Uruguay kuhalalisha utumizi wa Bangi

Bunge la Uruguay limepitisha mswada wa kuhalalisha bangi. Ikiwa mswada huu utapitishwa na Baraza la Senate, Uruguay itakuwa nchi ya kwanza kuhalalisha uzalishaji na utumiaji wa bangi.

Hatua hii inaungwa mkono na serikali ikisema itapunguza mapato na faida kubwa kwa walanguzi wa mihadarati pamoja na kuwafanya watumizi wa bangi kutotumia dawa kali za kulevya.Chini ya mswada huo ni serikali pekee itakua na kibali cha kuuza bangi.
Pia serikali itatoa utaratibu wa uzalishaji, mavuno, uhifadhi na mauazo ya nje. Wanunuzi wote watanakiliwa kwenye daftari maalum na sharti wawe wametimiza miaka 18 na zaidi. Mteja anaweza tu kununua kilo 40 kwa mwezi kutoka kwa maduka ya dawa au kukuza mimea sita ya bangi.Wageni hawatakubaliwa kununua bidhaa hii.
Wabunge 50 kati ya 96 walipitisha mswada huo. Wanaotetea kuhalalishwa kwa bangi wamesema vita dhidi ya mihadarati havijapiga hatua na ipo haja kuweka mbinu mpya.
Kwa miongo mingi kanda ya Latin America imekumbwa na ghasia za magenge ya mihadarati ambapo maelfu ya watu wamekufa. Matukio ya Uruguay yanatazamwa kwa karibu eneo hilo ikiwa yatasaidia kupunguza machafuko yanayotishia uthabiti wa mataifa mengi.

Uchaguzi 'Kichekesho Kikubwa'

 

Waziri Mkuu Zimbabwe Morgan Tchangirai adai uchaguzi ni kichekesho kikubwa

Uchaguzi wa Rais nchini Zimbabwe ulikuwa ‘kichekesho kikubwa,’ Waziri Mkuu Morgan Tsvangirai amesema, akituhumu udanganyifu wa kura uliofanywa na kambi ya mpinzani wake Rais Robert Mugabe.

Katika mkutano na waandishi wa habari, Bw Tsvangirai alisema uupigaji kura wa Jumatano ulikuwa ‘upuuzi na si halali’.
Kundi kubwa la waangalizi mapema lilisema kufikia hadi watu milioni moja walizuiwa kupiga kura.
Chama cha Bw Mugabe ambacho kinadai kushinda, kimekanusha tuhuma hizo kikisema upigaji kura ulikuwa shwari.
Kiongozi wa ujumbe wa Umoja wa Afrika, Rais wa zamani wa Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo, alisemsa kwenye tathimini yao ya awali kuwa upigaji kura ulikuwa huru na haki.
Makundi mengine ya waangalizi yalisifia hali ya amani katika uchaguzi huo.
Kuhesabu kura ulianza kulianza usiku na Tume ya Uchaguzi ya Zimbabwe (ZEC) ina siku tano za kutangaza nani mshindi katika uchaguzi huo.
Tayari polisi wameonya kuwa watachukua hatua dhidi ya yeyote atakayejaribu kuvujisha habari za matokeo. Ni kinyume cha sheria kutangaza matokeo yasiyo rasmi.
Vikosi vya ziada baadhi vikiwa na vifaa vya kupambana na waandamanaji tayari viko mjini Harare.
Hatua za kisheria huenda zikafuata sasa, kwa mujibu wa mwandishi wa BBC Andrew Harding akiripoti kutoka Johannesburg.
Lakini megi yatategemea iwapo majirani wa Zimbabwe watapitisha uchaguzi huo, mwandishi wa BBC anaongezi.

'Uchaguzi umekumbwa na kasoro kubwa'

