Scientists at Johns Hopkins University may be one step closer to eradicating debilitating heart diseases in humans, particularly those caused by excessive buildup of cholesterol.
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You can now use Google Street View to explore locations all over the world, including some of the top zoos, national parks and even the ocean floor.
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Kenya's ethnic Somalis have faced massacres and systematic intimidation, but can they now survive al-Shabab?
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| A typical street scenario in Mogadishu Somalia |
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The device is made from more than 1,000 pins that react to
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| Egyptian geographer Claudius Ptolemy and Hiawatha Bray's "You Are Here" |
Here are 13 pivotal moments in the history of GPS tracking and digital mapping.
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Whether they're working or playing, Beyoncé & Jay Z apparently just can't get enough of one other!
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You might have changed all your passwords in the days since you learned of the Heartbleed bug, but if you're one of millions of people using certain Android devices, you might still be vulnerable.
Prophecies abound of BlackBerry's demise, but the Canadian smartphone company is still making investments -- including collaborating with Patrick Soon-Shiong, founder of health care IT company NantHealth and mobile innovator NantMobile, to create what Soon-Shiong calls a "novel" smartphone.
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Google announced the plan last week. "Every day, we get requests from those of you who haven’t found a way into the program yet, and we want your feedback too," the company wrote in a blog post.
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When NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden first emailed Glenn Greenwald, he insisted on using email encryption software called PGP for all communications. But this month, we learned that Snowden used another technology to keep his communications out of the NSA’s prying eyes. It’s called Tails. And naturally, nobody knows exactly who created it.
Attention, weather superfans: El Niño might be coming back. And this time, we could be in for a big one.
Thirty-three years later, artist Robert Tinney's concept smartwatch is worth at least a thousand words.
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Syria is the most dangerous place in the world for journalists. More than 60 have been killed there since the war began, and many others have been kidnapped, becoming pawns in the conflict. The author picks up the trail of two colleagues, Austin Tice and Jim Foley, who vanished in 2012.
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On a trip to Moscow early in her tenure as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton played the role of international saleswoman, pressing Russian government officials to sign a multibillion-dollar deal to buy dozens of aircraft from Boeing.
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A vocal CORD MP in a spat with renowned blogger, Robert
Alai, has asserted that the outspoken blogger deserves to die, and not just die
but be put down like a vicious dog he is because of his verbal diarrhoea.
 |
| Nominated MP Isaac Mwaura |
The nominated MP, Isaac Mwaura, in a text message he sent
to Alai, said that Robert Alai deserves to die because of what he termed as his
malicious attacks and vendetta against him, amongst them, Alai’s assertion that Mwaura was
the one behind the ODM chaotic nominations that culminated to the calling off
of ODM elections in February this year.
 |
| Blogger Robert Alai |
Mwaura spoke a day after renowned Human Rights activist,
Dr David Matsanga and TNA insider, Moses Kuria, were allegedly caught red
handed planning how to kill Robert Alai for being a critic of the Jubilee Government.
Here’s something the White House probably didn’t see
coming: It turns out the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s big
health-reform effort, could affect the cost of other types of insurance. And
unlike several unwelcome surprises that have undermined support for the ACA,
this development might save consumers a few bucks.
 |
| USA President, Barack Obama |
The biggest open question about Obamacare, as the ACA is
known, is how it will change the market for medical care and the health of
people newly covered by insurance. But Obamacare is also likely to change the
market for other types of insurance as well, with researchers just beginning to
probe how that might play out.
A new study by the nonprofit Rand Corp. finds Obamacare is
likely to lower the cost of auto insurance and worker’s compensation plans,
while raising the cost of medical malpractice coverage for doctors and other
healthcare providers. The connection between Obamacare and other types of
insurance might not seem obvious, but it’s intuitive once you think about how
insurance works.
