Press freedom is not a reward from our rulers, it's a fundamental human right

Tanzanian journalists and media stakeholders joined their counterparts in the world to mark the world’s Press Freedom Day with fear, doubt and dashed hope. Their fear, doubt and elusive hope are caused by the brutal events that have clouded the Tanzanian media industry during the past few months. Tanzanian journalists, especially those practising ‘watchdog’ journalism that stands for public interest, are in fear because they are being hunted like animals by their tormentors. If they are not kidnapped, tortured or jailed, they are simply shot dead in cold-blood murder by those who are supposed to protect them. Some have suffered acid attacks and are still nursing the wounds till today. If they survive all these deadly attacks, their newspapers or media houses face indefinite closure from the government, simply because these journalists have angered the ruling elite. Tanzania is rapidly becoming one of the worst places to be a serious journalist and, if the situation is not controlled, we shall find ourselves in another Somalia. Press freedom in Tanzania is at the crossroads. Behind this fear, doubt and shuttered hope, there’s a misleading lie that press freedom in Tanzania is a gift from our rulers. There are those who claim that the freedom of the press we have seen in this country is a reward from our rulers, which is a pure lie and, above all, cheap propaganda. Press freedom is a fundamental human right, which is not granted by any ruler and should be protected by the constitution. If we believe that Press freedom is a reward from our rulers, then we shouldn’t be surprised if the very same rulers take that freedom back once we have angered them for reporting what they call ‘bad stories.’ No leader in the world is willing to reward journalists press freedom and it has never happened anywhere. Leaders are forced by the constitution not to grant or reward press freedom but to protect it. Have we forgotten how former US President Thomas Jefferson took a dramatic u-turn when the very same media he had once praised and vowed to protect wrote negative stories about his leadership? This is what he first said, “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." But when the very same newspapers wrote what he disliked, the same Jefferson later on said, “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.” That’s why today we call upon all journalists and all well-wishers to understand that press freedom is not a gift given on a golden plate by our rulers; it’s our fundamental right as human beings, which can only be granted and protected by the constitution. Tanzanian journalists and media owners shouldn’t be fooled at all that press freedom is a reward from our ‘beloved’ rulers. That’s a total lie. We are in the process of making our new constitution and this is the best chance to ensure that press freedom is constitutionally protected. Not only that but also journalists and media owners should defend press freedom at any cost by practising their duty professionally, legally and bravely. The government should also stop the ‘madness’ of closing newspapers indefinitely because such practice signals dictatorship and brutality. If there are journalists or media houses that have broken the law, the government should go to court to seek justice; that’s what good governance is all about.

Syria: air strike hints at change in how far Israel will involve itself in conflict

The attack on a Syria-Hizbollah weapons transfer was the second this year by the Israelis. The targets and methods were similar, convoys believed to be delivering missile systems to Hizbollah's northern Lebanese heartlands, destroyed by air force jets hovering over the Lebanon-Syria border. The way the news was immediately confirmed by officials though was very different, indicating something has changed in Israel's calculations over how far to involve itself in the Syrian disaster, and perhaps America’s too. For 18 months or more, Israel tried to turn the other way over Syria. It had no love for Syria's Assad regime - it considered itself the "heart of the resistance", supporting both Hamas and Hizbollah, Israel's most immediate foes - but the Golan Heights border was one of the few with which it seemed to have little trouble. It was a miscalculation all the same. As Iran became ever more closely involved, and America and the West stood by and watched Syria fell apart, events crystallised into what Israeli officials now start to describe as a perfect strategic storm. Iran was drawn inevitably closer in, sending military advisers and, many believe, Revolutionary Guard ground forces to bolster the regime. Tehran is determined to ensure the survival of at least some sort of "resistance" rump state, a Shia-Alawite enclave that due to its natural insecurity would be far more dangerous to Israel, more beholden to Iran, than the old, complex, heterogeneous Syria was.

