lab in Lausanne, Switzerland – and the sad “failed” results
for that sample were announced on Friday 26th by none other than Isaiah Kiplagat himself. She tested positive for the blood booster EPO
and the hearing for the case is expected to take place sometimes in January.
There are fears that many more athletes might be involved
and we are keeping our fingers crossed. The situation is as bad as it should
get, otherwise it will be truly a bad thing for Kenya – a globally respected leader
in long distance runnig– to be implicated in doping (something we can do
without and still bring gold medals).
What is particularly annoying in the whole debacle is the
emerging impression that majority of the previously implicated athletes were
sweet-talked into using the banned substances.
Though the local athletics body has suspended more than 32
athletes for doping in the past 5 years, Rita Jeptoo is the only high profile
athlete who has failed the doping test. Jeptoo was due to be crowned as the
winner of the World Marathon Majors when it was revealed that she had failed
the initial test in September. The announcement cost her $500,000 which she was
to pocket after the crowning.
Kenya has dominated long distance running for decades, however,
cases of doping started to make news 2012 when Mathew Kisorio tested positive
during Olympic trials and, allegedly told a German documentary that doping was
widely practiced in Kenya. He is purported to have said that “everyone told me
that I wasn’t the only one”, adding that “when you run, you run so smooth”.
Since then Athletics Kenya has done all within its powers to
try and arrest doping among athletes in Kenya. The Kenyan government is also
said to be working on laws to punish individuals who are supplying athletes
with drugs.
Will this dampen
Kenya’s unparalleled grip on long distance running?
The answer is a firm NO!
Whereas the number of implicated runners is still too small
for anyone to use it in spewing widespread condemnation of the Kenyan running
fraternity, there are signs that it could be used to put Kenya’s dominance into
question. Nonetheless, we are certain
the dust will settle as fast as it has risen.
The confidence exuded here stems from the well-known fact
that Kenya doesn’t rely on blood Booster EPO or other banned substances to
produce champions.
Anyone with information on how Kenya gets most of its
runners knows too well that our athletes are naturally superb and will still
outrun the majority, if not all athletes from other countries even after doping
is completely brought under control.
Here is a small secret I thought you should
know
Up to 99% of Kenya’s long distance world beaters come from a
small village called Iten. Like you my friend, Kenyans can’t stop wondering
what is so special with Iten. However, what
we are sure of is that Iten will continue doing its magic in producing the huge
chunk of Kenya’s world beating runners for a long time to come.
Cyber-security Experts Humiliate the FBI for its claim that North Korea Hacked Sony Pictures
World News -- Last week, the FBI announced that it had gathered conclusive evidence to prove that the Government of North Korea had orchestrated the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures. This was followed by a verbal attack by president Obama who promised a “proportional response”.
In an almost immediate response, North Korea issued strong statement denying the allegations that it had been involved in the Sony attack and demanded an apology from the United States. Then a few hours later, something happened -- North Korea lost its connection to the web, an incident suspected to have been orchestrated by the U.S in response to the Sony attack or a preemptive move by Pyongyang to forestall a U.S attack.
Leading experts in cybersecurity are now claiming that the FBI’s findings were unsubstantial. The weakness in FBI’s evidence is best articulated by Marc Rogers in his article published in The Daily Beast.
The satirical movie “The Interview” was due to be released on Christmas and revolves around a plot to murder Kim Jong-Un, and thus North Korea would be interested in hacking Sony to prevent the release of the movie.
According to Marc Rogers, “the Director of security operations for DEF CON, the world’s largest hacker conference, and the principal security researcher for global CDN and DNS provider Cloudflare”, the 2014 Sony attack is likely to be work of a disgruntled employee who was due to be laid off. In his article, Rogers tares down all the evidence provided by the FBI.
First, he points out that the FBI’s finding that the Malware was similar to others used by North Korea is not a “remotely plausible evidence” that the attack was orchestrated by the DPRK.