A meaningful drop
Most auto insurance, for instance, includes coverage for
medical costs when people are injured in a crash — including the person paying
for the policy and unknown third parties who might be injured as well. With
Obamacare, however, more people will have regular health insurance, leading to
fewer claims against auto insurers for medical costs. On top of that,
healthcare insurers typically negotiate the lowest costs for medical care,
since they effectively buy in bulk. Auto insurers don’t, and are more likely to
pay “list price” for medical services. So fewer medical claims could lead to a
meaningful drop in costs for auto insurers.
In some states — mostly those with the lowest Obamacare
participation rates — the drop might be too small to notice. But Rand estimates
that in states such as Florida, Colorado, Montana, Oregon and several others,
costs could decline by somewhere between 3% and 5% by 2016, which would surely
be a welcome savings to insurers. If they were to pass on the savings to
customers through lower premiums, a driver with a $1,000 annual premium would
save $30 to $50, with higher savings for people with costlier policies, such as
families with teenage drivers.
The cost of workers' compensation coverage could fall for
similar reasons — it sometimes pays for medical bills that may now be covered
by private health insurance. Cost savings could hit 1% to 2% in many states,
with insurers passing on some of that saving to businesses that pay for
coverage.
A different dynamic is likely to affect the market for
medical malpractice coverage. With more people insured, there are likely to be
more medical procedures, more problems and more malpractice claims. Rand
estimates overall malpractice claims — which have been declining during the
last decade — could increase by 5% or so under Obamacare. More claims will
boost payouts by insurers and therefore raise the cost of coverage, by an
average of about 3.4% in Rand’s diagnosis.
Longer-term changes?
Obamacare could change the insurance industry in other
ways that are harder to predict and might take longer to play out. Many states
require no-fault auto insurance, so coverage is available no matter what in
accidents that cause costly injuries. But as more people have health insurance,
states may decide no-fault auto coverage is no longer needed. Since no-fault tends
to be more expensive than traditional coverage, that could be another source of
savings.
The same could go for workers' comp, with states possibly
deciding it’s less important to include medical coverage in such policies, and
maybe even questioning the need for workers' comp altogether. “If most of the
population has private health insurance that can provide treatment immediately
following an injury,” the Rand study theorizes, “this rationale for the
existence of [workers' comp] is undermined.”
It also stands to reason that, if more people have health
insurance, then more people will get needed medical care and the overall health
of the U.S. population will improve. There’s no guarantee that will happen, but
if it does, then healthcare costs could decline overall, pushing insurance
costs lower, while Americans also enjoy the less measurable benefits of better
health. President Obama can only wish.
Only yesterday German e-commerce incubator and cloning
giant Rocket Internet and MTN partnered to develop internet businesses in
Africa through Africa Internet Holding (AIH), a vehicle to develop e-commerce
businesses across the continent (alongside partner Millicom International
Cellular).
They took a 1/3 stake but the value was undisclosed. It’s already
developed a number of e-commerce ventures in the last 18 months, including
Jumia, Zando, Kaymu, Jovago, Lamudi, Carmudi, Easytaxi and Hellofood.
The veritable scramble
for Africa is continuing, with the news that iROKOtv, the Africa-based movie
platform for Nigerian movies (known colloquially as ‘Nollywood’) has closed a
funding round of $8 million, led by existing investor Tiger Global, with
further participation from Sweden-based Kinnevik. A new investor to this round
is US-based Rise Capital. This brings the total raised to $21 million, which
makes iROKOtv one of the best well funded internet companies in Africa today.
iROKOtv a Video-on-Demand (VOD) platform for African
content which claims one million monthly users.
To-date, the capital raised has been used to acquire
content, expand the London-based tech team, develop mobile websites and
applications and open offices in London, New York and Johannesburg, alongside
the company’s Lagos headquarters.
iROKOtv now claims to hold the world’s largest online
catalogue of African content, with over 5,000 movies watched in over 178
countries.
The new capital will be used to flip the company’s
audience from a primarily Diaspora base to an African base, as well as
migrating from a largely ad-supported model to subscription service.
Currently, 50% of iROKOtv’s audience is located in the UK
and US.
Clearly the aim here is to become the Netflix for Africa.
