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By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was vaccinated against the coronavirus on live television Saturday, becoming the first Israeli and one of the world's leaders to be inoculated. Israel is set to begin vaccinating its health workers and nursing home residents beginning Sunday. Netanyahu said he wanted to be the country's first recipient to set a personal example and to encourage Israelis to get the shot. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was vaccinated Friday in a similar attempt to boost public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. 'I believe in this vaccine,' he […]
The post Israeli PM joins world leaders getting COVID-19 vaccine appeared first on Black News Channel.
Nationwide protests have taken place since October 7 despite the disbanding of the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit.
The demonstrators have been accused of attacking police stations and personnel.
The rallies which are mostly attended by young people have become avenues to vent against corruption and unemployment.
Rights groups say at least 15 people have been killed the demonstrations began in early October.
The wedding of Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey to Atlanta sports show host Mike Hill was not filmed... View Article
The post Bravo refused to film Cynthia Bailey's big wedding due to coronavirus concerns appeared first on TheGrio.
If you believe his lawyers, R. Kelly is having a rough time behind bars. Allegedly, no one bothered to help the disgraced R&B singer while a fellow inmate decided to attempt to bless him with the proper fade.
BY SHAME MAKOSHORI GOLD and platinum have been placed at the heart of efforts to push Zimbabwe’s mines back to growth next year, official data showed at the weekend, confirming the importance that government attaches to the country’s vast mineral endowment. The data was released as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s under fire administration battles to find solutions to a gruelling economic crisis which is now in its 20th year. In an ambitious pre-budget strategy paper released on Friday projecting a sharp inflation slowdown by the end of 2020, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube promised to refine the investment climate and attract fresh capital to help overturn a projected 0,4% slowdown this year to a 7,4% growth in 2021. He said the groundwork towards achieving the target, which started with rolling out of the hyped US$12 billion mining strategy last year had kicked off with the deployment of significant resources towards exploration. “The sector is expected to grow by 7,7% in 2021 from a projected contraction of 4,1% in 2020,” the strategy paper said. “Recovery will be driven by almost all minerals including gold, PGMs and diamond. The sector is expected to benefit from relatively higher prices of gold and PGMs. Government will continue to implement measures to attract investment and bring transparency in the sector. Government will prioritise finalising amending of the Mines and Minerals Act to bring a market-based conducive investment climate providing stability, consistency, competitiveness and transparency in the sector. This should also pave way for the formulation of mineral policies,” the paper said. It has been a fine year for gold, Zimbabwe’s mainstay on the international markets. After difficult 2019, gold prices have rocketed, defying threats posed by a global shutdown inspired by the deadly coronavirus scourge. The gold price hit an all-time high in early August, eclipsing US$2 075 per ounce, and is projected to average US$1 748,45 an ounce during 2020, from a low of US$1 268 per ounce in 2018. The pandemic itself has been credited for driving the charge, possibly as investors shift to store value in traditionally reliable portfolios in the face of global uncertainties stemming out of the virus. For centuries, investors have turned to gold as a safe haven for store of value during downturns, volatilities or crises. It has turned out to be the situation today. Many analysts have predicted that the gold rally is far from over, given the relentless spread of the virus through second waves across regions. This has given reason for optimism towards resource-based economies like Zimbabwe. Platinum prices have also been firming. Government wants to encourage fresh investment into new projects and attract funding to rebuild closed mines, the paper said. Zimbabwe has many closed mines, most of which collapsed under the weight of hyperinflation in 2008. Some of these are owned by the State through Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation. “Increasing the number of operational mines is important to increase the mining sect
In a deal that many more than likely did not see coming, the National Football League and Tommy Hilfiger signed a multi-year partnership and have unveiled the fruits of its first capsule collection.
Young supporters of Guinean opponent Cellou Dalien Diallo, who has declared himself the winner of the presidential election, clashed with police on Wednesday in the Wanindara district of the country's capital Conakry.
African election monitors said Tuesday that Guinea's weekend election was conducted properly, but the political opposition to incumbent Alpha Conde, which has already claimed victory, dismissed it as fraudulent.
Preliminary results for four of the country's 38 voting districts released by electoral commission chief Kabinet Cisse late Tuesday showed a strong lead for Conde over his main challenger Cellou Dalein Diallo, who had claimed victory Monday.
