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Monday, December 11, 2017

Soliciting Form W-2 information from payroll and human resources professionals.

Soliciting Form W-2 information from payroll and human resources professionals.

The IRS has established a process that will allow businesses and payroll service providers to quickly report any data losses related to the W-2 scam currently making the rounds. If notified in time, the IRS can take steps to prevent employees from being victimized by identity thieves filing fraudulent returns in their names. There also is information about how to report receiving the scam email.
Report these schemes:
Employers are urged to put protocols in place for the sharing of sensitive employee information such as Forms W-2. The W-2 scam is just one of several new variations that focus on the large-scale thefts of sensitive tax information from tax preparers, businesses and payroll companies.
Tax professionals who experience a data breach also should quickly report the incident to the IRS. See details at Data Theft Information for Tax Professionals.
Also see:

Scams Targeting Taxpayers

Scams Targeting Taxpayers

IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scams

A sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. Victims may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request.
Some thieves have used video relay services (VRS) to try to scam deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Taxpayers are urged not trust calls just because they are made through VRS, as interpreters don’t screen calls for validity. For details see the IRS video: Tax Scams via Video Relay Service.
Limited English Proficiency victims are often approached in their native language, threatened with deportation, police arrest and license revocation, among other things. IRS urges all taxpayers caution before paying unexpected tax bills. Please see: IRS Alerts Taxpayers with Limited English Proficiency of Ongoing Phone Scams. Note that the IRS doesn't:
  • Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill if you owe any taxes.
  • Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
  • Demand payment without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
  • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

ሊፍት ለሹፌሮቼ የትምህርት ቤት ክፍያ ድጎማ አደርጋለሁ አለ

በአሜረካ አገር በራስ የቤት መኪና እንደ ታክሲ ሰውን ለማመላለስ ካስቻለት እና ለብዙ ህዝቦች ገቢ ያስገኘው ሊፍት የተባለው ኩባንያ ለሸፌራቼ ትምህርታቸውን ከቀጠሉ የተወሰነውን ክፍያ እሸፍናለሁ አለ
Lyft is unveiling a new education program for drivers, offering access to discounted GED and college courses online. The move is an interesting experiment in the gig economy, where a growing class of workers receive zero benefits from a boss and yet competition for their time is fierce.

Many Lyft drivers see their work for the company as a stopgap measure, a flexible way to make money while they try to build a career.

Shanae Watkins, a driver based in Baltimore, would like to become a social worker. She is currently working on her bachelor's in psychology through online classes. "It's better that way with my kids," she says. "I can drive or study while still being present at home when they need me."

Watkins drives for Uber, Lyft, GrubHub and Amazon Flex and, she says, she does not have loyalty to any specific gig company.

"I turn on the apps and see where the demand is," she says. But, she says, if one of them offered help with the cost of school, that could move her to shift her loyalties.

That is the bet that Lyft is making in this new pilot program with Guild Education. The Denver-based startup connects workers to courses provided by nonprofit online schools.

Lyft drivers will receive tuition discounts ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent and, according to the company, the average driver working with Guild to earn a degree can save up to $4,220 per year.

Drivers can take English as a second language and GED courses, as well as earn an associates, bachelor's or master's degree online in subjects including IT, nursing, social work, occupational therapy and business.


Lyft would not disclose how much the program will cost the company. According to a Lyft survey of drivers to be published next month, 47 percent do not have a college degree.

Gabe Cohen, general manager for Lyft in Denver, says internal surveys show that drivers want to earn degrees. This move serves that goal, as well as the startup's business interests.

"It is important that drivers feel loyalty to Lyft," Cohen says.

There is fierce competition for drivers in the ride-hailing industry. Companies pour money into marketing budgets, placing ads on billboards and popular radio stations in an effort to recruit.


This new education benefit could be a more effective tool and even prompt the largest ride-hailing company, Uber, to do the same. In response to pressure from drivers who pointed out that Lyft offered in-app tipping, Uber started offering the feature this summer.

To qualify, a driver must have completed 10 rides for Lyft in the current or previous quarter, and then 10 rides per month.

"It is a low bar," says Zoe Weintraub, who directs sales and corporate partnerships at Guild.

Turnover among the hourly workforce is notoriously high. Lyft is the first company in the gig economy to offer these education benefits to its drivers.