Credit: Mike Butcher
Credit: Mike Butcher
This is a list of some of the most influential people in
the society – but this time, they are people who never existed.
10. Santa Claus
What child has not been frightened into behaving thanks to
the ever-present youthful fear of Santa not providing come Christmas? Almost
all western children were told by their parents that Santa would leave them
nothing if they misbehaved. I speak from experience when I say that it was one
of the most effective methods of stopping tantrums! Funnily enough, though, the
fear always dissipates on Christmas Eve as you just know that Santa will be
coming – even if you did slip up a few times.
9. Barbie
As Barbie has progressed from a pretty young woman to whom
all girls could aspire, to something often verging on the likeness of a harlot,
one can wonder whether it was Barbie influencing children, or children
influencing Barbie. There are certainly many similarities. Barbie has depicted
almost every possible female lifestyle choice and I think there can be no doubt
that she has been at the start of the path many women have taken in life.
8. Robin Hood
This could potentially lead to a debate about whether Hood
existed or not, but I am of the opinion that he did not. Therefore, he is
listed as my number eight on the list. I am sure we have all heard someone
justifying theft because the victim is wealthy – and where did this
justification come from? Not just the principles of redistribution of wealth
that many of us live under in Western Society (read envy taxes) but the fact
that to this day, we are all raised believing Robin Hood was a hero – when, in
fact, he was a thief. Stealing is almost always wrong, and just because Robin
Hood gave the proceeds of his crimes to poor people, it is not a valid
justification. As for the previously mentioned taxes, there is every reason for
us to believe that the majority of people accept these taxes because of their
prior belief in the false morality of the Robin Hood story.
7. Cowboys
This is one for the boys obviously! Even in remote New
Zealand where I grew up, all the boys played “Cowboys and Indians”. The cowboy
was a great hero with a shining gun who represented the morality of Western
ideals: manliness, defense of justice, protection of women and children. No
doubt many now cringe at the lack of political correctness involved in the game
and stereotype, but kids aren’t politically correct (thank God) and certainly
won’t be hindered because of it. The influence of the Cowboy movie genre is
indisputable an immense one. Oh – and for those who say “but cowboys are real!”
– yes – but this is about the concept – not about a specific person – just as
we might say Santa existed as St Nicholas, the concept is bigger than any one
person.
6. The Marlboro Man
How many men reading this list who smoke, are smoking
cigarettes with filters? Venturing a guess I would say all of them.
Before the Marlboro Man campaign began, “real men” didn’t smoke cigarettes with
filters – they were for women. The aim of the Marlboro Man campaign was
primarily to get men smoking filtered marlboro cigarettes. The influence of the
campaign is abundantly clear today. The campaign is considered to be one of the
best in all history. According to Wikipedia, it transformed a feminine
campaign, with the slogan ‘Mild as May’, into one that was masculine, in a
matter of months.
5. Rosie The Riveter
And now another for the girls! Rosie the Riveter may not
be a familiar name, but her picture certainly is. Rosie the Riveter told women
that they can do anything – and they did! Rosie managed to motivate an entire
generation of working-age women to get out of the home and in to factories to
help the war effort. This is probably one of the most influential events of the
Second World War. Once the floodgates of women working were open, they would
never be closed again. All women working in traditional male jobs have Rosie to
thank.
4. Daedalus and Icarus
In
a short 24 hours, you can fly from one side of the planet to another. This (one
of man’s greatest achievements) may never have happened if it had not been for
the mythological characters Daedalus and Icarus. The story tells of Daedalus
building mechanical wings for his son Icarus and ever since the tale was told,
man has lusted after the ability to take the sky and fly. This eventually came
true and the entire planet is a changed place as a consequence of it.
3. The Little Engine That Could
The moral of this children’s tale is that self-belief,
optimism, and hard work result in achievement – of even the most difficult
tasks. The book first appeared in a slightly different version to today, in
1906. It has been regarded by many as a metaphor for the “American Dream”. The
popularity of this book may also be a contributing factor to the huge number of
self-help and “positive thinking” seminars and books that we see today.
