IAAF accused of suppressing athletes’ doping study

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August 16, 2015

dopping — The Sunday Times reports that the study concluded that 29%-34% of the 1,800 competitors at Daegu 2011 had used performance-enhancing drugs in the previous 12 months.

The Sunday Times reports that the study concluded that 29%-34% of the 1,800 competitors at Daegu 2011 had used performance-enhancing drugs in the previous 12 months.

Athletics’ governing body suppressed a study which showed as many as a third of the world’s top athletes admitted violating anti-doping rules, according to the Sunday Times.

The University of Tubingen in Germany is reported to have said the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) blocked publication.

Hundreds of athletes apparently told researchers in 2011 they had cheated.

The IAAF said discussions were ongoing about the report’s publication.

In a statement to the newspaper, the university said: “The study is an independently initiated scientific research project and was not commissioned by the IAAF.

“The IAAF’s delaying publication for so long without good reason is a serious encroachment on the freedom of publication.”

The governing body responded: “Discussions are ongoing with the research team and Wada [the World Anti-Doping Agency – the other partner in the project] regarding publication of the study.”

Four years ago, a team of academic researchers interviewed hundreds of athletes at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The Sunday Times reports the study concluded that 29%-34% of the 1,800 competitors at the championships had violated anti-doping rules in the previous 12 months.

It says that a month after collecting the information, the researchers were told to sign a confidentiality agreement to prevent them speaking out about the admissions.

A leaked copy of the full study has been seen by The Sunday Times and the German broadcaster ARD/WDR.

“These findings demonstrate that doping is remarkably widespread among elite athletes, and remains largely unchecked despite current biological testing programs,” it concludes.

The findings are similar to the newspaper’s revelations a fortnight ago after it obtained access to the results of 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes.

Two leading anti-doping experts found that, between 2001 and 2012, a third of medals, including 55 gold medals were won in endurance events in the Olympics and World Championships by athletes who have recorded suspicious tests.

The IAAF said their findings contained a number of seriously inaccurate assertions.

The German university’s study was reportedly financed with £50,000 from Wada to find out the extent of the use of performance enhancing drugs and methods in athletics. It was put together by 10 academics, including two from British universities.

Although the IAAF played no role in the study, it had the power to veto its publication by Wada in return for allowing access to the competitors at Daegu.

Some of the study’s headline figures did appear in The New York Times two years ago but the IAAF has prevented publication of the study, according to the Sunday Times.

Lead author, Dr Rolf Ulrich from the University of Tubingen, told The Sunday Times he and his fellow experts had been barred from discussing their work.

Asked why the study had never been published, he replied: “It’s because the IAAF is blocking it. I think they are stakeholders with Wada and they just blocked the whole thing.”

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South Sudan peace deal in balance as leaders gather ahead of deadline

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August 15, 2015

South Sudan's President Kiir and rebel commander Machar exchange documents after signing a ceasefire agreement during the IGAD Summit on the case of South Sudan in Addis Ababa — South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (L) and First Vice President Riek Machar exchange documents at a past function in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (L) and South Sudan's rebel commander Riek Machar exchange documents after signing a ceasefire agreement during the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Summit on the case of South Sudan in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, Feburary 1, 2015. — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir (L) and South Sudan’s rebel commander Riek Machar exchange documents after signing a ceasefire agreement during the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Summit on the case of South Sudan in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, Feburary 1, 2015.

East African leaders gathered in the Ethiopian capital on Saturday in a last-ditch effort to convince South Sudan’s warring sides to sign a peace deal, ramping up pressure before a Monday deadline to end a 20-month civil war.

The world’s youngest nation, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, descended into chaos in December 2013 when a political row between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar spiraled into armed conflict that reopened ethnic faultlines.

Numerous rounds of negotiations have failed to end hostilities that have killed over 10,000 people and displaced more than 2 million, with both sides locked in a bitter war of attrition despite signing ceasefire deals.