Guild's other clients include the fast-food chain Chipotle which, Weintraub says, has seen a clear benefit to retention: 98 percent of the employees who enrolled in its education programs stayed with the company over a 90-day period.


David Weil, dean at Brandeis University's Heller School of Social Policy and Management, is not impressed. Weil, who was in charge of investigating companies that misclassify workers under the Obama administration, describes the move by Lyft as strategic, but not generous.

Lyft and Uber are fighting in courts against claims that drivers are employees entitled to benefits like paid sick leave and health care.

"The ride-hailing companies can't erase the fact that their business models are having drivers do all sorts of things an employee would do," Weil says. To offer training is "really nice" but it doesn't mean Lyft should "be rewarded by having the other responsibilities removed," he says.

Lyft audited the pilot program to assess if it exposes the company to new legal claims that workers are employees, not independent contractors. A spokesperson says in-house lawyers determined it does not because only benefits that serve as compensation — such as paying a health care premium or matching a 401(k) — could put the "independent contractor" status in jeopardy.

Friday, December 1, 2017

2018 World Cup Final Draw! የአለም ዋንጫ ምደባ



Groups


Group A

  • RUS
    Russia
  • KSA
    Saudi Arabia
  • EGY
    Egypt
  • URU
    Uruguay

Group B

  • POR
    Portugal
  • ESP
    Spain
  • MAR
    Morocco
  • IRN
    IR Iran

Group C

  • FRA
    France
  • AUS
    Australia
  • PER
    Peru
  • DEN
    Denmark

Group D

  • ARG
    Argentina
  • ISL
    Iceland
  • CRO
    Croatia
  • NGA
    Nigeria

Group E

  • BRA
    Brazil
  • SUI
    Switzerland
  • CRC
    Costa Rica
  • SRB
    Serbia

Group F

  • GER
    Germany
  • MEX
    Mexico
  • SWE
    Sweden
  • KOR
    Korea Republic

Group G

  • BEL
    Belgium
  • PAN
    Panama
  • TUN
    Tunisia
  • ENG
    England

Group H

  • POL
    Poland
  • SEN
    Senegal
  • COL
    Colombia
  • JPN
    Japan

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

ይህ ሰው ተፈታ ቀጣዩስ?

Reuters

ይህ ተፈታ
(Reuters) - Senior Saudi Arabian prince Miteb bin Abdullah, once seen as a leading contender to the throne, has been freed after agreeing to pay over $1 billion to settle corruption allegations against him, a Saudi official said on Wednesday.
Miteb, 65, son of the late King Abdullah and former head of the elite National Guard, was among dozens of royal family members, high officials and senior businessmen rounded up this month in a crackdown on graft that has strengthened the power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The official, who is involved in the crackdown and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Miteb was released on Tuesday after reaching "an acceptable settlement agreement". The official said he believed the agreed sum to be the equivalent of over $1 billion.
"It is understood that the settlement included admitting corruption involving known cases," the official said, without giving details.
According to the official, Prince Miteb was accused of embezzlement, hiring ghost employees and awarding contracts to his own firms, including a deal for walkie talkies and bulletproof military gear.
Prince Miteb is the first senior figure known to be released among those detained. Around 200 people in total have been questioned in the crackdown, authorities said earlier this month.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

የዝንባቡዌ ዜጋ የሆኑት ጓድ መንግስቱ ሐይለማርያም ስለ ዝንባቡዌው ወቅታዊው ሁኔታ ምክር ለገሱ






ደርግ  ዝንባቡዌን  እንዲያስተዳድር  ከራሳቸም ምክር  ለግሰዋል:: ከ 25 ዓመት በፊት መኖሪያቸውን  ወደ  ዝንባቡዌ  ያቀኑት  የቀድሞው  የኢትዮጵያው  ፕሬዜዳንት መንግስቱ ሃይለማርያም ለዝንባቡዌው መሪ እና ህዝብ ከዚህ ቀደም ካላቸው  የስራ ልምድ  አካፈሉ።  ለሁሉም  ከዚህ በታች ያለውን  ሪፖርት  ያንብቡ።

EXCLUSIVE:Mengistu urges military takeover of Mugabe succession

Risks of Martial Law heighten 

 

COLOGNE/VUMBA– Ethiopia’s exiled autocrat, Mengistu Haile Mariam, now a full Zimbabwean citizen has reportedly urged the military to take an active, and decisive role in President Robert Mugabe’s cumbersome succession gridlock, amid growing fears of a possible government shut-down and civil unrest owing to the deteriorating economic situation in the country, Spotlight Zimbabwe, has been told.