2. Big Brother
A relatively modern addition to this list, Big Brother has
been a influence in so many social protests that he has to be included here.
His name comes up every time a government passes a restrictive law or a law
which seems to remove aspects of our eternal freedoms. Everyone recognizes his
face, everyone knows what he stands for, and everyone is terrified of the
potential for our own lives to be governed by our own version of the fictional
character. Big Brother was, of course, created by George Orwell for his novel
Nineteen Eighty-Four.
1. Romeo and Juliet
Not only can Romeo and Juliet be blamed for much of our
ideas of the “perfect relationship” – I think it can also be blamed for a high
percentage of divorces. Couples going in to marriage seek the ideal of a
relationship based entirely on passion and romance, and when that romance dims
(as so often is the case) they feel cheated and believe the marriage has
failed. When in reality, passionate romance is not required for a healthy
marriage – while respect, love, and charity is. Romeo and Juliet have much to
answer for!
Graphene is the strongest, thinnest material known to
exist. A form of carbon, it can conduct electricity and heat better than
anything else. And get ready for this: It is not only the hardest material in
the world, but also one of the most pliable.
 |
| Graphene transistors visible on a piece of flexible plastic. Graphene is not only the hardest material in the world, but also one of the most pliable. |
Only a single atom thick, it has been called the wonder
material.
Graphene could change the electronics industry, ushering
in flexible devices, supercharged quantum computers, electronic clothing and
computers that can interface with the cells in your body.
While the material was discovered a decade ago, it started
to gain attention in 2010 when two physicists at the University of Manchester were
awarded the Nobel Prize for their experiments with it. More recently,
researchers have zeroed in on how to commercially produce graphene.
The American Chemical Society said in 2012 that
graphene was discovered to be 200 times stronger than steel and so thin that a
single ounce of it could cover 28 football fields. Chinese scientists have
created a graphene aerogel, an ultralight material derived from a gel, which is
one-seventh the weight of air. A cubic inch of the material could
balance on one blade of grass.
“Graphene is one of the few materials in the world that is
transparent, conductive and flexible — all at the same time,” said Dr. Aravind
Vijayaraghavan, a lecturer at the University of Manchester. “All of these
properties together are extremely rare to find in one material.”
So what do you do with graphene? Physicists and
researchers say that we will soon be able to make electronics that are thinner,
faster and cheaper than anything based on silicon, with the option of making
them clear and flexible. Long-lasting batteries that can be submerged in water
are another possibility.
In 2011, researchers at Northwestern University battery
that incorporated graphene and silicon, which the university said could lead
to a cellphone that “stayed charged for more than a week and recharged in just
15 minutes.” In 2012, the American Chemical Society said that advancements in
graphene were leading to touch-screen electronics that “could make cellphones
as thin as a piece of paper and foldable enough to slip into a pocket.”
Dr. Vijayaraghavan is building an array of sensors out of
graphene — including gas sensors, biosensors and light sensors — that are far
smaller than what has come before.
And last week, researchers at the Samsung Advanced
Institute of Technology, working with Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea,
said that Samsung had figured out how to create high-quality graphene on
silicon wafers, which could be used for the production of graphene transistors.
Samsung said in a statement that these advancements meant it could start making
“flexible displays, wearables and other next-generation electronic devices.”
Sebastian Anthony, a reporter at Extreme Tech, said that
Samsung’s breakthrough could end up being the “holy grail of
commercial graphene production.”
Samsung is not the only company working to develop
graphene. Researchers at IBM, Nokia and SanDisk have been experimenting with
the material to create sensors, transistors and memory storage.
When these electronics finally hit store shelves, they
could look and feel like nothing we’ve ever seen.
James Hone, a professor of mechanical engineering at
Columbia University, said research in his lab led to the discovery that
graphene could stretch by 20 percent while still remaining able to conduct
electricity. “You know what else you can stretch by 20 percent? Rubber,” he
said. “In comparison, silicon, which is in today’s electronics, can only
stretch by 1 percent before it cracks.”