Last month, IGAD – the East African bloc mediating the talks – handed both sides what it called a compromise deal on power-sharing and other contentious issues, proposing a three-year interim period as a solution to the conflict while setting Aug. 17 as the deadline to end the drawn-out talks.

Leaders from six East African nations are expected to be joined by representatives of the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations, the United States, Britain, China and Norway in Addis Adaba at the planned signing ceremony on Monday.

But a split within the rebels’ ranks and sharp disagreements over the power-sharing formula proposed by IGAD threaten to curtail chances of a deal being struck by the proposed deadline.

“Instead of committing ourselves into dates and trying to impose an agreement which is not yet accepted and owned by the parties, then I would advise that in case the parties do not agree, give them the chance to continue negotiating,” South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei told a news conference.

The talks suffered another setback this week after a rebel general split with Machar and rejected any possible peace deal between the two.

Peter Gatdet, a leading field commander, said both Machar and Kiir should be barred from the transitional government and wait to compete in the next election.

Under IGAD’s proposal, the rebels would be allocated a first vice president and the government the presidency, while an 18-month period would be set to integrate both armies.

It also suggests the demilitarization of the capital Juba – a call Kiir’s government has rejected. The rebels are seeking an extension to other regional capitals.

The main bone of contention is its proposal to hand the rebels’ the lion’s share of power in the flashpoint Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei regions.

However, Machar announced on Friday that IGAD leaders had decided to scrap that arrangement in favor of the government, in a meeting held last week in Kampala.

“On the contrary, it will exacerbate and escalate the war,” Machar said in a statement.

IGAD officials were not immediately available for comment.

An East African diplomat close to the talks confirmed that the arrangement was discussed, but said no decisions were made.

In late July, U.S. President Barack Obama said South Sudan’s warring factions faced more international pressure if they did not reach an agreement by IGAD’s deadline.

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Swansea 2 Newcastle 0

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August 15, 2015

Swansea produced a stylish display to beat 10-man Newcastle and inflict a first defeat on new Magpies head coach Steve McClaren.

Jonjo Shelvey set up Bafetimbi Gomis to round Tim Krul and slot into an empty net to give Swansea an early lead.

Swansea dominated Newcastle – Garry Monk

Newcastle defender Daryl Janmaat was sent off shortly before half-time for persistently fouling Jefferson Montero.

The Ecuadorian’s next involvement was to cross for Andre Ayew to head in his second Swansea goal in as many games.

Garry Monk’s side could have won by a bigger margin, but Montero and Gylfi Sigurdsson’s long-range shots hit the woodwork.

Newcastle failed to trouble the hosts, who monopolised possession and consigned their opponents to a seventh successive Premier League away defeat.

Shelvey’s renaissance

Jefferson Montero (right) deserves an honourable mention but it was Jonjo Shelvey (left) who dictated the game from the start and inspired a dominant Swansea display.

Green = successful passes; red = unsuccessful passes

Swansea midfielder Shelvey’s inconsistency was a source of frustration for Swans manager Monk last season.

But judging by his form early in this campaign, the 23-year-old seems to be finally making the most of the ability which brought him his only England cap to date in 2012.

Shelvey impressed in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea and dominated against Newcastle, orchestrating Swansea’s midfield and providing a brilliant assist for Gomis’s goal.

“We are working to improve his performances,” said Monk. “He is listening hard. It is about him working hard and us working hard with him to improve his play in all areas.”

The graphic shows Shelvey’s influence in midfield after the break which helped Swansea control the game. He completed 88% of his 83 passes and ran 10.92km during the game – only fellow midfielder Jack Cork covered greater distance for the home side.

McClaren’s misery

Newcastle showed signs of promise in their opening draw against Southampton, with Georginio Wijnaldum the brightest of the new signings on display.

But the visitors were toothless for large parts at Liberty Stadium, the likes of striker Papiss Cisse almost anonymous as McClaren’s side were starved of possession.

