Three die after huge Italian cruise ship runs aground

ROME (Reuters) - At least three people were killed and rescuers were looking for other victims Saturday after a large Italian cruise ship carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground overnight, took on water and tipped over

A dramatic nighttime rescue operation involving lifeboats, ships and helicopters was continuing hours after the 114,500 gross tonnes Costa Concordia hit a sandbar near the island of Giglio as passengers were eating dinner.

"We were sitting down do dinner and we heard this big bang. I think it hit some rocks. There was a lot of panic, the tables overturned, glasses were flying all over the place and we ran for the decks where we put on our life vests," passenger Maria Parmegiano Alfonsi told Sky Italia television.

The 290-metre-long ship took on water and started listing.

Pictures taken by rescued passengers after daybreak and broadcast on television showed the shiny, multi-story luxury vessel on its side and about half submerged on the sandbar just a few hundred metres (yards) from Giglio.

Coast guard Captain Luciano Nicastro and police official Giuseppe Lunardi said three people were confirmed dead, fewer than the six reported earlier by Italian media.

But, speaking on live television, Nicastro said rescue workers were still searching the ship, which had just started a winter Mediterranean cruise, and the waters around it.

Lunardi said some people had jumped off the ship while it was listing.

"The rescue operation is still going on," Fire brigades official Luca Cari said on television about 10 hours after the accident.

He said rescue workers were still checking decks that remained above water and that scuba divers would then check the decks that have been submerged.

"This is difficult because the ship is enormous," Cari said, adding that the ship was now listing at about 90 degrees but would likely remain in that position and not sink because of the sand below.

Most of the 3,200 passengers and 1,023 crew on board the ship had been evacuated to the island of Giglio and from there were being taken to the mainland.

Alfonsi said she and other passengers were first put up in churches on the island and later, with only some blankets to protect them from the cold, were later taken to the mainland.

Another unnamed coast guard official on television said the ship was believed to have suffered a large gash on its side.

Most of the passengers on board were believed to be Italian but the cruises are popular with foreigners too.

The cruise ship company said the cause of the incident was being investigated.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Tottenham yaangukia pua kwa Stoke City

Adebayor mfungaji wa bao pekee la Tottenham kwa penati

Rekodi ya Tottenham kupata ushindi katika mechi 11 mfululizo ilivunjwa na timu ya Stoke City siku ya Jumapili baada ya mchezaji wa zamani wa Tottenham Matthew Etherington kuingiza magoli mawili dhidi ya moja la Spurs.

Etherington aliingiza goli la kwanza katika dakika ya 13 na baada ya dakika 30 akaongeza la pili.
Tottenham walipata goli lao moja kupitia kwa mkwaju wa penalti lililofungwa na katika dakika ya 62.
Tottenham walijitahidi ili wapate kusawazisha lakini matumaini yao yakafifia baada ya Younes Kaboul kuonyeshwa kadi nyekundu.
Spurs pia hawakufurahishwa na baadhi ya maamuzi yaliyotolewa na refarii Chris Foy.
Tottenham sasa wana alama 31 ikiwa ni alama tano nyuma ya Manchester United walio kwenye nafasi ya pili.

Sunderland 2- 1 Blackburn.

Katika matokeo mengine ya ligi kuu nchini England Sunderland walipata ushindi wa magoli mawili kwa moja dhidi ya Blackburn Rovers.
Ushindi huu umempa kocha mpya wa Sunderland Martin O'Neill mwanzo mzuri.
Hii ilikuwa mechi ya kwanza kwa O'Neille kama msimamizi wa Sunderland tangu achukue uongozi baada ya Steve Bruce kupigwa kalamu.
Ushindi huu ambao ni wao wa tatu tangu ligi ianze umeipandisha Sunderland hadi nafasi ya 16

KILIMANJARO STARS KUTINGA FAINALI YA CECAFA LEO?

Kilimanjaro stars

LEO ni siku ya 363 tangu Uganda Cranes na Kilimanjaro Stars ya Tanzania Bara zilipokwaana katika nusu fainali mwaka jana ya Michuano ya Tusker Chalenji na leo timu hizo zinarudiana katika hatua hiyo.