He continued: “That’s just one of the crazy things about
this material — there’s really nothing else quite like it.”
The real kicker? Graphene is inexpensive.
If you think of something in today’s electronics industry,
it can most likely be made better, smaller and cheaper with graphene.
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley made
graphene speakers last year that delivered sound at quality equal to or
better than a pair of commercial Sennheiser earphones. And they were much
smaller.
Another fascinating aspect of graphene is its ability to
be submerged in liquids without oxidizing, unlike other conductive
materials.
As a result, Dr. Vijayaraghavan said, graphene research is
leading to experiments where electronics can integrate with biological systems.
In other words, you could have a graphene gadget implanted in you that could
read your nervous system or talk to your cells.
But while researchers believe graphene will be used in
next-generation gadgets, there are entire industries that build electronics
using traditional silicon chips and transistors, and they could be slow to
adopt graphene counterparts.
If that is the case, graphene might end up being used in
other industries before it becomes part of electronics. Last year, the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation paid for the development of a graphene-based
condom that is thin, light and impenetrable. Carmakers are exploring building
electronic cars with bodies made of graphene that are not only protective, but
act as solar panels that charge the car’s battery. Airline makers also hope to build
planes out of graphene.
If all that isn’t enough, an international team of
researchers based at M.I.T. has performed tests that could lead to
the creation of quantum computers, which would be a big market of computing in
the future.
So forget plastics. There’s a great future in graphene.
Think about it.
Source: New York Times
Al Amin Kimathi, the Executive Director of Muslim for Human Rights Forum, has said his life is in danger.
 |
| Vocal Human Rights Activist Al Amin Kimathi |
Speaking in a press conference on Thursday, Kimathi, who was held in solitary confinement in Kampala's Luzira Maximum Security Prison in 2010 after terror attacks in Kampala, said officials from human rights organizations told him he is on the “next to be killed” order after
Sheikh Abubakar Shariff Alias Makaburi.
He also quoted an Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) official
based at Pangani who said Al Amin Kimathi will be the next high profile person the
death squad will be looking for.
“During a chat at the police station, at some point (he)
(the ATPU officer) started talking about Mombasa and Makaburi. Then he
commented that the next high profile person they will be looking for is Al Amin
Kimathi,” he said.
“I am not worried because I must die one day and if it is
to die for my ideals and the position I have adopted in my work, I will gladly
do so,” Kimathi said.
Last week, Kimathi was publicly heard calling for revenge
for Makaburi’s killers.
“We can no longer tolerate what is going in this country
you must defend your rights even if it means paying the ultimate price,” he
said.
Conjoined twins Shivanath and Shivram Sahu caused quite a
stir when they were born in India, with some people in their village worshiping them as divine incarnations.
.jpg) |
| Conjoined twins Shivanath and Shivram Sahu |
And while one doctor has said that it would be possible to separate the 12-year-olds, who were born joined at the waist, the duo are determined to remain together.
Shivram said: ‘We don't wish to get separated. We will stay like this even when we grow old. We want to live as we are.’
The pair, who were born in a tiny village near Raipur in central India, share two legs and four arms and work in tandem to get around.
They have stunned doctors with their ability to wash, dress and feed themselves.
A local doctor told the family they were both healthy but he could not separate them.
They are believed to share the same stomach but have independent lungs, hearts and brains.
With practice they have learned to do all their basic daily chores with minimal fuss, including showering, eating, getting dressed and combing each other's hair.
They are able to walk down the stairs of their simple split-level home and even run on all six limbs to play cricket and other games with neighbouring children.
Shivanath, who appears to be the weaker of the two twins, said: ‘We have taught ourselves everything. We ride to school on a bicycle and playing cricket is no problem.’
They are also talented academics and considered among the top students at their local school, much to the pride of their doting father, Raj Kumar, 45.
The labourer, who is married to Srimati and has five daughters, is very protective of his two sons and will not allow them to leave the village.
He said: ‘For everyone it is good fun to watch my children, but only I understand all the problems they have.
‘During rainy season it becomes difficult for them to walk and when one wants to sit the other has to lie down.
