06/03/2010 by admin.

(Reuters) - A U.S. Navy warship prevented an attack on a Tanzanian ship and apprehended eight suspected pirates in the process, the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania said on Tuesday.
USS Farragut dispatched an SH-60B Seahawk helicopter to MV Barakaale 1 after it raised a distress call saying it was under attack from a gang on a skiff, the embassy said in a statement.

“The helicopter then stopped the … skiff as it attempted to speed away, by firing warning shots across its bow,” it said.

“A boarding team from USS Farragut boarded the vessel and the eight suspected pirates were taken aboard the Farragut.”

The statement did not say when and where the incident occurred, nor give the pirates’ nationalities. The USS Farragut is a guided missile destroyer and part of Combined Task Force 151 that patrols the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Somalia.

The task force, formed in 2009, comprises about three dozen ships from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, Canada, Denmark, Turkey, United States and United Kingdom among other countries.

The coast off Somalia is among the world’s most dangerous shipping lanes.

The number of piracy attacks worldwide jumped by 40 percent last year, with gunmen from the failed Horn of Africa state accounting for more than half the 406 reported incidents, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

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06/03/2010 by admin.

Researchers have found the fossil remains of a dinosaur cousin that lived 243 million years ago, making it the oldest known dinosaur relative.

The dinosaur cousin Asilisaurus kongwe live in Africa in the Middle Triassic period. The sail‑backed archosaur Hypselorhachisa appears in the background. (Marlene Hill Donnelly/Field Museum) The four-legged creature was part of a group of dinosaur-like animals called silesaurs, close relatives that fall just outside the dinosaur family tree.

The fossils of the new species, Asilisaurus kongwe, were discovered in southern Tanzania in 2007. The name, derived from Swahili and Greek, means “ancient lizard ancestor.” Read the rest of this entry »

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06/03/2010 by admin.

TAIFA Stars coach Marcio Maximo has ruled out the possibility of changing his squad ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualification match against Somalia. He says that the squad has what it takes to excel in the competition.

Speaking here in Mwanza following Stars’ 3-2 defeat to Uganda Cranes in an international friendly match played at the CCM Kirumba stadium, Maximo said he was satisfied by the performance of his team, despite the defeat and vowed to stick with the current outfit.

“I have confidence in this group. The team played well for most part of the game, but in football sometimes you should accept negative results or situations and look forward,” the Brazilian tactician said.

Maximo said the friendly match provided a good lesson to his team ahead of the CHAN qualifiers. “You know sometimes you pick more lessons when you lose than when you win,” he added.

When asked if he thought that his team can overcome Somalia in a one-leg CHAN encounter scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam, Maximo confidently said, “of course.”

Maximo got the backing of Uganda Cranes head coach Bobby Williamson who said that Taifa Stars has capacity to do commendaby well in the CHAN qualifiers.

“He (Maximo) has got a good squad and he’s a very good manager. So Taifa Stars have got a good chance,” the Scot, who was boosted by the away win before taking on Burundi in a CHAN qualification match, said.

Talking about the build-up game attended by average soccer fans from the rocky city, Dar es Salaam and neighbouring regions of Shinyanga, Tabora, and Kagera, Maximo said, “It was a good test for us, despite the unfavourable result.”

He added that: “It’s a good build-up for the forthcoming CHAN competition. I hope that the team will come up well for the game against Somalia. We have time to correct some of the mistakes that we saw in the game against Uganda Cranes.”

Taifa Stars struggled to match their opponents in the opening half in which they conceded a goal after barely eleven minutes from the first whistle, but the team looked strong and impressive in the second half taking the game to their favour after scoring twice.

However, poor concentration in the final quarter of the game helped Uganda Cranes to score two more goals.
Giving his general assessment of the match, Maximo said: “It was a very tight, nice game. But I think the result does not reflect our performance because each team created great chances. I think a draw could be a more correct result.

But he conceded that his opponents, whom he hailed for showing an exiting game and expertly taking their chance, had what it takes to become winners.

“Uganda, of course, took advantage of our lack of coordination in defence and picked up their chances well,” Maximo said.

He, however, shielded his defenders against blame.

“When you concede a goal it is not only the defenders (to be blamed), everyone should take part in the marking,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

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