Timu hizo zilimaliza dakika 120 zikiwa suluhu na katika mikwaju ya penalti, Bara ilishinda penalti 5-4.

Leo hii, timu hizo zinakutana kwenye Uwanja wa Taifa kuwania kucheza fainali. Ni wazi Uganda hawatotaka kurudia makosa ya mwaka jana wakati Bara inataka kuendeleza rekodi yake ya ushindi kama ilivyokuwa mwaka jana.

Kivutio kikubwa katika mchezo wa leo ni beki wa Kilimanjaro Stars, Juma Nyosso atakayesimama na mshambuliaji wa The Cranes, Emmanuel Okwi.

Itakumbukwa mwaka jana, wawili hao walivyokuwa wakichezeana ubabe na leo wanakutana tena. Nyosso na Okwi wanaitumikia klabu ya Simba.

Bara iliingia hatua hiyo baada ya kuilaza Malawi bao 1-0 wakati Uganda iliifungisha virago Zimbabwe kwa kuilaza idadi hiyo.

Mchezo huo unaotarajiwa kuwa na ushindani, utatanguliwa na mechi nyingine ya nusu fainali kati ya Rwanda na Sudan ambazo pia zinawania tiketi ya fainali ya michuano hiyo. Fainali imepangwa kufanyika keshokutwa.

Kocha Mkuu wa Kilimanjaro Stars, Charles Boniface Mkwasa alisema kuwa vijana wake wote wapo kamili kwa mechi hiyo dhidi ya Uganda ambayo ni mabingwa mara 11 wa mashindano hayo ya Chalenji tangu yalipoanzishwa mwaka 1973.

Alisema amefanyia kazi kasoro kadhaa kwa kushirikiana na msaidizi wake Jamhuri Kihwelu na ana matumaini makubwa wa kufanya vizuri kwenye mchezo huo.

"Tumejipanga vizuri kuhakikisha tunaibuka na ushindi katika mchezo wa kesho (leo) dhidi ya Uganda ambayo imeonyesha uwezo mkubwa katika mashindano haya tangu yalipoanza kutimua vumbi.

"Baada ya ushindi wa jana (juzi) dhidi ya Malawi kwa hakika vijana wapo katika morali ya hali ya juu ukilinganisha na mechi nyingine zilizotangulia.

Katika hatua nyingine, Mkwasa amewataka Watanzania wote kushikamana na kuinunga mkono timu hiyo ili kuwatia nguvu za kupigana wachezaji wa Kilimnjaro Stars ili kuibuka na ushindi kwenye mchezo huo.

Naye kocha wa Uganda, Bobby Williamson alisema kuwa leo timu yake itashuka uwanjani kwa kazi moja tu ya kuhakikisha inaibuka na ushindi katika mchezo huo licha ya kudai kuwa itakabiliwa na upinza mkubwa kutoka wa Kilimanjaro Stars.

Alisema Kilimanjaro Stars ilianza mashindano hayo vibaya lakini kadri mashindano hayo yanavyo zidi kusonga mbele inabadilika na kufanya vizuri hivyo mchezo huo wa leo hautakuwa mwepesi kwake huku akidai kuwa baadhi ya wachezaji wa timu hizo wanafahamiana.

Naye Calvin Kiwia anaripoti kuwa nahodha wa Uganda, Andrew Mwesiga amesema watahakikisha wanakuwa makini na winga wa Kili Stars, Mrisho Ngassa kuhakikisha haleti madhara.

Beki huyo mkongwe aliyekuwa akishuhudia pambano la robo fainali baina ya Kili Stars na Malawi alisema anamuona Ngassa kuwa ndiye mchezaji pekee hatari wa kuchungwa.

"Ni mchezaji mzuri, ana mbio na uwezo wakupiga chenga, hatuna budi kuweka tahadhari kubwa juu yake kuhakikisha haleti madhara kwetu," alisema Mwesiga.
"Tanzania 'Kili Stars' wanamtumia sana kutengeneza mashambulizi yake, nafikiri ndiye mchezaji ambaye tunaweza tukamwekea ulinzi zaidi," alisisitiza.