A government shut-down is defined as a situation in which a government stops providing all but essential services, resulting in a furlough for civil servants, covering the duration of the shut-down itself.
In the United States, for instance the longest partial government shut-down in the modern era stretched from November 19, 1995 to December 16, 1995. The shut-down was the result of President Bill Clinton and the then Republican-controlled Congress clashing over the budget and the country’s debt ceiling limit.
The secretive disclosures come on the backcloth, of reports that the ruling Zanu PF administration, has suspended salary payments for teachers and nurses due to worsening cash shortages. Harare will only make available the salaries on July 7 and 14 for the respective professions, instead of the normal June 20 pay-day.
Zimbabwe’s military and air force officers, have however been prioritised, and will be paid on June 27 instead of the 12th of the month while police and prison staff will be paid on June 30, according to finance secretary, Willard Manungo.
As Mugabe faces a worsening balance of payment crisis, his exchequer Patrick Chinamasa, is this week expected to finalise agreements to repay some US$1.86 billion of arrears to multilateral financial institutions, in anticipation of re-entry into the international financial system after almost two decades out in the cold.http://www.wikilina.com/
According to high level army sources, Mengistu has been holding “several private meetings” at his farm in Vumba between February and April 2016 with senior military personnel, where as a hired consultant of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, he has allegedly proposed that the army steps in to resolve Mugabe’s succession before it is too late.
“His (Mengistu) argument is that President Robert Mugabe’s succession issue has become so complex, such that only the military can step in with a solution,” said a senior officer based at Mutare’s 3 Brigade army base in confidentiality. “They want a military solution, through civilian architecture, because the warring factions in the ruling party could trigger a total collapse of the ruling party, and the President is thought to be open to a peaceful succession exit, which will not cost Zanu PF power, something which is within the orbit of the military, without having to stage a putsch.”
It has also come to light that Mengistu, has now reportedly become an unofficial member, of the influential Joint Operations Command (JOC), and he sometimes travels to Harare for some consultation work, during which time he is rarely seen at his upmarket Gunhill mansion.
JOC brings together the army, intelligence, prison and police chiefs.
Intelligence sources last week said, Mengistu, without giving a specific date, had allegedly met Mugabe and some security chiefs, to recommend military strategy, which can be employed to keep the regime politically afloat, as the danger of civil disobedience was increasingly being precipitated by the current cash crunch.
“We gather that he has met the President, and they have discussed key security issues. Mengistu is of the view that the President must not be forced or rushed out of office, but the time had come for the military to be involved if Zanu PF is to survive beyond 2018. The only worrying factor is that there might be a period of martial law, should the succession issue end up being carelessly handled. We have the President to thank for the present peace prevailing, he cannot just leave office prematurely, because it will result in chaos.”
As first reported by Spotlight Zimbabwe, on 18 March 2016, Mengistu is said to be also the brainchild behind a political scheme of having Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander, General Constantine Chiwenga, brewing since 2008 to become vice president, under VP Emmerson Mnangagwa’s likely presidency possibly before year end.
This publication can also put it on record, that Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, are all but set to become the new Zanu PF administration before the much anticipated 2018 Presidential elections, as Mugabe is unlikely to finish his term according to party insiders.
Defence minister, Sydney Sekeramayi’s mobile phone was unreachable the whole day yesterday when we sought a comment. The minister’s office also declined to give official comment.
Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe in 1991 following his ouster by rebel forces in a country he ruled with an iron grip for 17 years after the 1974 assassination of Emperor Haile Sellassie.
He has also been issued with a Zimbabwean diplomatic passport with full citizenship by Mugabe since 2002 according to foreign affairs officials in the capital. All of Mengistu’s family members have also been granted citizenship, after their father successfully sought asylum following a civil war defeat in 1991.
Mengistu was tried and found guilty of genocide in absentia and was sentenced to life in prison in January 2007.
Some of the known family members are: Andenet (son), who has been studying abroad on a Zimbabwean passport for years, and is believed to be now fronting family business interests in the country; Tegiste (daughter) a qualified doctor, who has been employed by the ministry of health since 1998, in the paediatrics department in the capital. She is also registered with the Health Professions Council.OLOGNE/VUMBA– Ethiopia’s exiled autocrat, Mengistu Haile Mariam, now a full Zimbabwean citizen has reportedly urged the military to take an active, and decisive role in President Robert Mugabe’s cumbersome succession gridlock, amid growing fears of a possible government shut-down and civil unrest owing to the deteriorating economic situation in the country, Spotlight Zimbabwe, has been told.
