Trip Down South

Been to the project site few times for meeting but only day trips. After staying comfortably in the new office cum home, have to pack everything again. This is the laziest part. First time putting a night at the site. Only 2 of us went down with our driver, Mutasim. Started our journey down south at about 11am. The journey will take us 4 hours. To be continued
Tags: Journal, Life, Diary, Travel, Journey, Desert

Kenyan 'Miracle Baby' Pastor Held

Weird things sure to happen somewhere around the world. That's the reason for naming my blog as such "Life's Happenings". When I did a general search on that same blog name via Google Search, to my surprise there are a few blogs which has similar blog name too.

While reading the BBC News/Africa, came across this news on a so-called Pastor using religion to camouflage his misdeeds. Apparently, Gilbert Deya, a Kenyan evangelist who claimed to have created miraculous pregnancies through the power of prayer has been arrested in London by British police. What superpowers! I don't doubt that God could perform something beyond our belief but in Kenya itself, DNA tests showed that 20 babies were not related to women claiming to be their mothers that were supposed to have conceived after being prayed over by Gilbert Deya.

Kenyan authorities said their investigation revolves around the disappearance of babies from Nairobi's Pumwani Maternity Hospital. It was after the arrest of his wife, Mary, in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, that exposed Gilbert. She arrived at a hospital with a newborn baby to which she claimed to have given birth, but doctors who examined Mrs Deya, aged 57 at the time, said her claim of recently having given birth was false. (source: BBC News/Africa)

How true is the above report or claim? More about Gilbert's 'ministry' can be found in his website, Welcome to Gilbert Deya Ministries. After going through the website, there are conflicting statement 1 and conflicting statement 2 made by Gilbert Deya on his wife's pregnancy. A conspiracy theory that is being put up by the Kenyan police??? In his website, the Kenyan police has bribed many people to conceal the truth on his wife's birth and has hid his wife and the baby boy in unknown places till his family/relatives/lawyers could not locate. Date of birth was on 10 Sept 2005.

I'm confused.

Tags: Kenya, Gilbert Deya, Deya Ministries, Baby, Evangelist, Prayer, Pregnant

Nigeria Fish Festival Bans Fish

People in north-western Nigeria are angry that fishing has been banned at Kebbi State's Argungu fishing festival. A fishing competition is the highlight of the festival when fishermen jump into a river and have an hour to scoop the biggest catch for a big cash prize.

But organisers say as the water level is so low the narrow Matan Fada river is very muddy, raising safety concerns for the estimated 30,000 competitors.

Kebbi State Governor Adamu Aleiro says there will be a fishing display for symbolic purposes to show how the fish are caught using traditional nets and gourds. Local people are angered that the event will be something of a damp squib.

The Argungu fishing festival began in 1934 - and was used to mark peace between the former Sokoto Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom. The competition is usually the culmination of a four-day cultural event and a motor rally, musicals and cultural dances are still taking place this year. (source: BBC News/Africa)

It's like ordering tomato juice without tomatoes please!
Tags: Nigeria, Fishing, Festival, Cultural, Kebbi, Argungu, Matan Fada, Fisherman

Snippets

Maybe I can draw your attention to some interesting news happening around the Africa continent while you wait for my postings (after resumption of my internet serve at home cum office, just can't wait for this 24 hours internet opportunity):-

a) Ethiopia and Starbucks talks fail (yeah, the coffee chain)
b) Drug disgrace for Nollywood star (ever wonder where is Nollywood????)
c) Gaddafi in Nigeria airport drama (referring to the Libyan president)
d) 'Pregnant' man fined in South African court
e) Madonna faces adoption challenge (due to her recent adoption of a Malawian boy)

Happy reading!
Tags: Ethiopia, Starbucks, Nollywood, Drug, Gaddafi, Nigeria, South Africa, Madonna, Adoption

Morocco moves to drop headscarf

Morocco has made changes to religious education, in particular regarding whether young girls should wear headscarves. A picture of a mother and her daughter wearing headscarves is being removed from the latest editions of a text book. A verse from the Koran that says girls should don veils has already been taken out of the books.
Other Arab countries have made similar changes, worrying that the veil could be used as a symbol of extremism. Across the Arab world the headscarf issue seems to be gathering momentum. In Tunisia for example, young women who wear veils say they have been harassed by the authorities who are forcing the girls to remove their veils at schools and universities.

Younger Arabic women nowadays will wear everything from that long robes to more modern clothes such as trainers, jeans and T-shirts, with nothing on their heads - except perhaps some expensive designer sunglasses. (source: BBC News)
Tags: Morocco, Tunisia, Koran, Quran, Headscarf, Veil, Arabic Women

Chevron and Petronas stays in Chad

Referring to my earlier post on 27 Aug 06 that both
Chevron, USA and
Petronas, Malaysia were given the ultimatum to settle some tax liabilities or leave Chad within 24 hours.

Well, both companies have now signed a new agreement rendering the original tax agreement, signed in 2000, as invalid. This sort of invalidation will happen in African countries. They agreed to pay Chad a staggering US$280m (£150m) in overdue taxes.

More of a blackmail kind of situation to me, pay up or leave......might as well pay as investments have been incurred. They will go all out to reap as much profit in years to come to cover such additional taxes.

Tags: Petronas, Chevron, Chad, Tax, Oil

Global Malaysians - South Africa

Many Malaysians have been successful in their adopted countries/current residential country be it in their occupations or business ventures.

Today we will go to the African continent where Mr. Wan Abdullah Wan Salleh has been residing in South Africa for the last 12 years (he hails from Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia). To earn a living, he has played for bands to being a cook in a catering company and also worked as a clearing agent in a trading business.

Mr. Wan Abdullah now owns a company called WGS Africa (established in 1994) which deals in semi-precious gemstone with his shop being located in Sandton, on the outskirt of Johannesburg. His shop makes beautiful decorative items out of polished and colourful gemstones. Mr. Wan Abdullah said his factory is one of only two in South Africa producing gemstone souvenirs; four other producers have since closed down. His company's monthly revenue is between Rand80,000 and Rand100,000 (RM33,000 and RM42,000).

Syabas Mr. Wan!
Tags: South Africa, WGS Africa, Gemstone, Sandton, Johannesburg, Souvenirs

Petronas & ChevronTexaco chased out of Chad

How come the Malaysian news have not reported on this yet?

The Chad government has given a 24 hours ultimatum to both Petronas of Malaysia and ChevronTexaco of USA to move its staff out of the country and close their offices. It's a real blow to both companies. Reason for the immediate clearance as mentioned was due to non-compliance to tax obligation matters. Other sources claimed that the removal was to make way for the entrance of China companies into the picture as reported in BBC News/Africa & CNN News.

In Sudan itself, China companies are making headways too. China's top government officials recent visits to a number of African countries are actually paving ways for China companies' path into the largely untapped markets. Apparently, Chad just resumed its international tie with China 3 weeks ago.
Tags: Chad, Petronas, ChevronTexaco, China, Oil