Alisema anaamini wakifanikiwa kufanya hivyo na kumdhibiti watakuwa wamejitengenezea nafasi nzuri ya kushinda pambano hilo na kutua fainali.
"Nafikiri 'Ngassa' ndio roho ya timu ya Tanzania anajituma vizuri na kucheza kwa ushirikiano na wenziye," alisema.
Ngassa hajaifungia Kili Stars bao lakini ametoa mchango mkubwa kwenye kikosi hicho, akitoa pasi ya mwisho kwa Nurdin Bakari aliyeifungia Tanzania bao la ushindi dhidi ya Malawi na penalti iliyofungwa na Mwinyi Kazimoto mchezo wa makundi na Zimbabwe

Nusu fainali CECAFA ni Kilimanjaro Stars vs Uganda,Sudan vs Rwanda

Uganda itamenyana na wenyeji Tanzania Bara katika nusu fainali ya Kombe la Cecafa siku ya Alhamisi, baada ya timu zote mbili kushinda katika mechi za robo fainali siku ya Jumanne mjini Dar es salaam.

Uganda Cranes waliishinda Zimbabwe 1-0 katika mechi ya kwanza, nao Kilimanjaro Stars wakawafurahisha mashabiki wa nyumbani kwa kuifunga Malawi 1-0 katika robo fainali ya mwisho.

Bao lao la Tanzania Bara la ushindi lilifungwa na Nurdin Bakari katika dakika ya 35, kwa kukamilisha pasi kutoka Mrisho Ngasa.

Tanzania Bara ndio mabingwa watetezi wa kombe hilo.
Zimbabwe waliudhibiti mchezo dhidi ya Uganda lakini wakakosa bahati ya kufunga.
Hamis Kiiza ndiye aliyefungia Uganda bao hilo moja.
Nusu fainali nyingine siku ya Alhamisi itakuwa kati ya Sudan na Rwanda.

Video za nyimbo za marehemu Mr Ebbo

REST IN PEACE MR EBBO

Mr Ebbo

Mahakama yamkataa mkuu wa mashitaka aliyeteuliwa na Zuma

Rais wa Afrika ya Kusini Jacob Zuma

Mahakama moja ya Afrika Kusini imeharamisha hatua ya Rais Jacob Zuma ya kumteua Menzi Simelane kuwa mkuu wa mashtaka.

Mahakama hiyo imesema kuwa kuna mambo fulani kumhusu Simelanea ambayo yanatilia dosari sifa yake, kwani kuna wakati alitoa ushahidi wa uongo.

Chama cha Upinzani cha Democratic Alliance (DA) kilikuwa kimewasilisha kesi ikidai kuwa Bwana Simelane ni kibaraka wa Bwana Zuma.

Chama hicho kiliambia mahakama kuwa Simelane angeliwalinda watu fulani mashuhuri kutokana na kushitakiwa

Lakini Rais Zuma amekuwa akikanusha madai hayo huku akishikilia kuwa Bwana Simelane alikuwa ana sifa na uwezo wa kishikilia wadhifa huo wa mkuu wa mashitaka wa Afrika Kusini. Zuma pia alisema kuwa ilikuwa haki yake kama rais kuamua ni nani anastahili kuwa mkuu wa mashitaka na hiyo sio kazi ya mahakama.

Jaji wa Mahakama ya juu zaidi ya Rufaa Mahomed Navsa amesema kuwa kuteuliwa kwa Simelane kuwa Mkurugenzi wa Mashitaka ilikuwa kinyume cha katiba ya nchi.

Kiongozi wa chama cha upinazi cha DA Helen Zille ametaja uamuzi wa mahakama kama ushindi kwa demokrasia.

Amesema katika siku za hivi karibuni rais Zuma amekuwa akifanya uteuzi uliojaa utata ukiwemo uteuzi wa jaji Mkuu.

She said Mr Zuma had made several controversial appointments recently - including that of chief justice wa Afrika kusini.