‘But they don't fight. They have similar opinions and if one says he wants to play the other one agrees.’
The father-of-seven says he would not let a doctor separate them, even if he had the money and the operation was viable.
He added: ‘God has created them like this so they have to walk like they do. They will remain like this. I don't want anything else.
‘Even if doctors say so, I won't get my children separated. I have no interest in money. I'm the one who will work hard to nourish them. I don't need any help.’
Conjoined twins occur when the zygote, the initial cell formed by sexual reproduction, fails to completely separate.
It is thought to occur in roughly one in every 50,000 births, but just one per cent make it to their first birthday and two-thirds are stillborn.
Photographs of the twins have been shown to Dr Krishan
Chugh, head of paediatrics at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in
Gurgaon, near Delhi.
He believes it possible to separate the twins - but with drastic consequences for Shivanath.
While Shivram would likely keep both legs and could start living a more normal life - Shivanath would be left with no legs and needing full-time care
The operation would also be very expensive and require long-term rehabilitation, both physically and psychologically.
‘This operation is possible,’ he said. ‘But there are questions whether we should.
‘What would we gain and what we will lose? What does the family want, how will society take it and, most importantly, how will these two kids take it?
‘They appear to be fairly well-adjusted from the photographs and it seems the organs are working really well.
‘They have two different brains, two different hearts and two different lungs. So as far as physically living is concerned, they can go on like this.
‘They appear bright enough to start thinking of becoming financially, economically and physically independent.
‘They may even be able to get married. There are cases on record where such a thing has happened where conjoined twins have had two different wives and 21 children.’
While the twins and their father are adamant they will not be parted, Dr Chugh believes their will may change over time.
He added: ‘They are 12 years old now and they must see others running around as individuals and being separate mentally and physically.
‘How much they are motivated to be like the others is what we would have to try and assist.’
Shivanath and Shivram's case bares hallmarks to the famous conjoined twins Ganga and Jamuna Mondal from West Bengal, India.
Ganga and Jamuna made a living performing as The Spider Sisters in the Dreamland Circus, earning £26 a night.
The pair are believed to now be in their mid-40s and are both married to a carnival worker named Gadadhar.
.jpg) |
| The twins resting on a staircase way |
He believes it possible to separate the twins - but with drastic consequences for Shivanath.
While Shivram would likely keep both legs and could start living a more normal life - Shivanath would be left with no legs and needing full-time care
The operation would also be very expensive and require long-term rehabilitation, both physically and psychologically.
‘This operation is possible,’ he said. ‘But there are questions whether we should.
‘What would we gain and what we will lose? What does the family want, how will society take it and, most importantly, how will these two kids take it?
‘They appear to be fairly well-adjusted from the photographs and it seems the organs are working really well.
‘They have two different brains, two different hearts and two different lungs. So as far as physically living is concerned, they can go on like this.
‘They appear bright enough to start thinking of becoming financially, economically and physically independent.
‘They may even be able to get married. There are cases on record where such a thing has happened where conjoined twins have had two different wives and 21 children.’
While the twins and their father are adamant they will not be parted, Dr Chugh believes their will may change over time.
He added: ‘They are 12 years old now and they must see others running around as individuals and being separate mentally and physically.
‘How much they are motivated to be like the others is what we would have to try and assist.’
Shivanath and Shivram's case bares hallmarks to the famous conjoined twins Ganga and Jamuna Mondal from West Bengal, India.
Ganga and Jamuna made a living performing as The Spider Sisters in the Dreamland Circus, earning £26 a night.
The pair are believed to now be in their mid-40s and are both married to a carnival worker named Gadadhar.
More Photos of the twins and family below:
.jpg) |
| Shivanath and Shivram having their lunch. |
.jpg) |
| The pair going about their day |
.jpg) |
| Shivanath and Shivram and their parents Raj Kumar and Srimati. |
SOURCES: DAILY MAIL
Security has been
scaled up at key Government installations across the country as war against
terror enters fever pitch.
 |
| Al Shabaab fighters in a training routine |
The Government of
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto, has also assigned more
bodyguards and extra chase cars to top State officials, their spouses and
children as part of efforts to avert terror attacks after it emerged the top
Government officials and prominent figures could be the one targeted by
Al-Shabaab terrorists.
