'Crazy' to say Facebook helped Trump win - Zuckerberg

Facing criticism that fake news on Facebook aided the rise of Donald Trump, founder Mark Zuckerberg has strongly defended his network.

Speaking on stage at Techonomy, a technology conference in California, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook should not be held responsible.
"The idea that fake news on Facebook influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea," he said.
"If you believe that then I don't think you have internalized the message Trump supporters are trying to send in this election."
Some data has shown that fake stories were being far more widely shared on the platform than follow up stories debunking the claims.
For an increasing number of people, particularly Americans, Facebook is becoming the primary source of news coverage.
The site's News Feed is specifically designed to show users content it thinks will be of most interest, creating what some describe as a "filter bubble" that reinforces a person's view without injecting differences in opinion.

'Work to do'

Earlier this year, Facebook was accused of being anti-Trump after it was alleged its human moderators were favouring liberal stories from appearing in people's "trending stories" box.
While denying that claim, the site did sack its human team, instead relying solely on an algorithm to determine which stories were shown to be most popular.
As a consequence, stories which were later proved entirely false appeared on the timelines of a large number of users.
When asked about checks and balances needed to keep a company like Facebook in line, Mr Zuckerberg said it was about "listening to what people want".
"My goal, and what I care about, is giving people the power to share so we can make the world more open and connected. That requires building a good version of News Feed. We still have work to do on that. We’re going to keep improving it.
"On the community guidelines, I think as norms change and people want to see more news, I think we'll have to continue to evolve the guidelines to reflect the value that the community holds."
At the same event, Mr Zuckerberg offered an optimistic view of Mr Trump's presidency, saying that his goals of improving global healthcare and connectivity did not necessarily require the co-operation of government.

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[Rwanda] Kagame Is Building Another Mirage

Kagame has sold to the world that he transformed Rwanda into the Singapore of Africa. He is now embarking on transforming the entire African Union. Kagame says he is about to turn the AU into an effective self-financing institution that needs no donations from foreign powers.
If you believe this, you are the most hopeful soul on planet earth.
In any event, today in Kigali, Kagame assembled his team that will perform his mirage, including his protégée Donald Kaberuka. Kagame was given the mandate to do so when he hosted the African Union Summit in Kigali in July 2016.
So how did Kagame manage to manoeuvre himself into the builder of the African Union? What is he after? Here are the possible motivational factors driving him. Drop your views in my inbox, or propose your own explanation:
1) Kagame wants to be recognized as an African statesman despite the pending charges for possible genocide in DR Congo.
2) Kagame wants to become the African Union Chairman in 2017 in attempt to improve his reputation in the same year that he will formally grab power in Rwanda.
3) Kagame has merely found an opportunity and grabbed it. With Nigeria and South Africa that usually lead Africa now engulfed in their own economic and political crises, Kagame hijacked the Union for his own self-promotion.
4) Kagame wants to leave power in Rwanda cleanly in 2017; the African Union project will give him a lasting legacy that he so badly needs.
5) None of the above. The real issue is………

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[Tanzania] ICC advised to engage in dialogue with member states

TANZANIA has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to engage its member states in dialogue, most especially African countries, in addressing the continent’s concerns over it.

Addressing the General Assembly on Agenda Item 71 on the Report of the International Criminal Court, Tanzania’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tuvako Manongi, underscored the importance in building trust and confidence among members and the court through dialogue.

“We must also undertake deliberate effort to talk to each other...we must invest in building trust and confidence among members and the court: as its work become complex and affects member states, it must listen while remaining true to its mission,” he noted.

The ICC has been accused of biases by some African leaders, accusing the Court for indicting only suspects from Africa. This has prompted South Africa, Burundi and Gambia to rescind their membership. Since the Rome treaty came into force in 2002, only four people have been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity; three from Congo and one from Mali.

Ambassador Manongi said the court’s turbulent relationship with Africa has triggered fear of mass departure from the court, stressing that “misunderstandings when left unattended or dismissed as inconsequential grow into regrettable outcomes.”

“Lectures and claims of high moral ground from outside of the continent are unhelpful. Recognising and overcoming avoidable pitfalls associated with a new and evolving institution such as the court is essential if it is to continue to grow and strengthen,” he stressed.

The Tanzanian representative expressed concern that some permanent members can use their position in the Security Council to refer a matter to the court while are themselves not parties to the court’s statute. “While the report claims the capacity of the Security Council to refer a situation to the Court is crucial to promote accountability, it remains a matter of great concern to us that some permanent members can use their position in the Security Council to refer a matter to the Court while are themselves not parties to the Court’s Statute.

