Posts in category: Uncategorized

Neuroscientists know that what makes a memory really stick is reconsolidation, when a new memory is reactivated by identical or similar experiences, stimulating the creation of additional and stronger neural connections.

By NATION REPORTER
PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni has urged politicians to embrace peace, unity and forgiveness.
The Chief is said to have refused to meet Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo and his entourage Saturday morning at Ephendukeni palace when they paid a courtesy call on him.
According to Ngoni senior chiefs and Indunas close to the developments of Saturday at Ephendukeni, Nkombo in the company of other ministers, among them deputy speaker of the National Assembly Moses Moyo, Eastern Province Minister, Peter Phiri, Muchinga Province Minister Juma Sikazwe, Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa, Water Development Minister Mike Mposha, Small and Medium Enterprise Minister Elias Mubanga, Permanent Secretary Special Duties Patrick Mucheleka, Provincial Permanent Secretary Paul Thole and his deputy Princes Beauty Undi Phiri went to pay a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Mpezeni but the King of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province refused to meet them.
The senior Chiefs said when Mr Nkombo and his entourage arrived at the palace, Mpezeni was with Mwata Kazembe from Luapula in Mwansabombwe holding talks with other chiefs.
But when he was informed about their presence, Paramount Chief Mpezeni angrily refused to meet them, saying “Ala bauzyeni to go. I am busy.” (Tell them to go).
“Paramount Chief Mpezeni refused to meet the Mr Nkombo and his entourage. He was angry to learn that the President Hakainde Hichilema will not attend the ceremony despite Inkhosi officially inviting him on his own. You know this event was the most important one because the ceremony had clocked 40 years from the time it was revived, and at the same time Paramount Chief Mpezeni had clocked 40 years on throne, He is the longest serving Paramount Chief in the entire Zambia,” one of the Senior Chiefs said.
He explained that what was so upsetting and annoying for Paramount Chief Mpezeni was that State House on Tuesday communicated directly to inform him that President Hichilema would be available at the ceremony.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni was however infuriated after he was told on Friday night that President Hichilema would not be able make it because of the outbreak of Cholera in the province.
“Paramount Chief Mpezeni had put in a lot in the preparation to accommodate the President of the Republic of Zambia and to be told at the last minute through a press statement by Health Minister Sylvia Masebo that the President was not attending the ceremony because of Cholera and Covid-19 was an insult to the Ngoni Speaking people of Eastern Province and the Chief himself. He did not want to have anything to do with Government officials and in fact, he did not want anyone of them to attend. That is why on Friday, the provincial administration panicked,” one of chief who was with Paramount Chief Mpezeni said.

In a recently published editorial in the journal Genes & Cancer, researcher Tatsuro Jo from the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Genbaku Hospital’s Department of Hematology discussed aggressive type adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). ATLL caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is associated with dismal survival prospects, even after the approval of mogamulizumab (a monoclonal antibody for C-C chemokine receptor 4 antigen).

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one the most prevalent eye diseases. In the late stage of the disease, newly formed vessels in the retina alter its structure, which leads to blurry and distorted vision. This condition is called wet AMD and if left untreated, it can lead to severe and irreversible vision loss. Among the elderly, wet AMD is a leading cause of vision loss.

Mutations of the gene encoding dystrophins have long been known to cause the debilitating muscle-wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which affects one in every 5,000 children born, mostly boys. People with the condition will usually only live into their 20s or 30s.

THE Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has called on Government to strive and endeavour to drastically reduce the ever-increasing gap between the rich and the poor by addressing the high cost of living for all Zambians.

And the ZCCB says it is alarming and shameful for the country to have recorded more than 31, 000 divorces in the courts of law in the year 2022 and this is a sign of moral decay in societies.
Fr. Francis Mukosa, the ZCCB general secretary has called on the country’s leadership to heed the cries of the poor and less privileged in society by ensuring that the wealth God has blessed the country is equitably shared among citizens.
In his 2023 Lenten message, Fr Mukosa said for the country to find a lasting solution to its economic quagmire, all stakeholders were expected to play their role in an honest and passionate manner.
Fr. Mukosa has said that this Lenten season, the government should heed and listen to the cries of the poor and all less privileged persons because they were the most vulnerable to economic disorders.
“In practical terms, this entails that all the wealth that God has blessed this country with have to be shared equitably among citizens, the gap between the rich and the poor drastically reduced, the high cost of living worked on and the standard of living for all Zambians lifted.
In order for the nation to find a lasting solution to its economic quagmire all stakeholders are expected to play their role in an honest and passionate manner,” Fr. Mukosa said. Fr. Mukosa has called every leadership and every system of governance to promote common good so as to alleviate the suffering of the less privileged.
And Fr. Mukosa, says moral decay is a reality and that it is alarming and shameful for the country to have recorded more than 31, 000 divorces in the courts of law last year and this is a sign of moral decay in societies. He said it had been established that one of the major causes of family breakdown in Zambia was lack of proper communication among couples.
He has advised that couples should begin to abstain from getting glued to television sets and mobile phones so that they could have time to communicate and listen to each other as well as engage in communal prayers.
Lent is the Christian season of spiritual preparation before Easter for which the faithful dedicate specific time to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. “It is common knowledge today among Zambians that moral decay is a reality and a serious national concern. Thus, Lenten period understood as a time for repentance and conversion can be a privileged moment for the nation to uphold national values and principles. This calls for concerted efforts in bringing about change of mindset and behaviour,” Fr. Mukosa said.
Fr. Mukosa has called all to observe lent as a moment of deep and thoughtful conversations especially among family members.
“It is alarming and shameful to record more than 31, 000 divorce cases in the courts of law in 2022. It has also been established that one of the major causes of family breakdown in Zambia is lack of proper communication.
Therefore, abstaining from gluing to the TV screen or mobile phones as a form of fasting can actually help families to have time to listen to each other and engage in communal prayers,” he said.

Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney have developed a new device that can detect and analyze cancer cells from blood samples, enabling doctors to avoid invasive biopsy surgeries, and to monitor treatment progress.

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has ordered the demolition of all structures blocking the waterways and causing floods in most parts of Lusaka.
The head of State has directed that structures constructed on waterways and causing flooding should be demolished as soon as possible to cure the perennial flooding in Lusaka City, thereby causing the displacement of families.
The President says government is in a hurry to correct unplanned construction of structures as it had negatively impacted on the people in the affected areas and posing a health hazard to families.
Speaking when he toured the flooded areas in Lusaka’s Kabwata Wards, the President emphasised that the decision to demolish structures blocking waterways was based on the best interest of the people and that there were no politics involved.  The head of State has further directed the local authorities to engage with the owners of the structures to find the best solution to the challenge of flooding in Lusaka communities. President Hichilema warned that he would have no option but to invoke his presidential powers and declare the demolition of the structures if his directives were not going to be heeded to and comply.
Flooding has been recorded in some parts of Lusaka where waterways have been blocked by structures.
President Hichilema toured flooded areas in Lusaka to check on the status of the situation in Kabwata, Kanyama and Matero constituencies.
President Hichilema took time to interact with the residents in communities most of whom were ecstatic and euphoric upon seeing the head of State in their communities, having seen him before the 2021 general elections.

ZANIS

ZAMBIA’S under-20 national soccer team is in a do die fixture today when they face off with Tunisia in a Group C fixture of the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

After struggling with a 1-1 stalemate against Benin in the first fixture and a 2-0 defeat by Gambia, Zambia are desperate for a win to progress to the knock out stage of the youth AFCON.

The make or break fixture scheduled for the Cairo International Stadium presents the junior Chipolopolo the opportunity to recover from the disappointing defeat to The Gambia.

Tunisia and Zambia are on par with one point each while Benin has two points with the already qualified The Gambia dominating the group with six points from wins over Zambia and Tunisia.

“We know it is not going to be an easy game but we are prepared and the boys are looking forward to this game. They know that if we lose we go back home and if we win we progress to the next round,” Under-20 national team coach Chisi Mbewe said.

And goal keeper Jeban Tembo said the team was geared and ready to collect their first win which is crucial to make the next round.

After the shambolic display against Gambia in the previous fixture, Mbewe will hope that his charges will rise to the occasion to avoid being eliminated from the tournament without a victory.

Meanwhile, Zambia under-23 men’s national team coach Oswald Mutapa has unveiled a 30-man provisional squad that will face Egypt in next month’s final 2023 U-23 AFCON qualifier matches.

Zambia who qualified to the last round after beating Sierra Leone 2-1 on aggregate will play Egypt in the first leg of the decider on March 20 before hosting the North Africans in the return fixture scheduled for March 26.

Mutapa, who doubles as Nkwazi FC head coach has summoned Chibombo United striker Kelvin Mubanga in the squad consisting of players from the National Division one league and the FAZ Super League.

PROVISIONAL SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS – Francis Mwansa (Trident), Jairos Tembo (FC Muza), Mukuka Chilufya (Aguila Stars), Patrick Chooma (Prison Leopards)

DEFENDERS – John Chishimba (Zesco United), Emmanuel Bwalya Chembe, Andrew Phiri, Mathews Chabala (all Nchanga Rangers), Nexala Mvula, Martin Zulu (both Chambishi), Ronald Chanda Chileshe (FC Muza), William Kamanga (Lumwana Radiants), Christopher Katongo (Kansanshi Dynamos), Sharpi Chikondi Njobvu (Green Eagles), Brian Musema (Jumulo)

MIDFIELDERS – Prince Mumba (Kabwe Warriors), Martin Zulu (Chambishi), Patrick Gondwe (Nkana), Joshua Mutale (Power Dynamos), Golden Mashata, John Kosamu (both Green Buffaloes), Peter Phiri (Morning Stars), Wilson Chisala, Dalitso Phiri (both Zanaco), Mwiya Mwiya (FC Muza)

STRIKERS – Andrew Phiri (FC Muza), Jimmy Mukeya (Napsa Stars), Enock Sakala Jr (Zesco United), Ricky Banda (Red Arrows), Jonathan Munalula (Forest Rangers), Kelvin Mubanga (Chibombo United).

According to a study commissioned by Vision Direct, an average American will look at a screen for 44 years in his lifetime.