By stating that, the FBI was more likely referring to Shamoon and DarkSeoul, malwares which were thought to have been launched by North Korea – findings which were also disputed by Rogers and other security experts.
He also discredited the second piece of evidence presented by the FBI and which referred to the “significant overlap between the infrastructure used in this attack and other malicious cyber activity the U.S. government has previously linked directly to North Korea.”
According to Rogers, just because an IP address has previously been used for Cybercrime activities it does not mean that the IP will always be linked to future cybercrime activities associated with it. Security experts understand that IP addresses can be permanent, however, at other times “IPs can last just a few seconds.”
The FBI should therefore have focused on the server rather than the IP address.
The IPs found in the Malware code were all, except one, public proxies and they have all been used by “malware operators in the past”.
According to Rogers, cybercriminals routinely use proxies to conceal their identities. Therefore, the FBI can’t use that to blame North Korea for the Sony attack.
Here is a brief of the evidence produced by Rogers and other experts to prove that North Korea did NOT hack Sony.
- The anti-North Korean bias of the movie was only brought up after the media highlighted that. The hackers never mentioned the film right from the start of the hacking activity.
- They dumped the data rather than use it, North Korea would have used it for propaganda or otherwise. This points to the fact that whoever hacked Sony was only interested in humiliating it.
- Blaming North Korea was an easier escape for the real people who orchestrated the hack or who provided the means through which it was facilitated.
- Blaming North Korea is also convenient for the U.S government. According to Rogers, “It’s the perfect excuse to push through whatever new, strong, cyber-laws they feel are appropriate, safe in the knowledge that an outraged public is fairly likely to support them.”
- The last bit of evidence is particularly interesting. According to Marc Rogers, “The Hard-coded paths and passwords found in the malware shows that whoever wrote the code had extensive knowledge of Sony’s internal architecture and access to key passwords.”
There is information that Sony was planning massive layoffs and the hacking could be better blamed on a disgruntled employee rather than the DPRK.
Rogers ends his article by stating that: I am no fan of the North Korean regime. However I believe that calling out a foreign nation over a cybercrime of this magnitude should never have been undertaken on such weak evidence. The evidence used to attribute a nation state in such a case should be solid enough that it would be both admissible and effective in a court of law. As it stands, I do not believe we are anywhere close to meeting that standard.
Photo Credit:Stefan Krasowski
Court Authorizes Life Support to be Taken off a Pregnant Brain Dead Irish Woman
Word News -- A young pregnant woman who has been clinically
dead for three weeks now will be taken off life support after a three-judge
bench found that there was no chance of giving birth to a live baby.
The brain dead woman has been deteriorating fast and, according
to the court, “the prospect for the unborn is nothing but distress and death.”
Conor Dignam SC and Cormac Corrigan SC, representing the interest of the unborn
and the woman, respectively, told the court they will not appeal the ruling.
The woman in question is 18 weeks pregnant and was 15 weeks
into gestation when doctors declared her clinically dead on 3rd of December
in Dublin Hospital. Her condition was occasioned
by a brain injury she suffered at another hospital just outside Dublin on
November 29th. She had been
admitted at the hospital after checking in for severe headaches.
Doctors at the Dublin hospital were concerned about the
legal implications of her pregnancy, arising from the legal provision to maintain
the right to life of the unborn and, therefore, had placed her on somatic life
support treatment.
Her father, her partner and the extended family made an application
to the court seeking orders to stop the somatic life support in order for them
to accord her a dignified burial. Her father cited how distressed her eldest
daughter had been when she visited her mother.
During the case, seven doctors provided evidence to the
court and none of them expressed the need to continue treatment or if there was
any chance of the baby being born alive if the treatment continued. The court
was informed of how her condition was fast deteriorating--She had an open wound
on the head, with infections and a rotting brain.