Before leaving for Belgium last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed his Deputy and
top security details to instruct top Government officials and prominent figures
to limit their movements especially at night because they are targets.
Among those who the
Al-Shabaab have targeted and whose bodyguards, those of their spouse and
children have been increased include;
1. Uhuru Kenyatta (President)
2. William Ruto (Deputy President)
3. Joseph Ole Lenku (CS Interior)
4. Anne Wiguru (CS Devolution)
5. Henry Rotich (CS Treasury)
6. Raychael Omamo (CS Defence)
7. Willy Mutunga (Chief Justice)
8. Aden Duale (Majority Leader National
Assembly)
9. Kithure Kindiki (Majority Leader Senate)
10. Justin Muturi (Speaker National Assembly)
11. Ekwee Ethuro (Speaker Senate)
An estimated US$7
billion is given away every year by Africa’s philanthro-capitalists – at least
the ones we know about. These are the men (sadly no women yet on this list)
providing home-grown solutions to local needs.
 |
| Mertech Group founder and Africa's leading philanthropist Francois van Niekerk of South Africa |
Francois van Niekerk, South Africa - The founder of Mertech Group gave 70 percent of his equity (valued at $170 million) to his Mergon Foundation, which funds education, health and skills-building initiatives.
Allan Gray, South Africa - The owner of Allan Gray investment management firm, Gray gave his Allan Gray Orbis Foundation $150 million. The foundation gives high school scholarships and supports other causes.
Theophilus Danjuma, Nigeria - The chairman of South Atlantic Petroleum broke Nigerian philanthropic records when he gave $100-million to set up the TY Danjuma Foundation, a grant-making organization that partners with NGOs in education, health, policy and poverty-related fields.
Donald Gordon, South Africa - The real estate and insurance billionaire founded the Donald Gordon Foundation which has given an estimated $50 million in donations to develop higher educational facilities and the arts in the UK.
Aliko Dangote, Nigeria - The president of the Dangote Group has recently entered the field of philanthropy and has already made significant contributions totalling $35 million. He has contributed to flood relief, an NGO developing low-cost housing and universities in Nigeria, and also gave $500,000 for victims of a munitions blast in Brazzaville, Congo in 2012.
 |
| Africa's richest man E |
Mark Shuttleworth,
South Africa - After selling his digital
security company for $575 million, Shuttleworth spent $20 million on developing
free open source software, Ubuntu, and another $20 million - through the
Shuttleworth Foundation - on funding the projects of individuals trying to change
society.
Jim Ovia, Nigeria - The founder of Zenith Bank gave $6.3 million to the flood relief effort in Nigeria in 2012. Through his Youth Empowerment and ICT Foundation, he has given much to get youth interested in ICT. He gave $320,000 to help 10 young Nigerian entrepreneurs establish their technology businesses.
Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe’s richest man and the founder of Econet Wireless, Masiyiwa has spread his philanthropic work to several African countries, including Zimbabwe. He established a $6.4 million trust in 2012 to pay for the education of 40 students. He also supports organizations that help orphans in Zimbabwe.
Tony Elumelu, Nigeria - Elumelo, chairman of Heirs Holdings, gave $6.3 million to flood relief in Nigeria in 2012. His Tony Elumelu Foundation gives entrepreneurial training to young Africans.
Arthur Eze, Nigeria - The elusive oil magnate donated $6.3 million to flood relief in Nigeria. He also gives large amounts towards higher education.
Other noteworthy philanthropists include: Mike Adenuga and Hakeem Belo-Osagie from Nigeria; Manu Chandaria and Naushad Merali from Kenya; Ashish Thakkar from Uganda; the Sawiris family from Egypt; and Patrice Motsepe, Nicky Oppenheimer, Raymond Ackerman, Tokyo Sexwale, and Cyril Ramaphosa from South Africa.