Janmaat’s red card will have irked the former England boss, as the Dutchman was guilty of an unnecessary and impulsive tug of Montero’s shirt to leave Newcastle down to 10 men and facing a daunting task which they never looked like completing.

Man of the match

Swansea manager Garry Monk: “We dominated the whole game from start to finish. When the red card does come it impacts on the dynamic of the other team more and they sat back after that.

“We were very professional in the second half and made sure we won the game with a clean sheet.”

Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren:“We didn’t learn a lot apart from it is difficult to win with 10 men.

“A little bit of naivety has cost us, 10 men and your backs are against the wall. We have to dust ourselves down and concentrate on the Manchester United game next week.”

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Military games good for regional cooperation

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August 15, 2015

The armed forces from the five East African Community states are holding the 9^th Edition of the East African Military Games and Cultural Event at the Mandela National Stadium in Uganda.

Sports is one of the most successful undertakings in respect to enhancing unity so every effort must be mustered by the respective member states to ensure that the event is strengthened.

The member countries must also ensure that event is staged in accordance to schedule so that respective member countries have the chance of hosting fellow soldiers from other countries to compete in the various sporting activities.

This helps the armed forces to interact at a recreational level as opposed to military interaction that they get when they are on duty.

Indeed the success of these games can also go a long way in widening and establishing cooperation among the EAC Defence Forces and also enhancing the process of fast-tracking the EAC integration.

This is because if there is unity among the respective defence forces, then unity and cooperation among their respective citizenry is easily guaranteed.

Also, the interaction of our men and women in uniform through participation in games helps to promote different cultures.

Otherwise, Ugandans welcome all competitors.

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Poll shows Museveni leading in 2016 race

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August 15, 2015

76 per cent want term limits reinstated

A recent survey has indicated that President Yoweri Museveni is leading in the presidential race for the 2016 elections.

The 62-page survey dubbed ‘Measuring the national political temperature ahead of the 2016 elections’ has placed Museveni ahead of the presidential pack with 54 per cent, followed by Colonel Dr Kizza Besigye with 19 per cent, while former Prime Minister and National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General John Patrick Amama Mbabazi is in third position with 12 per cent.

The survey carried out by Research World International (RWI), fielded 2320 randomly-selected respondents, both male and female aged between 17 and 24, from 120 parishes of 72 sub counties in 48 districts across Uganda.

According to the survey, carried out between July 11 and 26, over 50 per cent of the respondents of the 1221 young women and 1099 young men were unemployed, 98 per cent had registered for the national IDs, while 76 per cent said they wanted the term limits reinstated.

According to the survey, 45 per cent of the respondents do not trust the Electoral Commission to hold credible elections, while 49 per cent said they don’t trust the Uganda Police.

The respondents singled out poverty, corruption, unemployment, roads and the education systems as the leading constraints, with the majority saying government was not doing enough to combat corruption.

Asked about the candidates they knew, 100 said they know Museveni; 96 per cent know Dr Besigye; 83 per cent know Amama Mbabazi; 79 per cent know Olara Otunnu; 77 per cent know Norbert Mao; 76 per cent know Mugisha Muntu, while the least known candidate was Professor Venasius Baryamureeba with 25 per cent. Seventy four per cent of the respondents said they knew about Professor Gilbert Bukenya, while 46 per cent said they knew about Jimmy Akena.

Also, 82 per cent of 1408 respondents interviewed on party preference said they would vote for the NRM, while 13 per cent said they would vote for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

Meanwhile, of 1155 respondents, 38 per cent said they would like the NRM to have a new leader. The respondents also said that in the absence of Museveni on the ballot paper as NRM flag bearer, 39 per cent would vote for Amama Mbabazi; 18 per cent would vote for Janet Kataha Museveni; 11 per cent would vote for Rebecca Kadaga, while 8 per cent said they would vote for Ruhakana Rugunda and Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Also, 8 per cent are undecided, while 5 per cent said they would vote for Museveni’s brother General Salim Saleh (Caleb Akandwanaho).