Akizungumza kwenye makao makuu ya chama chake cha Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) mjini Harare, Bw Tsvangirai alisema: "Hitimisho letu ni kuwa uchaguzi huu ni kichekesho kikubwa.’
"Uhalali wa uchgauzi huu umeharibiwa na ukiukwaji wa sheria na shughuli za kiutawala ambazo zimeathiri matokeo yake.”
"Ni utani ambao hauonyeshi matakwa ya watu."
Bw Tsvangirai alizungumza muda mfupi baada ya mtandao wa waangalizi (Zimbabwe Election Support Network-ZESN) kusema kuwa uchaguzi huo ‘umekumbwa na kasoro kubwa".
Katika taarifa yake rasmi ZESN limesema wapiga kura muhimu kufikia asilimia 82 walizuiwa katika vituo vya kupigia kura maeneo ya mijini ambako ni ngome ya Bw Tsvangirai.
Katika maeneo ya vijijini am, ambako ni ngome ya Rais Mugabe ni asilimia 38, kundi hilo limeongeza.
Jumatano wanavijiji, mawakala wa MDC kwenye vituo vya kupigia kura na ZESN walisema kumekuwa na kasoro kadhaa katika baadhi ya maeneo ya jimbo la Masvingo.
Walisema viongozi wa jadi na wakuu wa vijiji waliwapanga watu kwenye mistari na kuwalazimisha kutembea kuelekea vituo vya kupigia kura na kuwapa namba za kupigia kura kama vile kuwahakiki wamempigia kura nani.
Wanatuhumu kuwa kwenye maeneo haya baadhi ya watu wasomi walilazimishwa kujifanya hawajui kusoma na kuandika na wakasaidiwa kupiga kura ambazo zilikuwa ni kwa Zanu-PF.
Msemaji wa Zanu-PF Mtaalam wa Saikolojia Maziwisa alikanusha kuwa wapiga kura wengi wamezuiwa makusudi kujiandikisha.
Amekiri kuwa kulikuwa na kasoro kadhaa lakini akafafanua kuwa vyama vyote vimeathirika.
"Ni muhimu kumbuka kuwa hiyo kwa sehemu ilisababishwa na ukweli kuwa baadhi ya vifaa muhimu Waziri wa Fedha Tendai Biti, anayetoka chama cha MDC alikuwa," Bw Maziwisa aliiambia BBC.
"Ukiaangalia hali ya Zimbabwe utakuwa na hitimisho m

oja tu. Na hii ni juu ya zaidi ya miaka mine iliyopita tumefanya jitihada za kutosha kufanya mazingira ya Zimbabwe yawe mazuri inavyowezekana ili uchaguzi uwe huru na hali.."

Vifo kutokana na HIV vyapungua Afrika

UNAIDS inasema kuwa vifo vinavyotokana na 

HIV vimepungua Afrika kwa asilimia 40

Umoja wa Mataifa umetangaza kwamba Afrika imepiga hatua kubwa katika vita dhidi ya maambukizi ya Ukimwi.

Vifo vinavyotokana na maradhi ya Ukimwi Mashariki na Kusini mwa Afrika vimepungua kwa asili mia 40.
Ripoti ya Shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa linaloshughulika na ukimwi- UNAIDS umehusisha hatua za sasa na kutolewa kwa dawa za kukabiliana na makali ya Ukimwi.
Umoja wa Mataifa umesema mataifa ya Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia na Zimbabwe yamepunguza idadi ya watu wanaokufa kwa ukimwi kwa zaidi ya nusu.
Ripoti hiyo imeongeza kuwa Maradhi nyemelezi ya kifua kikuu pia yamepungua sana tangu mwaka 2005.

Mohammed Morsi yuko salama' Ashton

Ashton alikutana na Morsi ingawa anasema hajui aliko

Mwakilishi wa mambo ya nje katika Muungano wa Ulaya Catherine Ashton amekutana na Rais aliyeondolewa madarakani nchini Misri Mohammed Morsi katika eneo lisilojulikana. Morsi amekuwa akizuiliwa na jeshi tangu kuondolewa madarakani mapema mwezi huu.

Ashton amewaambia waandishi wa habari mjini Cairo kwamba Bw. Morsi alikua salama na kwamba alikubaliwa kutazama habari kwenye runinga na kusoma gazeti.