A government shut-down is defined as a situation in which a government stops providing all but essential services, resulting in a furlough for civil servants, covering the duration of the shut-down itself.
In the United States, for instance the longest partial government shut-down in the modern era stretched from November 19, 1995 to December 16, 1995. The shut-down was the result of President Bill Clinton and the then Republican-controlled Congress clashing over the budget and the country’s debt ceiling limit.
The secretive disclosures come on the backcloth, of reports that the ruling Zanu PF administration, has suspended salary payments for teachers and nurses due to worsening cash shortages. Harare will only make available the salaries on July 7 and 14 for the respective professions, instead of the normal June 20 pay-day.
Zimbabwe’s military and air force officers, have however been prioritised, and will be paid on June 27 instead of the 12th of the month while police and prison staff will be paid on June 30, according to finance secretary, Willard Manungo.
As Mugabe faces a worsening balance of payment crisis, his exchequer Patrick Chinamasa, is this week expected to finalise agreements to repay some US$1.86 billion of arrears to multilateral financial institutions, in anticipation of re-entry into the international financial system after almost two decades out in the cold.
According to high level army sources, Mengistu has been holding “several private meetings” at his farm in Vumba between February and April 2016 with senior military personnel, where as a hired consultant of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, he has allegedly proposed that the army steps in to resolve Mugabe’s succession before it is too late.
“His (Mengistu) argument is that President Robert Mugabe’s succession issue has become so complex, such that only the military can step in with a solution,” said a senior officer based at Mutare’s 3 Brigade army base in confidentiality. “They want a military solution, through civilian architecture, because the warring factions in the ruling party could trigger a total collapse of the ruling party, and the President is thought to be open to a peaceful succession exit, which will not cost Zanu PF power, something which is within the orbit of the military, without having to stage a putsch.”
It has also come to light that Mengistu, has now reportedly become an unofficial member, of the influential Joint Operations Command (JOC), and he sometimes travels to Harare for some consultation work, during which time he is rarely seen at his upmarket Gunhill mansion.
JOC brings together the army, intelligence, prison and police chiefs.
Intelligence sources last week said, Mengistu, without giving a specific date, had allegedly met Mugabe and some security chiefs, to recommend military strategy, which can be employed to keep the regime politically afloat, as the danger of civil disobedience was increasingly being precipitated by the current cash crunch.
“We gather that he has met the President, and they have discussed key security issues. Mengistu is of the view that the President must not be forced or rushed out of office, but the time had come for the military to be involved if Zanu PF is to survive beyond 2018. The only worrying factor is that there might be a period of martial law, should the succession issue end up being carelessly handled. We have the President to thank for the present peace prevailing, he cannot just leave office prematurely, because it will result in chaos.”
As first reported by Spotlight Zimbabwe, on 18 March 2016, Mengistu is said to be also the brainchild behind a political scheme of having Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander, General Constantine Chiwenga, brewing since 2008 to become vice president, under VP Emmerson Mnangagwa’s likely presidency possibly before year end.
This publication can also put it on record, that Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, are all but set to become the new Zanu PF administration before the much anticipated 2018 Presidential elections, as Mugabe is unlikely to finish his term according to party insiders.
Defence minister, Sydney Sekeramayi’s mobile phone was unreachable the whole day yesterday when we sought a comment. The minister’s office also declined to give official comment.
Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe in 1991 following his ouster by rebel forces in a country he ruled with an iron grip for 17 years after the 1974 assassination of Emperor Haile Sellassie.
He has also been issued with a Zimbabwean diplomatic passport with full citizenship by Mugabe since 2002 according to foreign affairs officials in the capital. All of Mengistu’s family members have also been granted citizenship, after their father successfully sought asylum following a civil war defeat in 1991.
Mengistu was tried and found guilty of genocide in absentia and was sentenced to life in prison in January 2007.
Some of the known family members are: Andenet (son), who has been studying abroad on a Zimbabwean passport for years, and is believed to be now fronting family business interests in the country; Tegiste (daughter) a qualified doctor, who has been employed by the ministry of health since 1998, in the paediatrics department in the capital. She is also registered with the Health Professions Council.