In three of the four districts, Conde secured more than the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff vote, although an electoral commission official told AFP it was \"impossible to extrapolate\" to the final national result, expected later this week.
\"Alpha Conde is doing everything possible to change ballot-box results in his favour\" Diallo's campaign director Fode Oussou Fofana had earlier told reporters in the capital Conakry.
The opposition campaign has been setting the stage for an election dispute, with Fofana accusing the government of \"large-scale fraud\" in counting ballots from the hotly contested October 18 poll.
Conde, 82, is seeking a controversial third presidential term, a move that has triggered months of deadly unrest in the West African nation.
- Augustin Matata Ponyo, the African Union's head of mission in Guinea, said the ballot took place \"in transparency\" while the head of the West African ECOWAS monitoring mission said the vote was lawful.
Celebrations in Conakry of Diallo's self-proclaimed victory quickly descended into violent clashes with security forces, in which several youngsters were shot dead, opposition officials said.
Meanwhile in a seeming response to Diallo's self-proclaimed win, security forces dressed in riot gear surrounded his house in the capital. He tweeted that he was trapped inside.
- 'Irresponsible and dangerous' -
Security forces killed dozens of people in protests against a Conde third term, which began in October last year--.
Although polling day was mostly calm, Diallo's self-proclaimed election victory has ratched up tensions in the former French colony of some 13 million people.
The government insists the vote was fair and that only the official electoral authority can declare the results.
Conde's RPG party also called Diallo's move \"irresponsible and dangerous\" on Monday.
The international community is concerned too. The United Nations, African Union, and the 15-nation ECOWAS called the premature declaration of results \"regrettable\", in a joint statement on Monday.
\"This state of affairs is not conducive to preserving calm,\" the statement said.
But on Tuesday, the communications director for Diallo's UFDG party, Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, said the party's own analysis of polling data collected from individual stations showed the opposition leader had won over 50 percent of the vote
BY FREEMAN MAKOPA VETERAN rapper Enock “ExQ” Munhenga has expressed disappointment over the state of the local music industry which he said was getting poorer and lacked growth due to lack of financial backing. ExQ, who has become one of the most sought-after entertainers in the country, emerged on the music scene in early 2000s during the birth of the urban grooves movement with a hit track Musalala. In an interview with NewsDay Life Style, ExQ said it had become difficult for artistes to earn a living due to the declining economic conditions adding that fans were no longer spending more on music. “To be honest the music industry is not growing, it is getting worse because I remember when we started, without shows we used to sell cassettes and CDs. As for me, when I released my first cassette, I did well and I knew the number of copies that I sold and my life changed through selling music,” he said. “Now it is hard because we rarely sell music as people are now relying on shows and few corporates, but these corporates don’t release money, if they release, the person between the corporates and the artiste would want a bigger share and they don’t want to give artistes what they deserve. So at the end of the day things are getting worse and also with our economy it’s hard.” The singer bemoaned lack of support from the corporate world. “Music industry is not working well because the economy is not functioning well, so it is hard for fans to spend something on music. They need to buy music and they need to come to our shows so everyone will be calculating whether or not it’s profitable,” he said. “The corporate side is not really supportive. So if the economy gets back on its feet then the music industry will also do well.” A father of three, ExQ said at the start of his career, he produced only two songs which he performed over a period of two years. “I was lucky because I believe with my first song Musalala that is when my breakthrough came because soon after I started doing live shows. I released another one and then started performing the two songs for two years and from there the rest is history,” he said. “The greatest challenge is the issue of finance because failure to sell music, stage live shows and lack of support of corporates you cannot then afford to do proper videos because they cost a lot. So it’s really difficult to do something or produce quality projects that will cross the borders. “The issue of finance affects marketing of our music and also launching new things. All this needs finance.” ExQ said he had a huge vision for his career, adding that he was working on finalising new projects that he has been recording before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. He expects to release the projects as an album. He said he felt encouraged when he saw fellow artistes doing well outside Zimbabwe and being recognised for their crafts beyond the borders.