Taarifa zinazohusiana

• Siasa

Alisema walijadili haja ya Misri kuganga yajayo na kuweka amani.Baroness Ashton amesema mchakato wa utawala mpya sharti ushirikishe pande zote
Msemaji wa Bi Catherene Ashton, alisema kuwa mkutano ulifanyika katika eneo lisilojulikana ambako Morsi anazuiliwa na kuwa ulidumu kwa masaa mawili.
Hakutoa maelezo kuhusu walichokijadili.
Hata hivyo tayari ameshakutana na maafisa kadhaa wa serikali akiwemo rais wa muda Adly Mansour, mkuu wa majeshi, Generali Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi na makamu wa rais wa maswala ya kigeni,Mohamed ElBaradei.
Alisema kuwa atatoa wito kwa pande zote mbili kushirikishwa katika serikali. Ziara ya Ashton ambayo ni ya pili nchini Misri inakuja baada ya wafuasi zaidi ya sabini wa Morsi kuuawa kwenye makabiliano na vikosi vya usalama nchini Misri.
Wafuasi wa kiongozi huyo wamesema kuwa wanapanga kufanya maandamano Jumanne huku serikali ya muda ikiwatahadharisha dhidi ya kuhusika na ghasia na kuwa watakaovunja sheria watachukuliwa hatua.
Maafisa wa usalama pia wametishia kuvunja maandamano ya wafuasi hao waliopiga kambi nje ya medani iliyo karibu na msikiti wa Rabaa al-Adawiya mjini Cairo.

Zimbabwe yapiga kura kupata utawala mpya

Raia wa Zimbabwe wanapiga kura katika uchaguzi wa Urais unaotajwa kuwa na ushindani mkali huku kukiwa na madai ya udanganyifu. Rais Robert Mugabe wa miaka 89 amesema atang'atuka ikiwa yeye na chama chake cha Zanu-PF watashindwa.

Waziri Mkuu Morgan Tsvangirai na chama chake cha Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) wamelalamikia Zanu-PF kwa kuhitilafiana na utaratibu wa uchaguzi ili kunyakua ushindi, lakini chama tawala kimekanusha madai hayo.Shughuli za kampeini zimekua ghasia zozote huku kukiwa na visa vichache sana vya kuwatisha wapiga kura.

Taarifa zinazohusiana

• Afrika

Vyama vya Zanu-PF na MDC viliunda serikali ya muungano mwaka wa 2008 baada ya muafaka wa kumaliza ghasia za baada ya uchaguzi kufuatia matokeo ya Urais yaliyozua utata. Bw.Tsvangirai alishinda awamu ya kwanza, lakini akajiondoa kwa raundi ya pili akilalamikia mashambulizi yaliyolenga wafuasi wake.
Serikali ya Zimbabwe imewapiga marufuku waangalizi wa magharibi kuchunguza uchaguzi wa leo. Hata hivyo Muungano wa Afrika{AU}, Kanda ya Kusini mwa Afrika{SADC} na makundi ya kijamii nchini Zimbabwe yamekubaliwa kufuatilia jinsi uchaguzi utakavyoendeshwa.
Watu milioni 6.4 wamejiandikisha kupiga kura hii, na maelfu walijitokeza kwenye kampeini za uchaguzi. Matokeo yanatarajiwa kutolewa kwa siku tano zijazo.Mwandishi wa BBC aliyeko Harare amesema kuna foleni ndefu katika vituo vya kupigia kura leo ikiwa siku ya mapumzoko kuhakikisha raia wanapata nafasi ya kuamua serikali mpya.
Mshindi wa moja kwa moja sharti apate asili mia 50 ya kura zote kutangazwa Rais. Ikiwa hakuna mgombea atapata kura hizo, raundi ya pili imepangwa kufanyika Septemba 11. Uchaguzi huu ndio wa kwanza kufanyika Zimbabwe chini ya katiba mpya iliyopitishwa mnamo mwezi Machi mwaka huu.

Mgomo wa wanafunzi wa sekondari ya Lutheran Junior seminari umeingia siku ya 2.

Mgomo wa wanafunzi wa shule ya sekondari ya Lutheran junior Seminary inayomilikiwa na kanisa la kilutheri Tanzania umeingia siku ya pili baada ya wanafunzi  kugoma kutwa nzima kuingia madarasani na kuandamana katika barabara ya Morogoro Dar es Salaam na kulazimu jeshi la polisi kuingilia kati kuzuia maandamano.

 Wanafunzi hao wamesikika wakiimba wanataka kuonana na askofu mkuu wa KKKT Alex Malasusa huku wakiwa na mabango yenye jumbe mbalimbali ambapo wakiwa njiani katika barabara ya Morogoro Dar es Salaam jeshi la polisi walisitisha maandamano kwa madai ya kutofuata taratibu za kuomba kibali.

Wanafunzi hao walilazimika kurudi shuleni kwa maandamano wakisindikizwa na ulinzi wa jeshi la polisi lakini walipofika shuleni hapo mambo yalionekana kuwa magumu zaidi hata hivyo hawakutaka kusikiliza walimu na ikamlazimu mkuu wa wilaya Saidi Amanzi kufika shuelni hapo na kuzungumza na uongozi ni wa shule ambapo amesema inawalazimu kusubiri viongozi wa KKKT kutoka makao mjini Arusha .