According to the survey, 94 per cent of the respondents said they intend to vote in the 2016 elections, while those who don’t want to vote said that they doubted the credibility of the elections; were not interested in politics; didn’t know their polling stations; were tired of the same contestants, while others lack national IDs.

Also, a majority of those interviewed in the western and northern regions said they received bribes in the 2011 elections, with 59 per cent of those bribed saying they voted for the very candidates who gave out the bribes.

The survey was sponsored by NTV, Uganda Governance Monitoring Platform and the Great Lakes Institute of Strategic Studies (GLISS).

It is important to note that Gallup polls in Uganda are usually controversial, with ‘disadvantaged’ candidates claiming the pollsters are biased.

In one such survey last year, a leading media house came under severe attack by some politicians and civil society activists after it published results indicating that President Museveni was the leading contender for the 2016 elections.

This time round, there are also reports that the RWI survey is being criticized and contested by those it did not rate favourably, despite prominent opposition figures Dr Patrick Wakida and Godber Tumushabe reportedly featuring in the survey’s production.

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EA military games kick-off

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August 15, 2015

The defence forces of the EAC partner states have today started competing in the 9^th Edition of the East African Military Games and Cultural Event slated for August 15 to 26 at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.

The event, themed One People One Destiny through EAC Military Games and Cultural Event 2015, will involve over 500 participants representing the various services of the defence forces of the EAC partner states.

According to a release, the games will involve the disciplines of athletics (Cross-country Race), boxing, football, netball and handball.

‘The East African Military Games and Cultural Week is an annual event instituted since 2005 when the first edition was held Kampala, Uganda. The second edition of the games was held in Nairobi Kenya in 2006. The objective of the Military Games is to contribute to building confidence among the EAC Defence Forces under the EAC Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in Defence Matters’ the release states in part.

The Secretary General of the EAC Dr Richard Sezibera said the games would enhance regional cooperation.

“When the people perceive that our defence forces are working together, carrying out joint exercises and engaging in sports activities that project mutual trust and confidence, they inevitably garner higher levels of confidence in the East African Community project at both economic and political dimensions. Indeed, our common security future is best guaranteed by the moulding of an East African soldier and a unified territorial defence system,” Dr Sezibera was quoted as saying ahead of the games.

He added: “the success of the Exercise will widen and deepen the long established cooperation among the Defence Forces of the Partner States and also enhance the process of fast tracking the integration process”.

The Partner States of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania are holding the Military Games under the East African Community Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Defence Matters which has specific provisions for Sports and Cultural co-operation as well as joint military exercises, among other joint activities intended to build confidence and esprit de corps among the EAC Defence forces.

The EAC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Co-operation in Defence Matters was signed in 1998 and revised in 2001 and has now been upgraded into a Protocol.

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Germany to avail US$78m for EAC health sector

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August 15, 2015

The Federal Republic of Germany will invest 30 million Euros in the EAC health sector to support vaccination and health supply chain management.

According to a release, part of the funds, 20 million Euros, will be used to procure vaccines against different diseases in the EAC, expected to benefit about 300 million children, while 10 million Euro will support the establishment of the EAC Regional Centre of Excellence for Health Supply Chain Management in Kigali.

The programme will be implemented in collaboration with the global vaccination alliance (GAVI) and this new commitment will bring Germany`s contribution to regional immunisation programmes with the EAC to 60 million euro since 2012.

Mrs Gudrun Grosse Wiesmann, Director Sub-Saharan Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, also announced the willingness of Germany to provide an additional 3 million euros (3.3 million USD) in technical assistance for the region`s crisis response capacity, out of special funds for 2016 with a view to strengthen the pandemic preparedness in the EAC.

“Our support underlines that Germany wishes to further strengthen the long-standing and deep relationship it maintains with the East African Community in order to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of its citizens,” Ms Wiesmann said.

The EAC Deputy Secretary General Dr. Enos Bukuku the assistance helps EAC countries stem the spread of infectious diseases and improve accessibility of health products throughout the region.