By KEN SWEET and DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writers U.S. stocks fell in morning trading Monday after initially making gains following a report that China's economy grew at a 5% annual rate in the last quarter. Investors are also preparing for a busy week of corporate earnings reports. Procter & Gamble, Netflix and IBM are a few of the larger companies that will reveal the extent of the virus pandemic's impact during the most recent quarter. The benchmark S&P 500 fell 0.5% as of 11:23 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average of big blue chips was down 0.4%, […]
The post Stocks slip ahead of a busy week for company earnings news appeared first on Black News Channel.
guest column:Eness Paidamoyo Mutsvangwa-Sammie MANY countries in sub-Saharan Africa commit resources to promote agricultural innovations. This is based on the assumption that rural livelihoods are mainly agricultural and that the innovations will increase agricultural production and household income. As resources come under pressure from growing populations and natural resource degradation, governments and donors want to see that agricultural research and innovation has an impact. They want to see “success” and “value for money”. But success is understood in different ways. It depends on how it’s framed and by whom. Studying conflict in agricultural innovations can lead to a better understanding of the appropriateness of certain technologies in terms of how they are designed, promoted and how they are linked to rural livelihoods. Conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe provides a good example of an innovation like this. This approach to farming has been widely promoted by non-governmental organisations, research institutes and the State. It’s also promoted in other countries in eastern and southern Africa. The method is based on minimal soil disturbance, mulching soil with crop residue and crop rotation. These are meant to conserve moisture, reduce soil erosion and build up soil organic matter to improve crop yields and rural livelihoods. We wanted to know how this innovation was promoted and implemented in Zimbabwe and how its “success” was framed and assessed. Our study found that there were differences in how farmers and promoters of conservation agriculture defined its success. These differences matter when investments are made in promoting agricultural innovations. It’s particularly important to understand the diversity of rural livelihoods. The research Our study was conducted in Gwanda and Insiza districts in south western Zimbabwe. Droughts are a common feature in the area, occurring on average every two or three years. We collected data via a household questionnaire survey, interviews and focus group discussions. Participants included farmers, NGO and government extension officers. We found that innovation was understood by the majority of respondents as having three main attributes, namely, “novelty”, “adaptability” and “utility”. Despite novelty being mentioned more often than other understandings of innovation, some felt that it existed in theory and not practically. For example, a farmer said interventions promoted in their communities were not new but rather repackaged existing technologies with different names. Some were not suitable for the area. Conservation agriculture was identified as the innovation most often promoted by non-governmental organisations and government extension officers in the area. Huge investments were committed to promoting it — the Department for International Development set aside about US$23 million to promote it in Zimbabwe. Yet after the project’s three-year lifespan, farmers mostly abandoned the practice. The locals gave it the name “dhiga ufe”, which means “dig and die”, bec
… that tell the story of African American activism through sport.
With a … history.”
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is open …
by Derek Major -The largest Black bank in the U.S. has proudly announced it has achieved a milestone of 100,000 customers after a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and a focus on racial [...]
The Banksy-Designed Stab-Proof Vest That Stormzy Rocked At Glastonbury Gets Nominated For Major Design Award
COMME des GARÇONS Adds Some Luxe Detailing To The Classic Air Force 1 Mid
Guinea's opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo declared on Monday declared himself winner of Sunday's vote, defeating Alpha Conde, the incumbent president.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital Conakry a day after the hotly contested election, Diallo said he had emerged \"victorious\" despite \"anomalies which marred the ballot\".
\"I invite all my fellow citizens who love peace and justice to stay vigilant and committed to defend this democratic victory,\" the 68-year-old said, dressed in a sky-blue robe, from his party headquarters.
Outside the building, supporters erupted in joy and chanted \"Cellou, president\". Elsewhere in the city, security forces fired tear gas canisters at crowds assembling in support of Diallo.
Bakary Mansare, the vice-president of Guinea's electoral authority, told AFP that Diallo's self-proclaimed victory was \"null and void\".
\"It is not up to a candidate or a person to proclaim himself the winner outside the bodies defined by the law,\" he said.
Conde's RPG party also said in a statement Monday that it condemned \"with the utmost firmness the irresponsible and dangerous declaration\" by Diallo. It called for its activists to remain calm.
Diallo's announcement sets the stage for a showdown with the government, which insists that Sunday's vote was fair and that the official electoral authority must declare the results.
Signs of a looming electoral dispute began to appear during the vote, however, when Diallo told reporters that Conde could \"cheat\" his way to power.
'Chaos'
Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, a cadre in Diallo's UFDG party, said that results at individual polling states were public, enabling the party's own observers to conduct a count.