Kwa upande wao wanafunzi wamesema wataendelea na mgomo huo kutokana na ahadi zilizotolewa kushindwa kutekelezeka na kushinikiza kutaka kuonana na askofu mkuu Alex Malalasusa ili awasaidie kutatua kero zao.

The West is stuck in a dilemma over Egypt - it cannot endorse Mohammed Morsi's overthrow, but neither does it want to condemn the coup. On top of that, the US and the EU barely have any leverage over Cairo.

The western governments are caught on the horns of a dilemma over Egypt. Their silence on the military putsch against elected president Mohammed Morsi makes their insistence on democracy appear dishonest, but if they condemn Morsi's removal on July 3 too strongly, and refuse to cooperate with the new interim government, they will be relinquishing whatever influence they still have in Cairo.
According to Günter Meyer, director of the Center for Research into the Arab World at the University of Mainz, the West is desperate to maintain some kind of influence over Egypt, which has played a key role in US and European Middle East strategy for decades. Moreover, the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood is not exactly a bad thing for either the US or the German government, Mayer told DW, even though it conflicts with the West's claim of upholding democratic values: "Whichever way you want to turn it, it's clear that this is a military putsch."

 

Thousands of people turned out in Cairo to support the military coup in July

Democracy no priority under Mubarak
"We haven't just been stuck in this dilemma since Morsi's removal," says Christian Achrainer, Egypt expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). Even during the long reign of dictator Hosni Mubarak, which ended in 2011, the West valued stability above all else. The US and the EU were interested mainly in the security of their energy supply, the fight against terrorism, and the continuation of the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Calls for democracy and respect for human rights were kept in the background.
After the 2011 revolution, politicians and diplomats were forced into balancing strategic interests and rhetoric. Right now, hardly anyone in the West wants Morsi to be returned to office. And yet the call for power to be handed to a new elected government is at the top of the list of demands. The priority for governments in Europe and the US is that there is no further escalation of violence.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called on the Egyptian authorities to "allow peaceful demonstrations and do everything to prevent further escalation," while the EU called for the release of all political prisoners, including Morsi. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, currently in Egypt, wants to move both the interim government and the Muslim Brotherhood, which supports Morsi, to dialogue. US Secretary of State John Kerry, for his part, also called for an end to the bloodshed. Last weekend alone, at least 80 people were killed in violent clashes on the streets.
No pressure on Cairo
Beyond the calls for calm, dialogue, and the return to democracy, the question remains: what leverage does the West have? The US transfers $1.5 billion (1.1 billion euros) to the Egyptian military every year. According to US law, this aid cannot be given to a government that has come to power through a coup.
According to Meyer, the Egyptian military knows only too well that Washington will not stop the payments: the strategic cooperation with the Egyptian army is simply too important to the US. The US government has put its national interests first and refused to describe the removal of Morsi as a coup. "This law has not shown itself to be a real weapon in any attempt to reverse the military coup or to apply pressure," says Meyer.

 

At the same time, thousands of Morsi's supporters were outraged by his overthrow

The EU, for its part, barely has any leverage to influence developments in Cairo. Brussels can attach its aid and development programs to certain conditions, but Achrainer thinks that will have little impact. For one thing, the crisis-ridden EU lacks the financial means to make offers that could move the powerbrokers in Cairo to change course. For another thing, it is difficult for EU member states to find common ground for such offers. Achrainer thinks that easier access for Egyptian agricultural produce would be something that would interest the leadership in Cairo. But "while the Scandinavian countries may be ready to open the market in agricultural areas, the southern European states would be against it."
No one to talk to
It's not only leverage that's lacking. Achrainer says that there are few negotiating partners in Egypt willing to talk about democracy. The most important players in the country's escalating power struggle are the Muslim Brotherhood and the military. "Neither of them are players that you would really call pro-democratic," says Achrainer. "At the moment, we don't have any real partners to support." On top of that, he added, a one-sided show of support for this or that camp would create widespread outrage in the divided country.
Achrainer believes that the best course of action for the West at the moment is restraint. There is little to be gained from any kind of dogmatic demand. On top of this, contacts will have to be re-built with several political groups. "In the current crisis, we unfortunately just have to accept that the opportunities for having any influence are very slight," he concludes.