The court based its decision on prevailing medical evidence
that shows poorer prognosis of the unborn child if the mother suffers brain death
in early gestation. Thus the court was satisfied that it was in the best
interest of the unborn child to authorize the withdrawal of life support in
this “tragic and unfortunate” case.
23 December, 2014
North Korea went offline in a Suspected U.S Payback for Sony Attack
World News – According to the New York Times, North
Korea lost it’s already struggling internet connection. While this could be as a result of a normal
failure – or Pyongyang’s preemptive measure to forestall an impeding attack – there
are chances that this was U.S sponsored DDOS attack.
The attack happened on Monday,
hours after President Obama’s declaration that the U.S would take a “proportional
response” to the “cybervandalism” orchestrated against Sony Pictures.
The internet connection in North Korea began to slow
down over the weekend as its officials denied role in Sony attack and demanded
to be part of the investigation on the incident – a request that was flatly
rejected by the U.S. By Monday, Internet
connection had completely failed.
U.S officials who are actively pursuing ways of
preventing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) from sending malicious codes to other countries,
including discussions with the China (provides telecommunications connections
to North Korea), declined to talk about the monday failure.
Marie Harf, a State Department spokeswoman, said on
Monday, “We aren’t going to
discuss, you know, publicly operational details about the possible response
options”. “As we implement our
responses, some will be seen, some may not be seen,” she added.
It is not clear
whether the connection had been overloaded, cut, or attacked. Experts caution that there could be many
possibilities including an attempt by Pyongyang to prevent an attack by taking systems
offline.
According to Chris
Nicholson, Akamai’s spokesperson, it is particularly hard to pinpoint the
problem given official internet protocol addresses in DPRK only stand at
1,024, thus only giving a trickle of information. In comparison the United
States has billions of addresses.
By Tuesday morning,
the few connections available to outside world, which are only accessed by the
military and the elite, were still offline. However, a few connections began to comeback,
after more than 10 hours of internet blackout.
North Korea’s
connections to the outside world are provided by the State run Star Joint
Ventures, and almost all of them are run through China. Experts are also
looking at a possibility where China simply cut off its stubborn neighbor.
Internet connection
to the DPRK begun to wobble on Friday, with experts alleging a DDOS attack
(distribution of denial of service, in which attackers flood a network with
traffic until it collapses under load). If the attack is American in origin, then
this would be a rare instance in which the U.S disables another nation’s
internet connection.
Documents released by
Snowden shows that the U.S has placed “implants” on strategic places around the
world, including network connections to specific computers.
The spokeswoman for
the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, said it was very early to know if
the Sony attack originated from North Korea but reaffirmed China’s strong
opposition to cyberattacks and cyberterrorism.
Photo Credit:José Fernandes Jr
22 December, 2014
President Zuma ‘off the hook’ for Lavish Spending on Home Security Upgrades
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| President Jacob Zuma: File/photo |
Africa News – South African President, Jacob Zuma, says he
has been cleared from accusations blaming him for the lavish R250 million
(about $22 Million) in security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead.
The
escalation of costs in Zuma’s home security upgrades have turned into a major
controversy of his presidency.
In a recorded interview with SABC, Zuma specified that all
the three reports that looked into the matter did not find any wrong doing on
his part.
Referring to himself in third person, President Zuma said “The
reality is, the president did absolutely nothing wrong”. “There is not a single
one (report) that found anything wrong that the president had doene”, he
continued.
According to him, even the report done by Public Protector
Thuli Madonsela had not found any fault in him.
The Madonsela report indicated that President Zuma and his
family had unduly benefited from some of the upgrades conducted at his home,
suggesting that he should personally pay back some money.
In response to that, he said “But the president did ask for
any benefits from anyone”.
At the time of the interview with SABC, Zuma was still
awaiting report from a committee that was set to look into Madonsela’s report
before deciding on the next step.
It emerged that the security upgrades at the President’s
home included a pool (referred to as the firepool), a chicken run, and an amphitheater.
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