The political nature of the Security Council can also undercut the legitimacy of the process,” he stressed. He also pointed out that greater investments by ICC should be directed in encouraging and enabling member states to perform their own programmes of justices and accountability in dealing with human rights violations.

He said States must be effective not only because of the need to prevent ICC’s intervention in domestic affairs but because it is the duty of each state to protect its citizenry, citing tragedies in Central Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Sierra- Leone as illustrative of the risks and dangers that must be guarded against.

Ambassador Manongi welcomed the report of the ICC presented by the President of the Court, Justice Silvia Fernandez de Gumendi, noting that it (report) presents a picture of an institution that is growing but also facing different challenges and opportunities.

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[Tanzania] Each local government should build high school: govt

All municipals and town councils have been directed to at least have one high school in a bid to reduce the increasing number of form four graduates who miss chances.



The Deputy Minister in the President's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Mr Suleiman Jafo, said today during questions and answers session in the parliament.
The deputy minister said following increasing number of those missing chances to continue with form five and six educations, time is ripe to introduce those schools at each local government.

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[Kenya] ODM raises nomination fees, sets deadline for aspirants

Orange Democratic Movement National Elections Board chairperson Judy Pareno addresses reporters at Orange House in Nairobi on December 10, 2014. ODM has set November 30 as the deadline for applications from aspirants seeking to run on its tickets in the 2017 polls.

The Orange Democratic Movement's National Elections Board (NEB) has unveiled the party's nomination plan for 2017.

The board says those seeking the party's ticket to run for president will pay a nomination fee of Sh1 million, governors will part with Sh500,000, and senators and members of Parliament will pay Sh250,000.

Ward representatives will pay Sh25,000 while those classified under special interest groups, including the disabled, women and youth, will pay Sh15,000.

Board chairperson Judy Pareno said the party hiked the nomination fees to raise money to run primaries.

Candidates have until November 30 to officially submit their nominations.

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[Kenya] PAC warns Cleopa Mailu against hiring private auditor to probe Sh5bn scam

Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu. The National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee on November 2, 2016 warned him against hiring a private auditor to look into the questionable spending of Sh5 billion at the ministry. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

A House committee has warned Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu that he may be forced to pay from his pocket if he hires a private auditor to verify questionable ministry spending amounting to Sh5.3 billion.

Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Nicholas Gumbo on Tuesday called out Dr Mailu's suggestion of an external auditor to probe the scandal, saying it does not make sense.

Dr Mailu had accused the internal auditor of leaking an incomplete audit report to the media, and said he would hire an independent external auditor to verify the corruption claims.

This came as claims emerged that Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri had attempted to remove the ministry’s internal auditor “for constantly producing qualified audit reports on the ministry’s spending".

SURCHARGED

Speaking to Nation.co.ke, Mr Gumbo claimed it was illegal for the ministry to employ an external auditor, adding that only the Auditor-General is mandated to audit government accounts.

“If he does that (seeking external auditor), he will have a lot of explanations to make to the PAC with a guaranteed risk that he will be personally surcharged,” Mr Gumbo said.

“In fact, if the minister invites 'external auditors' he shall have violated the clear provisions of Article 226(3) of our Constitution which states, inter-alia, that '...the accounts of all Government and State organs shall be audited by the Auditor-General'". 

Mr Gumbo, also the Rarieda MP, said not only will the minister be surcharged, but “he shall have invited upon himself the process of being removed from office. He must stand warned.” 

The PAC chairman spoke as ODM leaders claimed the government was trying to cover up the scandal by seeking the services of an external auditor.

GRAND COVER-UP

ODM Secretary-General Agnes Zani, Political Affairs Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Deputy Organising Secretary Florence Mutua and Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo said Dr Mailu appears to be blaming the internal auditor for the scandal.

“How could an internal auditor spuriously find that money is missing and it is not missing?” asked Dr Zani.

Mr Wandayi said calls by Dr Mailu for an external auditor were part of the grand cover-up designed by and implemented from State House.

“There's no need for more audits. What's required is swift action on the issues raised in the internal audit report,” he said.

Ms Mutua questioned whether it was proper order to waste taxpayers’ money to audit an already audited account. 

SHUT UP

“How do you audit an audit report? They just want to cover up so as to save the untouchables," said the Busia woman representative. 

"Kenya is sinking as Kenyans watch. We have never been through such terrifying times.”