PM directs intelligence agencies to sharpen clues-gathering techniques

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Justice retired Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Saturday directed the Intelligence Agencies to sharpen their information-gathering techniques so that the acts of terrorism could be foiled which might prove disastrous for the nation. The Prime Minister reiterating government's stance of zero tolerance for acts of terrorism, said that the Government would not compromise on the issue of law and order throughout the country for holding free and fair elections in a secure environment. Prime Minister Khoso was addressing the Federal Cabinet which met here to discuss the important agenda item of law and order situation with special reference to Elections 2013. The Prime Minister observed that the recent acts of terrorism were being carried out to create panic and fear amongst the masses. "Let me categorically declare that holding free, fair and transparent elections is the primary responsibility of the Caretaker Government," he added. He said that each and every patriotic citizen, irrespective of their political affiliation, realized that the country was passing through a critical phase but the Government assured the nation that with the help of Allah Almighty, it would succeed, in overcoming all problems being faced by the people. Prime Minister Khoso declared that the Caretaker Government would take all constitutional and legal steps to ensure impartiality, in collaboration with Election Commission for holding the general Elections on May 11. "Elections would be held on time following which government would be handed over to the elected representatives," he maintained. The Prime Minister alluding to national responsibility shared by each citizen, requested the masses to keep vigil on the movement of suspicious elements around them and inform the police immediately. "I am sure if every Pakistani decides to guard his homeland, cooperate with and assist the law enforcement agencies, we would defeat the criminal elements who want to destabilize the country and disturb the election process," he opined. The Prime Minister further informed that the security had been beefed up for sensitive polling stations, candidates and masses. The decision to deploy rapid response force was another step towards provision of conducive environment for the voters, he added. Expressing his optimism about active participation of voters on the polling day, PM Khoso said that he expected that all Pakistanis would come out of their houses to cast their votes for their beloved country and make the election process a success. Eulogizing sacrifices of Pakistani nation during acts of terrorism, he said his Cabinet saluted all those who had embraced Shahaadat, proving that the terrorists could not defeat the brave Pakistani citizens who offered their lives to protect the country. "I salute the Jawans of the Army, Police and Law Enforcement Agencies, who have been performing their duties with courage and dedication," the Prime Minister said.

Earth-Like Planets Discovered

Scientists have long been in the hunt for planets resembling the Earth in hopes of finding environment conducive to life. However, while there have been leads in the past, they have mostly been nothing more than false hopes. Curiosity, NASA’s rover’s latest mission to Mars proved that the Red planet did in the past hold water and could also have held life forms. However, whether the planet will sustain life in the future is still unknown. Another mission into outer space, that of Kepler, has provided some interesting insights into galaxies around the Milky Way and their ability to sustain life. Kepler has managed to narrow down on three planets that come closest to being described as sisters of the Earth. The three planets are neither too close nor too far from their parent star. The distance from the parent star often determines the temperature of the planet, a pre-requisite factor conducive to life on the planet. Comment facebook twitter google email Your Reactions? 5 FAIL 7 WOW 0 OMG 2 GEEKY 1 LOL Earth-Like Planets Discovered by Rutu Ladage , IndiaTimes | April 20, 2013, 5:00 pm IST - Posted 59 mins ago Science wow « Go Back to Homepage Kepler-69c planet which is a part of the Kepler-69 system. Image Courtesy: NASAKepler 69 system Scientists have long been in the hunt for planets resembling the Earth in hopes of finding environment conducive to life. However, while there have been leads in the past, they have mostly been nothing more than false hopes. Curiosity, NASA’s rover’s latest mission to Mars proved that the Red planet did in the past hold water and could also have held life forms. However, whether the planet will sustain life in the future is still unknown. Another mission into outer space, that of Kepler, has provided some interesting insights into galaxies around the Milky Way and their ability to sustain life. Kepler has managed to narrow down on three planets that come closest to being described as sisters of the Earth. The three planets are neither too close nor too far from their parent star. The distance from the parent star often determines the temperature of the planet, a pre-requisite factor conducive to life on the planet. Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f form part of the Kepler-62 system. Image Courtesy: NASAKepler 62 New Anthropocene Journal elementascience.org - www.elementascience.org Nonprofit, open-access, scientific Ads by Google Also, the three planets are just slightly larger than the Earth. Their exact mass is still unknown but their distance from the main star or the “sun” of their galaxy hints at the two main essentials for life being present of these planet. The first is water while the second is a strong, rocky surface. There have been many planets in the past to have a strong surface but the absence of water ruled out possibility of life. The three planets discovered are Kepler-62e, Kepler-62f and Kepler-69-c. Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f both orbit the parent star Kepler-62. A Kepler-62e year is 122 days while the Kepler-62f year is longer at approximately 267 days. While the first is almost 60 percent bigger to Earth, the latter is 40 percent larger. Kepler-69c has a year of 242 days. The Kepler-62e is the most conduccie to life forms as the planet is expected to hold a mix of rocky land and water or majority of oceans. The Kepler-69c is more like Venus as it is warmer than the other two. The planets are pretty distant from Earth but if climates are conducive, researchers might gain an important insight into the mystery of life on other planets.