 

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

የሰሜን ኮሪያውን መሪ “ዘረጦ” ብሎ የተሳደበው የአሜሪካ ፕሬዜዳንት የሞት ፍርድ ተበየነበት::

የሰሜን ኮሪያውን  መሪ “ዘረጦ” ብሎ  የተሳደበው  የአሜሪካ ፕሬዜዳንት የሞት ፍርድ ተበየነበት:: ባለፈው ሳምንት የኤዥያን  አፈሮች  በመጎብኘት  ላይ ሳለ የአሜሪካው  ፕሬዜዳንት ዶናልድ ትራምፕ   ባደረገው ንግግር ላይ  የሰሜን ኮርያውን  ወይፈን  በሬ  "ዘረጦ“  ብሎ  በአለም አቀፍ አደባባይ  በመዘርጠጡ  የኮርያው ፕሬዜዳንት  ቀጭን  ትዛዝ  አስተላልፎ  ዶናልድን በሞት እንዲቀጣ  ወስኖበታል።
http://www.wikilina.com/

North Korea 'sentences Trump to death' for insulting Kim Jong-un 

Regime-run newspaper says US president is ‘hideous criminal’ after he said North was a ‘cruel dictatorship’ and Kim ‘short and fat’
North Korea’s state media has criticised Donald Trump for insulting leader Kim Jong-Un, saying the US president deserved the death penalty and calling him a coward for cancelling a visit to the inter-Korean border.
http://www.ethiopianpowerofattorney.com/
An editorial in the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun focused its anger on Trump’s visit to South Korea last week, during which he denounced the North’s “cruel dictatorship” in a speech to legislators in Seoul.

The visit was part of a marathon five-nation Asia tour by the US president aimed largely at galvanising regional opposition to the North’s nuclear weapons ambitions.

“The worst crime for which he can never be pardoned is that he dared [to] malignantly hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership,” the editorial said.

“He should know that he is just a hideous criminal sentenced to death by the Korean people,” it added.

Since becoming president, Trump has engaged in an escalating war of words with Kim Jong-un, trading personal insults and threats of military strikes and raising concerns about an outbreak of hostilities.

Towards the end of his Asia tour, he sent a tweet from Hanoi that took the verbal jousting to a new level, taunting the North Korean leader over his height and weight.

“Why would Kim Jong-Un insult me by calling me ‘old,’ when I would NEVER call him ‘short and fat’?” he tweeted.

The members of the ruling Kim dynasty – past and present – enjoy near god-like status in North Korea, which has demonstrated extreme sensitivity to any remark that might be seen as mocking or disrespectful of the leadership.

The editorial also took a dig at Trump’s failure to tour the demilitarised zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas – a traditional stop-off for senior US officials visiting the South.

Trump’s helicopter taking him to the DMZ had turned back after just five minutes due to bad weather – an explanation the newspaper dismissed.

“It wasn’t the weather,” the editorial said: “He was just too scared to face the glaring eyes of our troops.”

Mugabe in Pictures


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Zimbabwe army denies coup against Mugabe as it takes control of Harare – live


What we know so far

  • Zimbabwean defence forces have seized control of state broadcaster ZBC overnight, screening a statement declaring that it is “targeting criminals” around the president, Robert Mugabe.
  • Mugabe himself, and his family, are “safe and sound”, army spokesman Major General SB Moyo said. Mugabe has not appeared in public or issued a statement. It is unclear whether he is in the custody of the military.
  • In a statement broadcast overnight, Moyo insisted:

We wish to make this abundantly clear this is not a military takeover of government. What the Zimbabwe defence forces is doing is to pacify a degenerating political, social and economic situation in our country, which if not addressed may result in violent conflict.
  • But the statement made it clear the army had acted in response to a purge of Zanu-PF members, including the vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sacked by Mugabe last week, and had been angered by the failure of state media to report on a warning issued by the army chief General Constantino Chiwenga on Monday:

The situation in our country has moved to another level … To members of the Zimbabwe defence forces, all leave is cancelled and you are all to return to your barracks with immediate effect …
Let it be clear we intend to address the human security threats in our country. Therefore any provocation will be met with an appropriate response.
  • Armoured vehicles and troops have on Wednesday morning blocked roads in central Harare around government buildings and the presidential residence.
  • There are reports that at least one minister, finance minister Ignatius Chombo, has been detained by the military.
  • Chombo is a leading member of the G40 faction of the ruling Zanu-PF party, led by Mugabe’s wife Grace, who is vying to succeed the 93-year-old president. This faction is believed to be the target of the military’s action.
Read our latest report here:


Zimbabwe military seizes power to stop ‘criminals’

Sources said those arrested included higher education minister Jonathan Moyo‚ local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and finance minister Ignatius Chombo.
The military said in a statement that President Robert Mugabe was “safe and sound”. This came after armed personnel first began moving military vehicles into Harare on Tuesday.
The state broadcaster‚ the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in Pocket Hills in Harare‚ was seized by the military at 4am.
Army spokesperson Major General Sibusiso Moyo announced that the military was now in charge for the purpose of ensuring that it dealt with the “criminals” that had surrounded Mugabe.
“We are only targeting criminals around him [Mugabe] who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice‚” Moyo said.
Mugabe has in the past spoken out against any military involvement in civilian affairs and given the stern rebuke that “politics leads the gun” in an attempt to tame his army generals’ interest in political affairs.
However‚ tensions escalated after Mugabe fired his long-time ally and former deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa last week on grounds of disloyalty and a plot to take over power from him‚ triggering a pushback by the army generals.
Army commander Constantino Chiwenga this week warned that the military would “step in” to deal with the spate of purges that had gripped the ruling party‚ ordering Mugabe to reverse his expulsions.
Zanu-PF’s youth league‚ led by Kudzai Chipanga‚ on Tuesday morning dared the military and insisted that it had no place in civilian affairs.
The military then began unexplained deployments of armoured vehicles from the Inkomo barracks on the outskirts of Harare‚ which attracted public attention and sparked a social media frenzy.
In an attempt to downplay the social media attention‚ the military indicated that its deployment of the army vehicles was a routine drill and there was no cause for alarm.
A statement issued on Tuesday night at 8pm by Information Minister Simon Khaya Moyo warned that Chiwenga’s statements were “treasonous”— and was the first official response from government.
Mugabe is at his residence in Borrowdale‚ at his Blue Roof mansion‚ with his wife Grace and is under heavy military guard.

Zimbabwe ministers arrested


A number of Zimbabwean cabinet ministers have been arrested after the military made a show of force in the capital Harare‚ according to sources.
Loud explosions and the sound of gunfire crackling in the elite neighborhood of Borrowdale throughout the night heightened fears that a military crackdown was under way.
Several sources said that the military had arrested the leading figures of the so-called G40 faction in the ruling Zanu-PF‚ led by First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Mugabe 'preparing to step down' - senior source

Reports indicate that soldiers have taken over Zimbabwe's ZBC state broadcaster, compounding speculation of a coup against President Robert Mugabe, 93. Follow Live updates.
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On the ground I am now in town. State owned radio stations now only playing war time songs (songs that we used to play during the liberation struggle as well as the statement by the military.  
In the CBD army tanks are blocking all roads that lead to the official president's office, the Munhumutapa Building. They are also blocking roads leading to the Parliament Building, the High Court and the Defence Forces House.  
I am also told that there is heavy army presence to the road that leads to the President's rural Home in Zvimba, to the west of Harare in the Mashonaland West Province.  
Some parents have also prevented their children from going to school especially schools in Northern Suburbs and those close to the CBD.  
But at the moment it's all still calm with people going about their business although the volume of traffic is minimal. - Zimbabwe journalist Crecey Kuyedzwa in Harare

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Local flight operators say it is business as usual for now, as speculation of coup in Zimbabwe continues.  
Videos posted to twitter show that entry to Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGB) International Airport is currently being monitored by Zimbabwean military.  
There have been conflicting reports regarding flight operations from Harare since the Zimbabwean military started sending tanks into the capital on Tuesday and have since taken over the public broadcaster, ZBC.