Mr Midiwo cautioned Dr Mailu to handle the scandal with care, noting that it happened long before he was named the Cabinet secretary. 

“He (Dr Mailu) should shut up. He is putting a rope on his neck,” the Gem MP said. 

On Tuesday, Health ministry internal auditor Bernard Muchere was questioned by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers in connection with the audit report.

Also interrogated was head of accounts Joyce Mutungi. 

The team is expected to begin interrogating Mr Muraguri and head of finance Peter Odundo on Tuesday.

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The Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton not running for president

They have two of the most recognizable names in America, but neither of them is running for president.

Meet Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Clinton runs music festivals across America, and Trump heads up a cancer institute in Virginia.

Their names have always raised some eyebrows, they say, but in an election year, it's getting them a whole lot more attention.

Hillary Clinton, festival organizer

 

Hillary Clinton backstage at a festival in Northern Florida a week before election day

Hillary Clinton, a fun-loving twenty something from New Orleans, Louisiana, is quick to point out that she was not named after Hillary Rodham Clinton.

 

"I am from Louisiana, she was the first lady of Arkansas," Clinton says, referring to when she was born.

 

Not surprisingly, her Louisiana parents hadn't heard of the other Hillary Clinton at the time.

Her father, Phillip, not Phil, Clinton, confirmed to us that her name is indeed a coincidence.

Shortly after Hillary Rodham Clinton moved into the White House in 1993, Hillary's mother wrote to the first lady about her namesake. "How interesting to learn of another Hillary Clinton!" The first lady wrote back, "Perhaps we will meet sometime in the future."

Name recognition

It wouldn't be until 1998, when news of the Lewinsky scandal broke, that sharing a name with the first lady would become a problem for Hillary Clinton, a seven-year-old in elementary school at the time.

 

First Lady Hillary Clinton replied to a letter sent by her namesake's mother in 1993

"I didn't really understand what the act was that had happened, so the jokes didn't make sense to me and the attention was not attention I was looking for, so I actually changed my name for a few months," Clinton explained to CNN, sitting in the middle of Suwannee Hulaween, a music festival she helped organize over the Halloween weekend in Northern Florida.

Part of her job involves liaising with performing artists and their agents.

"My emails sometimes get ignored and I have to send multiple follow-ups. People think I'm part of the campaign or they think it's spam," Clinton says.

She's not kidding.

 

"I asked my agent if her name was a joke," one performer from France told CNN at the Suwannee Hulaween festival.

 

You don't want these two names in 2016 02:00

 

'Facebook, I want my name back'

 

Having the name Hillary Clinton on social media isn't always easy. "I get tagged in so many Hillary Clinton posts," Clinton says. "Positive and negative memes and photos."

Her Facebook account has been suspended on multiple occasions, with the social network giant thinking her name a fake. She sent Facebook officials her driver's license some years ago but her account was again subsequently blocked. Today, in fact, she goes by "Hill Clinton."

"Facebook, if you're listening, I want my name back," she says.

 

'Screwed either way'

 

Clinton says that although she won't be voting for Trump as she is "scared of him," she's torn because she knows sharing a name with a president could be even more troublesome.

"I'm screwed either way. If Hillary Clinton wins, then it's just going to get worse ... for me," she says.

Dr. Donald Trump, CEO, Inova Schar Cancer Institute

 

Dr Donald Trump says he'll be voting for Hillary Clinton

 

Dr. Donald Trump has been working in the medical field for more than 40 years. He now runs a cancer institute in Virginia and although he says he'll be voting for Hillary Clinton next Tuesday, he has courted "The Donald" for donations for medical research in the past.

Dr. Trump first became aware of the other Donald Trump in the late 1970s when the businessman began showing up in the New York tabloids.

The pair have interacted sporadically throughout the years.

Going bald

In 2010, Donald J. Trump picked up the phone to ask Dr. Trump for a favor. The son of a close friend of his was hoping to get into a clinical trial at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, where Dr. Trump was working at the time.

"I'm happy to say that neither Mr. Trump nor I had any impact on that decision. That process and the entry of the young man on the clinical trial was well underway when I received the call," Dr. Trump told CNN during an interview at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Virginia, where he now serves as CEO and Executive Director.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Dr. Trump used the contact from Mr. Trump to tell him about some of the work performed at Roswell Park and explained to him that they would soon be holding a "Bald for Bucks" fundraiser.

The Donald politely declined to part with his famous locks, but sent a video message wishing Roswell Park well and made a "generous donation," Dr. Trump said.