Sudanese-born British telecommunications billionaire Mo Ibrahim has been dubbed the most powerful black man in the UK as well as the “Bill Gates of Africa” for his philanthropic efforts on the continent. He has signed the Giving Pledge to hand over half his wealth and has offered a prize of $5 million over 10 years, and a further $200,000 for life, to African leaders who excel. Motsepe is the first African-based businessman to have signed the pledge.
Sources: Forbes and AFK Insider
Jim Ovia, Nigeria - The founder of Zenith Bank gave $6.3 million to the flood relief effort in Nigeria in 2012. Through his Youth Empowerment and ICT Foundation, he has given much to get youth interested in ICT. He gave $320,000 to help 10 young Nigerian entrepreneurs establish their technology businesses.
Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe’s richest man and the founder of Econet Wireless, Masiyiwa has spread his philanthropic work to several African countries, including Zimbabwe. He established a $6.4 million trust in 2012 to pay for the education of 40 students. He also supports organizations that help orphans in Zimbabwe.
Tony Elumelu, Nigeria - Elumelo, chairman of Heirs Holdings, gave $6.3 million to flood relief in Nigeria in 2012. His Tony Elumelu Foundation gives entrepreneurial training to young Africans.
Arthur Eze, Nigeria - The elusive oil magnate donated $6.3 million to flood relief in Nigeria. He also gives large amounts towards higher education.
Other noteworthy philanthropists include: Mike Adenuga and Hakeem Belo-Osagie from Nigeria; Manu Chandaria and Naushad Merali from Kenya; Ashish Thakkar from Uganda; the Sawiris family from Egypt; and Patrice Motsepe, Nicky Oppenheimer, Raymond Ackerman, Tokyo Sexwale, and Cyril Ramaphosa from South Africa.
Sudanese-born British telecommunications billionaire Mo Ibrahim has been dubbed the most powerful black man in the UK as well as the “Bill Gates of Africa” for his philanthropic efforts on the continent. He has signed the Giving Pledge to hand over half his wealth and has offered a prize of $5 million over 10 years, and a further $200,000 for life, to African leaders who excel. Motsepe is the first African-based businessman to have signed the pledge.
Sources: Forbes and AFK Insider
Jubilee
Majority Leader in the Parliament and vocal Garissa Township MP Aden Bare Duale is
a besieged man. This was after remarks that the Jubilee stalwart and close ally
to both the president and his deputy made unequivocal remarks on the ongoing
swoop in Eastleigh aimed at rooting out Al Shabaab cells and their associates.
| Embattled Garissa Township MP and Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale |
Speaking on
Tuesday, URP Chairman Francis Ole Kaparo distanced the URP party from Duale’s
remarks, saying his move to defend terrorists was personal and does not
represent the views of the URP party. Mr. Kaparo noted that William Ruto’s URP
supports the crackdown on terrorists by the Jubilee Government 100% because it
is Government policy and will not tolerate anyone opposed to it.
However, Duale
who has been on the forefront of speaking about radicalization of youth and
apparent non-tolerance teachings that have been adopted by some Muslim
preachers, has vehemently denied being a supporter or a sympathizer of any
terrorist organization or any terrorist act. He maintains that the terrorist
elements regardless of their purported religious affiliation or their heritage
should be rooted out.
But the
majority leader maintains that the operation should be carried out in a systematic
order and not appear to be targeting a specific community namely Somalis. His comments
seem to have been blown out of proportion by media and fueled by some political
powerbrokers who want to keep him in check. Some powerful and dominant
political quarters seem to have been rattled by Duale’s increased popularity
and charisma.
Importantly,
they not that the Garissa Township MP, who hails from a minority community in
Kenya is growing ever more powerful and his intimate closeness to President
Uhuru and DP William Ruto is giving them sleepless nights. In terms of power,
Mr. Duale is seen as third in line after the president and his deputy.
As a
proof that indeed Mr. Duale is not a terrorism sympathizer, watch the video
below.