Washcloth Experiment Yields Fascinating Results in International Space Station [Video]

In space, even the seemingly most mundane tasks can produce fascinating results. Take, for instance, wringing out a wet washcloth. Broadcasting from the International Space Station, the Canadian Space Agency's Chris Hadfield, the commander or the current research mission, continued what has become his ongoing gig as station front man and correspondent, sharing through a video and audio hook-up details about life on the station with folks down below. He's become widely recognized for the series of photos and videos he's transmitted back to earth. Like Us on Facebook A new piece of information delivered by Hadfield was prompted by students who asked Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space, about the dynamics of surface tension in space, according to a report by Discovery News. Surface tension is a tendency of the surface of a liquid to resist an external force, allowing, for example, some objects that are denser than the liquid, to float. The ways some insects, such as water striders, are able to run on the water surface is another example of surface tension, which is a result of the cohesion of similar molecules. The Canadian astronaut took to YouTube and demonstrated what happens when one wrings out a washcloth in a zero-gravity environment. Hadfield started the demonstration by taking a vacuum-packed washcloth, complete with official NASA insignia, and hydrating it with a stream of water he squeezed from a water bottle. It was after the cloth had absorbed the water that real fun began. Because, when Hadfield wrung out the cloth, much of the water covered the exterior of the cloth, like a transparent force field. Then some of the water traveled up his arms to cover his hands, appearing, at least, to have a consistency similar to that of slime. For suggesting the experiment, Canadian 10th-graders Kendra Lemke and Meredith Faulkner from Lockview High School in Fall River, Nova Scotia, won the grand prize in a national science contest. As their reward, the two high school students, along with many of their peers, got to see their experiment conducted by Hadfield live, during a video connection with the Station. "I was about your age when I decided I wanted to become an astronaut," Hadfield said to the 1,200 Lockview students watching from the school's gymnasium. "I hope that you remember today and continue to be curious about science and space. You are the space explorers of the future and the sky is no longer the limit."

Russian Becomes Oldest Spacewalker Ever

A 59-year-old Russian cosmonaut has become the oldest human to walk in space. Pavel Vinogradov took part in maintenance work outside the International Space Station on April 19. Until then, the oldest spacewalker had been retired NASA astronaut Story Musgrave, who was 58 when he helped fix the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993. The 6 1/2-hour space walk went well outside of one incident when Vinogradov lost his grip on an experimental tray that he was retrieving. Officials said the lost aluminum panel should not pose a safety hazard to the station, although it will add to the booming population of space junk.

Terrorism was allowed to grow for last five years, says JI Amir

n an interview, Syed Munawar Hasan said “we have been providing logistical support to terrorism by including known terrorists‚ extortionists and criminals in the government both at the centre and in Sindh in the name of reconciliation.” He said terrorism was there even before the United States formally launched war against terror twelve years ago and today it has become a full-blown tree. But at the same time‚ the JI Amir said‚ his party has been propounding that it is the US war and we should take ourselves out of it but instead we gave the United States bases and other logistical support. Asked why dialogue should be held with Taliban‚ Syed Munawar Hasan said “we have been holding dialogue with the United States even after it carried out aggression at Salala and Washington has not to-date offered an apology.” To another question he said operation in Swat was not transparent. He said “media reports bear testimony to the fact that our government faithfully acted upon the persistent demand of the United States to ‘do more'. He said the APC convened by then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and attended also by the Army Chief and Director-General ISI adopted a resolution but it has not been implemented even by one percent. Replying to a question whether the cycle of terrorism would end with the departure of the United States from neighbouring Afghanistan‚ he said there would still be about forty thousand US troops in Afghanistan. He said the US is still there in Iraq despite claims about withdrawal. He said the United States should have been penalized for invading Iraq despite the fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction. When repeatedly pressed to clarify Jamaat's view point about terrorism and known militant outfits‚ Syed Munawar Hasan said why the government did not take any action against them. He said people gave mandate to the government to safeguard their lives and properties‚ eliminate unemployment and check price hike but instead it has been serving the US interests. He questioned whether mandate of the Interior Minister was just to pass on information about possible act of terrorism and terrorize people or take preventive measures. He said JI condemns whenever innocent lives become target of terrorism. NNI