\"If we are the winners, we will defend our victory,\" he said. \"We won't wait.\"
Earlier on Monday, Guinea's government said in a statement that the opposition \"clearly intended to create chaos and to call into question the real results that will come out of the ballot box\".
Much of the tension in Guinea relates to President Conde's controversial bid for a third term.
He pushed through a new constitution in March which he argued would modernise the country. But it also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents, provoking mass protests.
Prime Minister Kassory Fofana said that the opposition publishing results ahead of the official results was tantamount to pouring \"oil on the fire\".
Second round
Guinea's acrimonious political campaign saw Conde and Diallo trade insults, and was marked by violent incidents in some parts of the west African country.
But it also raised the spectre of ethnic strife, with Conde accused of exploiting divisions for electoral ends - a charge he denies.
Guinea's politics are mainly drawn along ethnic lines: the president's base is mostly from the ethnic Malinke community and Diallo's from the Fulani people.
A second round of voting, if needed, is scheduled for November 24.
The Ministry of Health today said that three more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died.
The article Three more Region Four women die of COVID appeared first on Stabroek News.
Voters in Seychelles are starting to cast their ballots in the presidential and national assembly elections.
It comes at a crucial time for the nation of 115 islands off East Africa, Voters will decide if President Danny Faure will be elected for the first time after taking over from predecessor James Michel, who resigned.
His People's Party, which has been in power since 1977 also faces an unprecedented challenge
The vote will run across three days across the islands.
Faure is facing two rivals. The main one is Wavel Ramkalawan of the Linyon Democratik Seselwa (Seychelles Democratic Alliance) opposition party, the majority party in parliament after winning 19 of 34 seats in the last election.
He is an Anglican priest and has run for president six times
But the opposition parties have not managed to unite in this election.
The other candidate is Alain St Ange, who was in the opposition before joining the government tourism minister.
He is running for the One Seychelles party which he created a year ago.
The main concern for the voters is the economy, which has slowed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
About 700 people have lost their jobs, according to government figures. The idyllic islands famed for their white beaches are a hub for tourism, particularly with those on their honeymoon.
But the coronavirus pandemic has closed borders, hampering the key tourism industry.
Another key theme of the campaign has been corruption, a largely taboo topic in the tiny country where everyone knows everyone and business and politics are often intertwined.
The Seychelles is classed by Transparency International as being perceived as the least corrupt country in Africa and among the 30 least corrupt in the world.
However it is also a tax paradise housing numerous offshore companies.
fernandogarciaesteban/iStockBY: JULIA JACOBO, ABC NEWS (NEW YORK) — A number of students in one New York City borough have been randomly tested for COVID-19 despite the schools not receiving consent…
BY KENNETH NYANGANI A CHIPINGE man, who killed his brother in a scuffle over a goat has been slapped with a 25-year jail term by High Court judge Justice Isaac Muzenda. It is the State’s case that on October 16 last year, the convict, Tawanda Hlahla (25) had a misunderstanding with his elder brother Sifiso. The court heard that the convict slaughtered Sifiso’s goat. During the same week, Sifiso questioned his younger brother about his goat and a misunderstanding ensued. The convict struck the now-deceased with a machete once on the back of his head. Sifiso bled profusely from the wound and died upon admission at Chipinge Hospital.
narvikk/iStockBy MORGAN WINSOR, ABC News (NEW YORK) - A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.1 million people worldwide. Over 40 million people across the globe…
Celebrities, politicians, and supporters of VP candidate Kamala Harris used the hashtag #MyNameIs after Sen. David Purdue mocked her name at a Trump rally.
[allAfrica] As of October 19, the confirmed cases of Covid-19 from 55 African countries have reached 1,646,278. Reported deaths in Africa have reached 39,747, and recoveries 1,354,446.
PARIS — Public health officials worldwide have encouraged people to wear masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19. But in France, a controversy is growing over whether that practice should apply to women giving birth [...]
By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The World Series matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays is a rare meeting of baseball's best for the title, and a matchup of organizations with Andrew Friedman's imprint. Friedman was the Rays' director of baseball operations from 2004-05 and then general manager from until he left in October 2014 to become the Dodgers president of baseball operations. Game 1 is Tuesday night. Retired first baseman James Loney, a veteran of both organizations, describes the Rays as 'feisty.' 'We were always fighting. But we always did feel […]
The post Dodgers-Rays rare wild-card era matchup of baseball's best appeared first on Black News Channel.