Sometime after the fundraiser, the two Donalds met at Trump Tower in New York. Dr. Trump described Mr. Trump as engaging, and interested in the doctor's work.

The doctor hinted at Mr. Trump's braggadocio, but said he wasn't as flamboyant as he is on the campaign trail. He was "clearly successful and wasn't unhappy to make sure I knew he was successful," Dr. Trump said.

 

Trump not voting Trump 

 

Despite his previous interactions with the Republican nominee for president, Dr. Trump said that his politics have long been left of center and that he plans on voting for Hillary Clinton next Tuesday.

"I have always felt kinship with Democratic political theories and approaches," he said, being careful not to comment directly on his namesake's politics.

 

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Good Afternoon! and Welcome to Sport Day

Hello and welcome to Sportsday.
Pep Guardiola will have been ticking off the days until this one for the last two weeks. Tonight is his chance to avenge the 4-0 defeat he suffered on his return to Barcelona in October.
Manchester City hosting the Spanish giants is the big story of tonight's Champions League line-up, which also sees Arsenal and Celtic in action.
We'll be building up to that throughout the day, as well as bringing you sporting news and football gossip as it breaks.
Let's get cracking with a look at this morning's newspaper headlines.

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[Tuesday's Sports] Winning the group is our prime target and Five More stories This Tuesday's on TheTopic

Arsene Wenger leads his Arsenal side to Bulgaria tonight, to take on Ludogrets Razgrad, with his sights firmly set on topping the group they share with French champions Paris St Germain.

Those two drew 1-1 in France in September, and Wenger believes that home advantage in the return fixture plays into his team's hands, with the sides currently level on seven points.

"It's our prime target to win the group," said Wenger, whose team are second in the Premier League. "We have a home game with PSG to come so we have a good opportunity."

'It's a final for us'

Beneath the Guardiola narrative, Manchester City have a very base motive for winning tonight - fail to and their progression from the group stages of this season's Champions League no longer look certain.

City currently have four points from three games, with Borussia Monchengladbach on three ahead of hosting Celtic tonight.

"We dropped two points against Celtic, so we have to recover those points," said Guardiola.

"It's not a final for them, it is a final for us," he added.

There will be no change until the last day of my career

When Pep Guardiola imagined himself returning to the Nou Camp with his new Manchester City side, the last thing he would have pictured was a 4-0 loss with his goalkeeper joining him in the stands after a red card and his old charge Lionel Messi walking off with the match ball.

Claudio Bravo, who replaced Joe Hart in the summer due to Guardiola's preference for a sweeper keeper, was sent off for handling outside his box after a misplaced pass. But the Spanish manager said afterwards that he would refuse to reconsider his principles. 

"There will be no change. Until the last day of my career as a coach I will try to play from our keeper," he said.

Willy Caballero will replace the suspended Bravo tonight - let's hope he's good with his feet as well as his hands.

Tuesday's Mood 

Cesc Fabregas could be set to join the England captain on the Rooject pile, with Chelsea preparing to send the Spain midfielder out on loan, according to the Times.

The 29-year-old has made just four league appearances under Antonio Conte this season.

How bad can things get for Wayne Rooney? Dropped by club and country, booed by his own fans at international level and now this.

Sven-Goran Eriksson will not be taking the Manchester United captain skipper to Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG.

Poor Wayne will be sobbing into his cheerios.

Sticking on the Barcelona theme, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has told the Telegraph that Lionel Messi will not be joining the Premier League - or any other league - any time soon.
You've been warned, Pep!

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Hillary Clinton - Candidate for President of the United States

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton  born October 26, 1947) is an American politician and the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election. She served as the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, the junior United States Senator representing New York from 2001 to 2009, First Lady of the United States during the presidency of her husband Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, and First Lady of Arkansas during his governorship from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1992.

Born in Chicago and raised in the suburban town of Park Ridge, Illinois, Clinton attended Wellesley College, graduating in 1969, and earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1973. After serving as a congressional legal counsel, she moved to Arkansas and married Bill Clinton in 1975. In 1977, she co-founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She was appointed the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978 and became the first woman partner at Rose Law Firm the following year. As First Lady of Arkansas, she led a task force whose recommendations helped reform Arkansas's public schools, and served on several corporate boards.