And, speaking about the upcoming bilateral negotiations on development cooperation with the EAC in September 2015 Ms Weismann disclosed that Germany is willing to support the EAC in the fields of regional economic integration, health and water resource management, by making available an additional 37 million euros for projects in these fields.

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US flag raised over reopened Cuba embassy in Havana

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August 15, 2015

john kerry in cuba — Secretary of State John Kerry is the highest level US official to visit Cuba in more than 70 years.

Secretary of State John Kerry is the highest level US official to visit Cuba in more than 70 years.

The US has reopened its embassy in Cuba more than 54 years after it was closed, in a symbolic step signalling the warming of ties between both countries.

John Kerry, the first US Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years, presided over the ceremony in Havana.

The US flag was presented by the same US marines who brought it down in 1961.

Mr Kerry said the US administration wanted to lift the trade embargo on the island – something that the Republican-controlled US Congress has blocked.

In an open letter on Thursday, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said the US owed Cuba millions of dollars because of its 53-year-long embargo.

Mr Kerry described the hoisting of the flag as a “historic moment” speaking during the ceremony on Friday.

But he also warned that the US would not stop pressing for political change in Cuba.

“The people of Cuba would be best served by a genuine democracy, where people are free to choose their leaders,” he told a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the embassy building.

Mr Kerry said Congress will not lift the economic embargo if there is no movement on issues of freedom of conscience.

At the scene – Jon Sopel, BBC North America editor

Diplomacy is the cold and rational pursuit of national interest. But twice I saw John Kerry wipe his eye at the end of his speech at the American embassy.

The handing over of the flag by three old men who 54 years ago as young marines took it down; the US army band striking up the national anthem; the Stars and Stripes hoisted once more – this could never be seen as just cold diplomacy at work. There was emotion.

On both sides. US-Cuban relations are entering a new era, and though there will be difficulties ahead and fresh misunderstandings, for those who had brought this restoration of diplomatic relations about, today was one to savour in the Caribbean heat.

In the past, he conceded, US policies have not led to democracy. “Cuba’s future is for Cubans to shape,” he added.

Mr Kerry and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, later announced the setting up of a joint commission to oversee a return to full relations.

Cuba reopened its embassy in Washington last month.

Cuban leader Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama agreed to restore ties in December last year.

While trade and travel restrictions have been relaxed, the Republican-led US Congress has not lifted the trade embargo the US imposed on the communist-run island in 1960.

Mr Kerry’s visit to Cuba drew criticism from several leading Republicans, including presidential candidate Jeb Bush who said it was “a birthday present for Fidel Castro – a symbol of the Obama administration’s acquiescence to his ruthless legacy”.

He and Marco Rubio, another presidential contender and Cuban-American senator in Florida, also criticised the US secretary of state for not inviting Cuban dissidents to the ceremony. Mr Kerry said he was due to meet dissidents at a private event later on Friday.

Cuba says relations will be fully restored only once the embargo is lifted.

Castro survived over 600 assassination attempts to become the longest serving non-royal leader of the 20th Century
In 1959 he took power in the Cuban Revolution after several years of guerrilla warfare in the mountains
The CIA sponsored an unsuccessful invasion by 1,500 Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. Castro took personal charge of the defensive operation
In 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war
125,000 Cubans emigrated to the US in the Mariel Boatlift in 1980
In 2008 Castro stepped down from power and handed over the reins to his younger brother Raul.

Three veteran marines who lowered the US flag in 1961 returned to watch it hoisted in Cuba once again.

How did Fidel Castro keep a grip on power for so long?

Fidel Castro’s letter was published in state newspaper Granma to mark his 89th birthday.

In it, Mr Castro said Cuba was committed to “good will and peace in our hemisphere” but added: “We will never stop fighting for the peace and welfare of all human beings, regardless of the colour of their skin and which country they come from.”

Fidel Castro led his country from the Cuban Revolution, in 1959, until 2006, when he stood down because of undisclosed health problems.

He passed on power to his younger brother, Raul, who embarked on a number of economic reforms.