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Elections probably won't be held as scheduled, Rashweat Mukundu, an analyst with the Harare-based Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, said by phone.  
"The military is going to determine the shape of Zimbabwean politics, although they've tried to say this is not a coup," he said.  
"This may result in the creation of a new unity government which will involve the opposition."

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The country is now under military rule, said Alex Magaisa, a Zimbabwean law lecturer who is based in the UK and helped design Zimbabwe’s 2013 constitution. “When you see a man in uniform reading news on national television, you know it’s done,” he said in a text message. “There are no more questions. Authority is now in the hands of the military.”

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Adriaan Basson:
Verified reports confirm that Mugabe has negotiated for Grace to leave the country while he prepares to step down.
Press conference tomorrow afternoon. Soldiers indeed have the president and his presidential guard under siege. Zimbabweans are urged to stay away from the CBD tomorrow until further notice

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Traffic into the Harare city centre is "picking up", schools operating, city flowing normally, says Zimbabwean journalist

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No confirmation from Robert Mugabe that he is under house arrest

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Aggressive Zimbabwean soldiers told passing cars to keep moving through the darkness. "Don't try anything funny. Just go," one barked at Reuters on Harare Drive - Reuters

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No need for SADC or SA to get involved in Zimbabwe, says former ZANU-PF official Temba Mliswa

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We are safer under the army, says former ZANU-PF official Temba Mliswa

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Zimbabwe's military seizes power, threatening Mugabe's rule
The armed forces seized power in Zimbabwe after a week of confrontation with President Robert Mugabe’s government and said the action was needed to stave off violent conflict in the southern African nation that he’s ruled since 1980.

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President was part of this faction, but now it has backfired on him - former ZANU-PF official Temba Mliswa

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First lady has usurped the powers of the Zimbabwe president - former ZANU-PF official Temba Mliswa

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ZANU-PF has described as "treasonous" statements by Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga that the military will not hesitate to take corrective measures when they felt the gains of the liberation struggle were under threat - Zimbabwe Herald

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ZANU-PF and ANC have long relationships, says UNISA lecturer

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UNISA lecturer says Zimbabweans should remain peaceful and calm

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The Zimbabwe army's takeover of the state broadcaster and action against some members of President Robert Mugabe's government has been praised by the chair of the Liberation War Veterans' Association.  
Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the war veterans' group issued a statement from Johannesburg praising Army General Constantino Chiwenga for carrying out "a bloodless correction of gross abuse of power". The statement said the army will return Zimbabwe to "genuine democracy".  
Mutsvangwa and the war veterans' group are staunch allies of Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired from his post of vice president by Mugabe last week - AP

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Zimbabwe finance minister Ignatius Chombo was a leading member of the so-called "G40" faction of the ruling ZANU-PF party, led by Mugabe's wife Grace, that had been vying to succeed the 93-year-old president - Reuters

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Zimbabwe war veterans leader praises army action as "bloodless correction", says military will restore democracy - AP

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Takeover of the state broadcaster is "Coup 101" - The National

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Soldiers overran the headquarters of the ZBC, Zimbabwe’s state broadcaster and a principal Mugabe mouthpiece, and ordered staff to leave. Several ZBC workers were manhandled, two members of staff and a human rights activist said - Reuters

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Zimbabwean soldiers and armoured vehicles blocked roads to the main government offices, parliament and the courts in central Harare, a Reuters witness said on Wednesday - Reuters

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In Africa, Libya, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Gambia and Lesotho have all faced recent coups or coup attempts

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Army General SB Moyo says all leave for troops is cancelled, orders troops to barracks

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Only military messages are being aired on the state broadcaster

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"We wish to make it abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover of government," says Zimbabwe army General SB Moyo

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"Our wish is that you enjoy your rights and freedoms," says army General SB Moyo to Zimbabwe public

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Army General SB Moyo says that judiciary is free to be independent and MPs are free to "serve your constituents"

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Army General SB Moyo guarantees safety of Robert Mugabe, saying that the army is "gathering criminals around him"