As First Lady of the United States, Clinton led the unsuccessful effort to enact the Clinton health care plan of 1993. In 1997 and 1999, she helped create the State Children's Health Insurance Program. She also tackled the problems of adoption and family safety and foster care. At the 1995 UN conference on women (held in Beijing), Clinton stated in a then controversial and influential speech, that "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights". Her marriage survived the Lewinsky scandal of 1998, and her role as first lady drew a polarized response from the public.

Clinton was elected in 2000 as the first female senator from New York, the only first lady ever to seek elective office. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, she voted to approve the war in Afghanistan. She also voted for the Iraq Resolution (a vote she later said she regretted). She took a leading role in investigating the health issues faced by 9/11 first responders. She voted against the Bush tax cuts. She voted against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She was re-elected to the Senate in 2006. Running for president in 2008, she won far more delegates than any previous female candidate, but lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama.

As Secretary of State in the Obama Administration from 2009 to 2013, Clinton responded to the Arab Spring, during which she advocated the U.S. military intervention in Libya. She helped organize a diplomatic isolation and international sanctions regime against Iran, in an effort to force curtailment of that country's nuclear program; this would eventually lead to the multinational Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement in 2015. Leaving office after Obama's first term, she wrote her fifth book and undertook speaking engagements before announcing her second presidential run in the 2016 election.

Clinton received the most votes and primary delegates in the 2016 Democratic primaries, formally accepting her party's nomination for President of the United States on July 28, 2016, with vice presidential running mate Senator Tim Kaine. She became the first female candidate to be nominated for president by a major U.S. political party. As part of her 2016 platform, she has emphasized raising incomes, improvements to the Affordable Care Act and reform of campaign finance and Wall Street.

She favors allowing pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, expanding and protecting LGBT and women's rights, and instituting family support through paid parental leave and universal preschool.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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US election 2016: Clinton camp blasts FBI 'double standards'

The Clinton campaign has blasted FBI Director James Comey for "blatant double standards" over the new inquiry into Hillary Clinton's email use. 

The comments came after US media reports that Mr Comey had urged against publicly accusing Russia of interfering in the US election, including alleged email hacking.
Mr Comey's concern about releasing the information was due to the proximity to the election, reports say.
The FBI declined to comment to the BBC.
The statement that Mr Comey reportedly declined to sign off on was released by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on 7 October.
"The US intelligence community is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organisations... these thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process," it said.
Mr Comey agreed with the statement but was against making it public before the election, according to US media.

• Clinton emails - what's it all about?
• Clinton FBI probe: What we know
• Anthony Weiner: Behind the scenes of a political marriage

There have been allegations that Russian hackers have targeted the Democrats in an effort to skew the election in favour of Donald Trump.
"It is impossible to view this as anything less than a blatant double standard," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said. He also called on Mr Comey to "immediately explain this incongruence and apply the same standard to Donald Trump's associates as he has applied to Hillary Clinton's."
Mr Comey has faced a fierce backlash for announcing on Friday, just 11 days before the presidential election, that the FBI is investigating new emails that may be linked to its probe into Mrs Clinton's private email server.

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Power tariffs up by 20 per cent in Isles

THE Zanzibar Electricity Company (ZECO) has announced an increase of power tariff by 20 per cent effective from today (November 1) aimed at minimising running costs, Isles Energy Minister Ms Salama Aboud Talib said in a press statement yesterday.

She, however, said that ZECO had reduced service charges for small and large industries.

“The government has for long been providing electricity to its people with subsidised tariffs. We still consider economic challenges facing most of the people, but we raised so as the consumers help ZECO run smoothly, “said the minister.

She announced that for the lifeline (or home use) consuming up to 50 units, the new tariff is 79/- -- up from 66/- per unit; consumers using above 51 units, will have to pay 480/- instead of 400/- per unit; while consumers (using up to 1, 500 units) under the general services tariff, will pay 266/- -- up from 222/- per unit.

Tariff for small industries has been increased from 172/- to 206/-; large industries from 141/- to 169/-; while for street light it would now be 266/- from 222/- per unit.

Ms Talib said the service charges for home uses had not been affected, but for small industries, it has been reduced from 16,500/- to 10,500/- while large/big industries will from today pay 150,000/- instead of 240,000/ per month. For kilo-volt-ampere for special needs, the tariff has gone up from 15,000/- to 16,000/-.

“Despite the increase, our tariffs for domestic use remain low compared to those on Tanzania Mainland. We ask all our customers to appreciate the government’s efforts to maintain low tariffs,” Ms Talib said. Zanzibar imports its electricity from the Mainland.

Source dailynews.co.tz

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